Chapter 101: Chapter 68: I Just Saved You, and You’re Throwing Your Life Away Again

He held her in his arms, gently tapping her soft cheek.

The blades of grass pricked and itched, and he found he couldn’t bear to lay her down and let them prick her delicate skin.

Fu Yuan thought, ’I must be going insane!’

"Jiang Yunnuan, wake up..."

He called her name several times, but she didn’t react at all. After struggling for so long, Fu Yuan was also at the end of his strength, completely exhausted.

’I’m so tired. I can barely keep my eyes open.’

’So sleepy... I need to sleep!’

Darkness crept into the edges of his vision. His huge, black-and-blue wings enfolded her as his head lolled to the side and he collapsed to the ground.

*

「Elsewhere.」

Ming Ye descended on the wind, following their scent, and landed precisely on the stone platform.

’Strange. The scent here is so strong. This must be the last place they were. But why can’t I see anyone?’

’What in the world happened to them?’

Ming Ye frowned, his eyes scanning the area. It was completely deserted; not a soul in sight.

’Could they be in the water?’

His gaze shifted to the dark, terrifying surface of the water below. Suddenly, he saw it begin to bubble. The bubbles were made of blood, a startlingly bright red that slowly stained the inky black water.

The cloying, metallic scent of blood wafted toward him on the wind, and Ming Ye’s expression changed in an instant.

’Why is there so much blood? What in the world happened down there?’

Suddenly, a sharp, agonized cry erupted from the water.

The surface of the water erupted violently, as if a tsunami had struck, throwing up a wave a thousand feet high.

A sea beast of unimaginable size rose with the wave, soaring into the sky. Its body was riddled with wounds, blood spraying from them like a fountain.

Before Ming Ye could even react, he saw the massive beast suddenly explode with a deafening blast.

Gore and chunks of flesh flew in all directions. As some of it hurtled toward him, he quickly raised a hand and summoned his Energy to block the onslaught.

’No wonder the Nine Nether Abyss is called a forbidden death zone. Leaving aside the treacherous waters, any ordinary person who encountered that beast would have been nothing more than a meal.’

With the beast’s explosion, the water’s surface gradually calmed.

Ming Ye narrowed his eyes, peering into the crimson water, and suddenly spotted a flash of dazzling white.

A familiar aura washed over him, and a flicker of surprise showed in his eyes.

’Is that... Jun Yao?’

’Did his bloodline evolve again?’

He sprang into action, his legs transforming into an immense snake tail. He plunged into the water, deftly coiling his tail around the white tiger and bringing it to his side.

The white tiger was unconscious. Its body was covered in wounds, with no part left unscathed. Even its inner core was depleted, completely devoid of Energy.

It was a testament to the brutal battle he had just endured.

’I’ve found this one, but where are Jiang Yunnuan, Fu Yuan, and Si Xie?’

’If I want to find out what happened to them, I’ll have to wake him up first,’ Ming Ye thought. Frowning, he reluctantly reached out and began to transfer his Energy into him.

The moment his Energy entered the inner core, the core seemed to awaken with a mind of its own. It began to ravenously siphon his Energy in return, almost draining Ming Ye dry in an instant.

’Damn it! This guy’s inner core is as much of a monster as he is!’

His vision began to blacken. On the verge of collapsing, Ming Ye cursed through gritted teeth, pulled out the Crystal Stones Jiang Yunnuan had given him, and absorbed them to replenish his Energy.

The five Crystal Stones turned to dust in the blink of an eye.

The battered white tiger finally opened its eyes, staring blankly at the man before it, seemingly unable to comprehend the situation.

"You’re finally awake."

Ming Ye sighed in relief.

’This guy’s a real energy vampire. If he hadn’t woken up just now, I would’ve thrown him right back in the water.’

"What in the world happened? Why did Jiang Yunnuan terminate her contract with you? Where are the others?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

It was only upon seeing Jun Yao that Ming Ye realized *he* was the one who had undergone the Contract Termination.

He had considered Fu Yuan, and even Si Xie, but he’d never imagined it would be Jun Yao.

’Jun Yao and Jiang Yunnuan were so in love with each other. Didn’t they have the strongest bond? How could Jiang Yunnuan bear to terminate her contract with him?’

Overcome with curiosity, Ming Ye found himself being uncharacteristically talkative.

Upon hearing his words, Jun Yao seemed to finally realize what had happened. He shot to his feet and leaped toward the water.

Stunned, Ming Ye quickly lashed out with his snake tail, wrapping it around Jun Yao and yanking him back.

"I just saved you, and now you’re trying to get yourself killed again? If that’s how it’s going to be, then give me back my Energy and my five Crystal Stones first!"

"Let go! Jiang Yunnuan is still in the water! Unless you want to be buried with her, let me go right now! Don’t force my hand!"

He spun around, shifting into his Human Form. His eyes were a horrifying scarlet, blazing with a frightening madness.

Ming Ye frowned. "I can sense it. Jiang Yunnuan is out of danger. She’s perfectly fine right now."

At these words, Jun Yao froze for a moment. Then, all the strength instantly left his body. He collapsed weakly to the ground, his eyes hollow and lifeless, radiating a heart-wrenching aura of despair.