Chapter 31

"Are you alright?"

Luo Yang crouched down and gently placed the Gold of Life pendant over the wound on Yuanen Yehui's shoulder.

Yuanen Yehui frowned slightly, then relaxed.

She could clearly feel the deep, bone-reaching wound healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just a few breaths, only a patch of pale pink, newborn skin remained where the wound had been.

"How magical..."

Yuanen Yehui murmured softly. She tried moving her arm and discovered that not only had her injuries fully recovered, but even the soul power she had consumed was partially replenished; her condition was even better than it had been before the battle.

"It's a very special metal called Gold of Life," Luo Yang explained, retracting the pendant. "It contains the purest, most immense life force. As long as you still have a breath left, it can basically pull you back. It's perfect for emergency healing."

What he didn't say was that in his memories, the uses for this item went far beyond that.

Beyond being a sacred healing relic, the hardness and properties of the Gold of Life were sufficient to craft the highest-grade soul tool carving knife.

And ten thousand years ago, Huo Yuhao's world-renowned "Blade of Life's Watch" had even transformed into a divine artifact after ascending to the God Realm.

"Let's go." Luo Yang put his thoughts aside and helped Yuanen Yehui up. "The mission is complete; it's time to go back and report."

He turned and began to walk.

Yuanen Yehui nodded and followed.

They completely ignored a certain existence behind them.

???

Nanali felt like her entire world was falling apart.

She, a dignified one of the four Heavenly Kings of the Holy Spirit Cult, possessed a fearsome reputation that even the Spirit Pagoda master Qiangu Dongfeng had to show some respect.

Yet at this moment, she was being thoroughly ignored by two brats?

A living person as big as her, having just crawled out of a pool of blood with tear tracks still hanging on her face, standing there looking pitiful.

And the result? These two didn't even spare her a glance and were just turning to leave?

"Wait—!!!"

She could no longer hold it together.

However.

Luo Yang acted as if he hadn't heard, even pulling Yuanen Yehui along to quicken his pace.

Yuanen Yehui subconsciously wanted to look back, but was forcibly stopped by Luo Yang's hand, leaving her no choice but to follow in confusion.

I'm such a cute little girl, and you're actually refusing to save me?!

Nanali roared internally, a surge of evil fire rushing straight to her crown.

In this instant, she had developed a genuine intent to kill this guy named Luo Yang.

This brat has already chosen his path to death!

But she could not let all her efforts go to waste.

Deep breath, another deep breath.

She moved her short legs and quickly chased after them.

"Big brother! Big sister!" She blocked their path, tilted her face up, her eyes red and brimming with tears, looking as if she were about to cry. "Wait for me... please, wait for me..."

Yuanen Yehui stopped in her tracks. She looked at the little girl before her—a head shorter than herself, covered in dust, with tear tracks crisscrossing her face—and a string in her heart was gently plucked.

"I'm younger than you," Luo Yang corrected calmly.

"...Little brother." Nanali's sobbing voice hitched.

"..."

Luo Yang felt like she was cursing him.

"My parents are both dead..." Nanali lowered her head. "I'm so scared all by myself... I don't know where to go... Can you take me with you? I beg you..."

She raised her eyes, tears rolling down.

In that instant, Yuanen Yehui seemed to see herself from many years ago.

The child who, because she had awakened the Fallen Angel martial soul, was viewed as an omen of misfortune by her clan and huddled alone in a corner.

The child who longed for someone to reach out a hand and lead her out of the Abyss.

"Luo Yang," Yuanen Yehui said softly. "Let's take her with us. We can't just stand by and watch her die."

Nanali immediately turned toward Luo Yang, looking at him pitifully like an abandoned kitten.

Luo Yang looked at her and pondered for a moment.

"Try acting cute for me."

???

Acting cute?!

Nanali suspected she had misheard.

She was one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Holy Spirit Cult; even children dared not cry in her presence! And this guy actually wanted her to act cute?!

She stared daggers at Luo Yang, trying to find a trace of a joke on that calm face.

...None. He was serious.

For the sake of approaching the target...

Nanali took a deep breath, her mouth corners stiffly pulling into an arc, and she held up two small "V" signs beside her face.

"...Meow."

Yuanen Yehui's eyes lit up, her heart nearly melting.

However.

"That's ugly," Luo Yang evaluated with an expressionless face.

"..."

Nanali's smile froze.

She retracted her earlier statement that "this guy is interesting."

She must have been blind.

This wasn't interesting; it was foul-mouthed! Mean! Cold-blooded! Devoid of humanity!

Someone like this was better off dead sooner rather than later.

"However," Luo Yang shifted his tone, "out of humanitarian considerations, it's not impossible to take you in."

Nanali's expression relaxed.

That's what I thought.

This young lady is so cute, how could anyone have the heart to refuse?

She lowered her eyelids, her lashes trembling slightly, struggling to maintain a pitiful appearance, while inwardly she huffed and gave herself a smug pat on the back.

Yet, she did not know.

Every one of her micro-expressions and every flicker of emotion was captured by Luo Yang.

From the very beginning, he had never believed this "survivor."

There were too many flaws.

This area had long been thoroughly slaughtered by Evil Soul Master forces, and even the security team had suffered over fifty percent casualties; the surviving civilians had already been evacuated and relocated.

How could a completely unharmed, neatly dressed, and theatrically acting little girl be left behind alone?

Moreover, the faint aura on her, which shared the same source as the Evil Soul Master, was hidden well, but under the perception of the Calamity Domain, it had nowhere to hide.

Who was she? What was her purpose? Was she coming for him, or for Yuanen Yehui?

Luo Yang did not know for the moment.

But he knew two things.

First, Leng Yaozhu was in the shadows. If this woman dared to make a move, she would die.

Second, this woman didn't seem to have a very high IQ.

Her mentality was childish, her emotions were exposed, and she was easy to manipulate.

He would keep her for now and see what kind of medicine she was selling in her gourd.

Seeing that Luo Yang had agreed, Yuanen Yehui smiled happily, then looked at Nanali and asked, "Little girl, what is your name?"

"Lina."

Nanali answered obediently, "My name is Lina."

"That's a very pretty name."

Yuanen Yehui smiled slightly, "Don't be afraid, you aren't alone anymore. Come with us."

"Thank you," Nanali choked out.

The three of them walked out of the ruins.

They then headed deeper, still needing to kill two more Evil Soul Master targets to complete their mission.

However, they didn't encounter any danger along the way, and in the meantime, Luo Yang purified quite a bit of Undead Power.

Finally.

A strange sensation suddenly welled up in his heart.

Luo Yang paused his footsteps.

It was a resonance originating from the depths of the Calamity Domain, closely linked to the Undead Mark.

He clearly perceived that the Undead Power stored within the domain had reached a critical point at this very moment.

It was enough.

The conditions to resurrect the second historical powerhouse had been met.

An irrepressible surge of excitement welled up from the depths of his heart.

Luo Yang did not show it, his expression remaining calm.

Yet, a trace of the deathly silence, naturally leaking out due to the overflow of Undead Power, still quietly escaped from him.

Yuanen Yehui remained completely oblivious.

But Nanali's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

This was...

Her heart skipped a beat as a sense of vigilance, stemming from the instincts of her soul, suddenly arose.

That aura was extremely faint and fleeting, as if it were merely an illusion. But given her cultivation and perception, she could never be mistaken—

That was the primordial aura of death.

Nanali's gaze locked onto Luo Yang in an instant.