Chapter 394: She's Not Dead!
Chapter 394: She's Not Dead!
"Ying'er!"
Jing Xiuyun desperately checked Zhao Ying'er's pulse, his heart breaking as he realized the worst, "Ying'er..."
He burst into tears.
Fang Che's divine sense was in complete disarray, even though he had already consumed the Cloud Spirit Pill. While the pill had healed his physical injuries, its effect on his divine sense was almost negligible.
Within his divine sense sea, new divine sense power was still being generated by the Soul Fusion Pill, continuously sprouting like a fountain and transforming into divine sense power, flooding into his divine sense sea.
Fang Che panted heavily, his body riddled with countless broken bones.
The pressure on his chest was overwhelming, and the enemy's gun tip was still embedded in his chest, piercing through his ribs.
Although the guardian magic armor had prevented the gun from penetrating, the enemy's overwhelming strength had pushed the armor into his body.
The armor remained intact.
However, the violent force had shattered almost every bone in his body, and his internal organs were also injured.
Blood flowed from his mouth, and he could feel the power of the Cloud Spirit Pill slowly taking effect within him.
Enduring the excruciating pain in his mind, like a thousand knives slicing through his flesh, he heard Jing Xiuyun's cries.
In a daze, he muttered, "Zhao Priest..."
"Ying'er... Ying'er is gone..."
Jing Xiuyun wept uncontrollably.
Fang Che felt his heart emptying, and he slowly closed his eyes, two strands of tears quietly falling.
He could sense Zhao Ying'er leaning against his shoulder, but how could she be gone?...
With his eyes closed, he saw Zhao Ying'er's smiling face before him, her gentle voice asking, "Are you feeling better today?"
Suddenly, his heart ached, and he couldn't control his sorrow.
...
A moment later.
Scholar's Residence.
Zhao Ying'er had been moved away from Fang Che's body. The long spear that had pierced her was withdrawn and discarded to the side.
She was covered with a snow-white sheet, her face cleaned, retaining a serene smile.
It was the same expression of happiness, leaning on the shoulder of the one she loved.
But now, she was completely devoid of breath.
Her face was pale, not even bearing the ghastly pallor of death, but instead, she seemed peacefully at rest.
Jing Xiuyun wept uncontrollably, his tears flowing like a spring.
Beside him, Fang Che was covered in blood, his breathing steady, but his eyes remained tightly shut.
His injuries were rapidly healing, but the pain in his divine sense sea was uncontrollable, like raging waves, one after another, relentless.
He clenched his teeth, enduring the agony in his mind, but it couldn't hold back the sadness in his heart.
Tears seeped from the corners of his closed eyes.
Dead!
Zhao Ying'er was dead.
She had sacrificed herself to save him, using her body to block that fatal gunshot.
"Ying'er also had the guardian armor... but it couldn't withstand the enemy's gun..."
Jing Xiuyun was almost in a daze. Guarding Zhao Ying'er's side, he mumbled incoherently.
In the Guardian Palace, Jing Xiuyun and Zhao Ying'er were the closest. Witnessing Zhao Ying'er's tragic death, Jing Xiuyun's mind was in complete disarray.
Hong Erquezi wept silently beside him, punching himself in frustration. Never had he hated his own cultivation more, for being so weak.
In such a battle, he couldn't even lend a helping hand! He was utterly useless!
He despised himself for this.
Ye Meng repeatedly brought out healing medicines, giving them to Hong Erquezi and Jing Xiuyun, and then carefully fed Fang Che some cool spirit water.
Fang Che's issue lay in his divine sense, not something healing medicines could remedy.
Moreover, Ye Meng dared not use any beneficial spirit medicines for his divine sense, as she was unsure if they would exacerbate his divine sense injury.
If the increase in divine sense power led to a worsening of the divine sense injury, it would be disastrous.
Currently, Fang Che's divine sense was in disarray, preventing him from giving commands. Ye Meng could only repeatedly apply a cold towel to his head, hoping he would wake up and guide her.
It must be said that Ye Meng's handling of the situation was impeccable.
If she had really given Fang Che a soul spirit artifact, it would have been disastrous for him.
Half an hour later...
Fang Che slowly regained consciousness, his head still pounding as if it might explode, but at least he was a little more lucid.
Opening his eyes, he saw Yuan Jingjiang, Yun Jianqiu, and others.
They sat beside him, their faces filled with sorrow.
Fang Che took a deep breath and asked softly, holding onto a glimmer of hope, "Yuan Hall Master, is there any chance of saving her?"
Yuan Jingjiang shook his head, his expression filled with grief.
Fang Che closed his eyes again, his breathing heavy. But soon, he opened them once more, speaking softly yet resolutely, "Yuan Hall Master, please contact Senior Swordmaster Snow. No matter what, we must get him down here. Zhao Ying'er and the others... they've discovered the Nightmare Demon!"
"Alright."
...
Senior Swordmaster Snow's sword slashed down, erasing a shadow.
He pursued the Hundred Battle Blades but was hindered by the Shadow Demon, whose myriad phantoms were endless.
This frustrated him greatly.
However, each time a shadow was destroyed, the Shadow Demon would calm down for a while, making it imperative to eliminate this shadow.
Over the past few days, he had tangled with the Hundred Battle Blades over a dozen times and the Shadow Demon nearly fifty times, slaying over fifty shadows.
He was confident that the Shadow Demon had been severely injured by his attacks.
But the fact remained that they couldn't locate the Shadow Demon's main body, and thus, they couldn't eradicate it.
Hundred Battle Blades, injured.
Shadow Demon, injured.
Both were formidable, but the strongest of the Hundred Battle Blades was only ranked fifth on the Cloud Continent Weapon Ranking, still some distance from the top.
Senior Swordmaster Snow, already in South City, was concerned about the Nightmare Demon escaping from the city. He immediately stood up and headed back.
Outside the city.
A tall figure hid among the shadows of the trees, using a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his mouth.
Coughing, he muttered, "Senior Swordmaster Snow has improved. This guy, completely unable to match his strength, keeps attacking and retreating, attacking and retreating. It's so exhausting and humiliating."
The shadows of the pine trees swayed, and surprisingly, a human voice emerged, "There's nothing we can do. We can't hold off Senior Swordmaster Snow. If we don't help the Nightmare Demon stall for these two, it's over for them."
"How many days have passed?"
"Not even a month."
"Damn!"
The Hundred Battle Blades were also frustrated, "Not even a month?"
"No."
"What's this Nightmare Demon doing here? Isn't he just asking for trouble?
He actually hid his true body in the mountains, allowing his clone to casually enter any city and cause trouble? This damn… To be pushed into such a situation, even we are suffering along with it."
"If the Nightmare Demon was in its full state, this wouldn't be a problem. But the issue is that after being heavily wounded by Dongfang, it still hasn't recovered until now. The main body and the clone are too far apart, so it can't receive the Dream Spirit Essence. In that case, it's completely useless."
The Shadow Demon sighed, "Let's endure a few more days."
"I can endure, but how much have you lost as a shadow? How many more times can you take it?"
"It's not a problem to do it a few dozen more times... But it's clear that the Frostblade Sword has already figured out how to eliminate my shadow, so next time, you'll need to put in more effort."
"Bullshit! Today, I almost lost my life after taking three sword strikes from him. Do you want me to put in even more effort? You might as well tell me to let myself be chopped up by Rui Qianshan!"
"According to my information, the Nightmare Demon will recover a bit in at most twenty days. By then, it will be much easier."
"These twenty days... It's going to be tough."
The Hundred Battle Sword let out a long sigh, his face filled with frustration.
...
Upon returning to the city, the Frostblade Sword sensed something amiss.
It seemed like something had happened; the atmosphere was off.
Why are there so few patrol guards from the Guardian Palace below? They're almost nowhere to be seen?
He slightly lowered his altitude and sensed with his divine sense.
Then he felt a faint divine sense power aimlessly searching and extending into the sky.
It was quite urgent.
Could it be looking for me? The Frostblade Sword welcomed it with his divine sense and was startled.
"Senior Swordmaster Snow, Senior Swordmaster Snow..."
Damn it.
It was indeed looking for me.
The Frostblade Sword quickly followed this strand of divine sense and slowly found the person... Hmm, isn't this the Hall Master from the Guardian Palace?
What is he doing...
Hey, Fang Che is actually so severely injured.
The Frostblade Sword descended with a swoosh and landed in Fang Che's Scholar's Residence.
"What's going on here?"
Then, the Frostblade Sword saw Zhao Ying'er's body lying quietly to the side, her pupils constricting uncontrollably.
"Is she dead?"
The Frostblade Sword frowned, "What happened?"
Fang Che forced himself to sit up despite the splitting headache, looked at the Frostblade Sword, and said in a deep voice, "Senior Swordmaster Snow."
"Fang Che?"
"May I ask Senior Swordmaster Snow, did you come to the White Cloud Continent just to intimidate from the sky? The operation to capture the Nightmare Demon relies on your intimidation from the sky, which is obviously not enough. The specific work still needs to be done by the Guardian Palace on the ground. Once the Guardian Palace discovers anything, it will be very difficult to contact Senior Swordmaster Snow."
"With the power of the Guardian Palace, once they discover the Nightmare Demon and his Nightmare Guardians, they will be annihilated before Senior Swordmaster Snow arrives."
"If they kill quickly, the opponent may even escape before Senior Swordmaster Snow arrives."
Fang Che calmly asked, "May I ask Senior Swordmaster Snow, is it embarrassing to come down and communicate with the Guardian Palace once, then return to the sky to continue the intimidation and surveillance?"
Everyone was shocked.
Fang Che was actually arguing with the Frostblade Sword.
He dared to argue with the top-level Guardian!
How dare he?
The Frostblade Sword's eyes instantly turned icy as he looked at Fang Che's face. Fang Che showed no fear and looked back at him.
Finally, the Frostblade Sword took a deep breath and said, "It's not like that, but..."
"But there are other enemies, powerful demon heads, right? You have to take care of several aspects by yourself."
Fang Che said, "I understand, and I know. I also heard and felt the aftermath of the previous battle. It's Senior Swordmaster Snow who is maintaining the peace of the White Cloud Continent."
The Frostblade Sword's face slightly relaxed.
But Fang Che's tone changed, "But even the Ninth Lord wouldn't be able to manage the world with just his own power, right? You came down to learn about the Guardian Palace's plans and then pay attention at any time, so that you can cooperate with their actions, right?"
"You're just floating high up in the sky, drifting east and west, and you think that's enough to ensure the safety of the entire White Cloud Continent? Is it difficult to communicate with the Guardian Palace, or to command them on how to find the Nightmare Demon and how to cooperate with you in killing him?"
"On the surface, you came to kill the Nightmare Demon, but with the lack of communication, you don't even know if the Guardian Palace has investigated the Nightmare Demon. How can you kill him? Can you find the Nightmare Demon by yourself?"
"If you can find him, why are you just floating in the sky like the sun all day?"
Fang Che spoke bluntly without holding back.
He naturally knew that the Frostblade Sword had other opponents and that there were other demon heads in the White Cloud Continent. He understood better than anyone else that the Frostblade Sword had his own difficulties.
But!
Zhao Ying'er's death today completely shattered Fang Che's mindset.
He had to scold him! It's the same as before; it's not difficult to take a little of your time to come down and communicate, right?
If you had really come down to communicate, Zhao Ying'er wouldn't have died! Today's events might not have even happened.
Fang Che naturally had a way to force the Nightmare Demon and the Divine Deity Sect Leader Kou Yi Fang out.
But the problem is... without the cooperation of the Frostblade Sword, all action plans are just talk! They wouldn't even dare to act if they found the Nightmare Demon.
The entire place fell silent.
Yuan Jingjiang trembled all over, almost sitting down on the ground.
Terrified! Someone actually had the audacity to scold the Frostblade Sword to his face.
Moreover, this person was right in front of him, his own deputy.
From now on, he will be my ancestor!
After all, such a brave person deserves to be called an ancestor!
The Frostblade Sword was stunned by this long speech.
He widened his eyes, wanting to get angry, but he couldn't find a reason to be angry.
Because when he asked himself, he had never even thought about going down to communicate with the Guardian Palace.
Moreover, all previous missions didn't require communication with the Guardian Palace.
Moreover, when the Ninth Lord sent me over, he didn't mention communicating with the Guardian Palace...
The Frostblade Sword blinked and carefully thought about Dongfang Sansan's instructions before he left.
There really wasn't such an instruction.
Everyone fell silent.
The Frostblade Sword's face turned pale as he struggled to find a reason to refute.
He couldn't even muster the anger to get angry.
"The Ninth Lord once said that when someone scolds you, and you can't retort, or even have a reason to get angry, it means you've truly done something wrong. If you've done wrong, you should admit it."
The Frostblade Sword let out a long sigh and said with embarrassment, "You're right. In this matter, I was indeed careless.
Fang Che let out a hum, about to continue speaking.
But Ye Meng tugged at his clothes.
"That's enough," she said. "After all, this is Senior Swordmaster Snow. It's already very magnanimous of him to lower himself and admit his mistake, apologizing."
"What more do you want?"
Fang Che grunted, then turned his head to look at Zhao Ying'er's body lying there. Suddenly, a wrenching pain rose in his heart once more, uncontrollable.
Senior Swordmaster Snow sighed softly and sat down. His jade-like face showed a hint of deep sorrow. He gazed at Zhao Ying'er's corpse and sighed again.
A life as beautiful as a flower had vanished just like that.
No wonder Fang Che was so distraught and angry.
Fang Che spoke with a heavy heart, "This girl is named Zhao Ying'er. Four days ago, while following the main squad on an inspection, she noticed something unusual at a wealthy household and reported it to the leader, Commander Yun Jianqiu."
"Then, for the next few days, she, Jing Xiu Yun, and Hong Er Qiezi, the three of them, conducted daily surveillance."
"And today, the assassination happened."
Fang Che didn't mention that the assassination was targeted at him; instead, he glossed over it. Because he could understand the assassin's intentions perfectly, having put himself in their shoes.
Kill me, and the threat would be eliminated.
So, he attributed all the credit to Zhao Ying'er.
"The two assassins were at the Sovereign level of cultivation. Clearly, they were determined to succeed!"
Fang Che said indifferently, "With the power of the Guardian Palace, aside from the Palace Master, this level of cultivation is already sufficient to kill anyone they choose. Moreover, after the killing, they can escape calmly. Even if discovered and pursued, they can fight to the death, taking hundreds or even thousands of Martial Artists and commoners with them. It's as easy as breathing."
Senior Swordmaster Snow's face suddenly turned bright red. He understood.
The key was himself. He couldn't help but turn his head and look at Zhao Ying'er's corpse. If he had arrived earlier, could this woman have been saved?
But as he looked, a flash of surprise appeared in his eyes. He couldn't help but turn his head back and carefully observed.
Then, he suddenly reached out and placed his hand on Zhao Ying'er's wrist, feeling it carefully.
With a surge of spiritual energy, Zhao Ying'er's entire body was instantly filled with it.
The cultivation technique immediately trembled.
"Hmm?"
Fang Che, Yuan Jingjiang, and the others were all taken aback.
Senior Swordmaster Snow was already dead, what was he doing?
"This girl's identity is not simple... With such an identity, how could she appear here?"
Senior Swordmaster Snow said bluntly, "She's not dead."
"Not dead?" Everyone was stunned for a moment.
Her vital organs were destroyed, and she wasn't even breathing. How could she not be dead?
"She's not dead. Or rather, her physical body is dead," Senior Swordmaster Snow explained.
"But in her mind, there's a Primordial Soul. So, she's not dead. Someone has sealed her second life for her. Whose child is she?"
"Her surname is Zhao..."
Fang Che said.
"Surname Zhao? Impossible. There's no powerful Zhao family on the continent. Having a sealed Primordial Soul means she's not from an ordinary family. Only those at our level of cultivation could perform such an operation."
Senior Swordmaster Snow firmly denied it, saying, "But the urgent task now is to find her family. Only the one who sealed her Primordial Soul can bring her back to life. Others won't be able to!"
"I can only keep this sealed Primordial Soul from dissipating for a while, but I can't revive her!"
Senior Swordmaster Snow said, "Where's her Guardian?"
Yuan Jingjiang and the others were all confused.
"Guardian? We didn't notice that Zhao Ying'er had a Guardian."
Fang Che said, his mind filled with doubts.
If Zhao Ying'er truly had a Guardian, how could she have faced two life-threatening crises in a row?
Senior Swordmaster Snow was also taken aback, "A child from such a family, and one with a sealed Primordial Soul, is sent out for training, yet she has no Guardian?"
He paused, deep in thought, and said, "Wait a moment."
Using his spiritual power, he sealed Zhao Ying'er's body and then took out the communication jade, walking to the side.
"Ninth Lord, I've encountered something strange here. At the Guardian Palace on White Cloud Continent, we encountered a strange situation. This young girl was severely injured and died, but when I examined her, I found that someone had sealed her Primordial Soul."
Senior Swordmaster Snow was originally just asking about this matter and seeking advice on what to do.
But what he didn't expect was that Dong Fang Sansan immediately sent a message: "Zhao Ying'er? Dead again?"
"Yes, that's her name. A very young girl."
Senior Swordmaster Snow was stunned. Dong Fang Sansan actually knew!
And what did "dead again" mean?
"Ninth Lord, you... you knew about this? Was this your arrangement?"
I have to say, you guys are really impressive. It's clear that you've read quite a few books.
In the previous chapter, one-third of the comments were about Zhao's death, but half also felt it was unreasonable and implausible. However, there were also many who firmly believed she wouldn't die.
I truly am a middle-aged man, and my honest words are: you never know what tomorrow holds for you.
Moreover, with the year-end approaching, I'm genuinely feeling both physically and mentally exhausted.
Also, let me clarify something: this kind of update is what I consider a normal update. The previous 10,000-word chapters were written when I was in the zone and considered bursts of inspiration. Please don't consider 10,000-word updates as the norm, brothers. An old man can't handle that!
That's all.
I wish everyone good health. If there's one thing to avoid, it's illness. If there's one thing to have, it's money.
(End of Chapter)
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