Chapter 1085: Blood Oath

In the Secret Land of the Wood Spirits, a cold wind whistled.

Yun Che gathered all the deceased Wood Spirits. He Lin knelt there, alone, bidding farewell to each one. Then, with a gentle push of Yun Che's arm, they were buried deep in the land that had once belonged solely to them.

Though not by his intention or desire, he was the primary cause of this tragedy, and the guilt in Yun Che's heart was inexpressible. He took a deep breath, knelt on both knees, and performed nine profound kowtows.

He extended his hand; in his palm lay the bracelet made of various flower and plant seeds. It emanated not only the aura of nature and the spiritual energy of a Wood Spirit but also held the budding heart of a young girl.

He parted the earth with his hand, carefully burying the bracelet. Yun Che looked up, his mind filled with the clear gaze of the Wood Spirit girl and her voice, so pure that even the breeze would be reluctant to scatter it. He softly said, "Qinghe, I, this devil who brought disaster upon your clan, am unworthy of such a beautiful gift from you. May you in your next life... be treated kindly by fate."

He Lin remained kneeling, but not a single tear fell from his eyes, nor did he show any strong emotional fluctuations throughout. This made Yun Che feel increasingly suppressed and uneasy.

"He Lin," Yun Che said, patting his shoulder, "Stay by my side from now on. I will help you find another safe place. You once mentioned wanting to become my disciple; though I don't think I can be a proper master, if you still insist, I will no longer refuse."

His pursuits and circumstances were utterly unsuitable for having a disciple who would be a great burden—especially a Royal Wood Spirit who could bring immense disaster at any moment. But... the unprecedented surge of guilt made it absolutely impossible for him to abandon He Lin.

He Lin showed no excitement, nor did he nod or shake his head. He turned his face towards Yun Che and offered a very soft, faint smile... His gaze was still as clear as crystal, but it carried a profound sorrow that should not belong to his age.

"Brother Yun Che," he said with a smile, "For some reason, your life has been diminished... That happened quite recently, didn't it?"

Yun Che was startled, then slowly nodded.

Against the Ancient Horned Dragon, he had forcefully used 'Moon Smiting Starfall,' a power that defied laws, logic, and even the Heavenly Way. The price for this was a permanent reduction in his lifespan! The sensation of his life being forcefully severed was indescribable, yet a pain so extreme it was almost unbearable. Though the agony was brief, merely recalling it made his soul tremble now. Along with this severing pain came a vague premonition... that if he continued to use Moon Smiting Starfall, given his current vitality, he would die within four or five more uses, his life force utterly depleted.

"Indeed," He Lin continued to smile, "We Wood Spirits have a special sensitivity to life force. In fact, I sensed this the moment I first saw you, Brother Yun Che—a very serious loss of life. If it's not mended in time, you'll live many years less. It's only fair that someone as good as Brother Yun Che should live for a very long time."

"...Don't worry, I'll find a way," Yun Che said casually. He then cautiously scanned his surroundings. "He Lin, let's leave here first. I just killed their people, and that sect, the Dark Soul Divine Sect, must have noticed. More villains will arrive here soon."

"Don't worry, unless I die, I won't let anyone harm you again," Yun Che stated with unwavering determination.

"Thank you, Brother Yun Che. Your words truly make me happy," He Lin's smile deepened. A strange light also appeared in his eyes as he looked at Yun Che. "Before, I always thought fate was cruel, but to meet you at the end of my life—it seems the God of Nature truly favors me."

Yun Che shook his head, a mix of emotions swirling within him, but then a jolt went through him...

'The end of my life!?'

In that very instant, he suddenly felt He Lin's life force rapidly vanish, like air leaking from a punctured balloon. He Lin's face still held a smile, but his frail body slowly began to fall backward.

"He Lin!!"

Yun Che's face drained of color as he frantically stepped forward and caught him... He Lin's body was limp, his temperature slowly dropping, and his life force continued to drain away at an alarming rate.

"What... what's happening?" Yun Che's eyes widened, then he suddenly realized something and exclaimed in shock, "You... you destroyed your Wood Spirit Pearl?!"

"He Lin!" Yun Che roared, desperately gathering spiritual energy from the heavens and earth with his hands. But this spiritual energy immediately dissipated after entering He Lin's body. "He Lin! What... what are you doing?! Why would you do this?"

How could this be!? Why is this happening...?

I should have noticed something was wrong sooner!

"Brother Yun Che..." He Lin's voice grew faint. He looked at Yun Che and softly said, "I knew you wouldn't abandon me, but how could I... Uncle Qingmu was right; Brother Yun Che will surely become a very great person in the future, and you are my lifesaver. How can I... become a burden to you..."

Yun Che's soul felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and his entire body trembled violently. He roared, "What burden! How could you be my burden! You... didn't you want to become my disciple, to become as strong as me to protect your people! Get better quickly... You will be fine, there must be a way!!"

Yun Che gasped for breath like an ox, his Grand Way of the Buddha working to its absolute limit, but... He Lin's body continued to show only the loss of life, pushing Yun Che to near despair.

No... there must be a way!

Quick, think of a way to save him!!

I clearly caused the death of all his clan members around him. He should resent me, hate me, even kill me... Why is it like this instead!!

All the other Wood Spirits here died because of me; how can I let He Lin also...

"Brother Yun Che, can you... grant me a selfish request?" He Lin whispered softly.

"Tell me... whatever the request, I will grant it," Yun Che roared without hesitation, stubbornly channeling the power of the Evil God.

"Please... find my sister... for me..."

"Good!" Yun Che nodded, his voice trembling with each word. "I will find her... I will definitely reunite you two siblings!"

He Lin weakly shook his head. "I know my request is excessive, very selfish... but I... have no choice, there really is no other way..."

Tears, finally, flowed freely at this moment, dripping onto Yun Che's body. An overwhelming wave of profound pain and sorrow instantly enveloped him. He Lin's words, too, were now tinged with tears: "I am the last Royal Wood Spirit of my entire clan, carrying the last hope of my people... But I am so useless... I couldn't protect my sister, couldn't protect my clan members... I couldn't do anything... Even if I continued to cling to life, I would only harm Brother Yun Che, who has been so kind to me... Useless me... I can't find my sister, nor can I protect her... I can only... selfishly ask Brother Yun Che..."

"Don't say anything more," Yun Che's chest felt so heavy he could barely breathe. He said in a hoarse voice, "Don't worry, even if I have to scour the entire God Realm, I will definitely find your sister! I will protect her... Whoever tries to harm her, I will kill them! Even if it costs me my life, I will absolutely not let her suffer any harm! I swear... I swear!!"

With tear-filled eyes trembling violently, He Lin slowly raised his arm. "Thank you, Brother Yun Che, this is the only... thing... I can give you in return..."

His tightly clenched hand slowly opened, and a pure emerald light instantly pierced from Yun Che's eyes straight into his soul.

A Wood Spirit Pearl...

This Wood Spirit Pearl was half the size of the one Yun Che had just acquired, yet under its spiritual energy and light, Yun Che felt as if he had suddenly entered another world. His eyes, body, and even his soul seemed to be gently and slowly cleansed by pure flowing water.

Bathed in the emerald spiritual light, Yun Che was momentarily stunned.

This was He Lin's Wood Spirit Pearl.

It wasn't an ordinary Wood Spirit Pearl, but a Royal Wood Spirit Pearl... something even beings like the Brahma Monarch God Realm yearned for.

Moreover, it was a Perfect Royal Wood Spirit Pearl—one that even the Brahma Monarch God Realm would never dare to dream of, and which had never truly appeared in the entire history of the God Realm!

"Although... I am very useless... but... my Wood Spirit Pearl is an amazing thing," He Lin said, holding his Wood Spirit Pearl and slowly moving it closer to Yun Che's chest. "It can grant Brother Yun Che fifty thousand years of lifespan, as well as abilities unique to us Wood Spirits..."

'Fifty thousand years of lifespan!?'

In this chaotic world, perhaps only a supreme God Master could possess a lifespan of fifty thousand years!

"When I was very young... my parents said... my Wood Spirit Pearl was very special. It was a seed of miracles, hoping that one day... it truly could... bring miraculous power to Brother Yun Che..."

The emerald light slowly drew closer. Yun Che, who had been long entranced by the strange aura, finally awoke as if from a dream and frantically roared, "He Lin! I don't need your Wood Spirit Pearl! Take it back immediately... Ah!"

The Wood Spirit Pearl touched Yun Che's chest... and then, like a droplet gently falling into a still lake, it silently merged into Yun Che's body...

Though it was clearly a foreign object, Yun Che's body showed not the slightest hint of rejection!

A streak of emerald light immediately spread from Yun Che's chest, quickly covering his entire body. In an instant, immensely pure yet incredibly vast streams of life force rapidly germinated and flowed through every corner of his being...

His pale small hand slowly fell. Feeling the transformation in Yun Che's life force, a satisfied, faint smile appeared on He Lin's small face. At this moment, his eyes slowly closed...

"Father... Mother... Lin'er can finally... see you again..."

His voice slowly faded, and his last breath of life vanished completely as a cruel, gentle breeze swept by...

"He... Lin..."

Yun Che uttered the most desolate sound of his life and slowly knelt to the ground.

A soft glow—

His hands suddenly felt lighter. The He Lin in his embrace glowed with emerald light, then, like light snow scattered by the wind, transformed into countless dancing green light particles, drifting down towards the land where the deceased Wood Spirits were buried.

Immediately, blades of emerald grass burst from the soil and grew rapidly, turning the area verdant in an instant. Following this, hundreds of flowers bloomed, covering the entire land where the Wood Spirits rested.

Perhaps, this was He Lin's final protection for his clan.

Yun Che remained kneeling there, motionless, as if turned into an ice sculpture, until the still-growing emerald grass and blooming flowers obscured his body.

Bang!!

He slammed a fist fiercely into his own chest, and Yun Che spat out a large mouthful of blood. His arms instantly braced against the ground, but then he abruptly looked up, his lips stained with blood, and his eyes burning with a hatred like that of a Yama from purgatory.

"Dark... Soul... Sect..."

"If I don't bathe your entire sect in blood... I, Yun Che... swear I am not human!!"