Soul Bone fragments drifted down like snowflakes. Qian Renyue desperately tried to catch them, only to discover that whether they landed in her palms or on the blood-red flower bud, they slowly vanished without a trace, as though a soul were dissipating.
"No, don't! Little Nine, why? Why did you do this..." Hot tears slid down her cheeks again. Qian Renyue clutched the wound on her chest as a vicious pang tore through her heart. Evil fire assailed her heart, and she abruptly spat out another mouthful of blood. Just then, the Heart Demon within her appeared. Watching the grief-stricken Qian Renyue, Heart Demon Yue suddenly felt a faint ache in her own heart. She murmured, "So this is sorrow..."
Meanwhile, the third heavenly tribulation began gathering power. All the thunderclouds overhead converged, and small bolts of lightning flashed one after another. Below, Jiu Lan's presence grew increasingly faint. Green Yaxin held her, striving to sustain Jiu Lan's life force with her own soul power. Little Nine's passing had been unexpected. Now, all she could do was try her utmost to keep Jiu Lan alive for Qian Renyue. If she truly could not save her, then that was fate, just as Jiu Xian'er had once said: to gain something, one must first lose something.
The first step toward becoming a god was to forsake attachment.
Within the tribulation pillar, Heart Demon Yue could feel the sorrow in Qian Renyue's heart, but with the third heavenly tribulation fast approaching, she could no longer spare much thought for it. "Qian Renyue, focus! If you keep this up, you won't survive the third heavenly tribulation. Don't forget, that Little Phoenix died shielding you from the second heavenly tribulation. If you don't want to let Little Nine down, endure this third one. At least