Chapter 71: Nothing Can Save Her

They began drilling deeper.

Deeper into Xiran’s “core.”

Everything that made Xiran who she was was hidden there.

The sunset when she was eleven. 

The carving beneath the octopus slide.

The words “forever together.” 

The little girl who had washed the blood from her face after killing someone and then sat in the yard waiting for dawn.  

The days and nights of abuse.  

The moments when Linlin had warmed her.  

All of it was being devoured.

That was why Xiran’s head hurt.

Inside the space.

Linlin finished listening to Ruan Yuan’s explanation.

“What?!”

Her eyes widened.

“Why did it turn out like this?!

I promised to listen to Xiran obediently. Why is she going berserk?”

Linlin shrank her neck. On her left was Xiran’s gaze; on her right was Ruan Yuan’s. 

The two stares swept over her like lasers.

She felt like she might actually die here—killed by the glares of her two “girlfriends.”

If she fainted right now and played dead, would that solve the situation?

The thought flashed through Linlin’s mind.

Two boats… waaah! 

This really made her feel like a total scumbag, stepping on two boats at once.

She wailed inwardly.

But the quest came first.

She sneaked a glance at Ruan Yuan.

Ruan Yuanjie, I’ll definitely make it up to you when we get back…

Ruan Yuan was covered in wounds. 

The shattered halo still floated above her head, and the glowing patterns on her chest flickered.

She had fought with everything she had to tear open the space and save her.

Linlin’s heart ached.

She looked at Xiran.

The small black-haired figure was still hugging her tightly, eyes fixed warily on Ruan Yuan.

Linlin took a deep breath.

The atmosphere was turning dangerous.

Xiran and Ruan Yuan stared at the hesitant Linlin. The tension between them was razor-sharp.

Xiran’s arms were still wrapped around Linlin’s waist, but her other hand had risen.

The air around them began to twist.

Invisible magic power surged once more.

Ruan Yuan stood in place, gripping her blade.

She looked at the Xiran before her.

[Envious Witch Incarnation · Xiran (11-Year-Old Form)]

[Overall Combat Power: 3,000–4,500 Range]

Ruan Yuan quickly scanned the panel.

The opponent’s stats right now were only a little more than twice her own.

She calculated rapidly.

If it had been the several-thousand-meter-tall complete form outside, she would have had no chance.

But this eleven-year-old Xiran… she might actually be able to win.

Ruan Yuan tightened her grip on the blade.

Red energy writhed along the edge.

She took a step forward.

Xiran’s gaze turned even colder.

Her hand rose higher.

The air began to emit a faint ringing sound.

Just as the two of them were about to clash—

Xiran and Ruan Yuan both froze.

A semi-transparent blue panel popped up in front of Ruan Yuan.

It was a friend chat.

A message from Linlin.

[Ruan Yuanjie you big dummy, I’m sorry, I didn’t have a choice. I’ll definitely make it up to you when we get back. Don’t be mad, okay? Waaah~]

Ruan Yuan stared at the words and blinked.

Something inside those white eyes softened.

On Xiran’s side.

Linlin suddenly pulled back a little from her embrace, then hugged her tightly.

“I belong to you.”

Linlin’s voice was muffled against Xiran’s shoulder—soft, but clear.

“I promised I would stay with you always, forever and ever.”

“I won’t break my word.”

Xiran froze.

Her hand was still raised. The magic power around them still surged.

She hugged Linlin back.

But her body slowly relaxed.

She buried her face in Linlin’s small shoulder.

Her voice was tiny.

Like coquettishness, or satisfaction.

Linlin felt something warm on her shoulder.

Were those tears?

She didn’t dare move. She simply kept hugging Xiran.

Then she sneaked a glance toward Ruan Yuan.

The look was obvious:

Sorry! I’ll make it up to you when we get back!

Ruan Yuan received the look.

She stood in place, watching the two small figures clinging to each other.

Her blade slowly lowered.

The red energy blades spinning around her slowed as well.

She sighed.

Linlin heard it.

She wanted to say something in reply.

But before she could—

Suddenly.

Xiran’s body trembled.

“Mmph…”

A very soft, stifled groan.

Linlin froze.

“Xiran?”

She pulled back slightly and looked at Xiran’s face.

Xiran’s brows were furrowed.

Her lips were pressed tight.

As if enduring something.

“Xiran? What’s wrong?”

Linlin panicked.

Xiran didn’t answer.

She simply held Linlin tighter, fingers clutching her clothes in a death grip.

Then—

Rumble.

The entire space began to shake violently.

The golden-red sunset sky cracked open.

The fissures spread like spiderwebs in every direction.

Larger. Denser.

The slide shook. The ground shook. Even the air shook.

“Wh-what’s happening?!”

Linlin steadied Xiran and held her upright.

Xiran leaned against her, breathing heavier.

Linlin looked up at Ruan Yuan.

“What’s going on? What’s the situation now? What exactly is happening?”

Ruan Yuan stood in place, staring at the cracks.

Her eyes searched, sensed.

She spoke, her voice turning grave.

“It’s outside.”

“Jiang Niaoniao… is absorbing Xiran’s magic power.”

“Xiran’s main body is being devoured.”

“So this space is starting to collapse.”

Linlin froze.

Jiang Niaoniao?

She was absorbing Xiran’s magic power?

At the same time, outside the space.

Everywhere the eye could see had been covered by enormous spider lilies.

The city no longer looked like a city.

Everywhere were vivid red flowers.

Gigantic flowers.

Some stems were as thick as century-old trees; petals spread ninety meters wide.

They swayed in the night wind like living things breathing.

The spider lilies’ roots sank deep into the ruins.

Into scorched earth.

Into collapsed buildings.

The entire city had become a sea of spider lilies.

And at the center of that sea stood two colossal existences.

One was the Envious Witch Incarnation · Xiran.

Several thousand meters tall—nearly ten thousand.

Its upper body was a blurry humanoid silhouette with arms spread wide, as if shouting, as if embracing. 

Its lower body was a massive skirt hem woven from countless black and red tendrils.

Those tendrils writhed and squirmed in the night sky like living creatures.

The other was the Jealous Witch Incarnation · Jiang Niaoniao.

She had now grown to several thousand meters tall as well.

A giant humanoid skeleton—deathly white bones with dark red light flowing through the joints.

Draped over the skeleton was a black evening gown that trailed across the ruins like flowing night.

Within the darkness above her head bloomed even more vivid red spider lilies.

They were larger now.

Taller.

They poured from the darkness over her head, spreading in every direction and cascading down onto the ruins.

Onto charred rubble.

Onto still-smoking craters.

The entire wasteland lay beneath her sea of flowers.

Jiang Niaoniao was still burning with inextinguishable fire.

The black-purple flames coiled around her skeleton, danced across her evening gown, and burned among her spider lilies.

But the shadow tendrils had completely seized control of the black dragons.

Countless dark-red, semi-transparent tendrils wrapped around every black dragon like living things.

They enveloped.

They absorbed.

The black dragons thrashed, rolled, and roared.

It was useless.

More and more shadow tendrils swarmed in, denser and denser.

They drained the black dragons’ magic power bit by bit and fed it into Jiang Niaoniao.

Replenishing the damage the inextinguishable fire inflicted on her.

And the spider lilies grew larger.

Taller.

They were absorbing Xiran’s magic power and expanding.

Beneath the spider lilies.

Lin Zhizhi lay on a massive petal.

Her body was covered in severe burns.

She was barely breathing.

Her clothes had been burned away completely.

The delicate skin was gone.

In its place was a large expanse of blackened, charred flesh.

In some places the skin had peeled off, exposing raw red meat.

In others, huge blisters had formed, ready to burst at a touch.

But she was still alive.

Because the spider lilies had wrapped around her.

The inextinguishable fire had been absorbed and no longer harmed her.

Xiao Ye beneath her seemed unharmed.

Lin Zhizhi had shielded her with her own body.

“Lin Zhizhi?”

Xiao Ye’s voice trembled.

“You… you’re not going to die, right…”

“Get off.”

Lin Zhizhi’s voice was weak, but still sharp.

“Okay okay okay.”

Xiao Ye hurriedly crawled out from under her.

Lin Zhizhi immediately collapsed forward.

She was so tired.

From being chased and burned by the inextinguishable fire, to carrying Xiao Ye while running, to being crushed by a collapsing building, to shielding Xiao Ye with her body…

Could she die now?

The thought flickered through her mind.

Xiao Ye stared at her, afraid to move.

All that remained around them were the gigantic spider lilies.

Everything else had vanished.

The city was gone. The buildings were gone. The streets were gone. The people were gone.

Only the flowers remained. Only the two of them.

“Water—bandages—iodine—I’ll go find some!”

Xiao Ye suddenly stood up, voice thick with tears.

“Stop.”

Lin Zhizhi spoke.

Her voice was faint but clear.

“I’m not dead yet. You want to run off and get yourself killed?”

She took a shaky breath.

“I nearly got crippled saving you. If you dare die, I won’t let you go even in hell.”

“Stay right here.”

“But… but—”

“No buts!”

Lin Zhizhi snapped.

Xiao Ye froze.

She stood there for a few seconds, then slowly squatted down and sat in place.

She hugged her knees and buried her face in them.

And began to sob.

“Waa… waaah…”

The sound was tiny.

Lin Zhizhi laboriously rolled over.

She lay on her back, staring at the night sky obscured by spider lilies.

The vivid red petals swayed gently in the night wind.

They sliced the moonlight into thin beams.

I really am an idiot for nearly killing myself to save her.

She thought, her mind beginning to flash with memories like a revolving lantern.

Frame after frame flickered past. She remembered the night Xiran had “punished” her.

Covered in blood, tied to a tree, thinking she was going to die.

That was when this idiot Xiao Ye had run over and saved her.

Saying “As long as there are victims who need help, I will come.”

Saying “My partner, welcome to the path of justice.”

Saying “Hmph~ my partner.”

Lin Zhizhi let out a soft huff.

Idiot.

The sound was so quiet Xiao Ye didn’t hear it.

She simply stared at the night sky veiled by spider lilies.

Her eyelids grew heavier.

Her consciousness grew fainter.

But the corners of her mouth curved up ever so slightly.

At the same time, in another part of the space outside.

Jiang Niaoniao’s giant Jealous Witch Incarnation continued absorbing Xiran’s magic power.

The shadow tendrils pierced into Xiran’s tendrils like countless blood vessels.

Pierced into Xiran’s skirt hem.

Pierced into Xiran’s blurry humanoid form.

Then.

As the Jealous Witch Incarnation, she activated her main magic.

[World-Destroying Shadow]

The ability to control yin-attribute black shadows, devouring all matter, life, and space—even eroding consciousness, memory, and soul.

She began to absorb Xiran’s memories, consciousness, and soul.

That was right.

The shadow tendrils were no longer merely absorbing magic power.

They were devouring Xiran’s memories, consciousness, and soul.