A little faster!
Ning Hongye clamped her legs around the horse and pushed it to its limit, racing like the wind and chasing the shadows.
She was a female general who had seen countless partings, both final and otherwise.
Colleagues, comrades, fellow soldiers—even her father... had all fallen before her eyes.
She had thought she'd steeled her heart and would never again show weakness because of anyone.
But now, learning that Xiao Yang had put himself in danger for her, with his life hanging by a thread, still made her heart ache.
Images of Xiao Yang flashed through her mind.
He had given her a Spirit Eye!
He had helped her stage a rebellion!
He had treated her wounds!
No man had ever treated her the way Xiao Yang did!
But this relationship had barely begun. Was it really going to end here?
"No! Xiao Yang, I won't let you die!!!"
Ning Hongye covered the fifty-li distance in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
The first thing she saw was Azure Luan, fallen beside the Yin Water Pool.
Thank goodness!
She was only unconscious, not in any danger!
The next second, Ning Hongye turned her head and saw Xiao Yang lying in a pool of blood.
He was drenched in blood and barely breathing, as if his strength had run dry and one foot was already through the gates of death.
"Drip!"
Suddenly, a glistening tear slipped from beneath her mask.
"Xiao Yang!"
Ning Hongye rushed over and caught him in her arms, her movements unexpectedly gentle.
"Miss Ning..."
Xiao Yang hadn't expected her to come. He shakily reached up, removed her mask, and revealed her breathtaking, peerlessly beautiful face.
Tears glimmered in Ning Hongye's eyes.
Xiao Yang reached out to wipe them away. Her delicate body trembled, but she didn't pull away.
"Xiao Yang, hold on. I'll take you back right now! No matter the cost, I'll save you!" Ning Hongye said through clenched teeth.
"I may not make it... but before I die, I just want to hear you call me husband..." Xiao Yang pleaded.
"Hu—"
Ning Hongye was about to speak when her expression changed. She suddenly realized something was wrong. "Wait! You... you're not hurt?"
She'd been too anxious!
When she'd spotted Xiao Yang lying in a pool of blood from afar, she'd assumed he was dying!
But now she realized he didn't seem to have any life-threatening wounds.
And the Unicorn Black Python had crashed to the ground, its head severed.
"Did you kill the Unicorn Black Python?"
Ning Hongye couldn't help asking, astonished.
She knew Xiao Yang was extraordinary. Even her master, the Female Immortal Emperor, had spoken very highly of him.
Still, it was hard to imagine that Xiao Yang, a Third-grade Martial Artist, could slay a Unicorn Black Python comparable to a Sixth Grade!
"Yes, I did!"
Xiao Yang didn't hide it. He nodded in confirmation.
In truth, he was extremely weak now, unable to muster the strength to move even a finger.
But he wasn't injured. He'd forcibly activated the "Jade Shatter" saber intent, burning through a great deal of his vital essence, energy, and spirit, and had suffered backlash.
The blood wasn't his, either. It belonged to the Unicorn Black Python.
Ning Hongye had arrived just then and seemed to have misunderstood...
He'd meant to take the opportunity to get her to call him "husband," but in the end, he'd still failed.
"Oh, right! There's a Heaven's Origin Fruit over there, as well as the Unicorn Black Python's Inner Core. They're both great tonics. Hurry and get them so you can recover!" Xiao Yang reminded her.
He'd come for the Heaven's Origin Fruit, but at the last moment, the Unicorn Black Python had dropped some loot too!
Its Inner Core was extremely precious, containing the essence it had cultivated over nearly a thousand years. It was a Spirit-grade Treasure as well.
"No. You risked your life to obtain these treasures. I can't take them..." Ning Hongye shook her head.
"We're family. There's no need to make distinctions between us," Xiao Yang said firmly.
Miss, just take them already!
If you won't accept them, how am I supposed to trigger the system's return?
"Family?"
Ning Hongye savored the word, a strange light shining in her beautiful eyes.
"All right, then. I'll accept them."
Ning Hongye picked up the Inner Core, then went and plucked the Heaven's Origin Fruit.
[ Ding! Ning Hongye's Affection +10. Total: 35 ]
The system's notification sounded in Xiao Yang's ear.
[ Ding! The host gifted a "Spirit Grade High Rank" Heaven's Origin Fruit and triggered a reward! ]
[ Hundredfold Return: "Emperor Grade High Rank" Enlightenment Tea Leaves ]
[ Enlightenment Tea Leaves: Taken from the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree, which grows in the forbidden zone of Undying Mountain. Its roots link with the dragon energy of the earth's veins, while its branches and leaves draw in the essence of chaos. It sprouts once every three thousand years and takes nine thousand years to grow a leaf. Each leaf contains a different "Dao resonance." ]
Enlightenment Tea!
Xiao Yang's eyes lit up. This was a legendary treasure. They said drinking it could cut through inner demons, illuminate one's Dao Heart, strengthen one's foundation, and defy fate.
His cultivation was still too low. A treasure like this was exactly what he needed.
[ Ding! The host gifted a "Spirit Grade Mid Rank" Black Python Inner Core and triggered a reward! ]
[ Hundredfold Return: "Emperor Grade Mid Rank" Flood Dragon Pearl ]
[ Flood Dragon Pearl: Hidden in the ninth abyss, beneath the jaw of a Li Dragon, it gathers dragon energy. Swallowing it grants the might of an imperial dragon, changes one's fate, and bestows the bearing of a contender for the world. ]
[ Extract now? ]
How overpowered!
Xiao Yang's heart shuddered. He was so shaken that he could hardly believe it.
To him, the Flood Dragon Pearl was even more important than the Enlightenment Tea Leaves.
When he was young, the Imperial Observatory had calculated his fate—
[ Bird in a Cage ]!
It was the lowest and most wretched fate. If he hadn't obtained the system, he would likely have led a life of insignificance.
Fate was mysterious and unfathomable. Changing it was harder than climbing to heaven!
But this Flood Dragon Pearl had the power to "change one's fate." How could he not be excited?
"No. Don't extract it yet!"
Xiao Yang made his choice.
Just then, Azure Luan woke up and saw that neither she nor Xiao Yang had died, while the Unicorn Black Python's corpse lay on the ground.
"What happened?"
The next moment, she spotted Ning Hongye and was overjoyed.
"Thank you for saving us, General!"
"Your might is unparalleled, General! You struck once and slew this serpent demon!"
"It's a shame I was unconscious and missed seeing your prowess!"
Azure Luan was Ning Hongye's biggest fan, so she showered her with praise.
Ning Hongye looked a little embarrassed. Her pretty face flushed as she said, "Azure Luan, you've got it wrong. Xiao Yang killed the serpent demon!"
What?!
Azure Luan's face changed. She could hardly believe it.
Before she'd passed out, she had indeed seen Xiao Yang step forward with his saber.
But for a Third-grade Martial Artist to slay a Sixth-grade serpent demon was so astonishing that no one would believe it if word got out!
Still, she knew General Ning would never lie to her...
"Ninth Young Master, thank you for saving my life!"
Azure Luan got to her feet and bowed to Xiao Yang.
"Think nothing of it. I only did what I had to. But I'm exhausted now and can't even walk. Could you two take me back?" Xiao Yang asked.
"Azure Luan, your injuries aren't serious. Take the serpent demon's corpse back with you. It's a treasure from head to toe, so don't waste it!" Ning Hongye ordered.
"Yes!"
Azure Luan nodded, then hoisted the serpent demon's corpse, more than ten zhang long, and headed toward the West Mountain Hunting Ground.
Meanwhile, Ning Hongye walked over to Xiao Yang and helped him up.
"She came here on horseback. So on the way back, I'll get to ride with her?"
Xiao Yang was secretly delighted, feeling rather pleased with himself.
Suddenly, the system's notification sounded in his ear again.
[ Ding! A weakness has been detected for the "Bound Target," Ning Hongye. View it? ]
"View it!"
Xiao Yang was curious. He'd checked Ning Hongye's information before, but the weakness field had shown "???".
He hadn't known whether she had no weaknesses or whether he lacked permission to see them.
He hadn't expected it to work now.
[ Bound Target: Ning Hongye, age 18 ]
[ Identity: Daughter of the Great General Zhennan, leader of the Vermilion Bird Army ]
[ Weakness: Xiao Yang ]
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