A radiant and dense golden light burst forth, spreading across tens of thousands of kilometers within the Endless Fog. Its brilliance reached even those at the distant periphery, startling profound practitioners and stirring the Abyssal beasts.
When the golden flaming hemisphere finally faded, it revealed a vast, dark, bottomless hole that seemed like an endless Abyss stretching for thousands of kilometers. At its edges, countless small tongues of golden flame swayed quietly in the air.
The terrifying part was that not a single trace of the Dark Wolf remained. It had been completely vaporized by the golden fire.
Which was precisely what had happened.
"Who... did this? This power... it surpasses what even a Divine Limit Realm could achieve. Could it be a True God?" Shenwu Youluan stood frozen on the ground, staring at the scene in utter shock.
The power behind that attack was something she could never unleash, even if her strength were multiplied a hundredfold. This was unmistakably the power of a True God. But the strange thing was, she could not recall a single Divine Regent who cultivated the Fire Law.
The only True God who cultivated the Fire Law was the High Priest Ling Xian, daughter of the Vermillion Bird God. However, her flames were unmistakably vermillion, while this one burned pure gold, radiant and breathtakingly beautiful.
So who could it be?!
As if answering her question, the figure of a man draped in black appeared, walking through the air as if it were solid ground. The moment Shenwu Youluan sensed his presence, she turned her head sharply to look. As soon as her eyes fell upon him, she froze. The shock in her gaze faded into a dazed, almost blank expression. She remained that way for a full ten seconds before finally regaining her composure.
This man radiated an oppressive and mysterious aura. His build was flawless, and his features were so breathtakingly perfect they seemed beyond the limits of this world. For a moment, Shenwu Youluan, who had lived for tens of thousands of years and seen countless men, including the one hailed as the most handsome in the Abyss, the Abyssal Monarch, thought she must be hallucinating.
She quickly pushed aside her shock and focused on his presence instead. She could not sense his cultivation at all, but from his aura alone, it was clear he was the one behind the earlier attack.
'Hmm, it seems my flashy entrance wasn't bad,' Yun Wuji thought as he observed her expressions closely. He nodded inwardly, pleased that his effort had not been in vain.
It was, of course, he who had controlled the Abyssal Beasts earlier, forcing Shenwu Youluan and Shenwu Qing into a desperate situation and separating them in the process.
Why did he do it? Because if the two stayed together, it would have been nearly impossible for him to approach them. Those two feared Shenwu Yanye more than anything. Even if they wished to interact with Yun Wuji, they would remain cautious of each other.
So Yun Wuji had devised this plan to separate them and create an opportunity to get closer. The plan seemed flawless, but once they got to know him better, they would easily uncover the truth. Yun Wuji was not worried at all. By that time, they would be so in love that the matter would hold no importance. On the contrary, it would become a beautiful memory, one they would reminisce about and perhaps even share with their children.
As Yun Wuji approached her, Shenwu Youluan quickly gripped her sword and said, "You..."
"It is good that you are okay. There is no time to talk. Let us leave," Yun Wuji interrupted swiftly, cutting her off before she could speak. He grabbed her hand and transformed into a silver ray, flying away.
The moment they moved, the other three beasts roared and gave chase. Leading them was the White Tiger, relentlessly pursuing them over a long distance.
...
Roar!
On the other side, Yun Wuji's Heretic Body was protecting Shenwu Qing as dozens of Abyssal Beasts surrounded them from every direction.
Standing in front of her, he struck a single Abyssal Beast with a brutal punch, blasting its head and killing it instantly.
At the same time, countless gigantic wind blades shot out from all directions, slashing through the beasts. Many of them were torn apart into multiple pieces on impact.
"..." Shenwu Qing's eyes remained fixed on his broad back, her heart skipping a beat. Even Shenwu Youluan had been stunned for a full ten seconds when she first saw Yun Wuji. Shenwu Qing was much younger and far less experienced, and the moment she laid eyes on him, something inside her stirred and began to blossom.
It was not just Yun Wuji's Godly appearance that affected her, but also the situation she found herself in. At the very moment of her greatest desperation, a peerlessly handsome man descended from the sky, saving her from the claws of death. The sensation of plunging into hell only to ascend to heaven was overwhelming, and being lifted toward the heavens by a being as extraordinary as the man before her was an utterly breathtaking experience.
After violently stomping on the head of the last beast, shattering its skull, Yun Wuji turned to face her with a concerned expression. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"..." Shenwu Qing seemed not to have heard him. She stared blankly for a moment until he reached out and touched her shoulder, prompting her to react. "Yes! Yes! Thank you for saving me!"
"Your injuries are serious. You need to heal quickly," Yun Wuji said with a soft and gentle smile, leaving this nearly one-thousand-year-old, inexperienced woman momentarily dazed. He lifted her up and added, "Let us leave here. The commotion earlier is bound to attract more beasts."
Shenwu Qing did not respond. She followed him silently, her gaze fixed on his side profile. She did not seem to notice that he was holding her hand, something she had never allowed in her entire life. Not even her father had been permitted to hold her when she was born, let alone another man.
After running for over half an hour, Yun Wuji came to a stop. He cautiously surveyed the surroundings before saying, "This place seems safe."
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yun Wuji. I was fighting a group of beasts earlier and noticed that you were in danger, so I decided to help. I hope I did not offend you, miss," Yun Wuji said, letting go of her hand while wearing the same warm, gentle smile.
"Yun Wuji..." Shenwu Qing felt a sudden sense of loss as his hand slipped from hers. She muttered his name softly, immediately realizing that he was the 'unfortunate' man who had been besieged by the Abyssal Beasts earlier.
"I... I... am Shenwu Qing. Thank you for saving my life. I will certainly repay you in the future," Shenwu Qing said. She had considered giving him a false name because of her sensitive identity, but something in his smile made it impossible for her to lie.
"So the beautiful sister's name is Shenwu Qing," Yun Wuji murmured just loud enough for her to hear. Then he said, "Your injuries are very serious. If you do not heal them quickly, it may affect your cultivation. You can heal yourself while I stand guard."
"Thank you," Shenwu Qing whispered, lowering her head. For some reason, her face felt burning hot. Why was she blushing over a simple word of praise?
Doing her best to clear her mind, she sat cross-legged and took a flawless white pill, focusing intently on healing herself. She was so absorbed in her cultivation that it was as if she were afraid to face the person before her.
...
"Finally, we lost that stubborn White Tiger," Yun Wuji said casually as they landed somewhere in the Endless Fog.
Shenwu Youluan quickly pulled her hand from his grip and stepped back a few paces, staring at him with a serious expression. This man had actually held her hand. Holding hands... how lewd of him!
No one had ever touched even the corner of her sleeves aside from her deceased father and her late husband! This was the third man in her entire life to ever do that!
"Is something wrong?" Yun Wuji asked, facing her with a calm tone as if he did not understand what he had done. "Why are you looking at me like that? I was expecting some thanks, not that expression."
Shenwu Youluan took a deep breath and averted her gaze. She had originally wanted to glare at him, but looking at his face made her heart race. Lowering her eyes, she spoke in a slightly gentle tone. "Thank you for saving my life. If it is possible, may I know who you are?"
"Hmm, that is better," Yun Wuji said, nodding approvingly at her attitude. "I am Yun Wuji." He wondered how the two women would react if they discovered that the man who saved them shared the same name.
"Yun Wuji?" Shenwu Youluan frowned at the sound of his name. She had never heard of any expert or clan surnamed Yun with abilities like his, yet for some reason, the name felt strangely familiar. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Could it be... could it be that you are Yun Wuji, the Limitless Sword Demon?"
Although the Eternal Night Divine Kingdom did not bother investigating Yun Wuji, they had still received the news of him defeating the Knight Commanders.
"...That is me, but could you please not call me by that title?" Black lines appeared on Yun Wuji's forehead at the sound of the three words 'Limitless Sword Demon'. If there was one thing he regretted since coming to the Abyss, it was being saddled with this ridiculous title.
"Rumor said you were strong, but I did not expect you to be even more powerful than in the rumors," Shenwu Youluan said, her voice full of astonishment.
"Do not overpraise me. I am not that strong. That was just a petty trick. Otherwise, I would have killed the other three beasts instead of running away," Yun Wuji said calmly, shaking his head. Of course, that was a lie. The real reason he had not killed them was that it would have been a waste of resources. He would rather devour them, as even killing a single beast felt wasteful to him.
"Enough about me. You are badly injured, and the poison from that Wolf's snake is very dangerous. From what I can see, some Abyssal Dust has even entered your wounds," he said, walking closer until they were just a step apart. He pointed at her shoulder, now tinged bluish-black from the poison, and at her other injuries, which bore darkened marks.
Without giving her a chance to speak, he reached out and gently pushed her down. "I will help you expel the poison and the Abyssal Dust and heal your injuries. Relax and focus your profound energy."
"..." Shenwu Youluan instinctively tried to resist, wondering why this man was acting so close. For some reason, she could not pull away, and in fact, his touch brought her an unexpectedly comfortable sensation.
Closing her eyes, she followed his instructions and began gathering her profound energy. As she did, a soft, gentle, and warm sensation enveloped her, like the tender embrace of nature itself, clean and pure, dispelling all the negative feelings inside her.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that she and Yun Wuji were wrapped in a pure, mesmerizing white light. Before she could even begin to understand what the light was, she suddenly noticed faint black smoke seeping from every pore of her body.
"Eternal Night Death Wishing Mark!" Shenwu Youluan cried out in shock. Right now, she could feel it. The curse that had haunted and tormented her for thousands of years was actually being purged!
...
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