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Chapter 357: Rong Ruihan’s Sacrifice, Punishment for Betrayal

Translator: Minotauruz

Rong Ruihan had chosen to leave Jun Xiaomo behind because he no longer wished to be a burden to her. Jun Xiaomo only had two pieces of Invisibility Talismans remaining within her Interspatial Ring. If both were left to her for her use only, she would be able to survive for another eight hours before their effects finally wore off. However, if Jun Xiaomo gave one of her two remaining Invisibility Talismans to him, they would each only be able to hold on for another four hours.

There was a period of time when Rong Ruihan thought in his heart that he wished to perish together with Jun Xiaomo. However, as he continued to be exposed to more and more people who appeared to have been tormented within the spirit tool for hundreds and even thousands of years on end, he simply couldn’t tolerate the notion of allowing Jun Xiaomo to perish with such a fate.

The spirit tool’s domain was incredibly peculiar. It was evident that the reprieve of death would never be on the horizon even if one were felled by the relentless barrage of fireballs. As long as a person remained within the spirit tool, his fate was to live a life worse than death itself.

Rong Ruihan had seen the remnants of some captives who had already been reduced to nothing more than a pile of bones, yet these bones continued to cackle madly, almost as though they had begun to enjoy the ecstasy accompanying the immense, excruciating pain of their torment.

Rong Ruihan could not bear to see Jun Xiaomo become like this. Thus, he steeled his resolve and decided to cede the hope of living on to Jun Xiaomo, resigning himself to a fate of being tormented for all eternity.

He had already braced himself for death as soon as the Invisibility Talisman on his body lost its effects. He did his best to avoid the fireballs hurtling towards him. However, the number of fireballs and the speed at which they hurtled towards him only continued to increase. Thus, as time went on, he began to find more and more fireballs striking him squarely on his body.

“Ungh...” Rong Ruihan could no longer hang on, and he collapsed to the ground.

His mind and body were already numb to the excruciating pain by now. As he gnashed his teeth, he also exclaimed in his heart – I guess I’d still ended up drawing the shorter straw this time. I’d thought that this was the prime opportunity to soften Xiaomo’s heart while ingratiating Ye Xiuwen. Who would’ve thought that I would meet my demise like that?

Ah, that’s right. Perhaps I wouldn’t die just like that. My soul would remain trapped here, subject to an endless torment until I grow mad.

Rong Ruihan lay motionless on the ground amidst the pitch-black darkness. He had already lost all use of his limbs by now, and he was completely subject to the mercy of the relentless barrage of fireballs.

He had always thought that his final moments would be filled with thoughts of reluctance, regret and disappointment. However, the only thing that was on his mind right now were the images of Jun Xiaomo’s radiant smile – those that he had seen in both her previous life and their current life.

She wouldn’t forget me after such a huge sacrifice on my part, would she?

Even though Jun Xiaomo had mentioned that the only person she had ever loved in this life was only Ye Xiuwen, Rong Ruihan knew better. He knew the extent of Jun Xiaomo’s softheartedness, and he knew that his death in the spirit tool would most certainly leave an indelible mark within Jun Xiaomo’s heart.

Perhaps such an end isn’t too bad either.

Rong Ruihan placated himself by focusing on the silver linings right now. That said, he could never deny the lingering regrets and remorse that were stirring slightly in the depths of his heart.

He found it rather remorseful that the only thing that accompanied him in the final moments of his life were the unending darkness and intense stench of blood, while the person whom he wanted to see the most was probably still fervently scrambling about, searching high and low for him. Unfortunately, he would never be able to see her again...

Rong Ruihan shut his eyes with some measure of despondence. The faint whistling sounds of hurtling fireballs gradually drew closer and closer. However, he was at peace – he was as ready to face death as it got.

“Brother Rong!” A familiar, choking voice resounded just beside his ears. Rong Ruihan’s fingers trembled, and he struggled to open his eyes once more.

He was hoping that the voice beside his ear was nothing more than an illusion. Yet in the very next moment, he felt himself pulled into the warm embrace of a soft bosom. As soon as he opened his eyes, he noticed the corners of a fiery-red garment flowing before him.

“Brother Rong...” Jun Xiaomo cried out miserably as she embraced Rong Ruihan. She knew no other emotions at this very instant apart from the pain and sorrow that was gripping her heart.

A large bead of tear slid off Jun Xiaomo’s cheeks and landed on Rong Ruihan’s clothes.

No, perhaps what remained could no longer be considered clothes. After all, the relentless battering of fireballs on Rong Ruihan’s body had already left his body covered in grotesque wounds and gruesome burns, and the parts of his body that Jun Xiaomo was embracing right now was nothing more than his raw, exposed flesh.

“Invisibility Talisman...” Rong Ruihan opened his eyes and painfully eked out a few words, “Why didn’t you use...Invis...Talisman...”

“You didn’t use it, so why should I?!” Jun Xiaomo gritted her teeth as she castigated Rong Ruihan. Her bloodshot eyes were filled with sorrow and grief.

“Use...use it...” Rong Ruihan struggled to catch his breath as he finally managed to speak a few more words.

He had already noticed the wounds on Jun Xiaomo’s body, and it was obvious to him that Jun Xiaomo had rushed straight over while dodging the relentless fireballs as soon as the previous Invisibility Talisman had lost its effects.

“I’ll only use it if you use it!” Jun Xiaomo muttered resolutely as she stared at Rong Ruihan, “Otherwise, I’m not going to use it either.”

“No...” Rong Ruihan furrowed his brows, “Not enough...”

“Who says that there won’t be enough? Two Invisibility Talismans would be sufficient for another four hours of usage. We’ll leave it to fate whether we can escape within the next four hours or not.” Jun Xiaomo clenched her fists tightly as she continued unyieldingly.

Rong Ruihan mustered all of the strength in his body and gripped tightly onto Jun Xiaomo’s wrist. He felt as though he had so much to say, yet nothing came out, no matter how hard he tried.

The fireballs had already damaged his throat and his vocal cords, and speaking was naturally getting increasingly harder for him.

Jun Xiaomo grabbed Rong Ruihan’s hand and peeled it off her arm with some strength. Then, she retrieved the Invisibility Talismans from her Interspatial Ring and attempted to apply it right onto Rong Ruihan’s body.

“Don’t...” Rong Ruihan finally eked out yet another word. He wanted so much to tell Jun Xiaomo not to waste her Invisibility Talismans any further.

“Brother Rong, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I’m not going to leave you behind like that.” Jun Xiaomo looked at Rong Ruihan as she declared.

Her words struck Rong Ruihan’s heart like a bolt of lightning, and feelings of bitter astringency began to spread from the depths of his heart once more.

If the only person you’ve ever loved was Ye Xiuwen, why do you continue to treat me like this...

Outside, Ye Xiuwen’s gaze only grew more frigid by the minute ashe continued to watch the interaction between Jun Xiaomo and Rong Ruihan. The swirling darkness in his eyes appeared to have grown deeper and more intense in colour as well.

Recognizing the prime opportunity unfolding before her very eyes, Zhang Shuyue began to add fuel to fire as she remarked, “Brother Ye, look there! Look at what Jun Xiaomo is doing! Is that really the behaviour of a woman without feelings for the man?”

“Shut up! Zhang Shuyue, how could you possibly know anything about Xiaomo’s feelings towards Martial Brother Ye?! Back when Martial Brother Ye fell into the Death’s Gorge, Jun Xiaomo was so stricken with grief that she had time and time again even thought to dive right into the Death’s Gorge just to look for him!” Chen Feiyu bellowed indignantly, interrupting Zhang Shuyue’s spiel.

Chen Feiyu had finally realized that Ye Xiuwen was not truly unconcerned for Jun Xiaomo. Rather, he had for some strange reason simply begun to grow jealous of Jun Xiaomo’s interactions with Rong Ruihan, and his decision to leave Jun Xiaomo to suffer within the spirit tool was clearly borne out of spite.

Thus, Chen Feiyu’s intention was to stir Ye Xiuwen’s feelings for Jun Xiaomo that were presently locked away in the deepest parts of his heart, reminding him of the sacrifices Jun Xiaomo had made for Ye Xiuwen.

“But she didn’t jump down in the end, did she?” Zhang Shuyue continued to mock contemptuously, “You make her sound so noble. But when all is said and done, hasn’t everything she’s done been nothing more than a calculated act to stir Brother Ye’s guilt and remorse so that he would reciprocate her feelings?”

In that instant, Ye Xiuwen’s pupils constricted, and his emotions flared up.

“Silence!” Ye Xiuwen barked. Nobody knew whether he was addressing Zhang Shuyue or Chen Feiyu when he exploded in rage.

Regardless of who it was directed to, the fact remained that the oppressive aura bursting out from Ye Xiuwen’s body right now was simply far too intense, and neither Zhang Shuyue nor Chen Feiyu dared to provoke him any further. Both of them immediately shut their traps and silenced themselves.

Zhang Shuyue glared hatefully at Chen Feiyu as she cursed in her heart. At the same time, she made a mental note to herself that she would most certainly continue to smear Jun Xiaomo’s name if the opportunity arose later. She was hell bent on keeping Jun Xiaomo trapped forever within the spirit tool if she could help it!

Meanwhile, just as Ye Xiuwen’s intense emotions blazed in the depths of his eyes, tens of fireballs that were already hovering about in mid-air immediately shot straight towards Jun Xiaomo and Rong Ruihan.

Jun Xiaomo’s heart and mind were fixated on the man in her bosom right now, and she hardly bothered to avoid the barrage of fireballs at all. That said, there was no doubt that Jun Xiaomo would be thoroughly disfigured or even perish if these fireballs were to crash onto Jun Xiaomo’s body.

Ye Xiuwen’s fingers tensed up slightly. In the very last moment, just before the fireballs struck Jun Xiaomo squarely on the body, they changed trajectory and swerved mid-flight, striking a spot that was merely one meter away from where Jun Xiaomo was.

Zhang Shuyue and Chen Feiyu did not notice the slight movement in Ye Xiuwen’s fingers. That said, they clearly saw the tens of fireballs change trajectory mid-flight, just before it crashed onto Jun Xiaomo. Thus, both of them immediately turned to stare at Ye Xiuwen, completely aghast.

After all, who else apart from Ye Xiuwen possessed the ability to change the trajectory of the fireballs like that?

Whilst jealousy and hatred poured into Zhang Shuyue’s heart once more, Chen Feiyu heaved a huge sigh of relief in his heart – It seems like Martial Brother Ye’s feelings for Little Martial Sister still runs deep, and he still can’t bring himself to hurt her.

That said, I wonder when Martial Brother Ye is willing to release Little Martial Sister?

Inside the spirit tool, Jun Xiaomo’s focus remained completely transfixed on Rong Ruihan’s body and the innumerable wounds plaguing him. Thus, she was completely oblivious to the peculiar sight that had just unfolded.

Currently, she was gripping tightly onto the Invisibility Talisman, motioning to apply it onto Rong Ruihan’s body. Outside, it was obvious that Ye Xiuwen had clearly noticed every single bit of her movements. Zhang Shuyue smirked knowingly as she cast a contemptuous gaze at Jun Xiaomo, while Chen Feiyu and the other Heavenly Peak disciples looked worriedly at Ye Xiuwen.

Given Ye Xiuwen’s condition right now, it was obvious that he was only going to grow more incensed the more Jun Xiaomo did for Rong Ruihan.

Presently, Ye Xiuwen’s rationality had already been consumed by the darker, vile energies within his body, and his conduct could no longer be interpreted through the lenses of a normal, rational person. In fact, none of the onlookers had any doubt that the manifestation of his intense jealousy might very well cause him to do something that he would regret for the rest of his life.

As soon as Ye Xiuwen noticed how Jun Xiaomo was motioning to place the Invisibility Talisman onto Rong Ruihan’s body, his eyes turned incredibly frigid.

Ye Xiuwen’s lips thinned out into a tight grimace as he waved his hands. Just like that, yet another barrage of tens of fireballs hurtled straight towards Jun Xiaomo once more!

“Martial Brother Ye!” The Heavenly Peak disciples cried out in unison. None of them were a match for Ye Xiuwen, and there was no way they would be able to snatch the spirit tool away from him. Thus, they simply watched in despondence as the fireballs swept towards Jun Xiaomo in a concerted fashion.

What’s going to be left of Martial Sister Xiaomo if these fireballs hit her?!

Although Jun Xiaomo was oblivious to the impending barrage of doom that was converging right in her position, Rong Ruihan noticed every last bit of it. Mustering the very last reserves of his energy, he charged straight into Jun Xiaomo, knocking her back several inches. Just like that, the fireballs swept right past their arms and crashed directly into the ground.

Truth be told, the fireballs had changed trajectory just as they were about to crash into Jun Xiaomo, and Rong Ruihan’s attempt to rescue Jun Xiaomo had nearly sent her straight into the fireballs new path of travel.

That said, Jun Xiaomo and Rong Ruihan were naturally unaware of this fact. Right now, Jun Xiaomo could only feel the weight of Rong Ruihan’s body pressing against hers. Rong Ruihan’s actions had depleted the very last reserves of energy within his body. If not for the fact that he possessed an immeasurably strong fortitude and willpower, he would have passed out long ago.

“Brother Rong...” Jun Xiaomo struggled to push him away slightly.

On the other hand, as the orchestrator of this event, Ye Xiuwen was hardly ignorant about what had just happened. His cold, frigid gaze was laced with a fiery intensity right now. Then, as soon as Jun Xiaomo attempted to apply the Invisibility Talisman onto Rong Ruihan’s body once more, the raging inferno of jealousy in his eyes burgeoned yet again with greater intensity!

With a single wave of his sleeves, three Wind Blades shot straight through the darkness, slicing up the Invisibility Talisman in Jun Xiaomo’s hand and leaving three deep gashes on Jun Xiaomo’s palm.

Rather than describing this as a manifestation of his fury, it might be far more accurate to say that this was a warning of sorts – one that cautioned Jun Xiaomo not to cheat on him any further.

Jun Xiaomo stared at her wounds in bewilderment for a moment before glancing anxiously about at her surroundings – Why did these three Wind Blades possess Martial Brother Ye’s aura?! Could Martial Brother Ye be trapped in this place as well?!

Outside, as Ye Xiuwen stared intently at the nervous expression on Jun Xiaomo’s face, his eyes began to be glazed over by an intense frostiness.

Not enough...they haven’t been sufficiently punished yet...

Traitors must be punished for their betrayal!