The scene from that day remained unforgettable for every disciple of the Grand Light Palace.
An earthquake suddenly shook the highest peak, causing the eternal ice layers to crack open, splitting the entire mountaintop into fragments. A violent snowstorm engulfed half of Kunlun, and the secret, luxurious sanctuary at the summit was destroyed in an instant.
As the white jade bridge connecting the sanctuary to the Grand Light Palace began to collapse, a blue figure flashed down from the peak like lightning. She carried two people, one on each side, and her movements seemed heavy, so she couldn’t make it across the bridge in time.
The long bridge, shaking violently, shattered into several pieces, plunging into the deep ice chasm below. The woman in blue was stranded on the far side of the bridge, separated by a ten-zhang (around 33 meters) wide gorge. She stopped, panting, and stared at the deep abyss before her.
With her skills, she could easily leap across a ten-zhang distance on her own. But with two people in tow...
“Don’t worry about me,” Xue Zi Ye urged, feeling the ice beneath them tremble violently again. “You can’t carry both of us.”
Miao Shui hesitated for a moment, then made her decision. She turned away from Xue Zi Ye and focused on lifting her unconscious brother. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her strength and raced toward the remaining part of the broken bridge. At the edge, she pushed off with all her might—her body soared through the air like a rainbow, finally landing safely on the other side.
But the already fragile bridge couldn’t bear the force of her leap. With a loud crack, the remaining part of the bridge collapsed, falling another zhang.
Xue Zi Ye leaned against the white jade railing, watching as Miao Shui and Miao Feng landed safely on the opposite side. She sighed in relief, her body finally giving out as she collapsed, unable to support herself any longer. Looking up at the countless snowflakes dancing in the air, she smiled faintly, feeling an overwhelming sense of release.
It’s over... It’s finally over.
She had done everything she could for Huo Zhan Bai, Ming Jie, and Yami. Now that her enemies were defeated, and those she cared for had escaped safely, what more could she possibly be holding on for?
The ground trembled again, and the sound of crashing filled the air—jade towers, golden pavilions, and delicate gardens in the sanctuary were all collapsing. This hidden den of luxury, a secret haven for generations of Sect Leaders, was now being destroyed.
All the wealth and glory, reduced to dust.
She closed her eyes peacefully, waiting for the snow to bury her.
"Get up!" A voice snapped at her, and before she could open her eyes, she was yanked to her feet.
“Miao Shui!” she gasped in shock—the woman in blue had returned!
“Leave me!” Xue Zi Ye struggled to free herself from Miao Shui’s grip.
“Come with me!” Miao Shui’s face was pale, clearly exhausted from carrying Miao Feng earlier, but she pulled Xue Zi Ye along, racing forward. Beneath them, the bridge began to break apart, chunks of stone plummeting into the ice chasm below.
Miao Shui stopped just in time, catching her breath as she looked at the widened gap in the broken bridge ahead. The distance had grown too wide, and after the last leap, she knew she didn’t have the strength to carry Xue Zi Ye across this time.
"Hold onto me," Miao Shui ordered firmly, gripping Xue Zi Ye’s shoulders to stop her from resisting. Her voice was calm but determined. "Listen to me: I will get you across."
—This was the only thing left that she, as his sister, could do for Yami.
Biting her lip, Miao Shui gathered her strength once more. With Xue Zi Ye in tow, she leapt from the collapsing bridge, pouring every ounce of energy into the jump, soaring like a rainbow arcing across the snowy peak. But as they descended, their strength faltered—they couldn’t reach the other side.
“Ah—!” Xue Zi Ye cried out as they plummeted. But suddenly, her body felt lighter—someone had caught her by the waist and pushed her upwards. She reached out in desperation, trying to grab the person falling in the opposite direction. In her final moments of sight, she saw the blue figure, like a butterfly with broken wings, falling swiftly toward the ice chasm below. For a split second, the scene from that night thirteen years ago flashed through her mind—someone falling away into another time and place, forever lost.
“Miao Shui!” Xue Zi Ye screamed, reaching out for the woman plummeting into the abyss. “Miao Shui!”
The howling wind tore through her fingers, but there was nothing she could grasp.
She crashed heavily onto the jade pavement on the opposite side, the pain blinding her vision. The effects of the Bi Ling Dan had worn off completely, and the poison of the Seven-Star Begonia surged through her body, wreaking havoc. Xue Zi Ye spat out a mouthful of blood.
The blood, upon hitting the snow, turned into a vivid green.
A deafening roar echoed from the mountain’s peak, as clouds of snow rose high into the sky. The earth shook, and everyone scrambled to escape. At that moment, Kunlun’s summit had become a graveyard.
Is this the end of the world? she wondered.
Time seemed to slip away. When she regained consciousness, she felt every part of her body aching, a pain so deep it burrowed into her bones, making her want to scream.
—She knew the poison of the Seven-Star Begonia had begun to consume her body.
But when she opened her eyes, she saw Miao Feng.
He was standing by the broken white jade bridge, quietly gazing down into the bottomless ice chasm, his long blue hair whipping in the cold wind.
“Sister,” he murmured softly, taking a step toward the abyss, snow sliding from the edge and tumbling into the depths below.
“Yami!” Xue Zi Ye gasped, her voice trembling with fear. “Stop!”
Fueled by a surge of panic, she somehow found the strength to stand, stumbling across the snow toward him. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, but her body had no strength left. She immediately collapsed, dragging him down with her.
Miao Feng froze for a moment, then reached down and gently lifted her from the snow.
"Don't do anything foolish..." she pleaded, still clutching his arm in fear. "Miao Shui is gone... but you mustn’t throw your life away."
Miao Feng lowered his gaze. "I just wanted to retrieve her remains from the ice."
"Ah...?" Xue Zi Ye let out a long sigh of relief, finally loosening her grip on his arm. She seemed to want to say something, but as soon as she opened her mouth, darkness overtook her, and she collapsed heavily into his arms.
Miao Feng’s eyes widened in shock. The Sect Leader’s final strike must have left her gravely injured.
"Don’t worry. I’ll protect the Sect Leader’s safety, but I’ll also ensure your peace."
Those had been his words to her when they reached the peak—yet in the end, he had failed to protect either of them.
A searing wave of anguish tore through him, threatening to shatter his heart into pieces. He reached out, but his internal energy refused to flow properly. Watching as Xue Zi Ye’s face grew paler by the second, he was utterly helpless. Unable to bear it any longer, he punched the snow-covered ground, his voice hoarse as he cried out, burying his face in the snow—If everyone leaves me one by one, what is the point of living alone in this world?
The long-buried pain spread through Miao Feng’s heart, tearing apart the dead emotions he had carried for so many years. Yet, amidst the overwhelming anguish, a long-forgotten warmth suddenly surged within him, filling every corner of his body.
The snow around his palm began to melt rapidly, and when his hand dipped into a pool of warm water, Miao Feng realized what was happening. He raised his hand in surprise, feeling the familiar power gathering at his fingertips. With a quick gesture, a wave of searing heat sliced through the icy white jade bridge, cutting off a large section.
The Spring Breeze Technique? He could once again use it!
Ever since meeting Xue Zi Ye over a month ago, his long-dead heart had been stirred by her, and in his emotional turmoil, he had lost the ability to use the Spring Breeze Technique. But now, in the depths of despair, something within him had been unlocked. His heart returned to calm, no longer hesitating or wavering, becoming once again the tranquil, detached force it had been when he served as the Sect Leader's “protector.”
It turns out that after extreme pain comes an equally profound emptiness.
Both paths lead to the same end.
The power of the Spring Breeze Technique gathered within him again. Without thinking further, he lifted the unconscious Xue Zi Ye and dashed down the mountain. As he ran, he pressed his hand against her back, continuously transferring warm internal energy to dispel the cold energy inside her body. He had to find a solution quickly. If he didn’t get her to the best doctors soon, it would be too late.
He couldn’t let her die. Absolutely not!
As he rushed past the Western Heavenly Gate, he spotted a familiar figure standing quietly by the entrance.
He paused in surprise: Miao Kong?
The Grand Light Palace was in chaos, yet Miao Kong, the elusive one among the Five Mingzi, stood here, seemingly uninvolved.
"Miao Kong!" he shouted, stopping in his tracks. "There’s turmoil in the palace. You need to return and take control!"
With most of the Five Mingzi now dead, only Miao Kong was left to restore order. But hearing the shocking news, Miao Kong merely stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, his face hidden behind a mask, making it impossible to read his expression. "Is that so? And where are you going, Miao Feng?"
“I have to leave. You’ll have to handle things here,” Miao Feng replied, his heart heavy with urgency. He had no time to question the situation further. Without waiting for a response, he darted down the icy chasm—he needed to reach Medicine Valley as fast as possible. Xue Zi Ye's injuries were severe, and without proper treatment soon, she would not survive.
"Good that you’re leaving," Miao Kong muttered softly, a faint, eerie smile curling his lips as he watched Miao Feng’s figure disappear into the distance. "It saves us both a lot of trouble."
Blood had seeped into the ice, but halfway through, it froze solid.
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