"Lin Shisan..."
Zi Yuner raised her head.
She saw Lin Shisan's figure hurtling backward inside the pillar of light, dragged relentlessly out of the Teleportation Array's core by that invisible, immense blue force.
With a bang, the entire pillar of light exploded.
The golden patterns shattered completely in one final roar, scattering into specks of light that flew across the sky.
Lin Shisan was flung out of the pillar as well, tracing an arc through the air before slamming heavily into the rocks on Magnetic Mountain's flank.
Boom...
Swath after swath of rock burst apart, and fragments rained down, burying half of Lin Shisan's body.
He lay facedown in the rubble, the back of his clothing scraped to shreds, exposing the bloody flesh beneath. A mouthful of black blood sprayed from his mouth onto the pale gray rocks before him. He curled there without moving, only his chest still rising and falling faintly.
Zi Ning withdrew her hand.
She stood on the dry reef, her long, deep-purple hair drifting slightly in the aftershocks.
The dark-gold dragon spirit at her chest was fusing with her scales at an accelerating pace, giving off deep, powerful pulses.
Zi Yuner knelt on the reef, her knees no longer able to support her body.
She braced one hand against the ground and reached toward Magnetic Mountain with the other, her fingertips trembling.
"Shisan... you can't die..."
Zi Ning walked over and crouched beside Zi Yuner, brushing aside a strand of wet hair stuck to her cheek.
"Silly child, you've burned so much essence blood. Your Three Flowers Realm cultivation will dissipate in less than half a cup of tea."
"Was it worth it, for a utterly useless Human Race outsider?"
"It was. It was well worth it. Even if I had to die for him,