The forbidden grounds were surrounded by thorns, and the entire mountain was covered in poisonous barriers.
When Li Qiong Yu pursued them, he was nearly injured by the蛊虫 (gu insects). His eyes were sharp as he looked at the two people who had run to the cliff's edge. He leaped down directly, and the saber in his hand flashed out.
A strong killing intent struck his back. Chi Yan frowned, pulling Wei Qing Ge to dodge the blade.
A blur of motion flashed past. She grabbed Wei Qing Ge by the neck and retreated to the cliff's edge, shouting fiercely.
"Stop!"
Li Qiong Yu's body jolted, and he looked at her coldly.
"If you take another step closer, I'll choke her to death."
The rain poured down like pillars, and behind them was a bottomless cliff face.
Wei Qing Ge's entire small face was washed clean by the rain. Her neck was choked, making it difficult to breathe, and her face turned a dark shade of blue.
In her anger, she kicked backward forcefully.
Chi Yan cried out in pain but did not loosen her grip, instead tightening it.
"Let her go!"
Li Qiong Yu's expression was colder than ever.
Chi Yan smiled, "How about trading your life for hers?"
"Alright."
He agreed with extreme alacrity.
Not only was Chi Yan astonished, but Wei Qing Ge also did not expect him to agree without a moment's hesitation.
Her eyes welled up with tears. Disregarding the killing intent behind her, she fiercely stomped down with her foot. A small knife instantly appeared in her hand, and she slashed backward.
Chi Yan, lost in thought perhaps from remembering something, did not see her movement. Upon recovering, she immediately dodged.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Qiong Yu pulled Wei Qing Ge back.
However, at this moment, a killing intent erupted from behind them. The glint of a saber swept through the surroundings, stirring up a gust of wind.
Li Qiong Yu immediately swung his saber to block. His handsome eyes, washed by the torrential rain, became even more alluring, and his usually harmless peach blossom eyes were filled with ferocity.
The torrential rain poured down like a collapsing galaxy. On the cliff, there were no roars, only the flashing of blades and swords, like streaks of snow tearing across the land.
Xu Qing's blade was sharp and relentless, but due to his previous injuries, he couldn't match Li Qiong Yu and was accidentally struck by a sword.
Chi Yan, seeing him wounded, her eyes filled with ferocity, looked at Wei Qing Ge, who was watching the fight.
Wei Qing Ge sensed her gaze and immediately retreated vigilantly, gripping a small knife tightly.
Seeing the person charging at her, she quickly shouted and retreated.
"Li Qiong Yu, hurry, this madwoman is going to kill me."
Madwoman?!
Chi Yan's eyes hardened, and her attacks became even more ferocious.
Li Qiong Yu threw a hidden weapon with his hand and flashed before them like a whirlwind, blocking the attack with his saber.
Chi Yan cried out in pain, being forced back. If not for Xu Qing leaping down to block her, she would have likely been shaken off the cliff by the sword's aura.
"A monk, yet you are still entangled with Aba from Mobei. Xie Xuan Chen, what kind of monk are you?"
Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged. The heavy rain poured down on him, but his posture was still upright, and his gaze was calm as he looked at the opposite side.
"Li Qiong Yu, what business is it of yours."
Chi Yan was furious and swung her saber towards his head.
The fight began again. In the rainy night, the sword light was like a silver glow, conjuring brilliant silver dragons. The entire cliff was filled with blood and wind.
Wei Qing Ge's martial arts were not strong. She stared at the flashing blades and swords in the air, but being too close, she was injured by the sword energy and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Clutching her chest, she tried to retreat, but Chi Yan, knowing they were no match for Li Qiong Yu at the moment, kept her eyes fixed on her. Seeing her about to leave, she immediately leaped down and attacked her.
Wei Qing Ge was shocked and drew her knife in response.
Neither of them noticed a protruding rock face behind the cliff. As their blades touched, the impact of the sword energy caused their bodies to sway and retreat.
Wei Qing Ge's foot lost its footing, and in her panic, she grabbed Chi Yan's hand.
Two screams instantly echoed on the cliff.
"Wei Qing Ge!"
Li Qiong Yu exclaimed in alarm, retracted his saber, and leaped down with her.
Xu Qing spat out a mouthful of blood. He lowered his gaze to the figures disappearing into the mist, his expression remaining placid.
When Ye Luan heard the commotion and chased after them, she saw a man in a kasaya leaping off the cliff.
She was greatly alarmed and rushed to the cliff's edge to look.
"Qing Ge! Li Qiong Yu!"
Below the cliff, the space was empty, and the mournful howling of the wind echoed like the cries of ghosts.
Ye Luan knelt at the cliff's edge, her eyes red. Wave after wave of impact left her heart feeling numb.
The torrential rain beat down on her. The surroundings were so quiet, it was as if there was no sound at all.
Soaring sword energy came from afar, filling the air.
Ye Luan pushed herself to her feet, lifted her skirt, and ran back desperately.
The forest was eerie, with dense thorns and weeds, and boulders and thickets everywhere.
She followed the river course back to the Holy Tower and saw, under the pouring rain, two people relentlessly thrusting their swords at each other.
"Xiao Chi Zhan!"
A desperate roar came. Xiao Chi Zhan turned his head, saw Ye Luan, and swiftly retracted his saber.
But by the time Xie Bei Han noticed her flashing towards him, it was too late to pull back his blade.
The cold saber pierced into her body with a swish.
The torrential rain fell madly. Ye Luan, in a red dress, stood between the two. On the ground, enchanting Mandarava flowers licked at her skirt, dancing in the wind.
The surroundings were so silent that only the sound of raindrops hitting the ground could be heard.
The wind blew, the leaves rustled, and crimson petals fell upon her, swaying and blooming.
Xiao Chi Zhan roared with all his might.
Xie Bei Han looked at the person who had fallen into Xiao Chi Zhan's arms, his body staggering backward.
The blood on her abdomen stung his eyes.
He lost his composure, his face turned pale, and he knelt down to embrace her.
"Get away."
Xie Bei Han retreated a few steps, looking at her, continuously looking at her. Suddenly, he let out a laugh, starting with a low chuckle, then bursting into hearty laughter, his shoulders shaking.
Hahaha—
She had actually moved to block a blow for him.
Rescuing him with her life!
The pain, the dense pain in his chest, felt as if it were consuming him.
Xie Bei Han had never felt such pain. In the pouring rain, he looked like he was crying and laughing, like a demonically frenzied madman.
Xiao Chi Zhan knelt on the ground, holding the injured person in his arms, his eyes filled with hatred and killing intent as he looked at Xie Bei Han. His pupils, as red as pigeon's blood, seemed to be filled with blood.
The saber in his hand swiftly flew out with a swish, carrying internal force and piercing Xie Bei Han's body.
The purple figure, frenzied in the rain, fell to the ground with a bang.
The torrential rain struck his body like sharp arrows.
Xie Bei Han looked at the empty sky, with no sign of his bleeding stopping. He tilted his head, his gaze fixed on the red figure, and blood slowly overflowed from his mouth.
Is unrequited love this painful?
"Luan Luan, don't sleep—"
Xiao Chi Zhan's eyes were bloodshot. He desperately tried to stop her bleeding, calling out her name over and over again.
Ye Luan weakly opened her eyes. His face, twisted with madness, filled her vision. The rain pattered down. She turned her head to look at Xie Bei Han not far away.
Their gazes met in the rain. She could clearly see the pain in his eyes.
Her eyes felt slightly sore, and she averted her gaze.
Xie Bei Han, the life I owed you back then, I've repaid it.
"Luan Luan."
Xiao Chi Zhan saw her open her eyes. A moment of joy instantly bloomed on his frenzied brow. He scooped her up and held her tightly in his embrace.