122: Chapter 122 Not an Illusion

"So, even 'No Meeting Spring' also..."

The sorrow in Cang Mingyue's heart deepened by several degrees.

Just how massive a price had Su Chen paid for them back then?

Just as the two were being submerged by this belated truth and sorrow, at the moment their spirits were most relaxed—

Those several Ancient Ferocious Beasts, which had seemed to be eroded by the 'No Meeting Spring' sword intent and whose auras had withered,

Suddenly saw the cracks on their bodies stop spreading.

Immediately following that,

A terrifying aura, far more violent than before, erupted from within their bodies with a boom.

"Roar—!"

Dijiang's four wings flapped wildly; the storm that had been dissolved by the sword intent instantly restructured itself, its power skyrocketing several times over.

Lu Wu's nine tails swept across like steel whips, causing the air to explode.

Xiangliu's nine heads hissed toward the sky, and poisonous miasma blotted out the sun.

The injuries on their bodies were actually healing at high speed, and their auras climbed steadily, breaking through some invisible boundary in the blink of an eye to reach a level that made the souls of both Ye Jingjun and Cang Mingyue tremble.

Fourteenth rank, fifteenth rank?

No, probably even higher.

This was simply not a power that should exist in this realm.

What the two women could never have imagined was that,

These old things, buried underground for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, actually had very little vitality left in them.

The vitality-infused sword intent of 'No Meeting Spring' had not only failed to heavily injure them,

But had instead acted like a key, unexpectedly stimulating or awakening some even more terrifying power within their bodies.

It was equivalent to indirectly helping them recover their abilities.

"How is this possible..."

Ye Jingjun's pretty face was full of disbelief.

Her strongest killing move, the one she had bet everything on, couldn't even manage to heavily wound these monsters?

"Watch out!"

Cang Mingyue's sharp scream rang out beside her.

Dijiang, being the first to recover, had a fierce light exploding in its eyes.

With a flap of its four wings, its form turned into a blurred afterimage. Carrying a shrill whistle that tore through space, its sharp claws went straight for the brow of Ye Jingjun, who was gasping for breath after using her forbidden technique.

This strike was fast, ruthless, and precise, almost transcending the limitations of space.

Ye Jingjun didn't even have time to make any reaction.

She could only watch helplessly as the shadow of death rapidly enlarged before her eyes.

Was she finally going to die?

That was fine, too.

She didn't know how many years ago she had first had the thought of taking her own life.

Now, she could finally go down to accompany him...

Just as this thought arose—

"Sister Jingjun!!!"

In a flash, an azure figure,

Using the last of her strength, violently knocked the frozen Ye Jingjun aside.

"Puchi—!"

The sound of sharp claws entering flesh rang out.

Ye Jingjun was knocked stumbling to the side. She looked up blankly,

Only to see Dijiang's claws piercing through Cang Mingyue's thin back and emerging from her chest.

Fresh blood spread across her azure dress.

"Cang Mingyue?"

With a flick of its claws, Dijiang threw the Mermaid Maiden, who was like a broken ragdoll, flying away.

She landed heavily on the snow at Ye Jingjun's feet.

The fresh blood quickly dyed a patch of white snow red.

"Cough, cough..."

Cang Mingyue lay in the snow, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood.

Her azure eyes, which were starting to lose focus, looked stubbornly at Ye Jingjun, and her lips tried to pull into a smile.

Ye Jingjun threw herself to her side, frantically trying to cover the horrific wound on her chest.

But the wound was too large; the blood simply wouldn't stop, gushing out through her fingers.

Only some healing talents inherent to mermaids were slowly repairing her body.

"Sister Jingjun..."

Ye Jingjun tried to fly up to take her away.

But she didn't have much energy left herself and had no ability to escape at all.

"Don't talk, hang on. I'll take you away!"

"No need..."

A bit more relief appeared on Cang Mingyue's face.

She didn't even know if her self-healing ability could fix her this time.

Several water orbs flew out, temporarily bouncing the monsters away.

"Ye Jingjun, you have to live on."

"I, Cang Mingyue, am not worthy... but you, Ye Jingjun, are his lawfully wedded wife."

"If you can find him, live a good life with him for me."

As her voice fell, her head tilted to the side, and she too lost consciousness.

"Cang Mingyue?"

Looking at this person who was once an enemy and was now barely considered a 'good friend' also becoming of unknown life or death before her,

Ye Jingjun suddenly felt as if the entire world had lost its color.

Dijiang wouldn't care about her grief.

Having dealt with one nuisance, she was next.

It roared, swinging its claws again, striking down toward Ye Jingjun's head.

This time, there was no one left to block for her.

Ye Jingjun knelt by Cang Mingyue's delicate body and slowly closed her eyes.

The expected pain and darkness did not descend.

Ye Jingjun could almost feel the whistling wind brought by the monster's claws before her.

But that fatal blow was long in falling.

She opened her eyelids in confusion.

And then, she saw a scene that left her in disbelief.

It wasn't just that Dijiang.

All of the Ancient Ferocious Beasts that were approaching—

Dijiang, Lu Wu, Xiangliu...

Even the even more massive shadows that were faintly visible in the distant mist—

At this moment, they were all frozen in place.

As if fixed by the highest-level immobilization technique, they maintained their attacking or roaring postures, motionless.

No.

It wasn't that they weren't moving.

Their bodies were actually trembling.

It was a tremble of fear.

Even more, it was a deeper level of trembling and submission originating from their bloodlines and souls.

Immediately after, reflected in Ye Jingjun's wide eyes,

These Ancient Ferocious Beasts, which could be called world-ending calamities, performed an action sufficient to overturn all her perceptions.

They,

In unison, withdrew all their violent auras,

Lowered those proud and hideous heads,

Bent those limbs capable of tearing through mountains,

And toward the same direction—

Toward that open snow slope behind and to the side of the plane wreckage—

Slowly,

Deeply,

They knelt down in worship.

Like the most devout subjects, they were paying homage to their supreme sovereign.

What happened?

Ye Jingjun jerked her head around, looking in the direction the ferocious beasts were kneeling.

On the snow slope,

At some unknown point, a figure had quietly appeared.

It was a man.

His posture was upright.

He wore a somewhat damaged set of modern casual clothes.

His back was to Ye Jingjun.

He faced the group of Ancient Ferocious Beasts kneeling before him.

He just stood there quietly.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, falling exactly on his body.

His face couldn't be seen clearly.

But that back...

It really was like the back that had appeared in her dreams countless times at midnight, engraved into the deepest part of her soul.

So similar.

She cautiously extended a sliver of soul aura to test it.

It really was so similar!

It was exactly the same, as if they were the same person!

Ye Jingjun's breathing suddenly stopped.

After skipping a beat,

Her heart began to drum at a frantic speed never before experienced, almost breaking through her chest.

Impossible.

How could this be possible?

Was it a hallucination?

Was it the final clarity before death?

Only now did Ye Jingjun begin to feel her body losing all strength.

Her consciousness gradually blurred.

As she fell back onto the snow, her beautiful eyes were still full of disbelief.