Victory

Time seemed to stand still. Qian Yun's attack landed, yet Hu Liena heard no sound at all...

Did it succeed? Or are we already dead?

Having instinctively closed her eyes against the blinding light, she asked herself in her heart. Thinking back on the events that had just transpired, a surge of guilt toward Qian Yun welled up within her. I'm sorry, Qian Yun. It's all my fault for being so reckless...

"Hoo—hoo—!"

The sound of ragged breathing interrupted Hu Liena's wandering thoughts. She opened her eyes, and what greeted her was the sight of Qian Yun's back, which did not look particularly broad.

Qian Yun's condition was far from good at this moment. He was half-kneeling, one hand clutching his chest while the other held his Spirit Light, which was stabbed into the ground to barely support his body from collapsing.

"Qian Yun!"

Hu Liena stumbled toward him, her knees striking the sharp stones on the ground, but she ignored the pain and scrambled over in a hurry.

"Qian Yun, are you alright?" Hu Liena's hands gripped his shoulders, her dust-covered face streaked with tears.

Qian Yun clutched his chest, the Spirit Light in his hand finally dissipating. He forced a relaxed expression onto his face and said to Hu Liena, "I'm fine. With the Dharma Source Barrier protecting us, how could I be hurt?"

Hearing this, Hu Liena choked back a sob. Only then did she notice a thin, transparent barrier hovering above their heads, which vanished into nothingness as she looked at it.

Hu Liena finally felt a sense of relief in her heart, but seeing the injuries on Qian Yun's body, she felt a pang of heartache and self-reproach.

"You're hurt, it's all my fault... all my fault, I'm sorry... it's all my fault." Hu Liena cradled Qian Yun's blood-stained hands, tears dripping onto them continuously. She spoke in broken sentences, not knowing what else to say, and could only apologize incessantly.

She dared not imagine what would become of her if something were to happen to Qian Yun because of her.

Qian Yun lifted his blood-streaked face and wiped the tears falling from her eyes. His gaze was gentle as he said, "Don't cry anymore. If you keep crying, my injuries will get worse. Smile a little; that will help me recover faster."

"Mm!" Hu Liena hurriedly stopped her tears, her lips twitching as she forced a smile that looked even worse than crying.

"Cough, hahaha." Seeing Hu Liena's comical expression, Qian Yun couldn't help but laugh.

"Pfft." Hu Liena finally broke into a laugh through her tears, giving his shoulder a playful slap. "What are you laughing at, you ghost?"

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. However, there is something more important for you to do now." Qian Yun stood up and pointed ahead of them.

Not far away, the Ghost Moth's massive body had been sliced in half, its entrails and blood covering the ground. It lay there now, gasping its final breaths, waiting to be finished off.

Hu Liena stood up with Qian Yun's support, looking at the Ghost Moth that had brought her endless suffering.

The severed claw... the old wound on its abdomen, Grandfather... A-Qiang, Beast King Village, and everyone in the village.

Every memory tugged at her heart.

"Here." Qian Yun pressed the Thunder-Attracting Spear into her hand and whispered in her ear, "Go."

Hu Liena's eyes refocused on the Ghost Moth. Her gaze held undeniable hatred, yet also a sense of liberation. As various thoughts surged through her mind, she furrowed her brows and closed her eyes.

Qian Yun did not urge her; Hu Liena needed time. In any case, the Ghost Moth had lost all ability to resist.

After a long while, Hu Liena opened her eyes, a touch of calm replacing the turmoil. She turned to meet Qian Yun's golden eyes and said, "Qian Yun, let's do it together."

"...Alright." Although surprised, Qian Yun did not refuse.

Together with Hu Liena, he lifted the Thunder-Attracting Spear, aimed the tip—sharp enough to pierce rock—at the Ghost Moth, and threw it.

"Pfft!"

A dull thud of flesh and bone being severed echoed out. Qian Yun and Hu Liena gripped the Thunder-Attracting Spear once more and threw it with all their might.

The Thunder-Attracting Spear mercilessly pierced through the Ghost Moth's head. The moment the spear penetrated, the creature's body finally went completely limp. At the same time, a purple ring shimmering with an air of nobility emerged from above its head.

One spear through the heart, one spear through the head—even the gods couldn't save it now!

The moment the spirit ring appeared, Hu Liena finally could not hold on any longer and collapsed into a sitting position.

Finally... finally! The nightmare that had weighed on her heart all these years had finally reached its conclusion.

"Are you alright?"

"Go quickly, don't waste the spirit ring." Hu Liena patted Qian Yun's thigh, urging him to absorb the spirit ring immediately.

Qian Yun nodded and walked toward the Ghost Moth as instructed. He arrived at its side and stepped onto its pierced head.

Spirit Beasts generally had their own territories and would not easily leave unless absolutely necessary. Since Beast King Village and the Sunset Forest were thousands of miles apart, why had this Ghost Moth wandered the continent for so long only to end up here?

He looked down at the Ghost Moth, lost in thought.

It must have been because of its lifespan, right? The Ghost Moth was uniquely gifted in the world of Spirit Beasts; its talent and cultivation speed were impeccable. Spirit Beasts and Spirit Masters of the same rank couldn't even last a single move against it.

Yet, for all its power, it faced an insurmountable chasm: the problem of its own lifespan.

Ghost Moths were common at the hundred-year level, rare at the thousand-year level, and ten-thousand-year specimens were as scarce as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Therefore, every time a Ghost Moth advanced to the next stage, it had to immediately begin searching for ways to extend its life, hoping to break through that natural barrier.

Thinking of this, Qian Yun vaguely guessed why the Ghost Moth had come here. It must have been the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well in the Sunset Forest—or more precisely, the aura emitted by the immortal herbs within—that attracted it. However, the poisonous mist in the Sunset Forest had blocked its path. It didn't want to leave because it was reluctant to give up the herbs that might help it break through its barrier, but its strength wasn't enough to force its way in.

Helpless, it had to lie in wait here, waiting for an opportunity, only to end up meeting Qian Yun and Hu Liena.

Summoning his martial spirit again, Qian Yun sat cross-legged beside the Ghost Moth. The moment his Crown drew near, the thousand-year spirit ring was pulled toward him.

Although he had just fought a great battle and his condition was not at its peak, if the Ghost Moth couldn't defeat Qian Yun while it was alive, what waves could its lingering spirit ring possibly stir up after death?

The Crown effortlessly erased the resentment the Ghost Moth had attached to the spirit ring, and Qian Yun officially began to absorb the energy brought by the thousand-year spirit ring.

At the same time, Hu Liena struggled to sit up, acting as a guardian for Qian Yun while he absorbed the spirit ring.

It did not take long. Qian Yun rapidly absorbed the massive spirit power of the ring, and before long, he had finished the process.

Qian Yun, who had been sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes calmly as a flash of brilliance flickered within them.

A thousand-year spirit ring was truly extraordinary; not only did it grant him an excellent thousand-year spirit skill, but his spirit power had also reached level thirty-two!

Hu Liena, who had been keeping a close eye on him, naturally noticed the change, her smiling face filled with anticipation. "Are you done?"

Qian Yun nodded with a smile. "It went quite smoothly."

He raised a hand, and three spirit rings—yellow, yellow, and purple—flickered in turn at his feet, marking his successful breakthrough past the level thirty bottleneck and his official status as a Soul Elder on the Douluo Continent.

Hu Liena stared at Qian Yun's spirit rings, her eyes filled with admiration. "Tsk, so cool!"

As Qian Yun pulled the Thunder-Attracting Spear from the Ghost Moth, he shook his head with a chuckle. "You're making me blush with such sudden praise. But don't be envious; you'll have one soon enough, too."

"That's true." Hu Liena nodded candidly.

After stowing away the Thunder-Attracting Spear, Qian Yun walked over to Hu Liena, crouched down, and gently tapped her bruised, reddish-purple knee with his finger. "Are you alright? Should you stay here while I go out and call for help?"

"Hiss." Hu Liena winced in pain, but she still insisted, "No, I don't want to be left alone in this godforsaken place."

"Then what should we do?"

Hu Liena's gaze landed on Qian Yun's back, a hint of shyness in her eyes as she muttered, "How about you carry me out?"

Qian Yun pursed his lips and glared at her, but Hu Liena just put on a pained expression and pouted. "Ouch, my leg hurts so much..."

"Sigh, I knew you'd say that." Qian Yun turned around helplessly and said, "Get on, but be careful not to aggravate your injury."

Hu Liena giggled, a wave of sweetness washing over her heart, and she lunged forward, hanging onto Qian Yun's back.

Before Qian Yun could even stand up, Hu Liena raised her hand and slapped his backside, chirping, "Giddy up, horsey, run fast!"

"You brat, have some respect."

Since Hu Liena looked to be in worse shape than he was, he could only offer a disgruntled remark before dutifully carrying her back the way they came.

The path back through the darkness was quiet, save for the sound of Qian Yun's footsteps on the stone floor. Hu Liena suddenly remembered something and leaned her face against his shoulder. "Right, what exactly is your thousand-year spirit skill?"

Qian Yun replied calmly, "Nothing too incredible. You've seen it before—it's the clone skill that Ghost Moth used."

"A clone?!" Hu Liena exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Let me see it quickly. It won't be convenient once we get outside."

"Alright." Unable to refuse her, Qian Yun summoned his martial spirit and activated his third spirit ring.

Then, under Hu Liena's expectant gaze, a pale blue humanoid figure stepped out from Qian Yun's body, flashed a short distance away, and stood there silently.

Hu Liena's mouth hung slightly open as she looked down at Qian Yun, then back up at the pale blue shadow.

It was similar—too similar.

Although it lacked facial expressions, the demeanor and the contours of its body were a perfect replica of Qian Yun! For a moment, she almost thought his soul had left his body.

"So, is there anything special about this third spirit skill?" Hu Liena withdrew her gaze and asked the question she cared about most.

"Just like the Ghost Moth, the clone can use spirit skills alongside me."

"Oh." Hu Liena tilted her head adorably. "It feels... alright, I guess."

She had intended to say that his thousand-year spirit skill was quite ordinary, but changed her tune as the words reached her lips.

"Heh." Qian Yun heard the disappointment in her voice. Instead of rushing to explain, he tilted his head toward her and said, "Why don't you go touch it and see?"

Hearing this, Hu Liena tentatively reached out and tapped the spirit's shoulder with her finger.

"Huh?!"

Hu Liena's eyes widened, and refusing to believe it, she swiped at the spirit body, only to grasp at empty air.

Although Qian Yun's pale blue spirit body was visible, it seemed not to exist at all, making it impossible to touch.

"How is it?" Qian Yun's slightly smug laughter rang out. He focused his intent, and the spirit that had been standing quietly suddenly reached out and grabbed Hu Liena's wrist.

"Hey!" Hu Liena was startled and hurriedly swatted at it with her other hand, but as expected, she hit nothing.

Seeing that the point had been made, Qian Yun had the spirit release her wrist and retracted his martial spirit, causing the figure to dissipate.

"That's insane." Hu Liena rubbed her wrist, looking bewildered.

"That is my third spirit skill. I call it Star Spirit Link. After splitting off a spirit body, the clone possesses sixty percent of the original's spirit skill power, and it is completely immune to physical attacks."

Hu Liena was stunned. A clone was one thing, but the strongest effect of this third spirit skill was undoubtedly the total immunity to physical attacks. This meant that from now on, whenever Qian Yun used Star Spirit Link, he would be the only one doing the hitting, while others would have no way to retaliate.

"That's too powerful!" Hu Liena excitedly propped herself up and pecked him on the cheek.

Qian Yun rolled his eyes and let her be.

"Heh heh." Hu Liena laughed triumphantly. The relationship between them had long since blurred the lines between two individuals; the stronger Qian Yun became, the happier she was.

The two walked through the darkness of the cave for a long while before finally seeing white light once again.

Emerging from the cave, the intense light made them squint instinctively. Once they adjusted, they saw the scout team waiting at the entrance.

"Uh, My Lord, have you dealt with that spirit beast?" the scout asked, looking at their condition in surprise.

"Yes, the Ghost Moth has been dealt with. As for the carcass... peel off its hide and bring it to me along with the bones." Even while carrying Hu Liena, Qian Yun remained composed and dignified.

Hearing this, the scout's expression turned solemn. He looked at the two with deep respect; taking down a Ghost Moth with only two spirit rings was a miracle, even to those who had witnessed it firsthand.

"Yes!"