The pear tree on the wall is snowy and delicate

Chapter 488 The Dust Settles Down: The Twin Blossoms
The Shadow Demon in the cage turned into a pool of blood, sizzling and bubbling, but it never took human form again; the eerie light in the Rust Demon's eye sockets dissipated, and as its head fell to the ground, all the other bones crumbled away, leaving only a tattered cloak covering it.

Without the Demon Lord, they lose their reason for existence; they return to where they came from.

"The Demon Lord is dead?"

Ado stared incredulously at the motionless Demon Lord, his tone filled with disbelief.

"The Demon Lord is dead..."

As if murmuring, yet seemingly uncertain, with Zhan Li's repeated affirmation, A Dao's emotions gradually transformed into surprise as he continued to talk to himself.

"The Demon Lord is dead!"

Despite Zhanli's attempts to stop him, Adao, enduring his own pain, helped Zhanli to his feet and shouted towards the battlefield below the steps:

"The Demon Lord is dead! We don't need to fight anymore! The Demon Lord is dead! We don't need to fight anymore!..."

The childish voice repeated itself over and over again, like a victory horn, reaching every corner of the Demon Palace.

"It's over! It's all over! No need to fight anymore..."

The last sentence was like a murmur to himself, as if he had used up all his strength. As soon as he finished speaking, he could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground, crying loudly.

ended……

It's finally all over...

This journey...

It was so difficult...

The demon soldiers went from looking at each other blankly at the beginning to finally abandoning their armor and weapons, but none of them were as dejected as one might expect.

Although they share the same origin, times have changed, and in truth, they have long since severed ties with the royal family. Now they are nothing more than ordinary demons, just like ordinary people in the mortal world.

They cannot transcend class distinctions, nor do they care who becomes the Demon Lord; all they want is a peaceful life.

These small needs are a luxury in the Demon Realm.

Now that the Demon Lord has passed away, these demons are relieved—they no longer have to risk their lives...

There are those who are just trying to make a living, and there are also those who are loyal and devoted.

Upon hearing the news of the Demon Lord's death, Guihua let out a mournful howl and, dragging her remaining half-body, twisted and crawled toward the main hall.

Your Majesty... Your Majesty...

Even with her fingers mangled and bones exposed, Guhua did not stop for a moment, crawling with difficulty, her blood staining the long steps.

Your Majesty... Your Majesty...

On the dark floor tiles, a trail of blood mixed with bits of flesh and entrails stretched down from beneath her, a truly gruesome sight.

However, there were far too many steps, and his already weakened body struggled for a long time, but in the end, he still couldn't climb to the Demon Lord's side.

Guihua died on the long steps of the Yin Ruins Palace. She was only seven steps away from the Demon Lord, but she could never reach him again.

As she lay dying, Guihua stretched out her hand, straining to reach the Demon Lord, as if only in this way could she touch him.

But this mere distance became a regret that Guhua could never overcome...

Bo Yan's body began to disintegrate, like ashes from burnt paper, scattering into the air piece by piece.

The same applies to the Guhua.

Demons are born against the heavens and are not tolerated by the world. Once they die, they are reduced to ashes.

Watching the Demon Lord gradually dissipate until he completely disappeared, Long Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.

Pain swept through his body instantly, and Long Qi lost his balance and fell to the ground, but he did not let go of Lingxiang in his arms, for fear that she would be hurt again.

"It's over, Lingxiang, it's all over..."

Long Qi leaned down and whispered in Ling Xiang's ear, as if afraid of startling her, but Ling Xiang did not respond.

"Lingxiang? Lingxiang?" Only then did Long Qi realize something was wrong, and his heartstrings tightened again.

Lingxiang's lips were deathly pale, her breath was faint, and her body was ice-cold; she was completely devoid of life.

"Uncle Chengxin! Uncle Donghui!" Long Qi panicked. "Chiyanzi!..." He called out to everyone he could think of who could save Lingxiang.

Everyone quickly gathered around, but Su Tong stood on the periphery as if she were an observer.

Chi Yanzi was the first to probe Lingxiang's pulse point. Among those present, no one had a higher level of medical skill than him, after all, he was the personal disciple of Fairy Tumi.

However, just by placing it on Lingxiang's pulse point, Chi Yanzi was startled and broke out in a cold sweat.

"The oil has run out and the lamp has burned out!"

What? How could this be?
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, and Adao was so frightened that he burst into tears.

Although Lingxiang was seriously injured and lost blood, it was not fatal, and she did not have any internal injuries. How did she end up at the point of exhaustion?

“It’s the Thread-Suspension Technique,” ​​Su Tong suddenly said.

Chi Yanzi didn't have time to ask who Su Tong was, nor did he have time to investigate why she knew about the Suspended Silk Technique. All Chi Yanzi wanted to do now was save Ling Xiang.

“I have seen Master use the technique of suspending people to save them, but it only involves diverting some of his energy to sustain their lives. Even if Junior Sister’s cultivation level is not high, it is certainly not to the point of being fatal.”

“But if the Rejuvenation Pill is used as a catalyst, that could be fatal,” Su Tong said, looking at Long Qi.

Chi Yanzi didn't understand at first, because Fairy Tu Mi had told him that the Rejuvenation Pill couldn't bring the dead back to life, but he quickly realized it.

If an ordinary person does not understand the inner elixir, once they die, their soul and spirit will separate, with the soul going to the netherworld and the spirit returning to the earth.

The Rejuvenation Pill can then be used as an inner elixir, its function being nothing more than to calm the soul and stabilize the spirit. Once infused with human energy, it can bring the dead back to life.

The art of suspending silk is this breath, but to revive a dead person, one needs all the breath of a living person.

Qi is the thread connecting the soul and spirit, coordinating the physical body. When a person dies, the qi dissipates, and when the qi dissipates, the soul and spirit disperse.

The old saying "a person lives for a breath" is actually referring to this.

But where did this elixir of life come from?
Recalling the strange fragrance from before, Chi Yanzi was immediately alarmed.

Could it be that……

Chi Yanzi only knew that Fairy Tu Mi had been refining this Rejuvenation Pill. After Fairy Tu Mi came out of the Yunmeng Secret Realm, he only learned that she had successfully refined the pill, but he had never seen her.

Could it be that the strange fragrance just now was the Rejuvenating Pill? And who did Junior Sister save?

Chi Yanzi glanced back at Su Tong, then followed her gaze to Long Qi, and suddenly realized what was going on.

After seeing the look in the eyes of the two, Long, though he did not understand what "Return to Heaven Pill" or "Suspension Technique" meant, realized that Lingxiang had become like this in order to save him.

Upon recalling his past experience of being trapped in chaos, Long Qi suddenly understood—yes, he had clearly died back then, yet he miraculously came back to life.

No, it wasn't a miracle at all; Lingxiang saved herself!
All means in this world come at a price, just as buying and selling requires money.

What price must be paid to bring a dead person back to life?
"A life for a life... So that's what Master meant back then..."

Long Qi's pupils contracted. He finally understood that Ling Xiang had used her own life as a price to give him a second chance at life.

"Please save her!" Long Qi pleaded, clutching Chi Yanzi's sleeve tightly, but Chi Yanzi shook his head; he truly had no way to help her.

When Fairy Tu Mi taught Chi Yanzi the art of external alchemy, she said that although the effectiveness of external alchemy was debatable, the rules were already set the moment the elixir was formed in the furnace.

These rules, derived from the elixir itself, are absolute and cannot be defied by any means, not even by a saint of the Thirty-Three Heavens.

In other words, if the Rejuvenation Pill combined with the Suspension Technique leads to certain death, then there is absolutely no way to turn things around.

Long Qi's eyes reddened, and he quickly turned to Master Donghui, his trembling voice revealing his helplessness.

"The Langhuan Pavilion contains countless scrolls; surely my master has a way to save her?"

Master Donghui simply closed his eyes helplessly and turned his head to the side.

Even though he was in charge of the Langhuan Pavilion, which housed a vast collection of books, he held an important position in the sect and never had the time or inclination to peruse the books.

Long Qi looked at Chengxin Zhenren again, and the latter also looked on with heartache.

"Is there really no other way..." Long Qi's back slumped instantly, and tears welled up in his red eyes, streaming down his cheeks, mingling with his wounds and blood, as if his whole body was about to shatter.

At that moment, a hand gently wiped away the blood and tears on Long Qi's face.

It's Lingxiang, she's woken up, but...

Everyone knows that Lingxiang is already at its last gasp, and this is just a final burst of energy before it dies down.

"Don't be sad, it's just another life. In the next life, you must find me sooner..."

Lingxiang sighed softly and closed her eyes with a smile.

Her life this time wasn't in vain...

This may have been Lingxiang's farewell, but a casual, comforting promise stirred up memories deep within Long Qi.

……

"Yunxu, Yunxu, when you reach the lower realm, you must find me..."

……

Long Qi didn't know where this memory came from, but the voice in his memory was like heavenly music, just as beautiful as Ling Xiang's voice.

"Next life... next life..."

Long Qi murmured to himself when suddenly a voice brushed past his ear.

"Don't wait until the next life!"

Long Qi suddenly awoke with a start. These were the words the old ancestor had spoken to him at Ding'an Residence before his ascension.

Don't wait until the next life... Don't wait until the next life...

If there is an afterlife, Lingxiang will no longer be Lingxiang. Long Qi understands this principle, but no matter how he thinks about it, he can't come up with any solution.

"As long as it can save Lingxiang..." Long Qi murmured hesitantly.

He would do anything to save Lingxiang.

"Are you just going to give up like this? You promised to protect her, didn't you?"

Seeing Long Qi's eyes gradually dim, Su Tong flicked her fingers and touched Long Qi's brow. A flash of light appeared, and Long Qi fainted.

"The Heart-Imprisoning Seal!" Chi Yanzi exclaimed in shock. "What is this?!"

Su Tong shook her head, offering no further explanation, only saying calmly, "Whether Junior Sister can be saved depends entirely on him..."

This was the last thing Fairy Tu Mi entrusted to Su Tong.

In his drowsy state, a memory flooded into Long Qi's mind.

A woman whose face he couldn't see spoke to him gently.

"My daughter's name is Lingxiang, young master, do you remember it?"

Long Qi glanced away and stared intently at the little girl who was also blinking at him. After a long while, he nodded seriously.

"remember."

"Really? Then you must protect her well from now on!"...

"From now on, you must protect her well!"

The words kept echoing in Long Qi's ears, like an incantation, which made his mind clearer and clearer.

Yes, yes, he remembered. It turned out that he and Lingxiang had known each other for a long time.

How could he forget?

He promised to protect her...

Long Qi suddenly opened his eyes and found himself in a familiar place.

here it is……

Langhuan Pavilion!
For some reason, Long Qi could only see, but his body was not under his control, and he could not even speak as he wished.

"It doesn't look particularly impressive from the outside, but it's surprisingly big inside. It's filled with books!"

Just then, a sound of disgusted clicking came from beside me.

"Look at your ignorant appearance, don't go out and say you're from Qingwei Peak."

Long Qi turned his head and saw that it was Ling Xiang, followed by Xin Yi and Mai Dong.

This is the scene when Lingxiang brought them into Langhuan Pavilion before, but why am I seeing this?

Long Qi was completely baffled and could only watch and ponder the reason, since there was nothing he could do right now except watch...

There were so many books in Langhuan Pavilion that it was dazzling, but Long Qi's mind was not on the books at the time.

At that time, he was only thinking about how to attract Lingxiang's attention, like a peacock that had been displaying its tail feathers.

While listening to Lingxiang's movements, Long Qi tiptoed up a cloud ladder.

"Hiss~ I remember it being here, but I can't find it? Did I forget it?"

While Lingxiang was busy searching for something, Long Qi stepped onto the cloud ladder and suddenly leaped to Lingxiang's side.

Lingxiang remained unmoved and completely ignored Long Qi.

Long Qi found himself somewhat amusing at the time for making such a childish move, but just then, a string in his mind suddenly tightened.

As if sensing something, Long Qi picked up a book without thinking and began flipping through it aimlessly until he reached a page where it read...

The Secret of Twin Blossoms!

"Huh? This spell's name is interesting."

"It looks impressive, but one must be deeply in love to be able to use such magic."

Hearing Lingxiang's perfunctory reply, Long Qi's heart pounded like a drum. Following his own gaze from that time, he saw the words written on the book:

"Lotus blossoms grow in pairs, yet the flowers remain unrecognized."

People say that twin flowers blooming together is a cause for joy, but how can they say that twin lotuses will never be recognized?

He had thought then that no matter what, he would never use this technique, but now…

Long Qi felt dizzy for a moment, and when he opened his eyes again, Ling Xiang in his arms was barely breathing, and he could hear A Dao crying in his ears.

He seemed to have been gone for a long time, but in reality it was only for a moment.

But in just that short moment, Lingxiang's face became even more haggard, like a piece of raw Xuan paper soaked in water, which would crumble at the slightest touch.

He suddenly realized that when he was fighting the Demon Lord to the death, he wasn't thinking about the hatred for his family, but rather about rescuing Lingxiang.

Lingxiang never lets him let go of his hatred, yet she always mends the void in his heart.

Lingxiang taught him to look forward, and she also taught him to cherish the present moment.

"You already have a plan in mind, don't you?"

Su Tong spoke at the right moment, interrupting Long Qi's thoughts. He looked up at Su Tong, his unfocused eyes gradually becoming resolute, yet with a hint of reluctance.

Even though I'm extremely reluctant to part with her, nothing is more important than Lingxiang being alive!

Long Qi gently patted A Dao's head and said softly, "Don't cry, she'll be alright."

As he spoke, Long Qi made a hand seal, pulled a strand of spiritual energy from his forehead, and guided it into Ling Xiang's brow.

In an instant, a fragrance of lotus blossoms filled the air. Between Lingxiang and Longqi, everyone seemed to see a water lily breaking through the water. The radiance only dissipated after the lotus bud emerged and two lotus flowers were born.

Long Qi was somewhat dazed, feeling as if something important was being pulled away from his heart. Just as he was about to faint, a deep sigh welled up within him—

Perfection is just a myth, while regret is the norm in life!