Ning Zhuo quickly reminded from behind her, "Don’t speak, this is inside the River of Oblivion!"
Qing Chi seemed not to hear him, as though reminding herself not to forget: "Little Ma, Little Ma..."
Her voice grew weaker and distant, as if it came from the far horizon. Her eyes started to turn white, and her consciousness sank entirely into chaotic darkness.
At the last moment of her life, an indescribable power suddenly burst from her broken body!
That was her innate power.
Azure Flames!
Azures flames erupted from her body, quickly igniting her entire being.
Her blood, tainted by the azure flames, also ignited with a whoosh, burning fiercely.
The azure flames could exist in the waters of the River of Oblivion; not only did they not extinguish, but they burned even more vigorously!
Ning Zhuo, pressed closely against her back, was also covered by the azure flames, his face and form melting away, revealing his true appearance!
Luo Si, with only one eye remaining, witnessed this and his pupils constricted sharply. The great mystery that had plagued his heart was suddenly unraveled.
He finally understood the misunderstanding, realizing that his lord was merely disguising himself as another, which was why the fishing skill hadn’t worked!
Qing Chi’s sacrifice was never the "Little Ma" who haunted her dreams!
From the beginning, this was destined to be a futile effort, a misplaced trust, a tragedy.
It was like Yun Xiao trying to retrieve Yue Yi, leaving only the forgetful crossing and the empty returning boat.
"General Qing..." Even Luo Si could not help but let out a heavy sigh in his heart.
Whoosh!
The azure flames roared, burning fiercely throughout the Wangchuan Tributary.
The Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors shot through with Qing Chi, speeding violently, circling countless times. The Wangchuan Tributary had long been spattered with Qing Chi’s blood.
Her blood was burning fiercely!
This was the final cry of her life!
"Little Ma, Little Ma, Little..." Her voice quickly weakened until she called out no more.
She had forgotten the name etched into her heart.
Yet the love in her heart surged passionately, driving her to protect the one behind her at all costs!
As if in response, the azure flames flowed on the Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors, engraving a splendid trail of blood.
The Lord of Wangchuan was aghast!
"What, what kind of flame is this?"
The waters of Wangchuan couldn’t extinguish it; it burned recklessly in the water.
More perplexing and terrifying was the rapid dwindling connection between him and the Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors—it was being forcibly blood refined by Qing Chi!
The azure flames rose, burning away the Life Hanging Thread.
Snap.
As if there was a light sound, the Divine Power Life Thread was burnt through.
Puff!
"The divine skill was broken?!" Ning Zhuo’s heart shook violently, suffering a backlash and directly spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Terrible!!!"
For the first time, he was enduring the backlash of a failed divine skill; this power was so fierce. Caught off guard, Ning Zhuo was heavily injured, with three seas shaking, instantaneously engulfed by darkness, and unexpectedly passed out.
Without him to maintain the Buddha Heart Demon Seal, the Treasure Seal was like water without a source, and the Buddha Light quickly dimmed.
Once the Buddha Light shield collapsed, Ning Zhuo, submerged in river water, would inevitably have all his memories and emotions washed away.
Remember, he was physically submerged.
When time was up, he would certainly die!
However, even as he passed out, one of his hands still gripped tightly onto the Heavenly Ghost Skull.
Under the burning of the azure flames, the skull unbelievably began to melt.
The Heavenly Ghost Skull gradually melted into a deep blue liquid, as deep as the night sky.
This liquid was absorbed by Ning Zhuo’s palm, seeping into his body, coursing through his tendons and bones, until it drilled into his Divine Sea.
Innate Power—True Self!
A brilliant azure light burst forth from within Ning Zhuo.
The azure flames continued to burn but couldn’t block this soaring blue light.
Simultaneously, the Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors, filled with blood refining markings, completely changed ownership, severing all connections with the Lord of Wangchuan. The Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors transformed into a streak of light, actively merging into Qing Chi’s body.
Puff——!!!
At this moment, the Lord of Wangchuan jerked his head up, spewing a mouthful of blood violently.
Blood splattered five feet!
His hair broke inch by inch, his breath weakened to the extreme, as if his spine had been extracted, flatly falling back, fainting on the spot.
Luo Si’s vision gradually became covered with Yellow Earth.
In the last faint light, he vaguely saw a white-clothed youth, embracing a Ghost Clan girl, walking out from the tributary. The backdrop behind the youth was the nearly dried River of Oblivion, perpetually being scorched by azure flames.
...
Luo Si felt as if he too had sunk into the River of Oblivion.
"Wake up, wake up!" His resilient consciousness continually urged him, feeling as though he were a grain of sand on the riverbed, slowly, arduously, struggling towards the surface.
"Hoo...hoo..." At last, he managed to utter a weak gasp, struggling to open his eyes.
His eyelids were as heavy as if they were welded shut. His narrow field of view was a hazy blur, a murky gloom.
Click-clack... click-clack...
Clear and vigorous, yet with a cold, hard rhythm, the sound of horseshoes hitting the ground entered his ears. Mixed in were the sounds of wheels turning.
"Luo Si has awakened!"
"Lord Ning Zhuo, Luo Si has awakened!!"
Luo Si swiftly heard someone shouting so.
Soon, a white figure broke into his vision, and then he was helped into a sitting position.
The white figure cast a spell on Luo Si’s body, allowing his vision to clear and his bodily sensations to recover rapidly. A warm flow permeated his entire body, converting into his strength.
He slowly turned his head, shifting his eyes to observe the surroundings.
He was now lying on a makeshift mechanical cart, with two giant wooden wheels spinning madly. In front of the cart, two black-blood paper horses were galloping furiously.
An octagonal palace lamp sat on his abdomen, it was the Qianmo Lamp.
It was precisely by using it to adjust and order the earth’s energy that Luo Si gradually freed himself from the heavy clay seal.
Ning Zhuo smiled, "It’s good you’re awake; you can circulate your mana to hasten your recovery. This lamp is lent to you for now, and it will greatly help you expel the earth’s energy from your body."
"Young master." Luo Si spoke with difficulty, his throat extremely dry, only able to utter two words before being unable to articulate further.
Ning Zhuo nodded, "I know what you want to ask."
He transmitted his thoughts through the Divine Sense, telling Luo Si what happened after he fainted.
The azure flames could melt the Heavenly Ghost Skull, allowing Ning Zhuo to absorb this acquired innate power.
The innate power of true self enabled Ning Zhuo to remember himself at all times, perfectly countering the effect of the River of Oblivion’s waters.
Ning Zhuo no longer needed to fully support the Buddha Heart Demon Seal, allowing the Wangchuan Tributary to wash over him without harm.
He then had the strength to escape the River of Oblivion.
Qing Chi, unexpectedly, refined the Netherworld Flood Dragon Scissors and fainted.
Ning Zhuo then carried Qing Chi out of the Wangchuan Tributary to save Luo Si.
He couldn’t immediately help Luo Si out of danger, but he did his best to protect Luo Si’s life.
Then, Ning Zhuo quickly cleaned up the battlefield, fearing the Lord of Wangchuan would personally lead a force there. So, he took Luo Si and left the Altar Battlefield.
Upon reaching the surface, with his true appearance, he summoned the Qing Jiao Army, informing them of his true identity and a rough account of the battle, omitting his absorption of the innate power.
The Qing Jiao Army, learning of the victory and the destruction of the Lord of Wangchuan’s century-old plan, was greatly emboldened and cheered.
Jiao Ma’s father felt endless regret. He had long suspected that his son was an imposter.
Ning Zhuo took the initiative to confess, startling the Jiao Family, and Qing Chi’s unconscious state worried the Qing Family.
Jiao Ma’s father stepped forward, expressing his support for Ning Zhuo immediately. His choice quickly garnered unanimous support from the Qing Jiao Army.
Ning Zhuo then led the Qing Jiao Army on the way to the predetermined rendezvous point.
When they arrived, however, Ning Zhuo did not find the Buddhist Doctor Meng Yaoyin or Sun Lingtong, but Luo Si was already able to walk.
There, he found a Flying Message sent by the Buddhist Doctor Meng Yaoyin, notifying Ning Zhuo that if she didn’t arrive for a long time, he should lead the army to the Water Burial Valley.
Luo Si saw the message and immediately sensed something ominous.
Grey Bone Elder had shown him great kindness, and he always thought of repaying him.
Ning Zhuo and Luo Si, with the still-unconscious Qing Chi, rushed tirelessly towards Water Burial Valley.