Chapter 41: Blood-Stained Jasmine (Part 3)

The clear-hearted mind of Yun Che had quickly settled into tranquility. Yet the few phrases the maiden had spoken now, those few words that had echoed in his ear, stirred a profound significance within him.

Princess... slaying gods, absolute devastation, poison... Mysterious Heavenly Treasure...

She called herself this princess? Could she be a princess from some imperial court?

What is this "slaying gods, absolute devastation, poison"? I know all the poisons of the world, yet I have never heard of such a name!

And the Mysterious Heavenly Treasure... Grandfather once told me that our parents were killed because they possessed a "Mysterious Heavenly Treasure," and that the very words "Mysterious Heavenly Treasure" were a terrible taboo! Yet this girl's Mysterious Heavenly Treasure seemed to be referring to the "Heavenly Poison Pearl." Could there be more than one Mysterious Heavenly Treasure after all?

But these things, Yun Che did not inquire about, nor was there a time to ask. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke: "Little sister, I didn't quite understand what you said. But you've slept for so long in the Heavenly Poison Pearl that you've finally awakened. Could you tell me your name?"

When Yun Che asked her name, the girl's expression and eyes showed no sign of disturbance, as if she hadn't heard. Yet after a moment, she answered his question, her pink lips parting slightly to speak two ethereal, icy words: "Lily."

"Lily?" Yun Che smiled, his eyes filled with genuine admiration. "Lily flowers are delicate and charming, their fragrance rich and pure, flawless in their whiteness. Truly a fitting name for you."

"Flawless in their whiteness?" The girl's expression of pain began to ease slightly. Her lips curved into a faint, icy smile. At that moment, a cool breeze swept through, making her blood-red hair sway elegantly. A single emerald leaf drifted down, and she caught it in her palm: "I am Lily, the Lily stained crimson with fresh blood!"

The girl's hand opened, and the complete green leaf crumbled into tiny fragments, scattering in the wind.

A strange, bone-chilling coldness surged through Yun Che's heart without warning.

Those small fragments, scattered by the breeze, drifted toward her body in midair. A grotesque scene unfolded before his eyes... Those fragments, upon touching the girl's form, passed straight through her, dispersing behind her.

"!!!" What sorcery is this? Could this girl's body be... a phantom form?

No! If she were a phantom, how could she hold that short blade? How could she grasp that fallen leaf? Could she be something half-real, half-phantom—able to touch objects but not be touched by them?

"Your questions, Princess, have been answered. Now, it is your turn to answer me." The girl's black-jade eyes locked onto Yun Che's, her beauty as exquisite as a blade, piercing straight into his soul and the depths of his heart: "From where did you obtain the Heavenly Poison Pearl?"

"I was given it by my master. Though my master has since died, I do not know where he acquired the Heavenly Poison Pearl." Yun Che spoke directly. Facing the girl's clear, diamond-like eyes, he felt an overwhelming dread at the thought of lying, so he simply told the truth... though the truth was no more helpful than a lie. He truly did not know where his master had obtained the Heavenly Poison Pearl during his time on the Cangyun Continent.

The girl's eyes remained fixed on his for three seconds, then flickered slightly, speaking in a voice as cold as frost—something no one over twelve or thirteen years old should possess: "The Heavenly Poison Pearl, the fifth among the Mysterious Heavenly Seven Treasures, contains an endless void space, capable of dispelling and refining all poisons in the world, tempering all things. It appeared once a millennium and three hundred years ago, sparking chaos across the realm. Since then, it has vanished without trace. How unfortunate, it has attached itself to a withered wasteland dweller like you! And even fused with your body! How absurd. Is it that the Pearl has lost its spirit, or its spirit has long since gone mad?"

Mysterious Heavenly Seven Treasures... fifth?

The girl's delicate eyebrows dipped suddenly, a chilling aura of killing intent coalescing, trapping Yun Che's body in an icy prison: "Since the Heavenly Poison Pearl is willing to attach itself to someone as useless as you, there is no reason it won't attach itself to me, the Princess!"

"!!"

A frigid gale struck Yun Che before he could react. His back slammed into the tree behind him. The girl's snow-white face, brimming with murderous intent, was now mere breaths away, her left hand clamping down on his throat.

"You..." Yun Che's pupils widened in his painfully constricted throat, his face paling rapidly.

"I give you two choices," the girl said, her exquisite beauty now twisted into a terrifying, chilling tone: "One, simply hand over the Heavenly Poison Pearl to me. The other... I will kill you and extract it from your body."

The girl's hand, soft as jade yet firm as iron, locked around his throat, leaving him utterly helpless, writhing in agony. Yet his face showed not the slightest sign of fear or panic, instead speaking in a weak, obscure voice: "I choose the second option. Please kill me quickly."

The girl's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her cold smile revealing: "Do you think I'm afraid?"

As she spoke, her fingers tightened. Five crimson marks seared into his neck, his expression growing more and more pained. Yet he smiled, his pale face: "If you wanted me dead... you wouldn't have saved me just now, risking being devoured by the poisonous soul!"

Lily: "..."

Yun Che stared into her eyes, his face twisted with pain as he gasped: "You're not as useless as you appear. I saw these things because... I am a divine physician! If you don't want to die, you must not only spare me, but also protect me with all your might! To condense soul into body requires reaching the King Mysterious Realm! Your life is worth more than mine!"

The words sent waves of turmoil through Yun Che's heart. Across the entire Barbarian Sky Empire, those who reached the Celestial Mysterious Realm ruled freely. Fewer than ten individuals had achieved the King Mysterious Realm. These ten were as majestic as kings, unparalleled in their might. To reach this realm required not only exceptional talent and opportunity, but also ample time. Those from the Barbarian Sky Empire who reached the King Mysterious Realm were all over a hundred years old. At this level, even if their physical bodies were destroyed, they could condense their souls into form, provided they found the chance to rebuild their bodies, achieving perfect rebirth!

This girl, whose physical body was destroyed, yet her soul clung to his life force and persisted—her strength was clearly at the King Mysterious Realm. What a terrifying concept!

The next words from the girl left Yun Che utterly stunned for five full seconds.

"King Mysterious Realm?" The girl's eyes showed no change, but her face revealed a deep, icy disdain: "What is that?"

Yun Che: "..."

At that moment, a rapid footstep echoed from ahead. Lily's eyes sharpened, slowly turning her head. The footsteps soon came into view.

Xiao Nine!

"Another soul-seeker comes for my life. Handle it as you see fit."

Just moments ago, when Xiao Ba appeared, he had clutched a "secret weapon," yet he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. But now, seeing Xiao Nine approach, he showed not the slightest tension, his body still leaning against the tree behind him, his gaze toward Xiao Nine tinged with a hint of pity—and sorrow. How wonderful it would be if there were more than one Xiao Nine to accompany him in death.

Xiao Nine first saw Yun Che, then the pool of blood and scattered meat on the ground. Though Xiao Ba's body had been reduced to thousands of fragments, he still recognized him instantly after knowing him for decades. He immediately went pale with shock. When his gaze fell upon Lily, he was utterly frozen.

Xiao Ba and Xiao Nine were both descendants of the Xiao Clan, though not direct bloodlines. Within the vast Xiao Clan, they were considered lowly. Yet due to their exceptional talent from childhood, they were selected for rigorous training and became Xiao Lieyun's personal guards. Their mystical power was immense, their temperament cold and merciless, devoted solely to loyalty, showing no interest in anyone else—including women. Even with a woman of exquisite beauty in his arms, he remained expressionless, heart untroubled, like a machine stripped of its humanity. Naturally, he couldn't have a homosexual preference.

But upon seeing Lily, his eyes widened, his body tingled with an unfamiliar sensation, his blood nearly boiling.

He didn't know how to describe the beauty before him... Her eyes, like the most radiant pearls, shone with an incomprehensible splendor. Her cheeks, features—how exquisite, flawless, beyond the reach of even the finest carving and jade work...

Her small, delicate frame, full of youthful charm, yet her curves were irresistibly alluring, flowing down from her white robes into seamless, graceful beauty. Beneath the hem, her legs were as smooth and slender as jade sculptures, her skin as white and supple as milk, glistening with a translucent, dewy freshness. Her feet, planted on the ground, resembled two magnificent ice lotuses from the mountains, their beauty beyond any mortal creation...

Such beauty existed in this world?

Xiao Nine was completely stunned, his eyes wide open, gaze vacant, consciousness adrift, as if his soul had been entirely stripped away. He forgot about the deceased Xiao Ba, forgot about his intent to kill Yun Che, his mind consumed solely by this woman so beautiful she made the heavens and earth pales in comparison. Her blood-red hair swayed in the wind, adding a sly, seductive charm to her unmatched beauty. His heartbeat quickened, his body heated, a fierce desire to possess her, to dominate her, to ravish her, swelled within him...

"Death sentence!" Lily's face darkened with fury, suddenly raising her hand, her palm pointing directly at Xiao Nine's chest...

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