Eat It... Eat It!!

Ye Feng caught the collapsing man in an instant and dragged him toward the rear. Immediately after, dozens of attacks converged in rapid succession. Running low on strength, Ye Feng was just about to raise a hand to ward them off when two figures flashed in beside him, stepping across to unleash a flurry of counterstrikes! Right at that moment... Blood trickled from Gu Li's nose. His eyes snapped open, and he roared furiously, "Leave it to me!" Bang! Bang! Two storage rings detonated simultaneously, and tens of thousands of defensive inscribed talismans materialized out of thin air before Ye Feng. Boom! Boom! Boom! Terrifying blasts erupted in a relentless barrage, the shockwaves whipping up a violent gale that forced everyone's eyes shut. Spurred by the recoil through his qi resonance, Gu Li coughed up a violent mouthful of blood. Yet he kept hurling inscribed talismans, barking, "Fall back, quickly!" Once the group withdrew, other cultivators moved in steadily to hold the enemy back, finally granting them a brief respite. Xiao Chen, however, noticed an elderly man wielding a silver spear in the distance, boldly trying to tear through the entire battlefield with a single spear all on his own! Sun Changlin was indeed exceptionally powerful; though only in the late Mahayana realm, the strength he unleashed rivaled the peak Mahayana realm! The old man was drenched in blood from head to toe. Even though he was grievously wounded, he never halted his advance. Xiao Chen looked down at the dying Zhou Qingguo, glanced toward the distant elder, and could not help turning to Gu Li. Gu Li was as pale as a sheet, but upon meeting Xiao Chen's gaze, he gave a resolute nod. "Leave... leave it to me..." Hum! Gu Li closed his eyes tightly and sent an urgent voice transmission to Tang Ru: "Lend me a hand!" His mind swimming like mush and his eyes bloodshot, Tang Ru nodded. Hum! An abacus bead shot forth at lightning speed, vanishing into nothingness! A silver-white inscribed talisman affixed to the bead abruptly materialized behind Sun Changlin. Ye Feng pressed his lips tightly together. Looking at the man in his arms, whose breath had faded to a mere thread, he exhausted every means to save him. Whether sealing his hemorrhaging meridians or melting medicinal herbs with primal energy, none of it was of any use... Xiao Chen and Cao Yan were equally at a loss for words, kneeling silently to the side. They did not understand... This was a protection far too profound. So heavy... that it demanded a life. Looking down at the blood-covered man, Ye Feng murmured with a trembling voice, "Why... why did you have to save me?" Zhou Qingguo smiled. His throat, choked with shredded flesh, could only manage weak, rattling coughs, unable to piece together a single coherent sentence. Cao Yan kept his head lowered, an intricate mix of emotions swirling in his eyes. Not long ago, they had all been drinking together. Both he and Xiao Chen held immense respect for this warmhearted older brother. Never did they imagine it would come to this... Zhou Qingguo's vision blurred by degrees, yet with a smile on his face, he strained to look at the young men before him. His heart was completely peaceful, as though all the thunderous roars around him had faded into the tranquil chirping of birds and insects beneath a tree on a summer afternoon. His smile was pure and serene. He smiled, saying nothing. "Qingguo!" Sun Changlin flashed into view beside them in an instant. Gu Li opened his eyes, a wisp of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth as he swayed, nearly collapsing to the ground. Frantic with panic, the old man rummaged wildly through his storage ring, pulling out an assortment of spring waters and spirit plants brimming with vitality to stuff into Zhou Qingguo's mouth. Yet, whether fueled by a final burst of life or sheer will, Zhou Qingguo raised a large hand and firmly caught the elder's wrist. Zhou Qingguo's gaze slowly regained focus. He clamped his mouth shut so tightly that a chunk of flesh was bitten from his lip, stubbornly refusing to swallow the spirit herb. Even Ye Feng and the others could not help pleading, "Senior Zhou, please eat it." A trace of sorrow flickered through Gu Li's eyes. Even if Zhou Qingguo consumed those spirit herbs and elixirs now, it would do no more than prolong his last breath. There was no saving him... Zhou Qingguo's throat bobbed slightly, veins bulging along his neck as he forced himself to swallow the shredded flesh choking his airway. His eyes were laden with complex emotion—whether the reluctance of parting or the sorrow of bidding an old friend farewell. Zhou Qingguo spoke weakly, his voice trembling slightly. "I... I don't want it! You... keep it... for... for yourself..." Tears streamed down Sun Changlin's cheeks. The old man had few friends in his life, but Zhou Qingguo was undeniably one of them. "I don't need it! You eat it!" The elder's withered, trembling hands grabbed the spirit herb and shoved it toward the man's mouth! "Eat... if you eat it you can live!! Eat it!! Just eat it!" His voice was hoarse and trembling, an agonized, breathless shriek as his tears poured out like a burst dam. Juice from the spirit herb stained the corners of Zhou Qingguo's mouth, yet his life force was already spent. How could he possibly live...? He understood his own condition all too well. Mustering every ounce of his remaining strength, he pushed the elder's hand away. Lying in Ye Feng's arms, Zhou Qingguo murmured softly, his gaze gentle, "Don't... blame yourself... You are... the hope. I... won't live to see the day we... ascend... You must... make it up there! See it... for me! This life... has been... splendid... No regrets... What a pity, though..." As he spoke, the man reached out to clasp the elder's hand, his palm already icy cold. He squeezed the elder's hand with all the strength left in him, shifting his gaze upward. The white flames slowly guttered out. Even in death, Zhou Qingguo's eyes remained fixed upon the sky! This sight struck the very depths of everyone's hearts. Zhou Qingguo hadn't needed to die. Yet had he not intercepted that fatal blow, Ye Feng would have been dead or crippled. Broken with grief, Sun Changlin held the man's lifeless body and wailed aloud, weeping like a child... High in the sky, Li Guanqi was locked in fierce combat with the woman. Panic had begun to claw at her heart, for she realized with dread that she could do nothing to overpower him, whereas his strikes were icy, decisive, and lethal! Li Guanqi suddenly thrust his right hand toward an empty stretch of sky, unleashing art and spirit incantation at the exact same time! "Spirit Incantation: Four-Direction Heaven-Reaching Pillars!" "Mirror Flower, Water Moon!!" Only this time, the art was not cast upon himself, but upon her! The woman's face drained of color, but it was already too late to flee. Her body shattered in an instant like a mirror crashing to the ground. The moment two heaven-reaching lightning pillars formed a seal, her body was forcibly displaced right into the center of the binding formation! Treading upon lightning, Li Guanqi shot forward, Red Lotus raised high in his grip. Terrifying lightning crackled across the void, coalescing into the phantom image of a thunder god that crashed down directly upon the sealing pillars! "Red Lotus: Thunder Wrath!!" Boom! "No!" "Aaaargh!" The lightning sword radiance charred the woman's body pitch-black, cleaving her in two before reducing her to ashes that drifted downward. Holding his sword, Li Guanqi radiated an overwhelming pressure, his frigid killing intent swirling around him like nearly tangible crimson light. Li Guanqi swept his gaze over the surrounding battlefield. With an expansion of his divine sense, he abruptly extended the Sword Prison across a hundred li! Looking out with icy eyes, Li Guanqi murmured, "Since you've all come... then every last one of you can stay!!"