412 Difference Between Life and Death
Qing Zhu's cultivation level was lower than the Asura's. Coupled with the fact that he had already been here a full day, with his body invaded by the breath of the demon dragon, how could he be faster than the White Asura?
They were about to charge out of the abyss and return to the outside world, but the White Asura was merely a few steps away.
"I can't do it!" said Qing Zhu apologetically. "I cannot bring you both to safety. There's only hope if I bring one of you."
Qing Zhu did not look at anyone as he said this. Qin Xianer's body turned rigid. She looked back at the evil White Asura, tears falling in fear. But at the critical moment, she bravely said, "Put me down."
She did not belong to the Empire of Darkness, but Qing Zhu had brought her along in the escape. He had done all he could.
Qing Zhu was secretly ashamed. To leave a little girl behind, in the face of a crisis, was against his beliefs.
Deep in Xia Jingyu's eyes burned a stern decisiveness. "Qing Zhu, take Xianer and leave!" she shouted as she broke free from Qing Zhu.
She began continuously making seals and forming a water veil spanning 100 zhang.
Qing Zhu's expression changed drastically. "Yi Yu, you're mad!"
Xia Jingyu calmly replied, "I cannot forsake her."
Qin Xianer was dazed but came to her senses as she struggled. "Wait! I do not need you to save me."
Although she was naive, Qin Xianer understood that whoever stayed behind would die. How could she let a stranger die for her?
Xia Jingyu formed seals with blinding speed. In the blink of an eye, there were 18 layers of water seals beneath them. Xia Jingyu looked back. Her eyes locked on Qin Xianer, but it was as if she were looking at someone else.
Silent for a moment, she took out a black book from her robes. The book released an alarming spiritual pressure.
"The divine artifact Starry Sky Heavenly Book!" said Qing Zhu.
It was only a low-grade divine artifact, but it was Xia Jingyu's most important divine artifact. She considered it more important than her life. This book recorded everything she had ever seen or heard on the Zhenlong Continent, and she had copied it into the book with her soul's strength. The tens of thousands of techniques she had seen in the Empire of Darkness, the countless records, every shred of knowledge in this world, and her comments on techniques were all in the book.
Even Lord Bai Luo lusted over the Heavenly Book. The knowledge held within those pages included every technique known to the Empire of Darkness, and obtaining the book would be the equivalent of gaining mastery over every one of them.
Now, she had taken it out. It was clear that she was going to say her last words!
Whoosh—
The Heavenly Book spiraled through the air, but it did not land in the hands of Qing Zhu. Instead, it entered Qin Xianer's robes.
Xia Jingyu looked at Qing Zhu as she pleaded, "Qing Zhu, promise me you won't touch it."
Qing Zhu was agitated, but the greed in his eyes dissipated in the face of Xia Jingyu's state of affairs. "Why did you give it to her?" he asked, unable to understand why Xia Jingyu would give her most valuable artifact to a stranger.
Qin Xianer was also dazed. "Sister Yi Yu, I do not want your book! Come back quickly!"
Xia Jingyu forced a smile as she looked at Qin Xianer. "Xianer, give that to Su Yu for me. Tell him that I did not go back on my word!"
That book was the world she had seen—she had used her eyes to replace Su Yu's, and she had seen the splendor of the Zhenlong Continent!
Qin Xianer was disoriented. Yi Yu knows Su Yu? Who is she?
"Finally," said Xia Jingyu, "I give you my blessings, Xianer."
Tears welled in Xia Jingyu's eyes. Her heart ached. In the end, she had to give her blessings to Qin Xianer! She was clearly the barrier that had prevented Xia Jingyu from getting close to Su Yu. If Qin Xianer had died, Xia Jingyu would have had a chance of entering into a union with Su Yu! She had even gone so far as to long for a day when Qin Xianer would vanish from this world.
So, why would she sacrifice herself to save her?
Because if I allowed Qin Xianer to stay behind, thought Xia Jingyu, even if Su Yu did enter into a union with me, he would hate me forever if he found out I left his beloved behind.
She could not bear to see Su Yu's look of disgust. She wanted to live on in his heart.
"Go quickly!" Xia Jingyu commanded.
Her fingers moved deftly, as if she were performing an illusion. She created a water bubble and used it to push Qing Zhu and Qin Xianer to the top of the abyss.
Qin Xianer's soul was shaken. Tears fell from her eyes. "Who are you?" she said. "Why are you doing this?"
Xia Jingyu looked up and laughed. Her smile showed traces of relief, longing, and pity.
"I…" she said. "I am just someone you know."
Even now, at the end, she refused to say her own name. She did not want Su Yu to be unhappy. She did not want him to live with the guilt. Perhaps he would understand the truth when he flipped open the Starry Sky Heavenly Book. It was enough for her, albeit a little late.
Qing Zhu slowly closed his eyes and took to the skies. His eyes burned with rage and fury as he howled. "Su Yu! You are unworthy of such a sacrifice! Su Yu! Yin Yu! I want you to pay for this with your blood!"
But even as Qing Zhu roared in fury, tears fell from his eyes. He brought Qin Xianer to the skies, aided by Xia Jingyu's push.
As she watched them fly further and further away, Xia Jingyu felt as if she could see the faraway Su Yu—the faraway past and future alike. Never again would she see the face she had longed for every day. She would never see Su Yu again.
Creak—
The White Asura advanced, its black face merciless.
"I cannot comprehend the feelings of you mortals," the White Asura sighed coldly. "For example, I have no idea what goes through the mind of Lord Sheng Ge when her back figure stops to look at the starry sky."
Unconcerned, the White Asura waved its halberd. Nine of the 18 layers of water veils were instantly destroyed. But even in the face of death, Xia Jingyu did not give up. Vapor spread from her body, and, in a bizarre display, it transformed into a pool of water just as the last of the nine layers were destroyed.
The White Asura charged forward in pursuit of the two fleeing humans, but Qing Zhu had seized the moment while it had been obstructed to leave the abyss.
Looking down at the droplets of water, the black-faced White Asura surveyed its surroundings.
"A water clone," it said. "A mysterious technique of the human race, but it's too weak!"
It pointed its halberd in a certain direction.
Ripple—
The cliff shattered as a pool of vapor spilled out, forming the likeness of Xia Jingyu. Covered by the vapors, her face was pale. Blood flowed from a wound in her stomach. But her hands were still forming seals, forming a ball of mist as she vanished into thin air.
The black-faced White Asura looked past her, saying with a low voice, "Guard the exit of the Dragon Abyss. Do not let any living thing leave before the blood sacrifice!"
Whoosh, whoosh—
Upwards of 1,000 Rakshasas responded to his command and sealed the narrow exit of the Dragon Abyss.
******
Half a day later.
Xia Jingyu was pale. The water vapor on her face was faint. It would be difficult to sustain it for much longer. Her body was injured in multiple places, blood flowing freely from each wound.
She was incredibly weak. Her spirit energy was depleted, and so was her strength. Clearly, she was at her limits.
Thump—
A white, ghostly figure descended. Its legs shook the earth as it landed.
The black-faced Asura was also injured. Although the wounds were not severe, the idea that someone had actually wounded a Half God was rather exceptional.
There was a shred of admiration in the black-faced Asura's cold eyes as it said, "You used 81 attacking techniques and 109 supporting techniques in half a day! Totaling 190 techniques! It is hard to believe that a human could know so many techniques. Are you really of the human race?"
At this moment, Xia Jingyu did not even have the strength to open her mouth. Yes, she was adept in 190 techniques, all of which she had cultivated herself. But her cultivation level was too low, and she had been unable to damage the opponent, much less escape.
She had tried her best. It just wasn't good enough.
"Forget it," the black-faced Asura growled. "I'll bring you to see Lord Sheng Ge. She might be interested in you."
It raised its hands to capture Xia Jingyu, but at this moment, a human figure suddenly appeared. Quick as a flash, it appeared and immediately turned and fled for its life.
"Huh?" the black-faced Asura said. "Another human!"
The black-faced Asura flew unthinkingly after the fleeing figure. But the moment it left, a bronze figure descended from the dark, grabbed Xia Jingyu, and turned to flee.
Xia Jingyu let out a shot of surprise but eased her worry when she saw who the person was. Still, the position of being carried in such a way made Xia Jingyu's expression sour, and she snapped, "Let go!"
Our very lives are in danger, thought Su Yu, cradling Xia Jingyu, yet she is still concerned about her purity.
This woman saw her purity as more important than her life. Su Yu naturally respected her wishes. Adjusting his grip and grabbing her by the shoulder, Su Yu quickly flew into the air to escape.
After several miles, they dug into a collapsed ruin and did their best not to make a sound—not to even breathe loudly—as they hid there.
Creak—
A few moments later, a wild wind assaulted them, and the black-faced Asura arrived and hovered high overhead.
"Curse those humans!" it howled. "Creating a distraction! The human race is too crafty!"
Su Yu frowned. How could he be faulted for his actions? The Asura was bullying them just because it was stronger. What choice did he have?
Letting out a few roars of injustice, the black-faced Asura took off to continue his search.
******
For a full ten weeks, the black-faced Asura searched everywhere within a 100-mile radius, destroying many of the ruins there in the process. But the ruins in this area were vast; it was unable to finish searching all of them, even over the course of ten weeks.
"Lord Hei Yang!" a creature announced. It had a bull's horn around its waist. "The blood sacrifice is beginning soon, and Lord Sheng Ge is calling for you. Please return quickly."
The black-faced Asura's expression changed. It looked around once more, clearly feeling cheating before letting out a low roar.
"You people are lucky!" it roared, "but don't even hope to escape the Dragon Abyss!"
Whoosh—
With a white flash, the black-faced Asura left hastily.
Multiple hours later, Su Yu heaved a sigh of relief. "That was too close!"
Looking at Xia Jingyu beside him. The water vapor around her face was faint. They seemed ready to dissipate. Sensing that her face was exposed, Xia Jingyu was shocked. She anxiously used the last of her spirit energy to maintain the veil on her face.
Su Yu could not understand this woman. She still stubbornly clung to her purity even at this stage. So close to death, she still did not want anyone to see her face.
As if sensing Su Yu's thoughts, Xia Jingyu fell silent for a moment. Finally, she said, "Thank you. I'm sorry for just now. I was merely…"
She did not want any other man except Su Yu developing feelings for her. As for her appearance, it was too exceptional. When faced with the stranger like the Black Snow Devil King, she could not guarantee that the other party would not develop indecent ideas in her weakened state.
Su Yu waved his hand to interrupt her from saying more. "You need not explain. I understand. Why were you alone? Where are the others?" An anxious look burned deep in his eyes.
Xia Jingyu said, "They left. They escaped the Dragon Abyss."
Hearing that Xianer was safe, Su Yu let out a long sigh of relief.
"But how are you still here?" Xia Jingyu asked. "And where is Long Feiyu?"
Su Yu's gaze flickered. "Brother Long not come back?"
Gently touching her fair chin, Xia Jingyu said, "He went in search of you. He must have met with some misfortune. I think out meeting with the Rakshasa alerted the White Asura to our presence."
As Su Yu crawled out of the ruins, he said, "It was mostly a coincidence that I saved you. You need not think too much about it… Is the exit of the Dragon Abyss sealed?"
Xia Jingyu froze. She nodded with a bitter laugh.
So, it was true. They were trapped here. Su Yu's heart sank a little.
"You are with the empire," said Su Yu. "Tell me. Have you ever heard of something called the blood sacrifice?"