Oblivious to the crowdâs fear and apprehension, Ah Sha walked toward Gu Han, tears rolling down her cheeks. âYoung Master...â
Suddenly, she stumbled and nearly fell. Tearing through space and killing two Transcendent realm experts in a row had consumed too much of her soul power. She could barely hold on.
Suppressing his terror, a man shouted excitedly, âThis is our chance! She canât hold on much longer!â
His words instantly alerted the others.
Thatâs right! How could such an incomprehensible, heaven-defying ability not have any cost? How could such a little girl use it so effortlessly? The consumption must be unimaginably immense!
However, speculation was one thing. No one was foolish enough to be the first to make a move. The deaths of the previous two had scarred them. What if she still had some strength left? Still, their cowardice didnât mean Ah Sha would simply sit back and do nothing.
The glow in her eyes flickered for an instant, then landed on the man who had just spokenâcold, merciless, and indifferent to all. It seemed that in her eyes, all living creatures were no different from the dirt, stones, and rubble on the ground.
Upon meeting Ah Shaâs gaze, that man felt as if he were facing the giant eye that had appeared on the sky veil before. His Dao heart nearly shattered completely.
Suddenly, the man let out a miserable shriek. Specks of light continuously drifted out from him, vaguely giving off a sense of ethereal transcendence. His face aged at a visible speed.
The crowdâs pupils contracted once more.
Itâs his Transcendent Substance!
As if weathered for countless years, his body soon crumbled to the ground, turning into a pile of dust.
By now, Ah Sha had already arrived before Gu Han. âYoung Master...â
As she gently extended her finger, the glow in her eyes swirled unceasingly. She intercepted a small portion of the Transcendent Substance, which should have returned to the heavens and earth, and gathered it at her fingertip. It formed a mysterious, radiant speck of light, shimmering with divine power.
The speck of light seeped into Gu Han with a soft tremble. Like parched land soaking up a clear spring, it reinvigorated his originally withered and decayed body. However, his eyes remained tightly shut. He stood motionless as if entirely oblivious to the world around him.
With that, Ah Sha seemed to have reached her limit. Her eyes flickered twice then dimmed, revealing her weary and exhausted face. Yet no one dared to move. They were completely terrified by Ah Shaâs bizarre and unpredictable methods.
The man beside Luan Ping was full of fear. âWhat do we do? The situation is beyond our control.â
Luan Ping took a deep breath. âNotify the Holy Master! We canât do anything to her by relying on our strength alone.â
The man hesitated for a moment, then agreed. âAlright.â
The other two families quickly followed suit, transmitting news of what had happened back. After all, Ah Shaâs abilities were too strange and overbearing. For them to act rashly would be nothing but a futile suicide mission.
Ah Sha paid them no more attention and gently embraced Gu Han. Not caring whether he could hear her or not, she just gazed at him infatuatedly, murmuring to herself, âYoung Master, I saw the demoness just now. It turns out her storyâs quite tragic too. On her, I also saw a thread that was deeply connected to you. I wanted to break it, but I was afraid it would affect you, so I let her go...â
Her gaze grew dimmer but she held Gu Han tighter and tighter. Tears rolled down her face, dampening Gu Hanâs clothes and falling onto his hand.
âYoung Master, remember that dream, right? The dream was real. Now, itâs just like in the dream. Young Master, I...â She glanced toward the endless sky veil. Though it remained calm and peaceful, she seemed to see something different. âI might be taken away soon, but I donât want to go. I donât want to leave you. Iâm afraid that if I leave, Iâll never see you again. Iâm afraid that Iâll forget you.â
Suddenly, she looked toward Gu Hanâs forehead. âYouâre very powerful, right? Could you please not hurt Young Master? If Iâm not here, help him, okay? I will properly thank you.â
Inside the sword cage, the black shadow felt Ah Shaâs gaze and spun around. Last time, Ah Shaâs gaze had been curious, innocent, and slightly fearful. Now, he felt that it held bewilderment, helplessness, and a trace of pleading.
Though he couldnât hear Ah Shaâs words, his heart ached from the sadness in her gaze. âMy dear disciple, tell me, who bullied you?! I will kill himâno, kill his whole family. Iâll exterminate his entire clan!â
Seemingly able to see the shadowâs reaction, Ah Sha felt a bit more at ease. âThank you.â
Then, she turned to Gu Han.
âYoung Master, I know when Iâm not here, that demoness will definitely seduce you. Young Master, promise me.â She clutched Gu Hanâs clothes tightly as if afraid he would fly away. âNo matter where I am, you have to come find me. Promise me, promise me... you have to find me...â
These words seemed to drain her last ounce of strength.
Her eyelashes fluttered twice, then gently closed. âYoung master... Iâm so sleepy... Iâm just going to sleep for a while, okay...?â
Two teardrops fell, once again landing on Gu Hanâs hand.
***
In the depths of consciousness, amid the silent, dark soul power, a faint speck of light flickered in and out of existence. On a closer look, one could see that the speck was vaguely in the shape of a seed.
Within, Gu Hanâs last thought lay dormant.
Is it raining? But isnât rain cold? How can it have warmth?
As if sensing something, the speck of light flared up. At the same time, an overwhelming wave of grief enveloped the consciousness space, reaching even the black shadow.
â
Hmm?
Why is this brat so heartbroken? Could it be...â Connecting it to the previous situation, his tone changed. âOh no! Something mustâve happened to my precious disciple! No wonder... I thought that little girl was acting so strange earlier! You little bastard, how did you take care of her! Let me out now! If anything happens to her, Iâll kill you, believe me!â
However, there was no response whatsoever.
Completely frantic, he pointed at the sword cage and cursed loudly, âDamn it! Are you asking for a beating? Either you let me out, or just strike me dead with your sword right now! Choose one! Itâs up to you!â
Unexpectedly, his words actually had an effect. The sword cage, which had never changed before, trembled briefly and vanished.
The shadow was even angrier now. âDamn it! You need a good kick to move!â
Even as he spoke, he was already rushing out in a panicked frenzy.
At the same time, Gu Hanâs eyes snapped open outside.