Final Battle - End
As the formation beneath Yueyuan's feet gradually took shape, a barrier separating the inside from the outside expanded, completely isolating the area where the three were located from the sounds of battle outside.
In the sudden, deathly silence, Ji Wang could clearly hear Bu Jiu's suppressed gasps, escaping between his teeth, behind him.
Each sound was short and broken, tugging at the most painful string in his heart.
Just as he was about to turn around, Bu Jiu's hand suddenly gripped his forearm, his knuckles almost digging into his flesh.
"No." Bu Jiu clutched the hideous wound on his chest, his voice hoarse. "I'm fine. Do what you need to do."
Yue Yuan stood not far away, not launching an attack immediately, but watching the two supporting each other, his gaze finally settling on Ji Wang.
"You remember now, don't you?" Yueyuan asked, his voice carrying an almost gentle inquiry, as if he were simply reminiscing with an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time. "When you saw the flaws I left in the formation in the far north... those forgotten old stories, and the words I once told you."
"You remembered." Yueyuan looked at Ji Wang's suddenly changed expression and repeated almost with a sigh, his voice low and soft, "I was the person you trusted the most, the person you promised to stay with forever."
Ji Wang's chest heaved violently, aggravating the wound on his chest, causing blood to seep out again.
He did indeed remember. Yue Yuan patiently explained the array diagram, his helpless smile concealing his mistake, forming the cruelest contrast with the demon before him who viewed all living beings as ants and was determined to devour him along with the Dao Source.
He clenched his teeth tightly until the mouth was filled with the strong taste of blood, and then, through his clenched teeth, he uttered the answer, word by word: "...Yes."
He met Yueyuan's eyes directly: "But I'm not willing."
I no longer want my fate to be controlled by your so-called "for my own good," and I no longer want to have anything to do with you.
He gripped Bu Jiu's hand tightly: "My choices, my path, my person, have nothing to do with you."
The gentle expression on Yueyuan's face shattered completely when Ji Wang uttered those resolute words, "It has nothing to do with you," revealing the anger beneath.
“Very good.” He uttered the two words slowly, his tone flat and even. Then he slowly raised his right hand, and the outline of a sword gradually materialized above his palm.
The sword was long and narrow, with a wisp of purple-white lightning flowing along its edge, as if it were born to destroy. The space around the sword continued to collapse and distort, emitting cracking sounds as it struggled to bear the weight.
“Since you’re unwilling…” Yueyuan gripped the hilt of his sword, “then I’ll have to go see the scene I promised you.”
With a flick of his wrist, Yue Yuan gripped the longsword firmly and charged toward the location where Ji Wang and Bu Jiu were!
In that instant, Ji Wang could clearly feel the Dao Source pulsating in his heart being firmly gripped by the sword tip, as if it were a pre-set target.
Yueyuan's figure rapidly enlarged, the sword's edge tearing through the air, already within arm's reach!
"Don't blame me, help me!" Ji Wang shouted. At this critical moment, all distracting thoughts were cast aside, leaving only the purest desire to survive.
He knew that Dao Yuan alone would be no match for him, but he had to create an opportunity, even if it was only for a moment!
Bu Jiu was of one mind with him. As soon as he spoke, she disregarded her serious injuries and depleted demonic power, and transferred the most essential wisp of demonic power into Ji Wang's right arm holding the sword.
This was not a simple power boost, but rather an almost sacrificial act of temporarily grafting one's own existence onto Ji Wang's defense.
"Clang—!!" Ji Wang's sword collided violently with the tip of the other sword!
At the center of the collision, space cracked like a mirror, revealing bizarre and chaotic energy flows behind it.
Ji Wang felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow; he could barely lift his right arm, and even the wound that was about to heal reopened. He looked down at his dangling arm and noticed that even the blade of the sword had developed tiny cracks.
Yueyuan took half a step back, and his sword momentum rose again.
This time, it was no longer a straight thrust, but rather the sword light split into two, one illusory and one real, each attacking the two who had been temporarily separated by the recoil.
Ji Wang saw that the sword light that was attacking Bu Jiu clearly contained the power of annihilation and was pointing directly at Bu Jiu's pulse point.
Bu Jiu tried to turn to the side, trying to gather even a sliver of strength, but his exhausted body only felt weak, dull pain, and his figure inevitably faltered slightly—
This slight weakness, in the face of an opponent like Yue Yuan, is already a fatal flaw.
"Run!" Ji Wang shouted almost without thinking, forcefully reversing the chaotic Dao Source within his body caused by severe injuries. That power instantly shattered his already cracked meridians, bringing excruciating pain and backlash that was enough to make one's soul scatter.
He didn't dodge; instead, he directly rammed into the sword light that was attacking Bu Jiu.
As the longsword in Ji Wang's hand broke completely, Yue Yuan's sword tip also cut into his body. The annihilation power erupted instantly, surging wildly into his body. The meridians and spiritual energy in the places it passed through were all rapidly flowing away.
"Uh...!" Ji Wang's body stiffened, all the sounds stuck in his throat.
No…too close…too close to Yueyuan…he could even see Yueyuan’s eyes, which were right next to his.
If Yue Yuan were to strike again at this moment, or even just push the blade forward an inch... what could he, with his broken body, possibly use to block it?
This thought, like a last spark, ignited his crumbling will.
He mustered his last bit of strength from somewhere, bracing his feet firmly against the scorched earth, and suddenly exerted force in his waist and abdomen. Even disregarding the horrific wound that the sword piercing his chest would cause, he dragged Bu Jiu backward, staggering several steps, each step accompanied by excruciating pain and gushing blood.
But he ultimately shielded Bu Jiu behind him for the time being, even though he was already swaying and his vision was turning black.
Once Bu Jiu regained his senses, he immediately tried to pull Ji Wang back and protect him behind him.
However, his body was stiffened by overexertion and the sudden immense pressure, and he could only watch helplessly as Ji Wang endured the pain of the sword piercing his body, and watch Ji Wang's back tense due to the excruciating pain.
perish together!
This thought instantly entangled Bujiong's consciousness like a poisonous vine.
The remaining demonic power began to gather in his palms recklessly. He was forcibly extracting the last bit of his essence, even if it meant his soul would be scattered the next moment, he wanted to drag Yueyuan down to hell with him!
Just as he was about to break free from Ji Wang's grip and lunge at Yue Yuan, a hand grabbed his wrist as he tried to struggle. The force was so great that it almost crushed his wrist bones.
Ji Wang's face was as pale as paper, blood foam kept spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were unfocused due to the pain and blood loss, but deep in his pupils burned an extreme calmness and clarity.
He stared intently into Bu Jiu's eyes, which seemed to be consumed by madness, his lips moving but his voice was so weak it was almost inaudible: "Don't be impulsive..."
With each word he spoke, the sword wound in his chest was aggravated, and blood gushed out more rapidly, but his gaze remained unwavering, fixed on Wu Jiu: "It's a good opportunity... He's exhausted... Think of... a way..."
way?
Bu Jiu's reason, which had been scattered by rage, was forcibly pulled back by these words, and he instinctively glanced at Yue Yuan.
The arm that Yue Yuan used to wield the sword was also being eroded by the remaining innate Dao source because it had just pierced through Ji Wang's chest.
This erosion truly disrupted Yueyuan's meridians, flowing in from his arm and out from the wound in his abdomen, causing him to show signs of exhaustion more pronounced than expected.
Bu Jiu's gaze swept over Ji Wang's blood-stained face, and over his own hand clasped with Ji Wang's.
What else do they have? What else can they seize in this desperate situation, this slim chance bought with Ji Wang's life, a chance so faint it's almost nonexistent? The Reverse Scale Shuttle is destroyed, their Dao Source is nearly exhausted, and they themselves are powerless to fight it...
Suddenly, words I had once said came to mind.
"The forging of the Reverse Scale Shuttle cannot be accomplished by one person alone... It requires 'the witness of two races, sharing the consequences'... It requires powerful demonic energy as a catalyst..."
The Dao Source still exists, but the demonic power belonging to Su Guang has been depleted. If there were another powerful demonic power to match it...
Bu Jiu felt the faint beating of his heart. If he used himself as a guide and Ji Wang's Dao Source as a foundation, and fused the two within his body... could he awaken a power similar to the Reverse Scale Shuttle? Even if only for a moment?
He knew what this meant: to throw his soul, his bloodline, and everything into that unknown adventure.
If successful, they might be able to turn the tide. If they fail, they will be annihilated, with no chance of reincarnation.
But he had no time to weigh the pros and cons, and no other option.
"Ji Wang." Bu Jiu paused for a moment, "Give me the Dao Source."
Ji Wang's pupils suddenly focused as he looked at Bu Jiu in disbelief, almost thinking he had misheard: "Wh...what? No way!"
Hand over the Dao Source? In this desperate situation? Let them off the hook?
"Give it to me." Bu Jiu's voice suddenly lowered, his fingertips slipping between Ji Wang's fingers, turning into a more tender clasp. His eyes were filled with endless longing as he quietly looked into Ji Wang's panicked and resistant eyes.
"You promised me, remember?" Bu Jiu's voice was very soft. "You said you would give me anything I wanted."
“That’s different…” Ji Wang retorted with difficulty, his voice trembling with the urge to collapse, “It can’t be like this…”
“It’s the same, Ji Wang.” Bu Jiu even tried to curve his lips into a smile.
He looked into the distance. Although the area was clearly covered by a barrier, with only the flowing array patterns remaining, he seemed to see the light and shadow still fighting fiercely outside the barrier, and the hazy outlines of mountains and rivers in the distance.
"Look, it's almost dawn."
"Back then, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of all living beings. Today, I'm sacrificing myself to save everyone else, to save you... Isn't it worth it?" He withdrew his gaze and fixed it on Ji Wang's face, which was filled with tenderness and reluctance that almost overflowed.
“Give me the Dao Source, Ji Wang.” He leaned closer, their breaths mingling slightly. “This is not a sacrifice, this is our only way. Trust me, this is the last time.”
Ji Wang felt his consciousness was like a candle flickering in the wind, being peeled away inch by inch by excruciating pain. It was as if his soul would be torn out of his broken body along with the source of the Dao, returning to the eternal nothingness or the control of the abyss.
There's no time left.
"Liar." Ji Wang cursed inwardly.
Ke Bujiu is right, this is the only way. The only way that might allow those behind him to survive.
He suddenly remembered the wedding dress he had secretly sewn. It was a bright red dress with gold thread embroidered with lotus blossoms, and every stitch held a promise he was too ashamed to utter.
At this moment, his and Bu Jiu's clothes, completely soaked in blood and almost unrecognizable in their original color, were also another hastily made wedding dress.
"My darling..." Ji Wang's voice was so soft it almost dissipated in the wind, "Wouldn't this outfit be considered a wedding dress?"
Bu Jiu's pupils trembled slightly.
Then, the corners of his tightly pursed lips curved upwards into a smile. He didn't speak, but the smile genuinely reached his eyes.
Having received this silent response, Ji Wang stopped feeling the excruciating pain in his chest that was almost tearing him apart.
He proactively removed the last trace of instinctive restraint and connection, firmly guiding the source of energy along the intertwined fingers of the two people, channeling it into Bu Jiu's meridians without reservation.
Just as Dao Yuan left his body, Ji Wang used his last bit of weak strength to lift his head and gently press his last trace of reluctance onto Bu Jiu's soft lips.
Two forces, vastly different yet equally powerful, clashed within Bu Jiu's body. Excruciating pain, enough to instantly break any conscious person, swept through every nerve in Bu Jiu's body.
"You—!" Yue Yuan had just suppressed the backlash when he saw this scene.
It wasn't the plunder or passive extraction he had anticipated, but rather an active gift. The Dao Source was slipping out of his control in a way he hadn't foreseen, flowing towards another recipient.
Yueyuan no longer hesitated. He steadied the sword he had pulled away from his hand and thrust it out again at an even faster speed!
Seeing this, Bu Jiu pushed Ji Wang to the side and back in a safe direction. Using this force, he moved forward instead of backward, picked up the broken sword on the ground, and rammed into Yue Yuan, whose expression had suddenly changed!
The broken sword, its shattered blade carrying the fused power, pierced into Yue Yuan's heart.
"Ugh—!"
Yueyuan let out a suppressed cry of pain. Countless dark cracks spread from his body. All the power in his body was out of control due to this attack, and even began to backfire on him.
"Boom—!!" After a terrifying roar, all the formations and the tide of demonic beasts in Bu Nian Temple slowly dispersed like a receding tide. At that moment, Gui Tiao's sword also slashed across Qian Ji's throat.
"Xiao Bao!" Huai Qing was already thinking of a way to break the barrier that separated the inside from the outside when he saw that the barrier had broken down on its own. Before the dust had completely settled, he transformed into a green shadow and rushed in!
Huaiqing immediately noticed Ji Wang's faint, almost nonexistent breath, as well as the hideous, gruesome through-and-through wound on his chest.
His expression changed drastically, and several life-saving and vital energy-protecting pills flew out from his sleeve. He gently fed them into Ji Wang's mouth, while the flower branch in his hand shone brightly with azure light. He quickly sealed the still bleeding wounds on Ji Wang's chest and back with his swift but skillful technique, trying his best to stabilize the life force that was like a candle flickering in the wind.
Under the combined effects of the medicine and spiritual energy, Ji Wang's blood-stained eyelashes trembled violently a few times, finally managing to open a tiny gap with great difficulty.
Consciousness struggled to rise, gradually becoming aware of its own existence—its body was empty, and its former spiritual power was now so depleted that only a few wisps remained, weakly wandering in its dried-up meridians.
However, this feeling of weakness didn't even give him time to panic or feel unwell.
Almost the instant he opened his eyes, he eagerly scanned his surroundings, glancing past Huaiqing's worried face, past the ravaged battlefield and busy disciples in the distance, searching desperately for that familiar figure in every corner and every shadow.
No.
There isn't anywhere.
"I won't hold it against you..." He opened his mouth.
He wanted to ask, to confirm, to grasp at something, but his body didn't even have the strength to stand up.
He could only lean helplessly against Huaiqing's arm, his eyes fixed on the emptiness.
Huaiqing supported him, feeling his body trembling slightly and uncontrollably, and felt a deep sorrow in her heart.
He quickly treated the most urgent wound and whispered, "Xiao Bao, you'll have to make the decisions on what to do next. You have to hold on."
Hold on?
Ji Wang blinked blankly.
What held him back? That person was gone. The one whose ears would turn red at a single word from him, who would awkwardly demand the Reverse Scale Shuttle, who would say "beautiful," who would grab his sleeve at the brink of death, coaxing him to hand over the Dao Source, and then rush headlong into destruction without hesitation…
They're gone.
Ji Wang suddenly coughed violently, which aggravated the wound in his chest, causing more blood to gush out. However, he seemed to feel no pain, only coughing so hard that it turned into a heart-wrenching wail.
The disciples dared not step forward, and Huaiqing remained silent.
The only response the world could give him was the first faint ray of dawn slowly appearing on the horizon.
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