Hesitation, Dream

Qian Yuxi placed the snake gallbladder in Yan's palm, then took out the flask containing the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's essence blood. A trace of reluctance flashed through his eyes, but he still poured out a small cup.

"Heat this snake gallbladder, count to ten, then give it to me." As he spoke, Qian Yuxi took out his dagger again and began cleaning the ulcerated flesh from Xie Yue and Hu Liena's bodies.

"...Done!" Yan heated the snake gallbladder and handed it to Qian Yuxi ten seconds later. Seeing him use the blade on Hu Liena's face, he could not bear to watch.

"Do we really have to do this?"

Qian Yuxi glanced at him sideways and said calmly, "Fine. If the wounds get infected and the poison flares up again, don't blame me when both their faces rot away."

"N-No need. Keep going."

"Now crush the snake gallbladder and drip all the bile into that cup containing the red liquid."

Yan sighed helplessly and could only do as he was told. It truly was too cruel...

Time waited for no one. Qian Yuxi's hands moved swiftly. In one minute, he had scraped away all the ulcerated flesh on Hu Liena and Xie Yue's bodies with his dagger, exposing the flesh that had not yet been corroded by the venom. Only a dozen or so deep, sunken bloody holes remained, pouring with blood...

Taking out another small bottle of Realgar Alcohol, Qian Yuxi soaked gauze in it and began disinfecting the surface of their skin. At the same time, he reminded Yan, "That's Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent essence blood mixed with Poisonous Miasma Fierce Python gallbladder bile. Have them drink it afterward, and they'll be better by tonight."

"Okay, okay." Yan hurriedly nodded, picked up the cup, and began feeding it to Xie Yue and Hu Liena.

After all that fuss, noon had already passed.

Qian Yuxi had no intention of using his martial soul's Sacred Aura to heal them. After packing up his things, he prepared to return to his cave. "I'm leaving first. Tell them not to use their Soul Power within three hours after they wake up. Otherwise, it won't be good for their recovery."

"Th-Thank you." Yan gave him a complicated look and expressed his gratitude.

Back then, he and Xie Yue had planned to use the Poisonous Miasma Fierce Python against Qian Yuxi to seize the soul bone in his possession. Yet now... was this retribution for their own actions?

"Mm. Hand it over." Qian Yuxi held out his hand to Yan.

"Hand over... what?" Yan was still rather dumbfounded.

"I promised Hu Liena I'd come help you, and then there's the antidote... twenty Yellow Soul Tickets in total." Qian Yuxi folded his arms across his chest and spoke coldly.

"Uh..." Yan's mouth twitched, and his expression darkened. If they gave it all to him, would the three of them have to eat dirt after their training ended?

"What, planning to go back on your word?" Golden light gathered around Qian Yuxi, and his gaze turned dangerous.

Although he had expended a great deal of Soul Power, as a three-ringed Soul Elder, he still had more than enough strength to deal with Yan and his mere one soul ring.

Yan hurriedly forced a smile. "No, um... just wait a moment..."

After turning around, Yan made sure Qian Yuxi did not see his pained expression. He searched through Hu Liena and Xie Yue for more than a dozen tickets, then dug into his own pocket to make up twenty. Reluctantly, he handed them over to Qian Yuxi.

"Alright, I'm leaving."

With that, Qian Yuxi accepted them and stored them in his Soul Tool. He turned away with carefree ease and left without looking back.

Only after his figure had completely vanished from sight did Yan let out a heavy sigh. He turned back, tucked one of the siblings under each arm, and brought Xie Yue and Hu Liena back to their temporary shelter in the forest.

What he did not know was that after Qian Yuxi left, he had not immediately returned to his cave to rest. Instead, he hid atop a tree dozens of meters tall, nocked an arrow, and aimed it at Hu Liena, yet he did not release the bowstring for a long time.

Qian Yuxi's eyes were full of struggle, and the three fingers pulling the bowstring trembled faintly.

Even counting the years from his hometown, he was only twenty-six years old. He had not yet reached the point of absolute ruthlessness.

He admitted that he was someone easily softhearted. Hu Liena was only nine years old, and he truly could not bring himself to kill her. Part of him wanted to find a way to set her on the right path. It was only human nature to pursue beauty and goodness, but whenever he thought of how this little fox would one day ruin Spirit Hall without remorse, he tried to harden his heart again.

"Ha..."

Only after Yan had taken the two of them beyond the arrow's range did he lower the Aurora Sacred Feather Bow. With a long sigh, he slowly walked back.

Perhaps during his nine years in Spirit Hall, he had gradually absorbed something akin to chivalry. Qian Yuxi had begun to develop a faint sense of justice as well.

I don't know whether letting her go is the right choice... Forget it. Just this once... I'll give her one chance.

Night fell. A fire burned in the cave, and Qian Yuxi sat beside it grilling fish. He was distracted, his eyes repeatedly drifting toward the distant sky, and he nearly forgot the fish skewered over the flames.

In the end, it was grilled half-charred. He casually sprinkled on some seasoning and began eating, but it tasted like nothing. His mood was restless and irritated.

After setting up a simple alarm around the cave's perimeter, he tied a bell around his wrist and wrapped it securely. Qian Yuxi went to sleep early. He did not want to keep overthinking things.

"Mmph..."

The soul mark of the Aurora Sacred Feather Bow suddenly glimmered faintly. Golden light enveloped Qian Yuxi's body and silently seeped into his mind, lending an added trace of holiness to the already handsome youth...

Clang—!!

The Golden Divine Sword collided with a Dark Purple Demon Scythe, sending sparks flying everywhere. Two graceful figures, one gold and one purple, stood amidst violently surging divine light before suddenly separating the next instant.

The Purple-Haired Woman moved as swiftly as a ghost. As she darted through the air, her scythe and claws attacked in tandem, evenly matched against the golden-haired woman.

A pair of Black Wings unfurled behind her, and she raised the Giant Scythe high in her hand. Tens of thousands of Dark Purple Skulls rose from the ground. Meanwhile, high in the sky, the Golden-Haired Goddess spread her six wings as clones continuously appeared around her—one becoming two, two becoming four—until they finally condensed into golden fire meteors!

Blood-Slaying Rakshasa: Heaven and Earth Annihilation!!

Great Sun: Angel's Myriad Suns Descend Upon Heaven!!

Rumble—!!

In an instant, heaven and earth darkened. Golden meteors filled the skies, clashing fiercely against dark purple skulls without yielding an inch. The intense pressure shook the surrounding lands, and for a time, even the ground below split open into thousand-meter chasms!

Boom!!!

After another collision, the Golden-Haired Goddess shifted her footing and lightly brushed her divine sword with a jade-like hand. Golden Flame burst forth, transforming into a fire dragon that roared as it descended.

The Purple-Haired Woman gave a disdainful smile. With a sweep of her Giant Scythe, the blood energy of hundreds of millions of Evil Souls gathered across the earth, condensing into the phantom of a hundred-meter-long crimson sword!

Rakshasa, Ghost Sword!

Boom, boom, boom...

The golden fire dragon and dark purple blade clashed and slaughtered relentlessly. Every strike could destroy heaven and earth, as though the end of the world had arrived. Between heaven and earth, only gold and purple stood opposed.

"Rakshasa... for the peace of this continent... you must die today!"

The Golden-Haired Goddess cried out. Her six wings beat behind her, and the Rakshasa Hundred Ghost Sword and golden fire dragon shattered at the same time. Like a bolt of golden lightning, she charged first toward the Purple-Haired Woman on the ground.

Boundless crimson-gold radiance flashed across the Golden Divine Sword, and a hundred-meter sword beam extended from its blade. Like a pillar holding up the heavens, it slashed down viciously, determined to reduce the Purple-Haired Woman to pieces!

"Hmph! You want to kill me? It won't be that easy!"

The Purple-clad Woman was proud and arrogant. Swift as lightning, she advanced rather than retreated, sweeping the Giant Scythe in her hand and stirring up a bone-chilling sinister wind.

Bang! Crack, crack...

"What?!"

Contrary to her expectations, her scythe was sent flying. Cracks split across the armor over her chest, and golden blood began to flow.

"Impossible... How could I..."

Divine light erupted and waves of fire surged. The Giant Scythe plunged backward into the earth, while she herself was blasted thousands of meters away!

"Rakshasa! Die!!"

The Golden-Haired Goddess shouted as her body spun rapidly. The longsword in her hand erupted once more with dazzling golden radiance, as though it would tear apart the dark canopy of the sky.

With this strike, she was completely confident she could kill her opponent for good!

Crash—!

No Return!

A towering wave suddenly surged forth. A Blue-gold Trident directly blocked the Golden-Haired Goddess's god-slaying strike head-on. Tremendous force traveled through it, making her arm go slightly numb.

"Oh my, Angel... How can gods slaughter one another? The Sea God is merciful... For the peace of the countless innocent lives on this continent, why not sit down with Rakshasa, have a cup of tea, and talk things out properly?"

Buzz...

"Mmph!!"

Qian Yuxi jolted awake and opened his eyes, only to discover that dawn had already begun to break.

"What was that just now...?" Reaching up to rub his forehead, Qian Yuxi felt a faint swelling pain in his head.

That dream had clearly been shocking, yet he could not recall any of its details at all.

He only remembered that, somewhere between heaven and earth, two women seemed to have been engaged in a world-shaking battle before someone stopped them...

Jingle, jingle...

At that moment, the bell on his wrist suddenly rang. This meant that someone—or some soul beast—outside the cave had triggered the alarm!