The Gloomy Blue Scythe of Karsas shimmered with a deathly cold light, the soul energy slashes arcing like crescent moons, tearing not only flesh but also severely wounding the soul. The assassins struck by it couldnât even scream before becoming cold corpses.
The black-clad assassins, already demoralized by the retreat of the man in white, were powerless against the fierce assault of the three Spirit Beasts, their screams echoed around, and in mere moments, more than half of them had fallen.
The bodyguards, no longer concerned with pursuing the remaining enemies, quickly surrounded Dongfang Mingyue and Xiaoyu, forming a tight human wall.
Min Wenbing, wielding his Spiritual Long Saber, watched vigilantly around them, while Nie Yunxing remained standing in place, the black light in his pupils gradually dimming yet still not regaining consciousness, with He Wu guarding him to prevent another outburst.
Xiaoyu constantly maintained the white light in her hands, gently sending a continuous stream of energy into Dongfang Mingyueâs body.
As the white light flowed, the dark aura on Dongfang Mingyueâs face faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, her furrowed brows gradually relaxing.
"Cough..."
With a light cough, Dongfang Mingyue slowly opened her eyes, though still weak, the pain she had felt earlier was gone.
She looked down at the short blade in her abdomen, the blade still embedded within, her blood soaking the hem of her dress, a shocking sight.
Without a momentâs hesitation, she reached out her trembling hand, gripped the hilt tightly, gritted her teeth, and pulled the blade out!
"Miss!" Min Wenbing and the others couldnât help but cry out, wanting to step forward to assist, but were stopped by Dongfang Mingyue raising her hand.
The moment the short blade left her body, blood gushed from Dongfang Mingyueâs abdomen like a fountain, staining her dress and the ground beneath in a startling scarlet.
Before Min Wenbing and the others could come forward, the flesh around Dongfang Mingyueâs wound began to wriggle and heal at a speed visible to the naked eye, the damaged skin quickly restructured, and within just a few breaths, the deep wound became a shallow scar, which soon disappeared entirely.
This was the terrifying self-healing ability of the Holy Blood Power of Qingmu. Without intentionally activating spiritual energy, the immense life force within her automatically repaired her injuries, such wounds were nothing more than minor scratches that healed almost instantaneously.
Seeing this, the bodyguards finally sighed in relief, their tense bodies relaxing, faces showing the relief of having survived a catastrophe. Min Wenbing sheathed his Spiritual Long Saber, looking at Dongfang Mingyue with concern in his voice: "Miss, itâs good that youâre alright."
Dongfang Mingyue nodded lightly, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, her gaze shifting to Xiaoyu beside herâif it hadnât been for Xiaoyuâs white light suppressing the curse, she might not have been able to regain consciousness. She was just about to express her gratitude: "Xiaoyu, tha..."
But before she could finish her words, her voice suddenly choked in her throat, her pupils dilating instantly, the color draining from her face.
Xiaoyuâs previously fair face was now slowly covered with the same dark aura as Dongfang Mingyueâs earlier, the darkness spreading from her neck and covering most of her face.
Even more frightening, Xiaoyuâs black hair turned gray at a speed visible to the naked eye, and her once firm skin became loose and wrinkled, as if she had aged decades in an instant, even the white light blooming from her hands dimmed, threatening to extinguish at any moment.
This scene was exactly the same as what Dongfang Mingyue had seen in her dream, Xiaoyuâs appearance just before dying!
"Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu, donât scare me!"
Dongfang Mingyue called out, stumbling to Xiaoyuâs side, holding her arms tightly, fear flooding her eyes.
Only then did she belatedly understandâXiaoyuâs ability was not to remove the curse, but to transfer the curse and injuries from Dongfang Mingyue to herself!
"Miss... donât be sad..." Xiaoyuâs voice was now old and hoarse, the wrinkles on her face deepening, she tried to lift her hand to wipe Dongfang Mingyueâs tears, but she was losing even the strength to raise her arm, "This is... my mission..."
"Mission?" Dongfang Mingyue trembled all over, memories of a scene from years ago flashed through her mindâwhen her brother brought Xiaoyu to her side, solemnly instructing her: "Keep Xiaoyu with you, never let her out of your sight."
At that time, she thought her brother was afraid sheâd feel lonely, so he found her a companion, but now thinking about it, it wasnât for company at all. Her brother had foreseen the dangers she would face, keeping Xiaoyu by her side to transfer the danger at critical moments, to exchange her life!
"Why... why didnât you tell me..." Dongfang Mingyue held Xiaoyuâs aged body, tears flowing uncontrollably, her heart filled with guilt and regret.
She had always treated Xiaoyu like a sister, never imagining that Xiaoyuâs existence was meant from the start to die in her stead.
Xiaoyu weakly smiled, a gentle warmth flickering in her eyes, using the last of her strength to gently touch Dongfang Mingyueâs cheek, her voice faint as a whisper: "To... protect Miss, I am happy... in the next life, I still want... to be Missâs maid."
"Xiaoyu..." Dongfang Mingyue pressed her hands on Xiaoyuâs shoulders, the enormous life force of the Qingmu bloodline flowing into Xiaoyuâs body, her voice trembling:
"I just want you to live... you havenât seen me achieve my dream yet, please come back... Iâm begging you..."
But the immense life force couldnât stop the erosion of the curse, and Dongfang Mingyue could only feel the warmth of Xiaoyuâs body slowly fading away, merging into the biting cold of the night.
In a daze, she suddenly remembered the scene in her dreamâthe same cold atmosphere, the same aged and withered appearance, even those dull eyes were identical to the current moment.