Last Words

Yet right at that moment—

A familiar fragrant breeze swept over, gentle yet firm.

"Junior Brother." A gentle yet resolute voice sounded from behind him.

He whipped his head around to see Li Hongye running over swiftly, her eyes filled with anxiety.

"You..." Gu Chang'an started, "Why are you here?"

Li Hongye gazed at him quietly. Complex emotions flickered across her eyes, but she said little, simply uttering a soft sentence:

"Let's go... This mission has failed."

Her voice was very soft, yet it felt as heavy as a mountain.

Gu Chang'an froze. A transient struggle, unwillingness, and pain flashed through his gaze. Yet, ultimately, he still nodded.

He was no fool, nor was he some hot-headed braggart blinded by adrenaline.

Right now, Wang Hao was gravely wounded after a fierce battle and Old Zhou had fallen in battle; the two of them were merely at the ninth rank, so even if they risked their lives, they could not shake Daoist Chai, who possessed seventh-rank combat strength.

Gu Chang'an said in a low voice, "Let's go."

However, the very instant the two of them turned around to leave—

"Daoist Chai!!"

A roar exploded inside the hall!

Wang Hao was bathed in blood, crimson staining his heavy blade and armor.

He knelt on the ground, yet abruptly lifted his head. His voice was hoarse, yet as resounding as a great bell:

"Did you really think you'd won?!"

Daoist Chai's brow twitched, a trace of doubt flashing in his eyes. He halted his steps, staring coldly at the already feeble Wang Hao with a mocking sneer:

"Wang Hao, are you still trying to put up a bluff? You're practically on the verge of death, yet you still dare spout wild words? My pill condensation is complete; what about you? You can't even hold onto your life."

Before his voice even faded, he violently swung his sword, and a fierce, biting gale lunged straight at Wang Hao!

And right at that moment—

A cold smile surfaced at the corner of Wang Hao's mouth. He abruptly bit the tip of his tongue and roared:

"Wind—Thunder—Stir!!!"

He stomped fiercely against the ground, the very last shred of his strength surging forth like a whirlwind and rolling thunder. He held his heavy blade aloft, as though gathering the final lingering beam of light in the heavens and earth!

"Slash!!!"

Boom!!!

Wind and thunder shook, and the grand hall trembled.

The blade radiance cleaved through the void like a mad thunderbolt splitting a mountain, carrying an utterly desperate intent of burning the boats as it viciously hacked toward Daoist Chai!

Daoist Chai's expression changed abruptly. He scrambled to dodge, but it was already too late...

Clang!!

The blade light fell, and flesh and blood flew!

Daoist Chai's arm shuddered, and his long sword slipped from his grip, half of his palm flying off along with it to land on the ground. Fresh blood spurted wildly, and the stench of blood instantly filled the hall!

"Ah—!!"

He cried out in agony and roared, his knees turning weak as he dropped to a half-kneel, his expression twisted and contorted like a ghost!

"Old Dog Wang—!"

He roared, his eyes bloodred.

He blasted out a palm strike, and fierce winds surged, directly sending the already exhausted Wang Hao flying!

Wang Hao's body crashed heavily against a hall pillar, blood gushing forth as his fate hung in the balance.

Meanwhile, Daoist Chai also tightly clutched his mutilated arm, kneeling halfway in a pool of blood with a pale face and a sinister gaze, roaring and screaming like a mad demon:

"You old dog... you actually still kept a move in reserve... Ah-ah-ah—!!"

The wind roared inside the hall, blood flowed like water, and complete chaos reigned.

Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye stood outside the shattered hall doors, witnessing all of this as their pupils simultaneously constricted...

Holy shit,

there was actually a plot twist?!

This was... mutual... destruction??

Li Hongye watched Daoist Chai's severed arm and grievous injuries, looking at the way he knelt halfway and roared, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

Yet just as she was about to move out and launch a sneak attack, Gu Chang'an grabbed her arm.

"Don't!" Gu Chang'an rebuked in a low, stern voice, his gaze deep. "This is too dangerous... Even with one arm severed, he isn't someone we can easily mess with."

Li Hongye started, turning to look at Gu Chang'an as she bit her lip and said nothing.

Indeed, Daoist Chai was no longer at his peak, but the palm strike he had just unleashed to send Wang Hao flying—that power, that might—was far beyond what they could contend with head-on right now.

If they rashly stepped forward to ambush him, they would likely die beneath his palm before even getting close...

This wasn't a possibility; it was a certainty...

A cunning and dangerous figure like Daoist Chai couldn't possibly fail to guard against such a situation.

Thinking of this, Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye calmed down.

Immediately, the two of them concealed themselves behind the shattered pillars and broken rubble, holding their breaths and quieting their minds without daring to make a sound.

Moments later, Daoist Chai inside the hall clutched his severed-arm wound, striking his acupoints to stem the bleeding, his gaze as vicious and venomous as a snake.

A sweep of his peripheral vision had already alerted him to what seemed like movement in the dark, vaguely letting him know someone was hiding.

Yet that person's prolonged hesitation to strike also bred wariness within his heart.

"Humph..."

"Damned bastards..."

Daoist Chai let out a cold snort, dragging his wounded body up abruptly as he picked up his severed arm and long sword.

Afterward, his figure morphed into a blur of afterimages, darting straight toward the secret passage at the back of the hall and vanishing from the field of vision of Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye within a single breath.

Yet seeing Daoist Chai leave,

Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye still made no move.

They worried that Daoist Chai would return and pull off a counter-ambush, which would be perilous.

It wasn't until a full incense stick's worth of time had passed in silence that they slowly emerged from behind the stones, exchanging a glance as both let out soft sighs of relief.

"Whew... He finally left."

Li Hongye said in a low voice, her forehead beaded with cold sweat.

Gu Chang'an nodded, yet his gaze remained vigilant until he made sure there was no further movement inside the hall. Only then did the two turn around and run swiftly toward Wang Hao, who lay collapsed beneath the pillar.

At this moment, Wang Hao was bathed in blood and lingering on his last breath. His complexion was as pale as paper, the rise and fall of his chest was faint, and his life hung by a thread.

"Director Wang!"

Gu Chang'an hurried over to squat down, supporting Wang Hao's upper body and pulling him into his embrace as he called out in a low voice.

Li Hongye also rushed forward quickly. "Director Wang, you... you... how are you?"

Wang Hao's eyes opened slightly, his vision blurred, yet he still managed to make out the faces of Gu Chang'an and Li Hongye, the corners of his mouth twitching into a nearly imperceptible curve.

"Gu... Gu Chang'an..., Li... Li... Hongye. Cough, cough..."

His voice was so faint it was barely audible, bloody froth spilling from the corners of his mouth.

"Don't speak! Hang in there, I'll—" Gu Chang'an said anxiously.

"...No need..." Wang Hao raised a trembling hand, weakly gripping Gu Chang'an's sleeve. "Listen to me... Daoist Chai... will come back... The blood pill he is refining... is incomplete, he will return... You must... you must leave quickly..."

"You... must not... meddle in this... matter concerning Daoist Chai... anymore..."

"Director Wang—!"

Beside them, Li Hongye cried out, her voice practically trembling.

Meanwhile, Gu Chang'an reached out to steadily support Wang Hao's spine, feeling that gradually chilling body temperature as his heart tightened.

"And..." Wang Hao panted, speaking with great difficulty: "..."

He coughed up a mouthful of bloody froth, his pupils beginning to scatter, yet he stubbornly kept his grip on Gu Chang'an's wrist.

Seeing this, Gu Chang'an pressed his forehead close to Wang Hao's, listening earnestly to his last words.