Chapter 888: Ling'er, Ling'er (Part 1)
It was originally just an ordinary sword, the only sword his master had given him when he accompanied her in practicing medicine on the Cang Yun Continent. He used this sword only for self-defense, having killed only profound beasts, never a person.
Later, his master was forced to death. In his hatred, he madly unleashed the poison of the Heavenly Poison Pearl, killing countless people... And this sword, under the infection of the Heavenly Poison Pearl's venom, became a poisonous sword.
Its name was also changed by Yun Che to the Heavenly Poison Sword.
When he fell off Jueyun Cliff back then, it was together with this Heavenly Poison Sword. He vaguely remembered that the last thing he did before his consciousness completely dissipated during the fall was to use all the remaining strength left in his body to hurl the Heavenly Poison Sword outward.
This Heavenly Poison Sword was one of a kind in the world—there could never be a second.
Yun Che gently pinched the sword's body, applied a little force, and with a soft clang, he completely pulled it out from the mountain wall. Its blade, edge, hilt, color, and aura were all identical to the Heavenly Poison Sword that had followed him for over a decade and felt as familiar as his own body.
But wasn't the causality of this world corrected by the Lunhui Jing when he traversed reincarnation? This world had no trace of him, no Heavenly Poison Pearl—why would this Heavenly Poison Sword, born because of him, exist?
Moreover, the most exaggerated consequence of the Lunhui Jing taking him through reincarnation was causing a shift in the timeline of the Cang Yun Continent. Everything had returned to over a decade ago. According to the current timeline of the Cang Yun Continent, even if there was another version of him in this world, following everything as it originally happened, at this point in time, he still wouldn't have jumped off Jueyun Cliff.
The Heavenly Poison Sword wouldn't even have been formed yet, and he would only just be meeting Su Linger for the first time.
Could it be that the timeline shift caused by the Lunhui Jing's traversal of reincarnation wasn't a pure reversal of time, but also retained, to some degree or under certain specific factors, things that had existed or happened in the "future"?
Yun Che carefully held up the Heavenly Poison Sword, his heart surging with emotion. Why it existed was hard to explain and not all that important; being able to obtain it again was a heavenly surprise for Yun Che. Although its power couldn't compare to the Heaven-Defying Demon-Slaying Sword transformed from Hong'er, and it wasn't even a suitable weapon, it was something his master had given him.
He had regained this Heavenly Poison Sword and finally possessed a relic of his master.
His fingers gently stroked the blade, then the hilt. Just as he was about to put it away, his fingers suddenly touched several strands of something rather tough yet soft at the end of the hilt.
Yun Che applied a little force with his fingers and pulled them off the sword.
At first glance, the things in his hand were several torn metal flakes with a fairly bright metallic luster. But judging by their twisted and stuck-together appearance, they were clearly unlike ordinary metal, and their aura was completely different from metal.
Yun Che stared at them for a moment, then suddenly recognized them...
This is... dragon scale!?
Why would torn dragon scales be hanging from the hilt of the Heavenly Poison Sword?
Just as this question flashed through Yun Che's mind, his entire body trembled as if struck by lightning.
These dragon scales...
Wait... could it be...
Yun Che's memory drifted hazily back to the Seven Nations Ranking Tournament at Tian Jian Villa back then... back to that dreamlike encounter with Su Linger in those years...
These dragon scales...
Dragon Scale Armor!
The first-place reward of the Cang Feng Ranking Tournament—the Dragon Scale Armor!
The Dragon Scale Armor he had given to Su Linger back then!
These torn dragon scales were clearly the same kind of dragon scales as those on the Dragon Scale Armor!
The same color, the same aura!
Could it be... could it be...
Something scalding hot exploded in Yun Che's chest. He clutched the broken dragon scales tightly in his hand, his heart palpitating violently, his whole body trembling uncontrollably: "Ling'er... it's Ling'er... it must be Ling'er..."
He quickly turned around, gasping for breath, and let out an excited roar in this abyss of death: "Ling'er!! Ling'er! Where are you! Ling'er——"
His voice echoed heavily in the abyss, shaking down patches of rolling gravel. Yun Che shouted loudly. He was so agitated that after just a dozen or so shouts, it was as if all his strength had been drained, and he could no longer call out.
"Brother Yun Che... is that you?"
A voice as serene as a dream, like a gentle breeze in an empty valley, softly reached Yun Che's ears.
Yun Che's entire body stiffened abruptly, as if suddenly falling into a dream. He stood there completely dazed, unable to believe the world he was in. He raised his head, his movements stiff and slow like a puppet pulled by strings.
Above him, on the high mountain wall, a dark round rock jutted out. At the edge of the rock was a verdant figure. She had a countenance of countless graces and eyes that dimmed the stars.
Drops of water fell silently from those beautiful eyes, drawing long, shimmering trails through the air, falling endlessly into the abyss below.
Under the illumination of the Phoenix Flame, their gazes met across the vast space. The scene froze for a long time, the entire world falling silent, until Yun Che's call broke everything.
"Ling...er..." Yun Che reached out with effort. Everything before him was more beautiful than a dream, and for a moment he dared not approach or touch, afraid that it was merely an illusion that would shatter at the slightest contact.
The Ling'er in his sight was more graceful than six years ago, more naive and tender than in the previous life. But that was his Ling'er—he could never mistake her, could never be wrong.
"Brother Yun Che..." Su Linger called out as if in a dream. Her hands, and her entire body, seemed driven by an invisible force, involuntarily moving toward Yun Che... Then her feet lost their grip, she fell off the round rock, and tumbled down toward Yun Che.
But she didn't scream from the sudden accident, nor did she show even a trace of fear. Her watery eyes held only a heartbreakingly beautiful bewilderment.
"Ling'er!!"
Yun Che cried out urgently, snapping out of his daze. He leaped up and firmly caught Su Linger as she fell toward him. When he truly held her soft, delicate body, an endless warmth and satisfaction spread through Yun Che's entire being.
Because at this moment, he could finally be completely certain that none of this was an illusory dream.
He held Su Linger tightly and soared upward from beneath the cliff. Su Linger quietly lay against his chest, a light smile on her lips, tears in her beautiful eyes. In her heart, there was no more fear or hesitation, only endless happiness, peace, and contentment.
Su Linger was alive and well. After the loss back then, the "illusion" six years ago, and yet another "loss," he could finally hold her firmly in his arms.
Everything felt like a dream.
By now, he understood that after Su Linger jumped off Jueyun Cliff, the Heavenly Poison Sword and the Dragon Scale Armor had saved her life.
During her fall, the Dragon Scale Armor on her body had just gotten caught on the hilt of the Heavenly Poison Sword.
Had it been anything else—trees, or even protruding rocks—they could not have stopped Su Linger. But the Heavenly Poison Sword had been thrown by Yun Che with all his might back then, driven deep into the cliff face with the determination of one who had resigned himself to death. Its toughness came from the poison of the Heavenly Poison Pearl, and the force of a fall from thousands of zhang could not break it.
If ordinary clothing had been caught by the Heavenly Poison Sword, the immense falling force would have only resulted in the clothes tearing apart—it could never have held. But the Dragon Scale Armor that Yun Che had given Su Linger back then was a Heaven Xuan-level protective armor, woven from real dragon scales. Worn on the body, it could even greatly resist the power of a Heaven Xuan profound practitioner. The force of a fall from thousands of zhang was far from enough to completely tear apart the Dragon Scale Armor.
And so, the Heavenly Poison Sword he had carelessly thrown in his previous life, which should have long ceased to exist...
The Dragon Scale Armor he had given to her in the "dream" that he thought didn't exist in this life...
Together, they had miraculously saved Su Linger's life.
As if sharing a telepathic connection, neither of them spoke. Though their hearts raged like a tsunami, holding each other tightly, they both became unusually quiet, and even the originally sharp whistling wind seemed incredibly gentle.
Unnoticed, bright light shone down from above, and the air was no longer stifling. Yun Che tightened his arms slightly, spun in midair, and emerged from the abyss, lightly landing with Su Linger in his arms at the edge of Jueyun Cliff.
The mountain wind was cool, and there was none of the faint smell of blood Yun Che had anticipated. Even the bloodstains that had covered the ground were gone—perhaps cleaned up by the Fusu Kingdom sect out of fear, or later by the disciples of the Seven Star Divine Mansion.
But at least now, there were only the two of them on the entire Jueyun Cliff, making it a world that belonged solely to them.
Gently cupping Su Linger's cheeks, Yun Che gazed at her silently and said softly, "Ling'er... you've grown up. These years..."
Yun Che's voice caught in his throat. He didn't know what words to use to explain the six years she had waited in vain. He could only say weakly, "...It's my fault for making you wait so long."
Su Linger gently shook her head, tears glistening in her beautiful eyes and a faint smile on her lips. Then she hugged him again, quietly resting in his arms, and spoke in a voice like a dream: "Brother Yun Che, I must not be dreaming, right?"
"Maybe it really is a dream," Yun Che also smiled. "But it's a dream that will never end."
Six years ago, Ling'er had been like a lively, innocent little elf—she would laugh heartily and cry bitterly. But in the not-too-long span of six years, she had become extraordinarily serene... serene like an orchid.
Instead, she resembled more the Su Linger he had lost back then.
And that Ling'er, besides her orchid-like serenity, had carried a melancholy and sorrow that seemed never to melt away.
The two of them basked in the mountain wind for a very long time, always holding each other tightly, as if wanting to merge into each other's bodies.
Only when the mountain wind quietly changed direction did their figures finally part.
"Ling'er, don't you want to ask me... why I never came back to find you all these years?" Yun Che said guiltily.
Su Linger gently shook her head, her hazy, watery eyes fixed on him: "Because I know that Brother Yun Che must have had unavoidable reasons, not that he didn't want Ling'er or had forgotten her."
"..." Yun Che's eyes were warm, moved beyond words.
In the previous life, she had indulged him endlessly, loved him boundlessly, given to him without limit...
In this life, she was still the same...
This was his Ling'er.
"After I jumped off Jueyun Cliff, I thought that in this life, I would never see you again," Su Linger said, reaching out to softly caress Yun Che's cheek, her beautiful eyes misty and bewildered. "Unexpectedly, Brother Yun Che's Heavenly Poison Sword and the Dragon Scale Armor you gave me saved me... I believe that it must have been because Brother Yun Che was always thinking of me, worrying about me, that such a miracle happened, allowing me to see Brother Yun Che once more."
Yun Che shook his head slightly, still deeply frightened: "Ling'er, you're so foolish. Why did you jump? When I learned that you..."
Yun Che's voice suddenly broke off. He stared blankly at Su Linger, his words becoming unusually stiff: "Ling'er... you... you... how did you know... about the Heavenly Poison Sword?"