Hua Yang Patriarch's sword light struck again, this time directly cleaving through the defensive light shield in front of Bai Ying.

She was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, her back slamming into the barrier surrounding the teleportation array with a "crack."

The sound of the spine breaking was crisp and piercing.

Blood gushed from Bai Ying's mouth. Her ten fingers dug deep into the ground, trying to prop up her broken body, but only managed to leave ten shocking bloody scratches.

"That's all!" A Nascent Soul cultivator grinned as he unleashed the Nine Yin Frost Spike.

The poison-laced magical weapon ripped through the sky, aiming straight for Bai Ying's heart.

At the critical moment, she managed to turn to the side, but the ice spike still pierced through her waist and abdomen.

The extreme cold instantly froze the wound, and bluish-purple frost spread wildly across her body.

Bai Ying let out a muffled groan, but her bloodied fingers continued to form hand seals—

"Buzz!"

The dragon-scale artifact trembled with a mournful cry, trailing a blood-red tail of flame as it charged toward the enemy.

It pierced through the throat of a Nascent Soul cultivator, but as Bai Ying spun around, she was struck hard by the heavy hammer of another Nascent Soul cultivator.

Click!

Bai Ying's ribs snapped with a crack, sharp bone spurs piercing her lungs. She coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, yet she still stood firmly in front of the teleportation array.

"Sizzle—"

Another magical artifact tore through her calf muscles, revealing the stark white bone beneath.

Bai Ying staggered and fell to her knees, her knees hitting the gravel with a dull thud that made your teeth ache.

Every wound was like a bloody hole carved into the hearts of everyone in the Lingxiao Sect.

Xuan Yuan Chen trembled all over, his nails digging deeply into his palms.

Blood dripped from between his fingers, but he was completely unaware.

The old man, who had lived for thousands of years, looked at the stubborn figure with tears streaming down his face—her right arm was corroded by the poisonous mist, her left shoulder was pierced by sword energy, and three bone-piercing nails were stuck in her back...

Even so, the blood-stained figure still stood tall, using his broken body to form the last line of defense.

"No...no..." Wang Miaomiao cried her heart out, her voice hoarse beyond recognition.

She saw that even in such a dire situation, Bai Ying still turned around and gave them a reassuring smile.

That smile was as pure as ever, just like the junior sister who rescued her from the Wang family back then.

Without Bai Ying, she had no idea what kind of situation she would be in now.

How could she let Bai Ying die like that?

Wang Miaomiao's fingers trembled as she took out a teleportation array; she wanted to rescue Bai Ying.

However, her teleportation array was not working, and there was no way to teleport her out of Bai Ying's array.

She had already tried hundreds of times!

How could that be?

She gritted her teeth and took out another piece of paper, which she had found in the library of the Lingxiao Sect. It clearly stated that once the formation was completed, it could teleport anyone away.

How could it not work?

No!

Something must be wrong!

She had to save Bai Ying!

She couldn't let Bai Ying die!

However, when the sixteenth magical artifact—a mourning staff entwined with vengeful spirits—pierced Bai Ying's chest, her internal organs were already shattered. Yet, her blood-stained hands continued to form complex hand seals.

The light from the teleportation array grew brighter and brighter, illuminating Bai Ying's shattered figure as if it were transparent.

Blood gushed from dozens of wounds on her body, pooling at her feet. Her breath grew weaker and weaker, yet she still used her last strength to reinforce the defensive formation.

Like a lamp about to burn out, it stubbornly emits its last light.

Hua Yang Patriarch's expression suddenly changed.

He sensed fluctuations in the laws of space—the teleportation was about to complete!

"Stop them!" he roared hysterically, as his blood-red greatsword slashed down with earth-shattering force.

Bai Ying looked up at the sword light, a slight smile playing on her blood-stained lips. She released her hand seals and opened her arms—

In the most vulnerable state, we will make our final act of protection.

"boom!"

Amidst the deafening explosion, the teleportation array reached its zenith. The figures of the Lingxiao Sect members began to blur, their heart-wrenching screams swallowed by the spatial turbulence.

At the last moment, Xuanyuan Chen saw Bai Ying's lips gently open and close.

She said—

"Leave Zhongzhou!"

The light screen of the teleportation array, like the receding moonlight, went from its peak to its decline, eventually turning into specks of starlight and dissipating into the void.

Bai Ying's blood-stained lips curled up slightly, revealing a relieved smile.

"Very good......"

A faint, weak murmur, mixed with blood foam, spilled from his lips.

She succeeded, she really succeeded.

Those important people, those who gave her warmth, have all passed away safely.

The battered body finally reached its limit.

Bai Ying could feel her life slipping away rapidly; her vision began to blur, and even her fingertips lost sensation.

Countless deadly streaks of light pierced through the air, but she didn't even have the strength to raise her hand.

"Is this the end...?"

She calmly closed her eyes, letting the darkness engulf her consciousness.

There was no fear, no dread, only the peace of mind that came after seeing everyone off. At least this time, she had protected those she wanted to protect—

It's just a pity that she hasn't been able to avenge herself...

There's no longer any way to protect the people I wanted to protect...

But she had no strength left...

Tears streamed from Bai Ying's eyes.

The expected excruciating pain, however, did not arrive.

Instead, there was a heartwarming hug.

"Junior sister, don't be afraid..."

A familiar voice, choked with sobs, rang in my ears.

Bai Ying's eyes widened suddenly, and what she saw was Wang Miaomiao's tear-streaked face. This little girl who had said she would be her family was now using her thin back to build the last barrier for her.