Chapter 37: Lost Little Six Again
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Fang Cheng Lang approached a disciple kneeling on one knee, placing a hand on his shoulder to help him retreat. The others followed suit, mimicking his actions.
Zhang Jun, his eyes brimming with tears, gazed intently at Zhou Jin Yue’s back.
This might be the last time he ever saw their Grand Senior Sister.
Clenching his fists, he swore silently to himself:
Grand Senior Sister, I will be like you one day, protecting the sect and our fellow disciples with my life!
Zhou Jin Yue did not turn back, but she could hear the sound of their retreating footsteps. A contented smile graced her face.
Knowing they could escape safely, she felt no regret.
No, that wasn’t entirely true. There was one lingering regret in her heart.
Junior Sister Yu’s divinations were terribly unreliable!
She couldn’t help but think, I’ll never trust them again.
“Roar—!”
The Scarlet Flame Lion made no move as the disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect retreated. Instead, it leisurely raised its right paw, licking the fur between its claws in an almost disdainful manner, as if it didn’t even register the humans as a threat.
However, just as the last disciple was about to leave the area, it suddenly opened its mouth wide and spewed a blazing red flame.
Simultaneously, it dashed forward like lightning, its powerful limbs propelling it towards the disciples.
“Your opponent is me!” Zhou Jin Yue snarled coldly, shoving a large handful of alchemy pills into her mouth.
A surge of intense spiritual energy coursed through her meridians, nearly causing her body to explode. She suppressed the discomfort, gripping her Dark Golden Longbow in her left hand and rapidly drawing the string with her right.
One after another, golden arrows streaked through the air like a storm, their tails trailing long plumes of light as they shot towards the Scarlet Flame Lion.
The beast didn’t dodge. Instead, the sharp arrows clanged against its body, sparks flying with each impact, but its speed remained unhindered. Within the span of three breaths, it had closed the distance to less than ten miles.
From this proximity, Zhou Jin Yue could see the beast’s flowing whiskers and its chilling, menacing eyes. The oppressive aura of a fourth-tier demonic beast bore down on her.
Her hands trembled briefly before steadying again. She knew her death had to create maximum value. Only by holding the Scarlet Flame Lion at bay could she give her comrades a sliver of hope to escape.
So she couldn’t retreat.
Closer.
Even closer.
…
Meanwhile, Fang Cheng Lang and his group were speeding through the forest, flying swords underfoot. Their movements were unsteady, their paths erratic, rising and falling unpredictably, yet none of them dared to stop for adjustments.
Their eyes burned with hatred, and their spiritual energy was pushed to its limit. The swords howled as they cut through the air.
“Eldest Senior Brother!”
A timid voice suddenly called out from the forest to their right.
“Keep going! Don’t stop!” Fang Cheng Lang commanded the group before veering towards the source of the voice.
“Little Junior Sister, is that you?” he asked anxiously.
From the trees emerged the delighted face of Ye Cong Xin. “It’s me, Eldest Senior Brother.”
Before she could say more, Fang Cheng Lang used his spiritual energy to lift her onto his flying sword. “Hold on tight.”
The sword transformed into a streak of light as it sped off again.
Fang Cheng Lang’s brow furrowed deeply. His face was pale as a sheet, his lips bloodless. Already heavily injured, carrying two disciples while fleeing made the task even harder.
But whenever he thought of Zhou Jin Yue holding off the Scarlet Flame Lion for their sake, his body filled with strength. He had to stay focused; he must lead the team out of Dragon Roar Valley alive.
Yet just then, Lan Zi Yu’s voice rang out nearby.
“Little Junior Sister, where’s Yu Zhao? Why isn’t she with you?”
The words hit Fang Cheng Lang like a hammer, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
He’d only rescued Little Junior Sister. What about Little Six?
Once again, he’d lost her!
His momentary lapse caused his flying sword to wobble out of control. At the back, Ye Cong Xin, seeing their erratic trajectory veering towards a mountainside, screamed in panic.
The scream jolted Fang Cheng Lang back to his senses. Pouring the last of his strength into his sword, he narrowly avoided crashing, but the effort left him completely drained, and he fell from the sky.
“Eldest Senior Brother!”
“Senior Brother Fang!”
The other disciples, already emotionally strained, stopped immediately. They couldn’t bear to lose another comrade.
Lan Zi Yu leaped from his flying artifact, rushing to Fang Cheng Lang’s side and grabbing his hand in worry. “Eldest Senior Brother, are you okay?”
Fang Cheng Lang tightly gripped his hand, his voice anguished. “Zi Yu, Little Six… Little Six didn’t make it. I lost her again!”
“What?” Lan Zi Yu’s face contorted in rage. “Where’s Yu Zhao? Where is she? Let’s go get her right now!”
He turned to leave, but Fang Cheng Lang held him back firmly.
“We can’t go back!” Fang Cheng Lang’s bloodshot eyes locked onto Lan Zi Yu’s.
Lan Zi Yu’s expression twisted as though he’d heard the world’s cruelest joke. “Fang Cheng Lang! That’s Yu Zhao—our Junior Sister! How can you abandon her?”
“I’m the team leader! I can’t risk everyone’s lives for hers alone! Zhou Senior Sister gave her life for us to escape. Do you want her sacrifice to be in vain?”
Fang Cheng Lang’s heart ached, but he couldn’t afford to act recklessly. He had to think of the bigger picture.
Lan Zi Yu collapsed to the ground, devastated. His despondent figure struck a chord of sorrow among the others.
“Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, you can’t save Little Six. She’s already gone to find Zhou Senior Sister.” Ye Cong Xin finally spoke, unable to hold back any longer.
If they wasted time arguing instead of fleeing, they’d be doomed.
Lan Zi Yu and Fang Cheng Lang, along with the others, stared at her in shock.
Even against a fourth-tier demonic beast, Yu Zhao had willingly stepped forward to help. What was she thinking?
“She insisted on helping,” Ye Cong Xin added, her voice trembling. “No matter how I tried to stop her, she called me a coward who only cared about my own life. I didn’t want to burden everyone…”
The group fell silent, their faces darkening.
Yu Zhao’s accusation weighed heavily on their hearts. They had already felt ashamed for fleeing. Her words were salt in the wound.
Taking a deep breath, Fang Cheng Lang staggered to his feet.
“If that’s her choice, then we have no right to interfere. Keep moving. We must leave here before nightfall!”
“Yes, Senior Brother,” the others responded weakly, mounting their swords again.
Just as they were about to leave, a deafening roar erupted behind them. The ground trembled violently as a shockwave swept through the area, scattering dust and debris.
The group turned in horror.
Tears streamed down their faces.
Zhou Senior Sister had fallen.