"Are you all right?"
Luo Yang crouched down and gently pressed the Gold of Life pendant against the wound on Yuanen Yehui's shoulder.
Yuanen Yehui's brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed.
She could clearly feel the wound, deep enough to expose bone, healing at a visible rate.
After just a few breaths, all that remained was a faint pink patch of new skin.
"How amazing..."
Yuanen Yehui murmured softly. She tried moving her arm and found that not only had her injury completely healed, but some of the Soul Power she'd used up had also been restored. She even felt a little better than she had before the battle.
"It's a very special metal called Gold of Life," Luo Yang explained, putting the pendant away. "It contains the purest, most abundant life force. As long as there's still a breath in you, it can practically pull you back from the brink. It's perfect for treating injuries in an emergency."
What he didn't say was that, in his memories, this metal had far more uses than that.
Beyond being a sacred treasure for healing, Gold of Life was hard and versatile enough to be made into the finest soul tool engraving knife.
And the legendary Blade of Life's Watch, wielded by Huo Yuhao ten thousand years ago, had even transformed directly into a divine artifact after ascending to the Divine Realm.
"Let's go." Luo Yang gathered his thoughts and helped Yuanen Yehui to her feet. "The mission's complete. We should head back and report in."
He turned and started walking.
Yuanen Yehui nodded and followed.
They completely ignored the figure behind them.
???
Na Nali was beside herself.
She was one of the Holy Spirit Cult's Four Heavenly Kings, a woman with a fearsome reputation. Even Qiangu Dongfeng, the Spirit Pagoda's Master, had to show her some respect.
And now, two little brats had completely ignored her?
She was a whole living person, who had just crawled out of a pool of blood. Tears still streaked her face as she stood there looking utterly pitiful.
Yet these two couldn't even spare her a glance. They were turning around and leaving?
"Wait—!!!"
She couldn't hold it in any longer.
But—
Luo Yang acted as if he hadn't heard her. He even quickened his pace, pulling Yuanen Yehui along with him.
Yuanen Yehui instinctively started to look back, but Luo Yang stopped her with a firm tug, leaving her to follow him in confusion.
I'm such a cute little girl, and you're really going to leave me to die?!
Na Nali screamed inwardly, a blaze of Evil Fire shooting straight up to her crown.
In that instant, she truly wanted to kill this guy named Luo Yang.
This brat was begging to die!
But she couldn't let all her efforts go to waste.
Deep breath. Another deep breath.
She set off on her short legs and hurried after them.
"Big brother! Big sister!" She stopped in front of them, tilting her face up, eyes red and brimming with tears. "Wait for me... Please, wait for me..."
Yuanen Yehui stopped. She looked at the little girl before her, a head shorter than herself, covered in dust and with tear tracks crisscrossing her face. Something in her heart stirred.
"I'm younger than you," Luo Yang corrected calmly.
"...Little brother." Na Nali's sob caught in her throat.
"..."
Luo Yang had a feeling she was cursing him.
"My parents are both dead..." Na Nali lowered her head. "I'm so scared all alone... I don't know where to go... Could you take me with you? Please..."
She looked up, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
For an instant, Yuanen Yehui thought she was seeing herself from years ago.
The child who had awakened the Fallen Angel Martial Soul and been branded an ill omen by her own clan, left to huddle alone in a corner.
The child who longed for someone to reach out and lead her away from the Abyss.
"Luo Yang," Yuanen Yehui said softly. "Let's take her with us. We can't just leave her to die."
Na Nali immediately turned to Luo Yang and gazed at him imploringly, like an abandoned kitten.
Luo Yang looked at her and considered for a moment.
"Try acting cute."
???
Act cute?!
Na Nali wondered if she'd heard him right.
She was one of the Holy Spirit Cult's Four Heavenly Kings. Even kids were too scared of her to cry! And this guy was telling her to act cute?!
She stared hard at Luo Yang, trying to find a hint of a joke in his calm expression.
...Nothing. He was serious.
For the sake of getting close to her target...
Na Nali took a deep breath, forced the corners of her mouth into a stiff smile, and made a tiny V-sign beside her face.
"...Meow."
Yuanen Yehui's eyes lit up. Her heart nearly melted.
But—
"Terrible," Luo Yang said flatly.
"..."
Na Nali's smile froze.
She took back what she'd just thought about this guy being interesting.
She must have been blind.
Interesting? More like foul-mouthed! Mean! Cold-blooded! Utterly heartless!
Someone like him would be better off dead as soon as possible.
"But," Luo Yang continued, "for humanitarian reasons, I suppose we can take you in."
Na Nali's expression relaxed.
She knew it.
With a cutie like me, how could anyone possibly bring themselves to refuse?
She lowered her eyes, her lashes trembling as she struggled to maintain her pitiful expression. Inside, she gave a quiet, triumphant snort and patted herself on the back.
But she didn't know—
Luo Yang had seen every one of her microexpressions, every flicker of emotion.
He'd never believed this "survivor" from the start.
There were too many holes in her story.
This entire area had already been slaughtered by Evil Soul Masters. Even the security squads had suffered more than fifty percent casualties, and the surviving civilians had long since been evacuated and placed in designated shelters.
How could a little girl have been left behind all alone, completely unharmed, with neat clothes and such over-the-top acting?
What's more, there was a faint trace about her, a shared source with the Evil Soul Masters. She'd hidden it well, but under the Calamity Domain's perception, there was nowhere for it to hide.
Who was she? What did she want? Was she after him, or Yuanen Yehui?
Luo Yang didn't know yet.
But he knew two things.
First, Leng Yaozhu was watching from the shadows. If this woman dared to make a move, she would die.
Second, this woman didn't seem very smart.
She had a childish mindset and wore her emotions on her sleeve. She'd be easy to handle.
He'd keep her around for now and see what she was really up to.
Seeing that Luo Yang had agreed, Yuanen Yehui smiled happily, then looked at Na Nali. "Little girl, what's your name?"
"Lina."
Na Nali answered obediently. "My name is Lina."
"That's a lovely name."
Yuanen Yehui smiled gently. "Don't be afraid. You're not alone anymore. Come with us."
"Thank you," Lina choked out.
The three of them left the ruins.
Then they headed deeper into the area. They still needed to kill two more Evil Soul Masters to complete the mission.
But they encountered no danger along the way, and Luo Yang purified quite a few undead.
Finally.
An odd sensation suddenly welled up inside him.
Luo Yang paused.
It was a resonance rising from deep within the Calamity Domain, closely bound to the undead mark.
He could clearly sense that the "Undead Power" stored within the domain had reached a critical threshold.
It was enough.
The conditions for reviving a second historical powerhouse had been met.
An irrepressible excitement rose within him.
Luo Yang didn't let it show. His expression remained calm.
But the deathly aura that naturally leaked from him as the Undead Power filled to the brim still quietly escaped in a wisp.
Yuanen Yehui didn't notice at all.
But Na Nali's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
What was that...?
Her heart skipped a beat, and a wariness born from the depths of her soul suddenly surged.
The aura was extremely faint and vanished in an instant, almost as if it had been an illusion. But with her cultivation and perception, she could never mistake it—
That was the aura of death itself.
Na Nali's gaze instantly locked onto Luo Yang.