Yaxiu sat in the shallows of the Flowing Gold River, his back resting against the passage wall. Weise was still facing away from him, and if it had only looked like an embrace before, now she was resting entirely in his arms.
He was finished.
The power of the blood seed was far more violent than Yaxiu had imagined.
Even though Silver Lantern was still only sucking blood from his fingertips, the vital energy and blood within his body scrambled desperately to escape through this opening, pouring into her mouth.
The rate at which he lost blood was not a fraction slower than Silver Lantern's, whose artery had been severed.
A glimmer of realization dawned on Yaxiu: perhaps the prototype of the Dragon Blood Cultivation System involved implanting a blood seed into a Void Realm creature like a Fishcleaver Dragon, and then absorbing the energy of other beings through "Complete Ingestion" to condense higher dragon blood.
The Dragon Blood Cultivation System and the Blood Saint clan were likely both miracles derived from the Gluttony faction.
The Dragon Blood Cultivation System Silver Lantern used was a foolproof, automated version. She didn't need to lift a finger; the blood seed helped deliver nutrients directly into her body. It was just like a keyboard that typed on its own—as long as the author had an idea, it would move by itself to produce a viral bestseller.
Yet the blood seed still retained its primal feeding instinct. When Yaxiu placed himself into Silver Lantern's mouth, actively initiating zero-distance contact, the blood seed swiftly turned him into food.
Once his blood loss reached a certain point, Yaxiu also lost the strength to stand, barely able to lean against the wall as he sat in the Flowing Gold River.
Earlier, he had still possessed more or less some ability to resist, but now, whenever he attempted to move against Silver Lantern, the blood seed suppressed his physical responses to the utmost limit.
Just like when he ate Lalafell—the Lalafell wouldn't leap up and punch him in the face either.
Fortunately, the current at the end of the passage was sluggish. More importantly, his will hadn't weakened from the blood loss.
The same went for Silver Lantern. Yaxiu could faintly sense her excitement, though he wasn't sure whether the blood seed was stimulating her feeding desire or if it was some other influence.
Though both of their bodies grew weaker and weaker, their spirits grew increasingly stimulated, to the point where even the Flowing Gold River could not wash away their vigorous consciousness. And so they sat at the end of the Flowing Gold River, waiting for the ravenous Square-Round Cicada to come and collect its meal.
The back of Silver Lantern's head rested against Yaxiu, her hair tickling his nose. Even shifting away was difficult, and he thought to himself that this was all the blood seed's doing.
When he felt Silver Lantern stop biting his fingers and begin delicately caressing his hand instead, he asked, "Are you giving up?"
"I'm tired of it," Weise said. "I've bitten all ten fingers. Every fingertip, every knuckle... I've completely memorized how your hands feel. I've had my fill."
"Then where else do you want to eat?"
"If I tell you, will you let me have it?"
Yaxiu mimicked her tone. "Do we have any other choice?"
Weise didn't answer directly, saying instead, "Even if I don't drink your blood, your life energy will continuously flow into my body... If you hold me a little tighter, it'll go even faster."
After waiting a moment, Yaxiu still didn't move, continuing to resist any unnecessary contact. So Weise took his hands and wrapped them around her waist, tilting her body slightly to nuzzle into his embrace, just like foolish lovers being intimate regardless of the occasion.
Only, her wrists were still spilling silver blood, which streaked across Yaxiu's clothes and dropped into the Flowing Gold River to surge toward the Square-Round Cicada. Yaxiu's face turned paler and paler as silver flecks constantly drifted from him, merging into Silver Lantern's body.
This was their true reality—as long as Silver Lantern lived, Yaxiu would remain trapped in the blood seed curse; and Silver Lantern didn't care about others bleeding, willing to offer all living beings as sacrifices to the grand cause she aspired to.
The surroundings suddenly grew quiet, save for the cicada chirps drawing ever closer like the countdown of a funeral knell.
"The difference between illusion and reality," Weise said softly, "is that within illusion, we will inevitably reach an end sooner or later."
"Yet in reality, we can stay like this all the way into eternity."
"Spare me. I really haven't done anything terrible enough to deserve this," Yaxiu said. "Spending eternity with you would count as the cruelest punishment even in the Six Hells, wouldn't it?"
"Oh?" Weise lightly traced a finger across his chest and whispered, "Are you that opposed to staying with me?"
"Of course," Yaxiu said seriously. "I despise unscrupulous scoundrels like you the most. My companions and I were dragged into this and trapped in a curse because of you. You're cruel, vicious, selfish, heartless... Who would want to stay with someone like you?"
Far from being angry, Weise was amused. "Yet you're still going to die with me right now, and then we'll step into eternity together."
Yaxiu suddenly asked, "You keep talking about eternity in the Void Realm, but once you arrive at eternity, what do you plan to do?"
Silver Lantern fell silent. Yaxiu thought she didn't want to say, but after a moment, she suddenly said, "I don't know. Ultimately, until you reach eternity, how could you know what eternity is like? No matter how many schemes you make now, it's meaningless. You can only set goals once you get there..."
"Unlike you, I've already made my plan for after reaching eternity," Yaxiu said. "Since I'm dying together with you, after all, my first step upon reaching eternity will be to check if you're by my side. If you are, I'll hurry and get far away from you."
"Then I've set a small goal for after reaching eternity as well," Weise said. "If you're right beside me then, I'll grab you. If you're not..."
"Then I will search until I find you, into eternity."
"What a vicious curse." Yaxiu glanced at the approaching Square-Round Cicada and sighed. "Meeting you is the second most unfortunate thing in my life."
"No rush. We still have eternity." Weise raised her hand and gently stroked Yaxiu's face. "I'll work hard to become number one."
Seeing this, Yaxiu suddenly felt a stir in his heart. He raised his hand as well and slid it beneath the fox mask, his fingers brushing past Silver Lantern's moist, thin lips, her smooth skin, her delicately sculpted nose, her eye—
Smack!
Weise slapped his hand away and lifted her head, looking at him quietly. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Whatever you do, I do," Yaxiu replied.
"Liar," she said. "You touched my face mostly to find out what I look like, not out of desire."
Yaxiu didn't deny it. "We're about to die, and you're still unwilling to take off your mask?"
"My name and appearance belong to me alone. Even in eternity, I will not reveal them," Silver Lantern said earnestly. "No one can see my face or know my name."
Yaxiu said nothing more and made no move to touch her face, merely closing his eyes in silence, an aloof aura of detachment radiating from within.
Weise watched him for a long time before asking, "Do you really want me to take off my mask that much?"
Yaxiu opened his eyes, gazing into the eyes behind the fox mask.
"But for me to take off my mask, you must pay a terrible price."
Yaxiu couldn't help but chuckle. "We're both about to die. What else could you possibly take from me?"
Weise studied him seriously for a moment, then smiled. "Don't regret it."
Seeing Silver Lantern place her hand upon the mask, Yaxiu's pupils constricted.
Did he truly want to see Silver Lantern's real face? Of course, but that wasn't the main reason. Or rather, the meaning behind Silver Lantern being willing to unveil her mask was far more significant than her actual appearance.
Now, this murderous villain—who had slaughtered everyone who had known her in the past, destroyed numerous sects, served as an accomplice to the Four Pillar Cult, and spread calamity across the Senluo Wasteland—was finally going to reveal her truest self before Yaxiu.
Watching her slowly lift the bottom of the mask, revealing the contour of her chin, Yaxiu held his breath in tension.
And then his vision went dark, and he could see nothing.
Silver Lantern had covered his eyes with her hand.
"I've taken off my mask, but whether you can see is another matter entirely."
How outrageous! Playing word games at a time like this?
Yaxiu immediately resisted, trying to pull her hand away, but his body suddenly grew heavy. He felt Silver Lantern straddling him entirely, her cool body seemingly wanting to melt into him. Then, he felt warm, moist breath against his earlobe: "Now it's time for you to pay the price."
"Didn't you ask me earlier what else I wanted to eat after tiring of your fingers?"
"Now, I'll give you my answer."
Yaxiu froze. His eyes were still covered tightly, plunging his entire world into darkness. Yet at that moment, his lips felt the warmth of another pair of thin lips, followed by the clumsy intrusion of a tongue.
He immediately reached out to push Silver Lantern away, but she seized his hands, rendering him completely unable to move. Both were thoroughly exhausted now, but Silver Lantern, with her superior physical constitution, could overpower him further—or perhaps the blood seed was forcibly suppressing his ability to resist so he would quietly accept his fate of being devoured!
Yaxiu felt his hands placed onto a soft, supple, and smooth mound, and then Silver Lantern's breath gently brushed against his face. "I'll give you one more chance. What you're holding right now is my heart. As long as you exert a little force, you can personally execute the Silver Lantern you despise most."
"Either you kill me right now."
"Or," Weise kissed Yaxiu, "let me love you to death."
Chapter 600