Chapter 2055: Dragon Blood

The spatial tremors grew weaker, gradually giving way to only the earth's upheaval. The Abyssal Scale God's roars and the clash of two supreme divine powers faded into the distance. Yun Che's steps never faltered; he pressed forward with his life in every breath.

With a heavy thud, Yun Che was once again thrown to the ground. He clutched Hua Cai Li tightly, rolling for a long time... This time, he couldn't get up immediately, instead gasping for several breaths. Then, with a sound of grinding teeth, he rose again, re-shielding Hua Cai Li, and continued to rush forward.

His breathing was completely ragged, and his steps were chaotic, but he refused to stop.

Hua Cai Li had never known that someone could suffer such severe injuries and bleed so much, yet still hold her so tightly, never allowing another scratch to mar her body.

Every wound on his body wasn't from the Abyssal Scale God, but... for her life, which was still clinging on.

She rarely owed anyone a favor, but at this moment, she clearly understood that this was more than just a life-saving grace.

It was also at this moment that she personally witnessed the deep affection transcending life and the obsession surpassing will, which her aunt had spoken of. Words she once couldn't comprehend were now so vividly manifested before her eyes, upon her very being.

Who knew how much longer passed? The earth's tremors rapidly diminished, but Yun Che still refused to stop... until he could no longer feel any power vibrations, no longer hear the Abyssal Scale God's roars, only a lingering, dull rumble of power.

With the crisis averted, the sheer willpower that had sustained him seemed to drain away in an instant. Yun Che's speed suddenly slowed, and he abruptly collapsed to his knees, his head hitting the ground. His entire body convulsed and trembled, and he remained there for a long time, unable to stand.

Only the arm clutching Hua Cai Li remained taut, refusing to relax even slightly.

Hua Cai Li's five senses were exceptionally weak, yet Yun Che's violently pounding heart echoed clearly in her ears and soul.

Her fingers slowly rose, brushing past his hair, until they finally gently touched his face, which was streaked with blood and sweat.

This light touch seemed to instantly reawaken Yun Che's briefly fading consciousness. He steadied his breathing, reached out, and gripped Hua Cai Li's jade wrist, which might have drooped from weakness at any moment. The words that came from his mouth were still comforting: "It's... over now..."

He shakily propped himself up, gently and carefully placing his other hand over her heart. A pure, flawless profound light of healing glowed with difficulty yet persistently, healing the wounds on Hua Cai Li's body.

Hua Cai Li parted her lips, a weak, pleading voice escaping them: "Save... yourself..."

Yun Che's actions didn't change. He regulated his breathing, making his voice as gentle as possible: "The moment I saw you injured... I knew for sure that your life... is more important than my own... Saving you... is saving myself..."

"..." Her soul felt as if it had been struck by something heavy, and her body trembled violently in response. Hua Cai Li's lips parted and closed, unable to form words, only tears.

The fierce battle between the Abyssal Scale God and Hua Qingying continued. However, the Abyssal Scale God was constantly attacking in a rage, while Hua Qingying was half defending, half luring it away.

As the Abyssal Scale God's rage became fully focused on her, the speed at which she drew it away even greatly surpassed Yun Che's escape speed.

Yun Che's appearance was a glimmer of hope for Hua Qingying in her despair... but it was merely a glimmer.

She was acutely aware of how severely Hua Cai Li would be injured by the Abyssal Scale God's enveloping attack. It was almost impossible for Yun Che to escape while keeping her safe.

While desperately restraining the Abyssal Scale God, her senses remained firmly fixed on Yun Che and Hua Cai Li.

Like leaves adrift in a raging storm, or wisps of cotton in a sandstorm, they could be easily engulfed at any moment, yet they resiliently moved further and further away.

Yun Che's aura continuously weakened, yet Hua Cai Li's faint, thread-like aura astonishingly remained intact.

Until both of them left her sensory range, truly escaping the danger... Hua Cai Li's aura, just like before, was almost completely undiminished.

The moment their auras faded from her perception, a faint trace of moisture distinctly flickered in the eyes of the Sword Immortal, renowned for her heartlessness and detachment.

Because it was as if a miraculous dream had unfolded. The creator of this miracle was not her, but Yun Che.

She had personally witnessed Yun Che using all his strength to protect Hua Cai Li. And this outcome proved that Yun Che had used his full power in every subsequent moment... No, it should be said that he was protecting her with his very life.

Without hesitation, without distraction. All of Hua Qingying's worries, fears, and reservations instantly vanished, transforming into extreme icy coldness and killing intent.

Her gaze sharpened into a sword, and the Sword of Severed Immortals in her hand flowed with divine light, emitting a clear sword hum.

She slowly raised her gaze, her jade fingers resting on the sword. Body, heart, soul, will, and sword seamlessly merged at this moment. The originally jade-colored sword glow astonishingly transformed into a resplendent, ethereal purple radiance.

The Abyssal Scale God's movements stalled; its enormous body was continuously sliced by invisible, silent sword intent, forming sword marks both deep and shallow.

"Vile beast, die!" Her immortal voice pierced the soul as she brought her sword down.

In an instant, heaven and earth lost their color, and silence fell for thousands of miles.

The profound light of healing was extremely faint, yet it brought Hua Cai Li an increasingly clear warmth, followed by a long-lost sensation of pain.

She knew she had completely escaped the shadow of death.

Feeling the resurgence of Hua Cai Li's life force, Yun Che's spirit relaxed. He could no longer hold on; the profound light in his palm immediately extinguished, and he half-collapsed to the ground.

Without even taking a few gasps, he slowly straightened up again, his face showing such intense joy it was almost tangible: "That's great... I told you... we would be fine..."

His face was crisscrossed with crimson blood, and the parts not stained by it were as pale as paper from excessive blood loss. It was a ghastly sight, yet Hua Cai Li's gaze remained fixed on him, unwilling to look away for even an instant.

At that moment, the surrounding space suddenly fell into dead silence, and the world seemed to lose all sound.

The perpetually dim Mist Sea was, astonishingly, bathed in a dreamy, ethereal purple radiance.

Yun Che instinctively looked up towards the north. In an instant, his pupils contracted slightly.

The northern sky was slashed open by a dazzling purple mark. From a distance, it looked as if the entire vast Mist Sea had been cut in two by this purple mark.

In Yun Che's vision... and in the sight of countless profound practitioners in the Mist Sea, that purple mark, which had cleaved the Mist Sea, lingered for a long time, as if eternally etched into the Mist Sea's firmament, proclaiming the Sword Immortal's ultimate sword might and fury.

Yun Che slowly withdrew his gaze, his scalp tingling. This woman was terrifyingly powerful... Could the Abyssal Scale God have been... No, that's impossible... Before being consumed by the Abyssal Dust, the Abyssal Scale God was a true god-level existence. Even if its power had degenerated, its body retained the foundation of a true god, making it incomparably formidable. Even if a true god descended, it would be extremely difficult to destroy it. And if it suffered severe damage, it would quickly recover within the Abyssal Dust.

With that thought, he felt relieved.

But disaster wouldn't give him a moment's respite. Behind Yun Che, two points of dark light, like ghostly eyes, suddenly appeared. They were the abyssal eyes of an Abyssal Beast.

It was already within ten zhang, yet Yun Che was completely unaware. "Young Master... Yun..." Hua Cai Li whispered tremblingly.

At the same instant, the Abyssal Beast roared, charging directly at Yun Che's back.

It was an early-stage Divine Master, a common wolf-shaped Abyssal Beast in the Mist Sea, which would normally pose no threat to Yun Che and Hua Cai Li. But at this moment, it undoubtedly became a terrifying nightmare, capable of pushing them back into a death trap.

Exhausted, Yun Che's spiritual perception and power were extremely weak. The moment he sensed the approaching danger, he frantically twisted his body, but it was already too late.

As the shadow and nightmarish aura abruptly drew near, the Abyssal Giant Wolf's black-glowing fangs had already clamped down firmly on his head.

With a low groan of pain, Yun Che's hand shot back like lightning, accurately clamping onto the Abyssal Giant Wolf's neck. His fingers pierced flesh and gripped bone, and with a burst of his remaining strength, he violently tore it from his head and flung it into the distance.

Without even glancing at the giant wolf, he quickly lunged in front of Hua Cai Li, picked her up again, and firmly shielded her against his chest as before.

His remaining power was terribly weak; the previous blow couldn't even kill the Abyssal Giant Wolf, which would normally not be worth a second glance.

Just as Yun Che picked up Hua Cai Li, the Abyssal Giant Wolf had also risen again. Blood and wounds stirred its ferocity, and the moment it stood, it lunged forward abruptly, its blood-stained claws flashing with dazzling cold light.

Yun Che's body swayed, and his steps retreated, but as he raised his head, his eyes gleamed with a ferocity even greater than the giant wolf's.

A red light flickered, and the Heaven Smiting Sword appeared. He wielded the sword with one hand, letting out a low roar. The sword blade moved in a distorted trajectory, still heavily striking the giant wolf's body.

Their powers collided, and the Abyssal Giant Wolf was sent tumbling through the air, while Yun Che also staggered backward. Just then, a sinister gust of wind burst forth from the left, lunging directly towards them.

It was another Abyssal Giant Wolf, and what it lunged for was unmistakably Hua Cai Li's position, its two cold, sharp claws rapidly enlarging in her pupils.

Staggering backward, Yun Che twisted his body into an extremely contorted posture, using his back to meet the Abyssal Wolf's claws.

The sound of claws tearing through flesh passed through Yun Che's chest, clearly reaching Hua Cai Li's ears. It pierced even deeper, into the core of her soul.

"Aargh... Ahh!!" The intense pain seemed to fiercely ignite Yun Che's ferocity. He let out a furious, demonic roar, and his heavily injured and depleted body suddenly erupted with a burst of unknown power. The Heaven Smiting Demon Punisher Sword, swinging back, slammed violently onto the giant wolf's body, breaking its form mid-air and exploding into a sky-full of crimson-black blood.

Cold Abyssal Beast blood poured over her, yet Hua Cai Li seemed oblivious. She pressed her body, her very life, tightly against Yun Che's chest.

Your life is more important than mine... How absurd those words sounded, yet he was truly living them with his life...

With another hoarse roar, the other Abyssal Giant Wolf was also shattered by the Heaven Smiting Sword.

The Heaven Smiting Sword crashed heavily to the ground. Yun Che swayed violently, finally collapsing back onto his knees. But his arms still tightly embraced Hua Cai Li, preventing her back from touching the ground stained red with abyssal blood.

There had been no movement from the north for a long time. Hua Qingying's battle with the Abyssal Scale God had concluded.

That purple mark was the Sword Immortal's furious outburst. She must have been concerned about Hua Cai Li's safety, and after they escaped danger, she would immediately shake off the Abyssal Scale God and then find them.

"It's alright, it's alright..." He suppressed his heavy breathing, struggling to speak, proving his safety to Hua Cai Li: "That senior... will find us very soon... then we can..."

ROAR—

A terrifying abyssal beast howl, and it was close by. Yun Che's voice abruptly cut off. Both he and Hua Cai Li instantly recognized it: this was clearly an abnormal Abyssal Dragon's roar!

He slowly turned his head, and at that moment, a massive dark shadow fell over them.

It was a dragon shadow ten zhang tall, its body dark greenish-black, shaped like a horned dragon. Though its body wasn't immense, it radiated an aura comparable to a thousand nightmares. This was clearly the abyssal dragon might of the Divine Extinction Realm.

Even Yun Che at his peak would have a tough fight against this Divine Extinction Realm horned dragon, let alone now.

"..." Hua Cai Li's pupils lost focus. Accompanying this aura was complete and utter lightless despair. It finally came... but it also dragged him down...

The arm holding her tightened slightly, followed by a gentle, fearless voice: "Don't be afraid..." Again, those two simple words, which he had guarded with his life time and time again: "A mere Divine Extinction Realm horned dragon... as long as I'm not dead, I will never give up!"

His plain, unadorned sentence, filled only with determination, was deeply etched into Hua Cai Li's heart. It would influence her for this life and beyond.

Driven by the most primal desire for destruction, the Divine Extinction Realm horned dragon's shadow descended like a mountain splitting the sky. The mere approaching abyssal dragon might was enough to almost crush their bodies into dust.

Yun Che gritted his teeth and looked up, blue light flashing in his eyes. A dragon shadow reappeared, letting out a celestial dragon's roar that was far more soul-shaking than that of the Abyssal Horned Dragon.

The Dragon God was the head of all dragons, and the Dragon God's soul was the supreme soul of the dragon race. Even if consumed by the Abyss, their bones and blood still bore a deep reverence for the Dragon God.

Under the dragon's roar, the Abyssal Horned Dragon's abyssal eyes instantly dulled, and its airborne body completely lost control, plummeting from the sky. The terrifying Divine Extinction Realm dragon might, which had been so formidable, scattered wildly like a breached dam.

The dragon's roar, shaking the void, also made Hua Qingying, who was searching, turn instantly, then transform into a sword gleam and shoot straight towards the source of the roar.

*Thud-Boom!* The Abyssal Horned Dragon crashed heavily to the ground. At that moment, Yun Che, who had been preparing, let go of Hua Cai Li. With a furious roar, he grabbed the Heaven Smiting Demon Punisher Sword and plunged it violently into the Abyssal Horned Dragon's neck.

*Bang!!* Perhaps due to the Abyssal Horned Dragon's power scattering as its soul faltered, or perhaps it was another miraculous burst of strength created by Yun Che's will, with a colossal explosion like a mountain crumbling, the Abyssal Horned Dragon's neck was astonishingly shattered by a single sword strike, deeply pierced through.

From the ruptured neck, crimson-black dragon blood suddenly sprayed out into the sky, drenching Yun Che and Hua Cai Li like a torrential downpour.

And at that very instant, an imperceptible, strange glint flashed deep within Yun Che's grim eyes. A small red bottle silently appeared in his palm. As it shattered, two streams of crimson dragon blood flowed out.

It was none other than the Horned Dragon blood that Mu Xuanyin (Chi Wuyao) had given him back in the Snow Song Realm.

One stream of the un-abyssalized Horned Dragon blood merged with the raining dragon blood, while the other was guided by him into the Abyssal Horned Dragon's wound.

The abyssalized horned dragon's blood was also abyssalized, greatly diminishing its quality.

But the completely pure Horned Dragon blood he had always carried with him was enough to seal all uncertainties.

*ROAR!!* The Abyssal Horned Dragon, breaking free from its soul's collapse, let out an enraged roar. Its newly unleashed terrifying dragon might violently blasted Yun Che away.

However, before it could rise, a stream of light, like moonlight, poured down from the sky, piercing its dragon body as if it were mere cloth.