The spiritual light barrier trembled violently, forcefully taking the fatal blow from Li Mohan and Cangshu Taotian.
Within the green fluorescence, a slender yet resolute figure stood behind Cangshu Bai.
As the mist gradually dispersed, her figure became clearer.
To everyone's surprise, this person was Mu Ran.
Cangshu Bai's pupils suddenly shrank. The severe pain in his chest was instantly replaced by a more violent panic, and he almost roared.
"Mu Ran, leave here!"
Mu Ran, however, had no intention of listening to him. She lowered her hand that was channeling spiritual power, turned around, and showed him a smile. "We made an agreement before: listen to me for trivial matters, and listen to you for major ones. But this time, I want you to listen to me."
Li Mohan could see that Mu Ran was nothing but an ordinary little female cultivator. In terms of strength, she naturally could not compare to him. However, the barrier in front of him was inexplicably sturdy, and he was actually unable to break it.
Looking at the other side, Cangshu Taotian had a gloomy expression. Finally, he sheathed his sword, returning to the calm demeanor of a grandmaster.
He knew that he probably would not be able to kill Cangshu Bai today.
A bloody red mark appeared on Mu Ran's lowered wrist.
The emerald spiritual light barrier protecting Cangshu Bai now had faint red blood vessels surging at its edges. The green light and blood light intertwined. It was clearly the vibrant power of wood spirits, yet she forced it to carry a sense of tragic determination.
Every time the spiritual light trembled, the red mark on her wrist deepened by a fraction, and the blood color in the barrier thickened.
That was because she was using her own heart's essence blood as a conduit to forcefully activate her lifebound spiritual array.
Cangshu Bai was sharp-eyed and caught a glimpse of that piercing red mark at a glance. Looking again at the shield that was no longer pure but mixed with blood, the blood in his entire body almost froze. He tried to stand up and get closer to her, wanting to stop her, but as soon as he moved, he fell heavily forward due to his severe injuries.
Just as he was about to fall into the dust, a figure carrying the fresh scent of vegetation quickly stepped forward and steadily caught him.
Her body was too weak to support his tall frame. Ultimately, her knees gave way, and she fell heavily to her knees in the dirt along with him.
"Cangshu Bai, I am actually very powerful," she laughed softly in his ear. "You didn't know this, but many of the arrays and mechanisms on Biyun Mountain were actually things I studied and played with when I was very young. Before my spiritual roots were shattered and my cultivation destroyed, no one on Biyun Mountain could surpass me in arrays and mechanisms."
Her brisk tone carried a hint of smugness and pride, like a child who could finally show off a long-hidden treasure in front of her sweetheart.
Cangshu Bai was bathed in blood. The scalding blood continuously flowing from his chest soon soaked her lapels, yet he was still forcing himself to use his last bit of strength to cover the wound on her wrist, as if doing so could stop her life from slipping away.
Even his breathing brought tearing pain, and his voice was so weak it was almost inaudible, but he still stubbornly repeated, "Stop... Ranran, I beg you, stop."
All his life, he had unyielding pride, never bowing his head, never begging for mercy.
But at this moment, in order to stop her from depleting her blood and risking her life for him, he shattered all his toughness into pleas.
Two bloodstained hands clasped tightly together; it was no longer possible to tell who the bright red blood belonged to.
Mu Ran, however, acted as if nothing was wrong. Her cold hands cupped his face, and with a slight movement of her fingertips, she could touch the edges of the scars on his face.
"You clearly know that what I like most is this face of yours. Now it is so scarred and not good-looking at all. Cangshu Bai, I have decided not to like you anymore."
A mist suddenly welled up in Cangshu Bai's bloodshot eyes. His fingertips dug tightly into her hand, refusing to loosen even a fraction.
The scalding blood was still dripping down, but he ignored it. His forehead gently rested against hers, his voice as light as a plea, "Go, I beg you, leave me behind and get out of here."
Mu Ran, however, pretended not to see his pain and continued talking to herself. "But for the sake of our time as husband and wife, I've decided to give you a gift."
She didn't want to be heard by others, so she leaned close to his ear and whispered in the air filled with the scent of each other's blood, "I'll tell you a secret. The reason why the daughters of the Mu family are coveted by so many people is because our bloodline is special. Our spiritual blood naturally harmonizes. As long as it is guided by a cultivation method, our heart's blood can connect with another person's life vein, repairing their injured body and nourishing their spiritual roots."
Through their clasped hands, blood continuously flowed from her body into his meridians. The warm spiritual blood traveled along his life vein, frantically repairing his ruptured internal organs and nearly shattered spiritual roots.
Cangshu Bai could clearly feel his originally exhausted spiritual power slowly flowing back. His torn chest no longer hurt intensely, and even his nearly ruined root bone was being nourished and reshaped.
However, not only did he not feel the slightest relief, but a deep-seated panic and unease grew from his bones.
Mu Ran stared into his cloudy eyes, her brows curving into a smile just like the countless gentle moments in the past.
Her face was exceptionally pale, and she seemed to have lost all her strength, yet she nestled into his arms as if acting coquettishly like before. Scalding teardrops fell without warning onto his bloodstained hands.
"Look, aren't I amazing? Even though my root bone is gone and my cultivation is ruined, I can still think of a way to prevent those who treat us like ants from getting what they want."
"Cangshu Bai, I am very happy to have been your wife. I have been very happy these past two years."
"But your face is ugly now, and I don't like you anymore, so you don't need to miss me too much."
"Although you don't need to miss me too much, if you find another sweetheart too quickly, I will be angry!"
"Three years... no, five years, no no no, fifty years!"
"For fifty years, I forbid... I forbid you to fall in love with any other... girl..."
"Just... remember me for these fifty years... After fifty years, forget me..."
The last word was as light as a wisp of smoke. The body leaning in his arms softly went limp, devoid of any warmth. The hand holding him slowly let go, drooping down bit by bit.
The blood mark on her wrist completely faded away. The green and blood-tinged barrier behind them shattered with a loud crash, turning into a sky full of fine specks of light that scattered in the wind.
Cangshu Bai did not roar, nor did he break down. He merely held the gradually chilling person in his arms tightly, his chin resting on the top of her bloodstained hair. His long, black, blood-matted hair covered his eyes, making it impossible to see any expression.
The aura around him was terrifyingly quiet, and even his breathing was so light it almost disappeared.
Seeing this, the killing intent in Li Mohan's eyes surged. Gripping his sword, he stepped on the shattered light and charged straight over. The cold edge of the sword aimed directly at Cangshu Bai's back, intending to kill him with a single strike while his mind and spirit were shattered.
But at the exact moment the tip of the sword was about to touch the fabric of his clothes, an apocalyptic pressure suddenly exploded from Cangshu Bai's body. Li Mohan was forced back, unable to approach even a fraction closer.
