Chapter 18: Safety, Cultivation, and Care
Chirp—
A magnificent giant eagle, with a wingspan exceeding five meters, soared up like a phoenix.
The phoenix spreads its wings.
A dazzling golden light shone brightly above the forest.
That was the light emitted by flames condensed into a physical form!
Soul power, soul rings, all gathered into the golden flame eagle's body.
This strike exhausted all of Su Ye's strength!
Before anyone could react, the golden eagle suddenly dove toward the Blood Slaughter Deadly Beast.
Its wings cut through the air, sparking with sizzling fire, and the terrifying power of the flames seemed to melt everything in its path.
Sensing the danger, the Blood Slaughter Deadly Beast tried to evade, but the speed of the golden flame eagle was just too fast.
The roles of attacker and defender reversed, and at that moment, the Blood Slaughter Deadly Beast became the prey.
Boom!
The golden flame eagle collided with the Blood Slaughter Deadly Beast, creating an explosion. A fiery vortex, more than ten meters in diameter, completely enveloped the beast.
The flames surged with an incredible shockwave. Even the spreading remnants of the blast set the nearby grass and trees alight.
At this moment, Su Ye was utterly exhausted. Unable to resist, he was thrown by the flames, and blood stained his firm chest.
"Su Ye!!"
Zhu Zhuqing quickly rushed up, trying to catch him.
But in the midst of the flames' shock, both of them were pushed backward.
Zhu Zhuqing, serving as a cushion, let out a painful grunt, while the low growl of Su Ye could be heard beside her.
"Go—"
"You…?!"
His voice was as bleak as a candle in the cold of winter, on the verge of being extinguished, causing Zhu Zhuqing's heart to tighten.
She looked closely.
The boy's face was sunken, his breath weak, his body wracked with pain as he spasmed uncontrollably.
His bare chest was covered in twisted veins, with several places cracked and bleeding, a terrifying sight.
It seemed as though he was on the verge of falling apart, barely clinging to life.
Even when he had escaped from the Soul Emperor and had been wounded by the Phantom Grasp, he had never been in such a terrible condition.
"I heard it—"
"Go, I'll take you away—"
Seeing the boy repeatedly mumbling and urging her to leave, Zhu Zhuqing's heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife. Tears welled up, and she hurriedly hugged him and fled into the forest.
Behind them, the fiery sea roared with the fierce cry of the Blood Slaughter Deadly Beast.
But it seemed to be trapped by something, unable to escape, only able to endure the agony of being burned alive by the flames.
The roaring in the fire gradually turned into a mournful, low growl…
...
Two days later.
In a peaceful village.
The thatched wooden houses stood like ancient art pieces, scattered throughout the valley.
The villagers worked from sunrise to sunset.
The smell of cooking filled the air as smoke rose lazily into the sky, signaling that it was time for lunch.
"Don't cook the porridge too thick, or it'll block the throat. It'll be difficult to feed him while he's unconscious."
"But don't make it too thin either, or he'll urinate too much. It's troublesome to take care of. Remember this..."
In the small yard beside the firewood door, the sound of an elderly voice could be heard.
An old woman wrapped in a headscarf was teaching a black-clad girl how to cook porridge. Her kind, gentle face was like a warm sun, making people feel at ease in their hearts.
However, hearing the words "urinate too much," the girl's cheeks flushed slightly, and she gritted her teeth in frustration.
"The porridge is still a bit hot. You should take a bowl out first so it cools faster."
"If he wakes up and wants to eat, use a spoon and blow on it. It's too hot for his body right now."
The porridge was nearly done, and after giving careful instructions, the old woman leaned on her cane and left with a reassuring smile.
Zhu Zhuqing gratefully saw her to the door of the wooden house before returning to the small yard to get busy according to her instructions.
Inside the main house.
Light streamed through the paper windows, glaring brightly, as though trying to penetrate the gaps in the eyes and reach the pupils.
Su Ye, who had been unconscious for two days, finally managed to open his eyes with great difficulty.
The scattered intelligence in his eyes quickly gathered.
"...Where is this?"
He turned his head and scanned the surroundings. At this moment, his memory was still stuck in the Star Dou Forest, his face filled with confusion.
He tried to get up, but his body was too weak to exert any strength. Even his arm could barely lift.
Realizing his body was in terrible condition, he reluctantly lay back down.
However, the pain in his body made Su Ye feel a sense of relief. If it hurt, it meant he was still alive.
"Living is good!"
"Even if everything else is lost, it can be regained, but life only comes once."
Su Ye comforted himself.
But thinking of what had happened in the Star Dou Forest, he couldn't help but feel furious.
He could have been perfectly fine, but Zhu Zhuqing insisted on coming back to play the role of the heroine saving the hero.
Had he not heard her wanting to delay the Blood Slaughter Deadly Beast to let him escape, Su Ye might have simply abandoned this foolish woman and fled without a second thought.
"To meet such a stupid woman, it's like I've run out of luck for eight lifetimes…"
His face contorted in regret, Su Ye was nearly driven to the edge.
Had he known it would cause so many problems, he would never have been greedy for that storage ring.
A 1500-year-old comprehensive soul ring, with such powerful soul skills, and yet it was all wasted in a single flashy display.
This is too painful!
"However, having gone through this, it also proves the feasibility of fusion rings. Now, I've gained a trump card."
"Moreover, the fusion ring seems to be even more powerful than the Haotian Sect's ultimate skill, the explosion of rings..."
Looking up at the arched roof of the wooden house, Su Ye couldn't help but smile with a bit of satisfaction.
Fusion Ring!
By using the fusion system, turning one's own soul rings into nourishment for the martial soul, fully unleashing the full power of the soul rings.
Although the soul rings couldn't be restored, the results made Su Ye feel like he had discovered a treasure.
As long as his body was strong enough to withstand the impact, this ultimate move could be used to save his life in a critical moment.
The lost soul rings could be replenished later.
"Misfortune depends on fortune, and fortune depends on misfortune..."
Lying on the bed, Su Ye licked his dry lips.
Bang—
After a short while, the door was pushed open.
Zhu Zhuqing cautiously walked in, holding a wooden bowl.
Perhaps not wanting to attract attention, she had changed into the coarse black clothes of a peasant.
Although her curves were hidden, her full, voluptuous figure, blurred beneath the clothes, couldn't help but evoke a sense of longing.
Cough—
Hearing the cough, Zhu Zhuqing froze for a moment, turning her head to look. A bright smile bloomed on her face, and her eyes sparkled.
"You... you're awake?!" The girl's voice trembled with joy.
Su Ye looked at her silently. "If you hadn't suddenly turned back, I would have completely escaped from the Blood Slaughter Deadly Beast."
"Thanks to you, I didn't die. I'm still alive, barely holding on."
So that's how it was…
Zhu Zhuqing's expression darkened slightly, but she didn't argue. She walked over with the bowl of porridge.
"You've only had thin porridge for the past two days, so you're probably hungry now. Let's fill your stomach first. Later, we'll see what else you can eat."
Su Ye didn't refuse. He was both thirsty and hungry, too weak to be angry, and honestly, if it weren't for her taking care of him, he might not have survived.
Zhu Zhuqing helped him sit up, resting him against her shoulder. The soft, intimate contact made his heart flutter, but Zhu Zhuqing didn't pay it any mind. She gently blew on the porridge and fed him spoonful by spoonful.
"Take it slow. I'll go get more in a bit. There's plenty left in the pot."
Su Ye remained silent, simply drinking the porridge, making slurping sounds as he ate.
Zhu Zhuqing: "…"
(End of this chapter)
ps: read advance chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/lilsakka419/posts