One Last Thing I Ask of You

Snowflakes are falling heavily.

Two figures fell into the forest.

"Master, Master, please rest! You'll die if you keep going like this!"

Zhuang Chen's voice rang out, choked with sobs. Both master and disciple were covered in gruesome bloodstains, but the old man with the Old Man Divine Sword was in even worse shape. The numerous bloody holes were enough to make anyone's scalp tingle. The once robust and mighty old man now looked incredibly disheveled, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.

Seeing his master in this state, Zhuang Chen burst into tears, his heart aching as if it were being torn apart.

The events of tonight were too heavy for him, who was only twelve years old, not only mentally but also physically. In the midst of the chaos, a Gang Qi almost shattered his sword bones, but even so, it left him with no foundation and was like a cripple.

The Old Man Divine Sword smiled and patted Zhuang Chen's head:

"It's alright, I can still hold on. You'll be safe once we reach True Martial Mountain."

His eyes held a hint of regret, lamenting that he wouldn't live to see Zhuang Chen grow up, and that his sword strike hadn't killed that wicked creature, only severing his arm.

"Chen'er, you must live."

He silently recited it in his heart.

He carried Zhuang Chen on his back, then channeled the remaining internal Gang Qi within him to continue running at a speed like lightning.

However, the cracks in the Yuan Pill within his body were becoming increasingly noticeable, and he was teetering on the brink of collapse, as if he would crumble at any moment.

After using the Sword Core Disintegration Technique, his combat power surged. If he were to fight to the death, he could at least take two or three Yuan Pill Realm black-clad men down with him. However, in that case, Zhuang Chen would inevitably fall into their hands.

Therefore, instead of fighting to the death, the Old Man Divine Sword sword feinted and broke through the encirclement with Zhuang Chen. They have now been on the run for a day and a night.

His only obsession right now is to get Zhuang Chen to True Martial Mountain, so that he can be truly safe.

As for entrusting it to others.

He was worried.

The Old Man Divine Sword had a determined look in his eyes. They were very close to True Martial Mountain, and he had to hold on.

A moment later.

Several powerful figures appeared in the forest, their eyes filled with killing intent as they looked at the remaining traces.

"That damned old man! He tricked us and let him get away!"

"I lost an arm, it's just a pity I can't personally take off this old bastard's head." Someone gritted their teeth in anger.

The sudden outburst of the Old Man Divine Sword caught everyone off guard, causing them all to suffer heavy losses. If the Old Man Divine Sword hadn't been so focused on escaping, several of them would likely have perished there.

The leader snorted coldly:

"However, this old guy paid a price. He managed to run this far, but he's probably on his last breath. Even a miracle couldn't save him."

Everyone else looked at the leader:

Should we continue pursuing this?

The leader's eyes flickered for a moment, then he waved his hand and said:

"Let's not chase him. Judging from the route this old guy took, his destination should be True Martial Mountain. If we get any closer and provoke Real Person Dragon Mountain, we're afraid we won't have a good ending. Moreover, there's an even more powerful Heavenly Sword Real Person True Martial Mountain, a peerless expert at the Celestial Person Ranking!"

When the name of Real Person Dragon Mountain was mentioned, everyone was only slightly wary, but when the name of Heavenly Sword Real Person was mentioned, everyone's bodies tensed up instantly.

There is still a significant gap between ordinary Celestial Person Realm and those ranked on the Celestial Person Ranking.

"Fortunately, the old man with the divine sword won't survive. It's just a pity about that chubby boy's Innate Sword Bone; it was an excellent medicinal ingredient..."

The leader sighed softly.

Someone hesitated for a moment and said:

"If Real Person Dragon Mountain knew..."

"Real Person Dragon Mountain is new to the Celestial Person Realm, so he's not afraid. The key is that Heavenly Sword Real Person. If he meddles in other people's business, I'm afraid..."

A brief silence fell over the crowd.

The original intention of this surprise attack on the Divine Sword Sect was to cover up the incident, but now it seems that the commotion has become even greater.

The leader suddenly cursed a few times:

"If those idiots hadn't said someone was investigating them and refused to help this time, the old man with the divine sword would never have had a chance to escape."

He paused, then continued:

"Let's take a break for a while. It's said that Heavenly Sword Real Person is nearing the end of his lifespan and is also eccentric in nature; he might not bother with such trivial matters."

"We can keep a close eye on True Martial Mountain's movements and see how they react before making any decisions."

Everyone nodded in unison.

Then, with a flash, they all disappeared, and the heavy snow continued to fall, gradually covering the traces beneath the snowflakes.

True Martial Mountain.

It's so close.

The Old Man Divine Sword collapsed, his last breath of energy drained away, and bloody holes burst open all over his body. He fell to the ground and rolled a long way away, while Zhuang Chen also tumbled several times.

Zhuang Chen's eyes reddened as he looked at his master, who was barely breathing.

"Master, we've arrived at True Martial Mountain! We've arrived at True Martial Mountain! Please hold on!"

Now that there were no enemies chasing them, Zhuang Chen carried the Old Man Divine Sword on his back and rushed towards the Mountain Gate True Martial Mountain.

A mournful, piercing scream rang out:

"Ning Qi, help! Ning Qi, help!"

The disciples guarding the mountain of the True Martial Sect were all alarmed, and they were all horrified when they saw two blood-red figures in the distance.

soon.

Daoist Longshan arrived, and Ning Qi and many of his True Disciple also rushed over.

Upon seeing the miserable state of Zhuang Chen and the Old Man Divine Sword, everyone was shocked, wondering what had happened.

"Senior, please save my master!" Zhuang Chen cried out in grief, looking miserable and devoid of his previous lively appearance.

Ning Qi helped him up, sighing inwardly.

He had spent some time with Zhuang Chen; although the chubby guy was a bit talkative, he wasn't a bad person.

Given the current situation, it seems the Divine Sword Sect has suffered a major setback.

Seeing his old friend's eyes closed, Daoist Longshan felt a pang of sorrow. Without hesitation, he immediately helped the Old Man Divine Sword to check his condition. Upon seeing this, Daoist Longshan's face paled, and his grief deepened.

Ning Qi also quietly released a Gang Qi, then fell silent.

He also created some healing techniques, but the current condition of the Old Man Divine Sword was too bad. His Yuan Pill was shattered, and Gang Qi were spreading into his limbs, bones, and even internal organs. He also had hideous external and internal injuries, and his life force was almost extinguished.

You can imagine.

What astonishing willpower this old man displayed in order to reach True Martial Mountain!

If the Old Man Divine Sword were in a better condition, he might have been able to keep him alive and slowly research a cure, but now, time is running out.

He could only barely reactivate the last vestige of life in the Old Man Divine Sword with a secret technique.

Zhuang Chen sensed something from the silence around him. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand and was about to kneel down when an arm grabbed him. The Old Man Divine Sword spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Chen'er, I know my own situation. I'm just glad you're safe."

Zhuang Chen burst into tears.

The Old Man Divine Sword turned his head towards the Daoist Longshan.

"Brother Longshan."

These first words filled Daoist Longshan with grief. At this moment, he actually hoped that the Old Man Divine Sword could laugh and scold him with a strong voice, calling him "Longshan the Ox-Neck."

The Daoist Longshan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again:

"Brother Divine Sword, what happened? How did you get so badly injured?"

The Old Man Divine Sword's expression darkened.

"A misfortune for our family..."

He began to speak slowly.

Although the reason for the attack on the Divine Sword Sect was unknown, the Old Man Divine Sword was no fool and could probably guess it.

Wait until he finishes speaking.

Daoist Longshan and Ning Qi exchanged a glance, and both of them instinctively shuddered.

"Human Blood Pool? Dong He's Betrayal? Men in Black Launch Night Attack on the Divine Sword Sect!"

They felt that this scene was so similar to what had happened at the Snow Plum Manor back then. Previously, Ning Qi's father had also told Daoist Longshan in a letter that he had important matters to discuss, and then his entire family was wiped out. For some reason, the two of them felt that there was probably an unusual secret hidden in this pool of human blood, and perhaps Ning Qi's father had discovered something similar back then.

There seems to be an invisible hand manipulating everything from behind the scenes.

Ning Qi's eyes narrowed slightly.

Daoist Longshan had also considered this point, and he asked in a deep voice:

"Brother Divine Sword, was it the Blood Rain Tower that made the move?"

The Old Man Divine Sword didn't know why Daoist Longshan had mentioned Blood Rain Tower, and simply shook his head slowly:

"They're not from the Blood Rain Tower, and their martial arts style is somewhat unfathomable, but they vaguely don't seem to be traditional martial artists of the Great Flame; it's rather strange."

He looked at the Daoist Longshan with some apology:

"Brother Longshan, I just hope I won't cause you any trouble."

The Daoist Longshan sighed:

"Now that things have come to this, there's no need for such formalities between us. Rest assured, I will investigate thoroughly and will not let the Divine Sword Sect perish in vain. These evil people use human blood as a pool; who knows what dark deeds they've been up to? I will never let them get away with this!"

The Old Man Divine Sword suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh so hearty and unrestrained that he coughed up blood, but he didn't mind at all. Having such a friend in one's life was enough.

"Over the years, only Brother Longshan has caught my eye. It's a pity that I couldn't take True Martial Mountain back from you even once before I died. I have to admit, you old Daoist priest really have some skill!"

Daoist Longshan smiled too, his eyes slightly moist.

Everyone fell silent, Zhuang Chen sobbed softly.

Ning Qi sighed inwardly; the life force within the Old Man Divine Sword was already weakening.

He pulled Zhuang Chen aside and looked at Daoist Longshan:

"Brother Longshan, I have one last request."

"Speak," Daoist Longshan without the slightest hesitation.

The Old Man Divine Sword looked at Zhuang Chen with affection, stroked his head with his withered hand, and smiled:

"In my entire life, my proudest achievement is taking Chen'er as my disciple. It's not just because he has Innate Sword Bone, but also because he has a pure and innocent heart. He's a good child, but he suffered a great calamity because of me."

"His sword bones are now shattered, his foundation destroyed. I beg you, take him as your disciple."

"If his sword bones can be revived in the future, and he can be reborn, he will surely become a top expert of the True Martial Sect. If... if a way to revive him cannot be found, then let him live peacefully as an ordinary person on True Martial Mountain."

His eyes were pleading, and his voice grew even softer.

The Daoist Longshan grasped his hands and agreed without hesitation:

"Rest assured, from now on, he will be the tenth True Disciple of me, the Daoist Longshan. Whether or not his sword bones can be revived, I will protect him for life!"

"Chen'er, become my disciple!" the Old Man Divine Sword shouted with all his might.

Zhuang Chen wept uncontrollably, but still knelt respectfully before Daoist Longshan and kowtowed in greeting.

The Daoist Longshan helped him up.

The Old Man Divine Sword was almost closing his eyes, and his voice was so low it was barely audible:

"Thank you, thank you."

He leaned closer to the Daoist Longshan and said with difficulty:

"Chen'er knows that I received the Sword Saint's Inheritance; consider that his gift as a disciple."

Ning Qi heard this and sighed inwardly.

Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them; a teacher is like a father to them.

With a final smile, the Old Man Divine Sword waved to Zhuang Chen, then slowly closed his eyes, his life force extinguished completely.

Everyone fell silent, except for Zhuang Chen's wailing sobs.