# Chapter 2054: Gathering Caili
A line of flowing light, ten thousand sword rays, instantly severed all life force of the Divine Annihilation Qiu Dragon.
Its dragon body collapsed like crumbling loose stone, scattering into flat fragments across the ground.
Hua Qingying's figure descended from the sky, not even glancing at the abyss Qiu Dragon, and flashed before Hua Caili.
Feeling her extremely faint but now death-escaping life force, Hua Qingying's mind suddenly relaxed, as if reborn after a catastrophe.
With no time to attend to Yun Che, Hua Qingying pointed her finger, gathering an extremely gentle profound light at her fingertip, pointing toward Hua Caili's heart.
But the moment her fingertip touched Hua Caili's body, it jerked away as if shocked by electricity.
Because what transferred into her fingertip was a trace of abnormally intense heat.
Before she could even be startled, in that blink of an eye, she clearly saw Hua Caili's cheeks and all her exposed skin rapidly suffusing with a gradually enchanting rosy flush.
Her brows slightly furrowed, Hua Qingying's finger descended again, a wisp of extremely gentle profound energy quickly traveling through Hua Caili's entire body. What she perceived was a pervasive scorching heat.
Even her half-open eyes, though weak, revealed an abnormally dazed look. As if she didn't even recognize Hua Qingying who was right beside her.
This... is...
"It's that... Qiu Dragon's blood... quickly... save her..."
A weak and anxious voice came from beside her.
Hua Qingying turned her eyes to glance—only then did she realize that Yun Che's complexion was also abnormal, even more crimson than Hua Caili's. From this distance, she could even sense his breath burning like fire.
Qiu Dragon?
She looked at the dragon corpse she had shattered. Every visible feature was that of a Qiu Dragon.
Dragon blood is extremely lewd, with Qiu Dragon being the worst... This utterly unimportant record about the dragon race, one that never deserved her attention, suddenly flashed through her memory.
Dragon blood is extremely yang, not poisonous, but in some ways more terrifying than poison. Hence, describing it as lewd poison is not an exaggeration.
But no matter how lewd or fierce the dragon blood, it posed no threat to people at their level. Even if a Divine Annihilation Realm Qiu Dragon's blood touched them, a Divine Lord or Divine Sovereign could easily dispel and expel it.
But Hua Caili was severely injured—far from being able to dispel it, she couldn't even generate the slightest resistance. When the Qiu Dragon's blood splashed down, it quickly invaded her entire body.
"I see..."
Hua Qingying muttered softly, then relaxed. The gentle profound light at her fingertip gently pressed down and covered Hua Caili's heart.
One breath... two breaths...
That wisp of gentle profound light still halted at Hua Qingying's fingertip, as if she had suddenly frozen there... Moments later, her fingertip began to tremble slightly.
Hua Caili was too weak. The Qiu Dragon's blood, without the slightest obstruction, had already spread through her entire body, penetrating her blood, meridians, and even her soul sea.
She wasn't just heavily injured—she was barely breathing, teetering on the edge of life and death.
In this state, forcibly expelling it with external force...
Before the lewd poison could be removed, her last remaining life essence would dissipate first!
How could... this be...
If she had retained even a shred of resistance, she wouldn't have been eroded to this extent...
If her injuries were even slightly lighter... just slightly...
Biting her teeth slightly, the profound light at her fingertip finally entered Hua Caili's body... but the next instant, it abruptly withdrew, daring not to move again.
If she healed the injuries first, the lewd poison would erupt... the consequences...
If she forcibly expelled it, it might very well...
"Senior..." Yun Che's voice reached her ears again. Her hesitation seemed to ignite his anxiety, his words hurried: "Save her... quickly save her... she has no resistance at all now... if you don't save her soon... she will be heart-eaten and soul-burned..."
"Shut up!" Hua Qingying's mind grew increasingly chaotic. In this world, no one wanted to save Hua Caili more than she did.
Just now, she had miraculously survived death—why, in the blink of an eye, was she in such a helpless situation again?
Suddenly, she thought of something, turning to look at Yun Che: "Can your Light Profound Force..."
The moment her gaze touched Yun Che, she couldn't finish her words.
All her attention had been on Hua Caili, and only now did she realize how terrifyingly severe Yun Che's injuries were.
If he hadn't possessed the Dragon God bloodline, such injuries on anyone else would have been fatal long ago.
When his sword pierced the Qiu Dragon, he had been drenched in far more of its blood than Hua Caili. And with his injuries and weakness, he too had no resistance, and would have been invaded even more deeply than her.
In such a state, how could he possibly use Light Profound Force... If he could, he would have already begun healing himself.
She picked up Hua Caili, but looked around in confusion.
The desolate world seemed to spin chaotically, leaving her at a loss.
The breath from Hua Caili's lips grew hotter and hotter, yet couldn't dispel the bone-chilling cold in her heart.
In this situation, could only the union of yin and yang resolve it...
No... She is Caili, the daughter of my brother and Wanxin... the Divine Maiden of Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom... she is...
How could...
How could...
But besides this, what other way is there...
What other way can save her...
The painful feeling of powerlessness turned into an increasingly intense dizziness, blurring her vision. Her very soul seemed to fall into a sky-covering, sun-blotting angry wave, chaotically tossing and turning.
"Yun... Gong... Zi..."
The girl's dreamlike whisper instantly shattered Hua Qingying's tottering mental defenses.
Her figure flickered, and she was already carrying Hua Caili before Yun Che. Looking at the blood-drenched man before her, two hoarse words slowly leaked through her teeth: "Save... her!"
These two words were not as difficult as she had anticipated. Because every drop of blood on his body had been shed for Hua Caili.
Yun Che was stunned. He quickly understood Hua Qingying's intention. His body struggled to retreat, his voice weak and resolute: "No... she is a Divine Maiden... and has a betrothed... how could I defile her purity!"
"Senior's might is like a god—you can definitely save her!"
These words of praise only sounded like deep self-reproach and irony to Hua Qingying at this moment.
And facing Hua Caili, who possessed a world-toppling beauty and the status of a Divine Maiden, his reaction was refusal... This, to some extent, offset the painful struggle in Hua Qingying's heart.
Her chest heaved, her words carrying hidden pain: "So, you would rather let her be forever plagued by a soul wound, living worse than death?"
"..." Yun Che froze there, his eyes alternating between blankness and turmoil.
Hua Caili was placed beside Yun Che's knee. Hua Qingying abruptly turned around: "At least you have the Dragon God bloodline. Though heavily injured, you must... have some strength left."
Though she was trying her utmost to control herself, even she could clearly sense the trembling in her voice:
"If you don't save her, I'll kill you right now!"
Before Yun Che could respond, she had already risen into the air, simultaneously dropping a two-way isolating barrier that enveloped the space where Yun Che and Hua Caili were.
The moment the barrier formed, Hua Qingying abruptly turned back. Her fingers trembled in midair for a moment, then finally withdrew. She soared into the sky, never looking back.
Crack!!
Countless chaotic, fierce sword rays descended, reducing the already shattered abyss Qiu Dragon into the tiniest dust.
To prevent Hua Qingying from examining the blood of this abyss Qiu Dragon, he had poured most of the pure Qiu Dragon blood into its dragon body.
Clearly, he had been overly cautious.
The former Zhe Tian Divine Maiden, now the heartless Sword Immortal—how could she have any interest in familiarizing herself with mere Qiu Dragons?
If not for her exceptional soul power, the record about "dragon blood is extremely lewd, Qiu Dragon being the worst" would have long faded from her cognition.
...
Li Suo timely sealed off her perception.
He had succeeded.
In less than a year since stepping into the Abyss, with a cultivation of Divine Lord Realm Level 3, he had twice forced the Sword Immortal Hua Qingying—the number one person under the Abyss gods—into a "dead end."
Especially the second time: the timing of the abyss Qiu Dragon's appearance, Hua Caili's injuries, and his own injuries were all perfectly orchestrated... forcefully pushing Hua Qingying, who possessed Divine Extreme Force, into having no other choice.
To scheme to this extent... he must be very tired.
...
Senluo Divine Kingdom.
Dian Jiuzhi wore a plain long robe, unadorned and simple, yet due to his bearing as the number one Divine Son of the six kingdoms, it radiated a nobility and elegance that made even brocade seem dull.
There was no abyss dust here. The clear spring water was as transparent as a mirror, with the sound of gurgling water. Dian Jiuzhi bathed in the sound of the spring, quietly looking at his palm.
He often stood here like this, each time for a very long time.
In his palm was a colorful cloud branch carefully protected under profound light. Its small branches bore colorful cloud petals that were obviously larger than normal.
The same place, the same posture, the same colorful cloud branch—cherishing the same memories and thoughts.
---
Bang!
His head was viciously kicked into the mud. Just as he was struggling to get up, a foot heavily stamped down. An irresistible force pinned him in place, leaving him with only the familiar pain and humiliation.
Sharp jeers and insults rang in his ears.
"You ugly thing, how dare you come to this place? You're not here to peek at Divine Maiden Caili, are you?"
"Pah! Dian Big Head, don't you have a mirror? Or is the urine too far away? Divine Maiden Caili—what kind of person is she? If she gets scared by your ugly looks, getting half-beaten to death is the least of your worries—you'll drag us down with your shame!"
He gave up struggling, passively and pitifully waiting for the foot on his head to move away on its own.
Because struggling would only bring more brutal beatings and insults.
Actually, what they said was not wrong. He had come here indeed to catch a distant glimpse of the legendary Divine Maiden Caili.
Legend said she possessed the only perfect divine rank in the history of Zhe Tian Divine Kingdom. Legend said that though young in age, her beauty was already peerless across the Abyss, surpassing even the Sword Immortal Hua Qingying, and her future growth was unimaginable.
Legend said the Abyss Emperor himself praised her as a miracle of the Abyss and a treasure of Zhe Tian.
Having heard that the Heart-Painting Divine Venerable brought her back from the Pure Land and paid a visit to the Jueluo Divine Venerable.
Filled with endless curiosity and longing, he had secretly come, hoping for just a distant glimpse... but they discovered him, bringing another round of lessons and humiliation.
They were his blood-related clan brothers, all sons of the Jueluo Divine Venerable.
Flesh-and-blood brothers, yet he was their plaything... even their shame.
Because of his unusual appearance. Of medium height, his head was quite large, almost as wide as his shoulders, presenting an ugly and strangely flat shape that distorted his features abnormally.
He had no name left; all his clansmen only called him "Dian Big Head" or "Ugly Thing."
They were ashamed that such a freak had appeared in their clan.
He had grown up amidst bullying. His father god never gave him a second glance, and even his own mother had abandoned and distanced herself from him. Naturally, he was used to self-abasement and dared not raise his head.
The only remaining unwillingness and unyieldingness drove him to train hard... but his talent was the bottom among his peers, crushing his only hope for dignity.
His desire to catch a glimpse of the legendary Divine Maiden Caili stemmed from his deep longing for the beauty of the world.
He closed his eyes, letting them trample and jeer. The insult-laden words had long numbed him.
"What are you doing? Why are you bullying him?"
His eyes opened, his consciousness in a daze.
He had never heard such a beautiful voice, like the hollow valley springs and ethereal fairy tones described in books.
"Di... Divine Maiden Caili..."
The panicked, startled, disbelieving voices rose. The few imperial sons who had been bullying him seemed to be suddenly choked, their momentum shrinking timidly, their words stammering.
The foot on his head hastily moved away, then stood still beside him, not daring to move for a long time.
Though both were children of divine venerables, the status difference between imperial sons and divine sons was vast as heaven and earth.
He dazedly got up. The moment his gaze lifted, his world suddenly blurred.
Before him stood a girl in white, fourteen or fifteen years old, still young and immature. But the instant his eyes touched her, the whole world seemed to lose its luster, and his cognition of beautiful things was utterly shattered and collapsed.
He had imagined many times what kind of elegance Divine Maiden Caili might possess to earn such praise from the Abyss Emperor. Now he realized that even the so-called "miracles" and "treasures" were merely the extremes of worldly praise; before her, they were only pale and dull.
Long lost in his soul, he then fiercely lowered his head, daring not look again. Deep self-abasement drowned him like mud all over the sky.
"Your attire and aura clearly show you are of the same clan. This place is near the Senluo Divine Hall. If the Jueluo Divine Venerable learns that you are bullying your own clan members, he will surely punish you."
The girl's reprimand had no intimidation, only a soul-entrancing fairy voice.
The few imperial sons showed fear. The leader quickly said: "This person... this person is Dian Big Head, the most infamous in our clan. Father God dislikes him the most. Today he sneaked close. We were afraid his ugly appearance would disturb Divine Maiden Caili, so we... gave him a small lesson. We beg Divine Maiden Caili to calm her anger and by no means inform Father God."
"Dian Big Head?" The girl was slightly startled, her gaze turning to him: "Is this... really your name?"
He felt the girl's gaze but dared not meet it, instead lowering his head even deeper... then nodded slightly.
His original name—he himself had long forgotten it.
He was used to humiliation, but at this moment, before this dreamlike girl, his ugliness was revealed even more deeply. His soul trembled almost to the point of shattering. His nowhere-to-place fingers had long deeply pierced into his clothes.
Though she received his response, the girl apparently didn't fully believe it. She turned her eyes and said in the angriest tone she could muster: "Since you know you're wrong, why don't you quickly leave!"
"Ah... yes yes yes, we're leaving, we're leaving right now."
Facing the Zhe Tian Divine Maiden, how could they dare disobey? They retreated repeatedly, wanting to raise their heads but not daring, and soon obediently went far away.
He stood there, at a loss.
But the girl didn't leave immediately. Instead, she turned to him.
"This... Big Head Big Brother, this is for you."
He dazedly looked up and saw a white light floating before him.
It was a colorful cloud branch that only grew in the Pure Land. Its small branches bore colorful cloud petals that were obviously larger than normal.
He instinctively reached out, but dared not touch it, his hand frozen awkwardly in midair.
"This is a colorful cloud branch I picked from the Pure Land. When Immortal Ling allowed me to pick, the first thing I noticed was this one."
"Because it bloomed with the largest colorful cloud petals."
The girl smiled with curved lips: "So, Big Head Big Brother, that's how you are too. Your uniqueness is the mark that sets you apart from ordinary people. Don't ever look down on yourself because of it."
"The way they bully you for your appearance is a stain on their character, not your fault. And you must never give up on yourself because of it. Perhaps... one day in the future, you, different from others, will be like this colorful cloud branch, giving everyone the most stunning bloom."
The girl left. Faced with his ugly appearance, she was only momentarily startled, but never showed the slightest trace of disgust or pity.
He stood there dumbly. For a long time, he used his trembling palm to carefully, ever so gently, hold the little colorful cloud branch.
The girl didn't know that her naturally given kindness had completely overturned his life.
From then on, his world had light, had a goal, had an obsession.
He trained desperately, enduring all kinds of mockery and humiliation. He would spare no effort to become strong... all so that one day, he could be qualified to gaze at her from afar.
Until one day, his head roared, and his divine rank awakened...
...
The memories that had played through countless times once again unfolded clearly before his eyes. To his death, he could never forget every moment, every instant of that first meeting.
Dian Jiuzhi clasped his hands together, carefully and gently putting away the colorful cloud branch.
In his heart, he murmured the vow he had secretly sworn countless times:
Caili, my remaining life, my entire existence, my name as Divine Son, everything I possess—all exist for the sake of protecting you.
In this life, I will never allow anyone to hurt you even a single bit... Otherwise, even for the slightest injury, I will make them suffer ten thousand calamities and regret this life forever!