When she opened her eyes again, the world was dark.
Xing Shuishui lit the separation fire in her palm for light. Instinctively, she looked at the red string tied to her ring finger. The other end disappeared into darkness, and she ran toward it, falling into a warm embrace.
He Liansheng held her tight and said, “No more running off.”
The young woman looked up, sparks falling from around her body. “Okay.”
Every death gate was the source of wind blades, leaving almost no gaps. One moment of carelessness meant certain death.
They stood at the storm’s center, deflecting the wind blades that rushed toward them.
He Liansheng held her waist with one hand while gripping his sword with the other. The Peach Garden sword intent fiercely repelled most wind blades, while Xing Shuishui turned sideways to destroy any that slipped through.
Standing close together reduced their exposed area.
But the wind blades kept coming endlessly, growing more violent as time passed. The black world seemed ready to collapse at any moment.
Xing Shuishui looked beyond the death gate where Du Dizhu and others were desperately fighting wind blades from other gates, which helped reduce the pressure on their side.
But this couldn’t go on forever.
How could they destroy all of this?
She couldn’t find a solution nearby. In a moment of distraction, her rhythm broke, and a wind blade left a long bloody line on her forearm.
He Liansheng reacted before her, pulling her into his embrace. Xing Shuishui’s fingers touched the sachet at his waist, and her eyes lit up: “I have an idea!”
They exchanged glances, and all pressure shifted to He Liansheng.
Xing Shuishui untied the sachet and opened it.
The separation fire’s source flame flew into her sleeve, lighting up the cuff.
She looked up and said, “separation fire can ignore all rules of this world. If we detonate it, we might break through this death gate.”
It was their only option.
He Liansheng cut through the wind blade behind her and asked, “Is Du Dizhu’s cultivation enough?”
Xing Shuishui paused: “I’m not sure…”
This would be her first time trying to detonate Lifire. She didn’t know how much cultivation power it needed.
The Peach Garden sword flew off, meeting the wind blades at incredible speed, silver light flickering like a spider web above the dark night.
He Liansheng lifted her face and bent down to kiss her.
He always held her hands when kissing her, with absolute control, as if afraid she’d run away the next second.
“A cultivator’s core is different from a spirit’s.”
“Shuishui. Don’t resist. It will hurt if you do.”
The red hair string between his fingers danced in the wind. The young man opened his eyes, his tone calm, giving himself no room for regret.
Something crashed in Xing Shuishui’s heart. Was he giving her his core?!
In an instant, heaven’s proudest son’s most prized core merged into her body through his tongue.
She asked in shock, “He Liansheng, you gave me your core. What about you?”
He Liansheng glanced at the barely holding Peach Garden sword but reassured her: “I trust you. Go detonate it.”
His eyelashes trembled slightly. How wonderful.
Xing Shuishui channeled all spirit energy from her core into the Lifire. The flame trembled, visibly transforming as the orange-red fire turned blood-red and rapidly expanded.
The system’s voice finally returned, warning her: “What are you doing? Separation fire can’t be detonated!”
After the Heaven’s Altar incident, it had gone silent, like an emotionless task machine. Now it finally couldn’t hold back.
Xing Shuishui ignored it, continuing to pour everything from the core in, her expression determined.
The flame kept expanding, consuming surrounding wind blades until reaching a critical point, then suddenly—BOOM!
The system fell silent.
She pulled He Liansheng close, their bodies pressed together.
Xing Shuishui turned her head and raised her hand. All eleven death gates were crushed in the terrifying explosion.
In that moment, fire nearly covered their entire field of vision.
Du Dizhu pulled the Li siblings behind him, raising his arm to block the explosion’s aftermath with mirror arts. The mirror shattered, and he fell to his knees, spitting blood.
Li Guanxing looked at the broken dome, exclaiming: “Did it work?”
Du Dizhu jumped up, fuming: “We used my cultivation to sacrifice to heaven. Of course it worked!”
The formation was dissolving, wind blades gradually dispersing, everything here collapsing.
But Xing Shuishui and He Liansheng remained trapped inside, facing the last death gate—created by Guan Wushan’s dying sacrifice of his core.
Unlike the others, this gate had gained consciousness.
When the separation fire broke the gates earlier, it had cleverly escaped. Now it appeared before them again.
Xing Shuishui and He Liansheng exchanged glances. It clearly wouldn’t let them off easily.
He Liansheng coldly eyed this gate.
Trapped behind it, each step created ripples of black at their feet.
He said coldly: “Are you blind? You dare block my path? Choose how you want to die. Vanish to dust or die in pieces?”
Bloody words soon appeared on the gate—To break through, one must stay.
Meaning only one of them could leave.
Xing Shuishui looked away, mentally telling He Liansheng: “separation fire’s source flame was just used to break eleven gates, it can’t gather enough power soon.”
They could only wait. Or break through with brute force.
But He Liansheng’s core was now in her body, emptied from the flame detonation.
She couldn’t decide what to do.
The system’s cold voice emerged: “I’ll stay. You two go.”
Xing Shuishui froze.
She repeated: “You? Stay?”
He Liansheng looked at her.
Xing Shuishui grabbed his hand, quickly explaining: “He Liansheng… don’t misunderstand. I’m talking to someone else.”
But only they were behind this gate.
He Liansheng looked around, his expression odd.
The system continued: “Yes. But I’ve wanted release for a long time.”
Its voice was quiet: “Since the first day in this world, I’ve watched you grow. Watched you face this cold world with confused eyes, watched you defy my plans to protect your sister and people. If not for my mission, our relationship might not have been so cold.
I’m sorry about that day. Consider this my compensation. Speaking of which, I still owe you one reward.”
As it finished speaking, the Qitong blade flew out, red curse light surrounding its blood-jade blade, golden patterns appearing.
The system never dragged things out. It entered the death gate, and black mist was covered by curse light. The sky dome completely shattered, falling like ash.
The final death gate—broken!
He Liansheng pulled her behind him, using the Peach Garden sword technique to block that instant’s fierce wind.
Xing Shuishui lowered her arm from her face, looking at the dim blade on the ground.
Everything was over.
She picked up Qitong, called the system’s name many times, but this time truly received no response. She was silent for a long while.
He Liansheng pulled her up from the ground, wiped tears from her eyes, and asked softly: “Your blade spirit?”
Xing Shuishui suppressed her sadness, saying: “I suppose so. Back at Heaven’s Altar, it controlled my body to stab you. I should actually hate it…”
He Liansheng said quietly: “It’s all past.”
He held her hand. She paused, then tilted her head: “Mm. He Liansheng. Hold onto me. Let’s go home together!”
As dust settled, she gazed at a corner of the misty sky. The morning star rose from one edge of the heavens.
Dawn lit up Buwen City as the mist dispersed.
Li Guanxing paced back and forth, peering into the mist several times: “Didn’t they break the evil formation? Why aren’t they out yet? Did something happen?”
Du Dizhu crossed his arms and glanced at him: “Rather than worry about that, better worry about your old father. Look how angry his face is!”
Li Guanxing’s neck stiffened as he looked back at Li Yu’s bulging veins, his mind blank.
When charging through the twelve Earth Fiend formations, they only thought about saving people, without considering much else.
Li Yu suppressed his anger, shouting: “Rebellious children. Addicted to standing with that spirit, are you? Get over here now!”
Li Guanyu looked calm. Li Guanxing gave Du Dizhu’s empty core a look of concern.
Lin Lan, still half-dead, asked: “Were those goods all from Lingshan?”
Li Guanxing couldn’t stand it: “Can you say less!”
He slowly moved his legs.
Li Yu’s cold face strode toward them, spirit whip in hand.
Peach petals began falling from the sky, spinning in the dawn light, as if something was about to happen.
Li Yu sensed something and looked up.
A woman descended on the wind, light peach ribbons flowing beautifully around her arms. Peach petals fell quietly as she stood with elegant dignity. Her face was gentle yet commanding, wearing no ornaments in her loose hair, yet breathtakingly beautiful.
Many elders recognized her as Xue Zhuangxin, who should have died long ago, their eyes showing shock.
Xue Zhuangxin walked gracefully to Li Yu, her expression serene.
Li Yu dropped his spirit whip, instinctively protecting the siblings behind him.
Xue Zhuangxin stopped, saying softly: “Young Master Mo. I trust you’ve been well.”
Li Guanxing, confused, weakly said: “Haven’t you mistaken him? My father’s surname isn’t Mo, it’s Li.”
Li Yu wanted to kick him flying.
Xue Zhuangxin paused, then corrected herself: “Then, Master Li.”
Li Yu lowered his head, unable to look at her: “I’m sorry.”
Xue Zhuangxin said quietly: “No need to apologize. I only know Young Master Mo, not Master Li. Besides, I’m here for my little sister.”
Li Yu: “…”
There was silence for a moment.
Xue Zhuangxin turned sideways, asking him: “Master Li. What about you?”
Li Yu was speechless.
He certainly couldn’t say he came to capture Guan Yinzi’s remnants, and when they died, switched to capturing He Liansheng and Xing Shuishui.
Du Dizhu saw Xue Zhuangxin and his eyes darted around, but before he could ask how she returned to the world.
Li Guanyu pointed at two figures in the smoke, exclaiming happily: “Look! They’re out!”
Through the thin mist, as morning bells rang from the bell tower.
Lanterns gradually lighting up the human world showed a path, and looking closely, it was a peaceful scene with peach petals dancing in white mist.
Xing Shuishui walked out holding hands with the young man wearing a vermillion headband, the formation exploding completely behind them into the sky.
Feeling everyone’s gaze.
He Liansheng didn’t avoid or dodge, but confidently held the back of Xing Shuishui’s head, forcefully yet dominantly kissing her lips, his tall figure striking with the blood-colored hair ribbon.
Xing Shuishui froze, her ears bright red. She awkwardly responded to him.
The red string between their fingers blocked out the sun.
Welcome back to the human world.
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