Chapter 156 Heartbroken and Devastated

Long Yun’s expression shifted drastically. Caught completely off guard, he failed to withdraw his long sword in time. The blade transformed into a fierce, piercing light that struck straight through Liu Xiaoxiao’s right chest, plunging half a foot deep into her flesh before Long Yun finally managed to halt the momentum of his strike.

A pale, wan smile surfaced at the corners of Liu Xiaoxiao’s lips—a smile that seemed like self-mockery, yet carried the weight of a sigh, as though her very heart were shattering into dust!

"You're courting death—" Liu Xiaoxiao let out a mournful cry. Instead of retreating, she advanced, taking two floating steps forward through the void. The Qinghe Wufeng Sword, still buried in her right chest, sank in even deeper.

It drove all the way to the hilt, and fresh blood began to stream down the length of the blade. Struck by sudden, overwhelming horror, Long Yun stared at Liu Xiaoxiao in disbelief, murmuring blankly, "Xiaoxiao—"

Without a word of reply, Liu Xiaoxiao pressed her palms against his shoulders and forced him backward through the air.

None of the Dematic sect experts anticipated such a sudden turn of events. Compounded by Liu Xiaoxiao’s blinding speed, Long Yun was shoved out of the encirclement in a single breath.

"Leave quickly—" Liu Xiaoxiao’s cherry lips parted slightly. With a fierce shove from her slender hand against Long Yun’s shoulder, a surge of internal energy erupted, and Long Yun’s body was sent hurtling backward through the air.

A sharp pang gripped Long Yun’s heart—a pain so profound it felt branded into his very soul. Watching the heavy spray of blood erupting from Liu Xiaoxiao’s lips, his eyes instantly grew misty.

He knew now that he had been wrong. From the very beginning, he had fallen right into Liu Xiaoxiao’s design. The earlier ambush by Yu Lun and the others had never been orchestrated by her.

On the contrary, Liu Xiaoxiao had been searching for a chance to help him all along, willing to take his sword strike head-on if it meant carving out a glimmer of survival for him.

How foolish she was! Pain wrung Long Yun’s heart. As he gazed into Liu Xiaoxiao’s gratified eyes, her final words echoed in his ears: "From this moment on, we finally owe each other nothing!"

To Long Yun, those words sounded unbearably cold. He knew that from now on, the relationship between him and Liu Xiaoxiao might have reverted to the way things once were.

Giving her one last, lingering look, Long Yun’s gaze froze. He no longer hesitated, unleashing the Ascending Dragon footwork and turning to streak away into the distance. Yet, the moment he turned, two crystal tears drifted away on the wind!

"Holy Maiden!" A swarm of Dematic experts surged forward, eager to support Liu Xiaoxiao, but she raised a hand to stop them. In a low, resolute voice, she said, "You are not needed. This time, I will bear it alone!"

Her fingers danced like flying shadows as she struck several pressure points to stem the bleeding. A flash of utter determination crossed her pale, beautiful face, and she silently turned and walked away from the crowd's encirclement.

"Long Yun... sooner or later, I will tear you into a thousand pieces!" Yu Lun muttered through clenched teeth, casting a deep, venomous glare in the direction Long Yun had fled. When she turned back, Liu Xiaoxiao’s slender, graceful figure had already vanished from sight.

"Crash—" The wooden door shattered into splinters as a figure was brutally hurled inside, tumbling across the floor a few times before collapsing there in a pathetic heap.

Yan Qingqing’s delicate brows furrowed. As her gaze fell upon the figure on the ground, she realized with a start that it was none other than Qu Chong. His face was deathly pale at this moment, the mottled bloodstains on his collar shocking to the eye, and his vital breath was completely chaotic—he had clearly suffered severe injuries.

Moments later, Chen Chang and several other experts flooded into the room. Sneering as he looked down at Qu Chong, Chen Chang glanced briefly at Yan Qingqing and said indifferently, "Hmph, this is the price of betraying us. The Qu family cannot protect you!"

Yan Qingqing’s expression changed. Qu Chong must have been discovered helping her and consequently subjected to their wrath; otherwise, this would never have happened.

Yet inwardly, Yan Qingqing was also silently cursing her bad luck. Utilizing the life-force contained within the antidote Qu Chong had delivered, she had been refining the Myriad-Year Profound Mud Fragrance within her body at lightning speed.

She had already refined the greater part of it, and in another half-hour, she would likely have cleansed herself of the poison entirely. But for such a mishap to occur right now made her let out a heavy sigh of frustration.

"Don't worry about me, go—" Qu Chong gasped urgently toward Yan Qingqing, coughing up several mouthfuls of blood consecutively as he spoke, losing even the strength to twitch a finger.

"What on earth are you people trying to do? Don't forget, he is also one of you from the Profound Heaven Realm!" Yan Qingqing said while continuing to refine the poison within her, subtly stalling for time.

Hearing this, Chen Chang burst into laughter and sneered, "Hmph, he's nothing more than trash from the East City. Does he even count as a person of the Profound Heaven Realm? A traitor who eats inside and outside the family—this time, he cannot escape with his life!"

Yan Qingqing’s expression turned grim. Chen Chang and the others had already advanced into the room, and as they felt the abruptly rising temperature within, they simultaneously frowned and shouted, "Not good! This bastard really did give you the antidote?"

Sensing danger, Yan Qingqing realized Chen Chang had lunged forward ahead of the others, reaching out to seize her vital pulse point.

No longer able to focus on refining the poison, Yan Qingqing let out an angry cry. Her slender hand shot out, and the Nine Revolutions Heavenly Fire instantly raged outward, transforming into a sweeping sea of fire that surged fiercely toward Chen Chang!

"Damn it!" Chen Chang’s expression twisted in alarm. He had not expected Yan Qingqing to recover so much of her internal energy in such a short span. Caught completely unprepared, he had no choice but to retreat frantically, bursting all the way back out the door.

"Bastard! To think he ruined everything. I will never spare him!" Chen Chang roared repeatedly, wishing he could tear Qu Chong limb from limb, his face contorted with fury.

With a fierce sweep of his wide sleeve, a gale whistled forth, scattering the flames completely. When he looked back in, he found that both Yan Qingqing and Qu Chong had already vanished without a trace.

"Want to run? It's not going to be that easy!" Chen Chang’s face twisted further. A soaring sword qi erupted from him, stretching a full twenty paces. Leading his subordinates, he gave chase in the direction Yan Qingqing had fled!

No sooner had Chen Chang unleashed this burst of sword qi than dozens of resting experts swarmed out from various rooms, trailing closely behind him in pursuit!

Yan Qingqing hoisted Qu Chong by the collar at the back of his neck with one hand, driving her movement technique to its absolute limit as she sped toward the West City. She knew that once Long Yun emerged from the Sea Forest, he would undoubtedly head to the West City to look for her. Therefore, she had to reach the West City at top speed, hoping to reunite with her brother sooner.

However, encumbered as she was by Qu Chong, and with her internal energy still far from fully recovered, her speed was inevitably severely compromised. Within just a few breaths, Chen Chang and his group had closed the distance significantly.

Yan Qingqing grew secretly anxious, yet she was utterly powerless to change the situation. Chen Chang and the others, by contrast, wore triumphant grins, acting as though Yan Qingqing had already fallen back into their grasp.

"Miss Qingqing, put me down, or you won't escape!" Qu Chong said with great difficulty.

"Shut your mouth!" Yan Qingqing snapped sharply. She knew that the bond between Qu Chong and her brother was genuine; she understood Long Yun well enough to know that he was deeply loyal and emotional. Had he been here, he would never have abandoned Qu Chong to his fate.

Thus, she could not let her brother down! Biting her silver teeth, she drove her speed to the absolute limit!

"Let's see where else you can run!" Having closed to within striking distance, Chen Chang wore a mocking sneer. With a single grab of his hand, a massive, azure-colored hand of vital energy materialized out of thin air, descending to snatch at the crown of Yan Qingqing's head.

Yan Qingqing knitted her brows, parting her lips to emit a piercing, bell-like phoenix cry. She thrust out her free hand as well, curling her fingers into a claw and striking ferociously upward at the sky.

The phantom image of a gigantic phoenix talon slowly expanded from her delicate hand, meeting Chen Chang’s azure giant hand head-on. The two forces collided and exploded outward, the shockwave of their clashing energy accompanied by the shrill screech of tearing air.

Yan Qingqing’s forward momentum was completely halted, and she plummeted toward the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Chen Chang and the others surrounded her once more, trapping her squarely in the center!

Shaking her numb arm, Yan Qingqing set Qu Chong down beside her. Her enchanting eyes flashed with a gravity she had never shown before, locked unwaveringly onto Chen Chang.

"Stinking girl, you actually dared to run? Seems you were finding these days too peaceful. Heh, since you're in such a hurry, fine. Once I capture you, this young master will taste this beauty of mine first and see what makes you so alluring!" Chen Chang laughed lewdly.

Yan Qingqing’s pretty face flushed red, and a murderous intent bloomed around her as her entire body was enveloped in a blazing sea of crimson flames.

A phoenix cried out long and clear. In midair, a phoenix measuring several dozen zhang in size, wreathed in the Nine Revolutions Heavenly Fire, radiated an oppressive, peerless majesty.

"Hmph! At your peak, I might have had some reservations. But now? Let's see how you can possibly be my match!" Blue light flickered across Chen Chang’s arm as a long sword materialized in his palm. He slashed downward through the air, sending a massive wave of sword qi fully twenty paces long screaming forward!