Chapter 139: Encountering Night Five Again

Writhing in unbearable pain, Yu Youwei heard Ye Wu’s anguished shout as he gasped intermittently, “Quick... sever it... sever it now...”

Understanding it was time to act, Ye Wu gripped the short blade in his hand, which suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. In his heart, she was a flawless goddess. To maim her with his own hands was unbearable; he might as well kill himself to put an end to this torment.

Though reaching the Nascent Soul stage would allow her to reshape her body, and with her prodigious talent, that day was not far off, he could not endure even a single day of this suffering. “Aunt, please, hold on a bit longer!” he begged, his voice humbled to the dust.

Damn it, it’s easy for you to say—hold on! Yu Youwei cursed silently but had no strength to argue with this boy. The strange crimson radiance was too pure; her spiritual power could barely suppress it, let alone eliminate it. If that blood-colored light invaded her dantian or spirit sea, she feared her soul would be utterly destroyed.

“Aunt, you can do it. Take another Jade Profound Pill—just hold on!” Ye Wu anxiously shoved another pill into Yu Youwei’s hand. The pills he carried were few and not all suitable for fire attributes. The Jade Profound Pill was a supreme restorative, with minimal side effects even in excess.

Can pills replace food? She silently scolded him as she popped the pale jade-hued pill into her mouth. It melted instantly, sweet saliva flowing down her throat, and the rapidly depleting spiritual power in her dantian surged like a tide. Yet, increasing the quantity could not make up for the qualitative gap. Her power failed to repel the assault of the crimson radiance, which surged out from her arm and headed straight for her heart.

That single thread of crimson light caused less damage than the wound on her arm, but it slowed her heartbeat progressively. Yu Youwei closed her eyes in helpless exhaustion.

“Aunt, you must hold on!” Ye Wu’s voice cracked with desperation, the impulse to strike his own blade into himself growing stronger. Could he really cause his aunt’s death? The thought gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

A faint, silk-like azure glow erupted from the Frostblade Sword, chasing the crimson light to the heart and binding it. Yu Youwei’s heartbeat quickened, her survival instinct driving her to invoke the wood-element technique, guiding the faint wood-element power in her dantian to her heart, preserving its vitality.

From beyond the thicket burst a small white bear, rushing to Yu Youwei’s side for a glance before turning to face the Scarlet Flame Sword, waving its paws and howling fiercely.

To Ye Wu’s ears, it was a bear’s roar; in Yu Youwei’s spirit sea, it was the bear’s frustrated scolding: “You idiot, why aren’t you rushing to save her? If she dies, Bear Master won’t let you off easy!”

Since they shared the same master, if Yu Youwei perished, the white bear would be doomed as well, while the Scarlet Flame Sword spirit would be freed. Thus, the bear believed the sword spirit was deliberately ignoring Yu Youwei’s fate, a misconception unjust to the sword.

“This fiend won’t be truly eradicated unless completely destroyed. Leaving even a sliver of life allows it to revive swiftly, making future confrontations harder,” the Scarlet Flame Sword spirit’s voice echoed in Yu Youwei’s mind, fatigue evident in its tone.

“How long will it take?” Yu Youwei’s spirit rallied. If the Scarlet Flame Sword could annihilate the fiend’s main body, then clearing the crimson radiance within her shouldn’t be impossible. She just needed to hold on a little longer.

“It will be done very soon!” The sword spirit’s voice rang out as the blade blazed fiercely, the surrounding air heating rapidly, flames spreading outward.

Within the blaze, the corpse’s forehead bulged, as if something alive was about to burst forth.

The crimson radiance invading Yu Youwei’s body seemed drawn toward the conflict in her heart. The azure light binding the crimson radiance shattered. As the crimson light threatened to destroy her heart, she closed her eyes sorrowfully.

The Scarlet Flame Sword withdrew from the corpse’s eye socket and struck the bulging forehead again. The skull split open, releasing a cloud of blood mist from which a monstrous serpent with giant eyes, split in two, writhed in the flames. The sword then transformed into a streak of red light, flying back to Yu Youwei’s wrist.

The giant-eyed serpent struggled in the flames. Ye Wu sensed an invisible wave of energy rushing toward them and, fearing it would harm Yu Youwei, hastily conjured a water-blue shield before him, unaware that the Scarlet Flame Sword had transformed into a bracelet encircling her wrist.

Fine threads of flame surged from the bracelet, coursing along the meridians of Yu Youwei’s left wrist and spreading throughout her body. The crimson radiance in her heart, having gained a semblance of intelligence, tried to escape but was engulfed by the surging flames, dissipating into blood mist within moments. The residual crimson energy in her right arm was also swept away.

The joy of narrowly escaping death lit up Yu Youwei’s face, but soon exhaustion overwhelmed her. She leaned into Ye Wu’s embrace and slipped into a deep sleep.

“Aunt, please don’t die!” Ye Wu’s anguished roar tore through the night. Though it is said that men do not shed tears, this sorrow had reached its unbearable depth. The stoic and aloof young man, thinking his beloved’s soul was lost, wept helplessly.

Outside the thicket, Ye Wu’s loyal followers hurried to his side, accompanied by Ye Yinchen.

Earlier, Ye Wu had accompanied his mother to gather poison herbs but had soon lost patience, sending his men to assist her while he wandered aimlessly. Noticing the unusual flare from the thicket, he rushed over and unexpectedly encountered Yu Youwei.

Ye Yinchen and the others, seeing the towering flames, hastened toward the scene but were too late. Hearing his cries, Ye Yinchen shouted, “Little Wu, is Youwei there too?”

“Mother, please save Aunt!” Ye Wu screamed in panic.

Neither Ye Yinchen nor his men had ever seen him so distraught. They were shocked but understood the place Yu Youwei held in his heart.

After feeling Yu Youwei’s pulse, Ye Yinchen’s expression grew strange.

Looking at his mother, Ye Wu nervously asked, “Mother, Aunt still has hope, right?”

“She’s only got a troublesome injury on her arm. Son, is it really necessary to scream like that?” Ye Yinchen teased.

Ye Wu froze.

Worried, Ye Yinchen asked, “Son, are you alright?” Receiving no reply, she slapped him sharply across the face. The crisp slap echoed clearly.

Ye Wu stirred, rubbing his burning cheek, grumbling, “Why did you hit me?”

“I thought you’d lost your mind,” Ye Yinchen said with an awkward smile.

“That didn’t have to be so hard—hitting your son like a thief.” Rubbing his face again, Ye Wu asked, “Is Aunt really going to be okay? Her condition just now was extremely dangerous.”

“Son, trust your mother—you’re just overly worried.” With a sigh, Ye Yinchen wanted to advise him not to become too attached, but seeing the tender, intoxicated look in his eyes as he gazed at Yu Youwei, she knew it was useless. She only sighed once more and quietly began dressing Yu Youwei’s wounded arm.

Ye Wu cradled Yu Youwei carefully as they flew out of the thicket, handling her like a priceless treasure. Watching them, his mother sighed deeply again. He said softly, “Mother, please don’t sigh. All I want is for Aunt to be safe and happy.”