Lingyao had been coldly watching Yin Ming's movements, secretly wondering what tricks he was up to this time.

Upon seeing Yin Ming seemingly want to touch his face, Ling Yao's hands, hanging by his sides, suddenly clenched.

But as he hesitated whether to raise his hand to slap away Yin Ming's clutches, his excessively pale hand fell down first.

Ling Yao frowned, looking quite impatient, and said, "What kind of melodramatic act are you putting on now?"

When he received no response for a long time, a hint of panic finally flashed across Ling Yao's face. He subconsciously reached out his hand, but stopped just a few centimeters away from Yin Ming's wrist.

"Come here and take a look."

He straightened up from his kneeling position, arrogantly raised his beautifully shaped chin, and gave orders to the boy waiting beside him.

Upon receiving the instruction, the boy bowed and replied "Yes," before nervously stepping forward.

He first probed Yin Ming's wrist, his expression suddenly changing. Then he probed Yin Ming's neck, abruptly withdrawing his hand as if startled. Only then did he say in a trembling voice:

"Young Master, it seems that Senior Brother Yin... is dead."

"Dead?!" Lingyao's face turned deathly pale instantly. He followed the hand hanging by the bedside to look at Yin Ming's handsome face, which was fast asleep. His bloodless skin contrasted sharply with his tightly closed eyes, as if he would never wake up again.

Lingyao was only uneasy for a moment before he chuckled mockingly, "Heh, are you two putting on another fake injury for me? Haven't you had enough of these tricks yet, Elder?"

He turned his head and gave the Grand Elder a cold look, his tone suddenly rising, "Do you really think I'm a fool who would be fooled again and again?!"

The young man was so frightened by the aura Ling Yao released in an instant that he knelt on one knee. The elder, whom he had singled out, also looked surprised and doubtful. He frowned at Ling Yao's questioning and bent down to explain:

"Young Master, please calm down. I truly knew nothing about this matter."

"Perhaps Yin Ming was seriously injured before and then forcibly took the Rejuvenation Pill, which led to this situation."

After pondering for a long time, the elder cautiously voiced his guess.

"The Spirit Returning Pill? What is that?" Ling Yao stared intently at Yin Ming's neck, seemingly wanting to go forward and confirm it himself, but hesitated for some reason.

To save time, the Grand Elder only mentioned that Yin Ming was injured because Lingyao was able to undergo Nirvana, without going into further details.

When asked again, he immediately recounted in detail everything that happened on the day of his Nirvana.

"So you're saying all of this is my fault?"

Lingyao's eyes sharpened, startling the Grand Elder. "This subordinate had no such intention."

"Hmph, all excuses." No matter how many details there were, Ling Yao still refused to believe the Grand Elder's words. A flash of light appeared in his hand, and the Lingming Sword was held against Yin Ming's neck.

"Stop pretending! If you don't get up, I'll kill you right now!"

Yin Ming pretended to be dead that day, just like he is now, and he turned out fine afterward. Who knows what strange pills he ate this time?

The person on the bed naturally couldn't respond. The elder couldn't bear it any longer and spoke up to persuade him, "Young Master, Yin Ming is really dead."

He had already sensed Yin Ming's aura with his divine sense. Although he was also puzzled as to why Yin Ming's injuries, though severe, did not seem to be life-threatening when he visited him before, but had now deteriorated so rapidly and he had passed away.

It can only be said that nothing in this world is absolute.

The elder sighed softly. Although it was a pity that a genius had fallen, at least his sacrifice had brought about a good result.

Lingyao suspiciously observed the Grand Elder's expression. Seeing that his expression didn't seem to be lying, and even carried a hint of regret, Lingyao's heart skipped a beat.

He stammered in disbelief, "Really?"

"It's good that he's dead... It's good that he's dead, then I won't have to dirty my hands." Lingyao murmured again, but there was no joy in his tone, and the struggle on his face was obvious.

He had actually sensed that something was wrong, but he stubbornly refused to acknowledge the absurd thoughts that were surfacing in his mind.

Because Yin Ming was so terrifying that day, the image of the executioner had left an indelible mark on his heart, which is why he dared not touch Yin Ming again.

Even the sight of those hands that had inflicted such extreme torture on him stirred up endless dread in his chest, making him increasingly averse to contact with Yin Ming.

But now everything is overturning his understanding, attempting to exonerate Yin Ming for his crimes...

He really couldn't tell which words were true and which were false anymore.

"No, this isn't fair! How could you just die like that? Even if you had some unspeakable secret, it doesn't change the fact that you inflicted those harms on me!"

Lingyao stubbornly raised the longsword in his hand, "Don't think that you can escape punishment by dying. You must suffer the same pain as me to atone for your sins!"

He flung the quilt covering Yin Ming away, pretending to slash Yin Ming's body with several bloody marks, but when he saw the thin silhouette revealed under the loose inner garment, he suddenly froze.

How could he have lost so much weight? Has he not been doing well these past few days?

Could it be that he really ended up in this state because of him?

A sweep of divine sense confirmed that the person on the bed was indeed lifeless, with no further signs of life.

Suddenly, the image of Yin Ming desperately trying to touch him flashed through his mind, along with his final words, "You must take care of yourself"...

The defenses he had built crumbled at that moment, and Lingyao felt a sudden pain in his chest, a sensation more intense than being skinned alive or having his bones ripped out, causing him to shudder.

As his blood and qi surged, Lingyao couldn't help but vomit a mouthful of blood, accompanied by endless regret—

Even the last chance to make contact was lost because of his impulsive actions...

Why did he say those harsh words? He had just woken up in the secret room and had been thinking about seeing Yin Ming ever since.

He initially thought that his strong desire stemmed from hatred, but he had imagined countless scenarios of their reunion and how he would torture Yin Ming in every way possible. Yet, the moment he saw Yin Ming, he completely abandoned those thoughts.

He wasn't stupid. After the Nirvana was completed and he regained his senses, he realized that the things Yin Ming said while torturing him were full of loopholes.

Even though the elder's explanation was exactly what he wanted to hear, he dared not believe it easily.

Because he was afraid, afraid that it would be another trap that would push him into the abyss.

Although he knew that Yin Ming might have his reasons, there were many details that needed time to verify before he could try to believe it.

Wounds may heal quickly, but scars are always difficult to remove; otherwise, there wouldn't be the old saying, "Once bitten by a snake, twice shy."

This process is destined to be long, but if everything Yin Ming does is truly for his own good, he believes Yin Ming will be willing to stay by his side.

Moreover, if he were to forgive Yin Ming too easily, he wouldn't feel good about it. After all, the pain of having his core removed and bones shaved wasn't something he deserved to endure just because it was "for his own good."

When he first saw Yin Ming, he didn't know how to face him, so he could only act like a child throwing a tantrum and try to find out what Yin Ming was thinking with his sharp tongue.

He did indeed have a psychological shadow over Yin Ming, but perhaps with the passage of time and the revelation of the truth, they could return to the way they were before, able to talk about anything and be inseparable.

He just didn't expect that Yin Ming would go to such lengths for him, even risking his own life.

If only he hadn't been so pretentious, he would have believed the elder's words sooner.

And now we've just missed each other...

He had thought they had plenty of time in the future...

Lingyao clutched her heart tightly and raised her hand to try to grab Yin Ming's drooping hand.

It was his fault for not responding to Yin Ming's feelings in time. How regretful and disappointed he must have been at that moment.

The excruciating pain swept over me like a tidal wave, one wave higher than the next.

Lingyao could no longer hold on. Before he could even grasp that hand, everything went black, and he completely lost consciousness.