Ah Yin Had Withered

After a night of hurrying through the forest,

by noon the next day,

everyone looked exhausted, their clothes soaked with sweat as they stepped out of the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

They crossed the last stretch of forest, and at last the view opened up.

Sunlight spilled without obstruction across the verdant land. A breeze from the Lima Plain swept over, gently caressing their faces.

They stood on soft grass.

It was July, and the midday sun was scorching, yet none of them felt its warmth. It almost seemed unreal.

This moment felt so unfamiliar, as if they hadn't seen sunlight in ages.

Only after a while did they realize—

They were alive...

Still alive.

The crushing pressure finally lifted.

Their taut nerves finally relaxed. Their minds went blank. The grass was soft, and the breeze was gentle...

"Thump."

Oscar was the first to give out. His strength drained away, and he collapsed onto the grass, his aching muscles no longer able to support him.

Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and the others soon leaned against the trees.

They sat down.

Every last bit of strength had been drained from their bodies.

This was the exhaustion of having survived a calamity.

Only Zhao Wuji, Xia Yan, and Xiao Wu were still standing.

Zhao Wuji had faced life and death many times. This was his first encounter with a hundred-thousand-year-old Titan Giant Ape, and he had suffered the worst injuries, but he could still hold on. Xia Yan had already been mentally prepared.

As for Xiao Wu—

She hadn't even been hit by the mental shock. Her friends had come to visit her; what was there to be shocked about?

Everyone simply lay there in silence. No one spoke, but less than a minute later,

they all struggled back to their feet.

No, this place still wasn't safe enough. They had to leave.

They set off again, heading straight for a small town nearly a hundred kilometers away.

When they reached the inn, they collapsed onto their beds and fell into an exhausted sleep.

They were all too tired.

They slept for a full day.

A dozen or so miles from Holy Soul Village,

Tang Hao, clad in a black robe and sporting a stubbled face, flew through the sky.

He was planning to visit Ah Yin.

All these years, he had been away most of the time, returning every six or seven months—or sometimes every half year—to see how Tang San and Xiao Wu were doing.

He made sure nothing went wrong.

He had left before and returned to find that Xiao Wu had fallen for Xia Yan. The next time he came back, Xia Yan had already left.

This time, he had personally stepped in to teach Zhao Wuji a lesson and warn both Zhao Wuji and Flender.

There shouldn't be any more serious trouble.

Over the years, he had been searching for a way to heal his hidden injuries.

His battle against Qian Xunji and the people of Spirit Hall had been a devastating victory.

Nearly all his meridians had shifted out of place, twisted together. His Soul Power was clogged and difficult to circulate, and all his internal organs had been displaced.

Everything was in chaos.

His stubborn hidden injuries had not healed in ten years.

His strength had fallen drastically. Forget taking revenge on Spirit Hall; he could barely hope to defeat Bibi Dong in a one-on-one fight.

But it didn't matter.

Once, he had seen no hope and could only hide in Holy Soul Village, wasting his days away.

Now, he had seen Tang San's talent. He had seen hope.

Father and son joining forces would surely bring victory!

After seeing Ah Yin this time, he planned to go to the Star Luo Empire. Perhaps he could find a way to heal himself there.

He had searched for years without finding any hope.

If Ah Yin were still here, perhaps he wouldn't have to endure this torment...

Ah Yin...

Her image surfaced in his mind once more.

Tang Hao felt as if something had clenched around his heart. A nameless ache made it hard to breathe, and even his speed slowed.

He simply didn't dare face Ah Yin.

That was right.

All these years, he had rarely come to see her. Tang San had already turned six before Tang Hao dared to visit her once.

He had gone to tell Ah Yin the good news: they had a wonderful child...

He didn't dare.

He didn't dare face Ah Yin.

Tang Hao knew the truth very well, though he would never admit it: Qian Xunji and Spirit Hall had driven Ah Yin to her death, but...

How had Spirit Hall found them?

If he hadn't stubbornly insisted on acting as he did back then, the two of them would never have been discovered by Spirit Hall, much less driven to the brink.

And why had he insisted on acting back then...?

Because... the temptation of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Spirit Bone had been too great. He had dreamed of obtaining them, dreamed of possessing them!

But he had feelings for Ah Yin, too.

He didn't want to harm her.

And so—

Somewhere deep down, he had made his choice. He truly hadn't laid a hand on her, but he had still obtained Ah Yin's Soul Ring and Spirit Bone...

These secrets, buried in his heart, were things he could never tell anyone.

But he couldn't deceive himself.

Deep in his heart, the thought had taken root and grown, coiling tightly around his heart.

It tormented him every moment of every day.

All these years, he hadn't dared face Ah Yin. Planting her in the backyard would have protected her better, and no one would have discovered her there.

But he simply hadn't dared plant her beside him.

After planting her in the cave, he hadn't dared visit her for six whole years.

Of course, he also knew that Ah Yin's Spirit Bone contained a tremendous life force.

As long as he absorbed it, all his injuries would heal at once, and he would return to his peak.

But whenever he even thought of absorbing the Spirit Bone, countless memories and feelings turned into innumerable steel needles,

stabbing straight through his heart and his whole being, tormenting him so terribly that he felt he might die from it.

It was even worse than the hidden injuries that had tormented him all these years.

Sometimes, he could only bear it because his body was suffering, too.

Only then could he breathe, and feel he could face Ah Yin.

Only then could he feel he had done right by her...

In fact, he had long since seen Xiao Wu's feelings for Xia Yan. He hadn't intervened right away, and even watching Tang San get snubbed by Xiao Wu made him feel a little better.

It seemed to lighten his guilt toward Ah Yin,

to ease it a little more...

Ah Yin...

Tang Hao forced himself onward. The closer he got to the waterfall, the more he was tormented inside.

Ah Yin... I'm sorry.

It was all my fault. I deserve to die. I was the one who hurt you.

I shouldn't have ignored your words. I shouldn't have insisted on provoking Spirit Hall, and I shouldn't have fought...

I'm an animal, Ah Yin. I'm a piece of trash...

I...

I...

I need to keep your Spirit Bone safe!

Tang Hao's eyes were bloodshot. He cursed himself with every vile, venomous word he could think of. Only then did the torment in his heart ease.

This time, he had to take the Spirit Bone away.

But he absolutely would not absorb it!

Tang Hao swore it in his heart, swore it to Ah Yin. Her Spirit Bone was simply too precious to leave behind the waterfall; it wasn't safe there.

What if someone accidentally wandered in?

What if they saw Ah Yin's true form, then accidentally came across the Spirit Bone?

What if they realized Ah Yin was special, too,

and took them both away?

Ah Yin, I only want to protect what you left behind, to keep your Spirit Bone safe. I have absolutely no intention of absorbing it, and I never will!

I only want to protect it properly and keep it by my side!

Ah Yin, forgive me...

He flew over more than ten miles of forest, and the familiar, enormous waterfall came into view. For twelve whole years, Ah Yin had been alone in the cave.

Ah Yin...

Tang Hao forced himself to push aside the boulder blocking the entrance. He even deliberately suppressed his senses, not daring to face Ah Yin.

The dark, deep cave seemed like a monster that devoured people.

He forced himself to step inside.

Ah Yin, our child, Little Three, has grown up. He inherited our Martial Souls.

He's amazing.

He'll avenge you, avenge us. I'm taking your Spirit Bone away so he can keep it safe.

I absolutely won't absorb it.

Ah Yin...

"?!"

Ah Yin?!

Tang Hao's mind went blank, freezing completely. In his trembling pupils, he saw the withered Blue Silver Grass!

In the cave's dark, cramped depths, it had not absorbed a single ray of sunlight.

It had withered completely, turning yellow and shriveled!