[V6C61 – Sorrow of a Silent Parting]
The flash and subsequent explosion filled the entire cave, turning the entire world into a blinding haze of white. Only the sounds of continuous gunshot and explosions could be heard. Qianye and Nighteye moved rapidly within this h.e.l.lish environment, their bullets flying through the smoke as though they had eyes of their own.
At this point, both parties were fighting with their instincts. The slightly weaker one would be torn apart by the torrential attacks of the other.
The two quickly sought their own hiding places after the intense battle. They rested with their backs to the rock wall, waiting for the next opportunity.
Qianye and Nighteye discovered each other’s positions as the continuous explosions died down. It turned out that they were leaning against each side of a giant rock.
Sounds of clicking metal rang out at the same time as the two began reloading and changing equipment at the same time. At this point, under the suppression of the colossus’ will, their remaining strength was only enough for one decisive battle.
Moments later, the cave became quiet once again and all noise disappeared. Only the ancient essence on the ceiling would sprinkle down a silent yet mysterious brilliance upon the two of them.
At this moment, as though connected in mind, Nighteye and Qianye rushed out at the same time and saw one another.
There was less than ten meters between the two, more or less the thickness of this giant rock.
This short distance, however, was like a bottomless chasm of fate, built upon factional differences and enmity. It almost seemed uncrossable.
Qianye gazed at her, and she stared at him. Each appeared in the other’s eyes—they were both as calm as a waveless lake surface, and only their reflected images formed an endless channel.
Qianye was naked from the waist up with a b.l.o.o.d.y patch expanding rapidly on that bandage around his abdomen. There was only East Peak in his hands, but this heavy sword had only truly awakened during the fierce battle. The blade’s edge pulsed with radiance, and one would feel a mountainous pressure just by looking at it.
Meanwhile, Nighteye had also abandoned her blade and handguns, leaving only that sniper rifle in her grasp. This astonis.h.i.+ngly long rifle wasn’t a melee weapon, but at this distance, it would produce a shocking effect if she could just land a hit. There would be no second shot.
At several meters distance, Qianye could feel a faint p.r.i.c.kling sensation on his skin. That was the powerful radiation characteristic of Black t.i.tanium. Apparently, Nighteye’s sniper rifle was loaded with a reinforced Black t.i.tanium Bullet of Annihilation.
Qianye closed his eyes and sensed the aura of death rus.h.i.+ng straight at him. When he opened them once more, there was no more emotion, only a cold, deathly azure. Nighteye’s figure was still there, but it was only a black and white silhouette.
“Come, one last round to decide life or death,” Qianye stated simply.
“The one to die will be you.” Nighteye slowly raised her sniper rifle and aimed at Qianye’s forehead.
The latter felt the skin on his forehead twitch, caused by the stimulation of a powerful killing intent. There were countless lines dancing about in Qianye’s True Sight, all of them converging back on that lethal point on his forehead. It was just like Zhao Jundu’s “True Strike”.
Apparently, Nighteye had activated a certain secret art which served to automatically calibrate the shot once fired. This also meant that the final destination of that bullet was his forehead no matter how he dodged. The only way to survive was to deploy a defensive energy stronger than the firepower of this bullet.
But defending was the last thing Qianye wanted to do right now.
East Peak let out a clear hum as he shook his wrist. The blade rose into the air and froze above Qianye’s head. The still blade increased in momentum as the sound of ocean tides echoed around him.
Qianye felt his own consciousness rising continuously, so much so that it felt like he had broken through the barriers of the world and flown into the void. Sky Demon’s memory fragment finally merged into his body at the juncture of life and death to become a part of his very being.
As his understanding of void origin power gradually increased, Qianye’s momentum also became extensive and profound. The great ocean waves roared louder and louder, gradually forming the sound of the tides.
Qianye’s left hand rose slowly. He grabbed the hilt with both hands and remained motionless with his eyes closed.
This sword strike, once launched, would possess the might of the mountains and seas!
The cavern was completely silent. All life had gone into hiding under the powerful aura of the two combatants—even the origin power in the surroundings had stopped flowing.
Only the ancient essence fragment was sprinkling light, warmth, and void origin power. It suddenly pulsed and let out crackling noises, much like a spark falling onto a pile of firewood.
This noise broke the silence and affected the aura of the two.
Nighteye’s pupils lit up as she pulled hard on the trigger. Meanwhile, Qianye let out a thunderous roar as he stepped forward and hacked down on Nighteyes" head!
This strike couldn’t be considered fast, but it was so powerful that dodging was difficult and evasion was near impossible. The muzzle of Nighteye’s rifle quickly approached Qianye’s forehead.
And the trigger finally reached the end!
The world turned silent once again, and even East Peak was frozen mid-swing. The only sound echoing through the cavern was a light click, the sound of an empty gun.
A fair length of time pa.s.sed by, but the gunshot Qianye had been expecting never came.
When he slowly opened his eyes, he saw Nighteye looking back at him with a vacant expression.
“Fire! Why aren’t you firing?!” Qianye roared in anger.
Nighteye’s gun-hand trembled, and a pitch-black bullet slipped out onto the ground.
That was the bullet, the source of deadly threat Qianye had sensed before. She had kept it in her hand all along, while the chamber of the rifle was empty.
Qianye felt a wave of dizziness as exhaustion washed over him. East Peak, which had been frozen mid-air, fell with a loud bang and pierced deep into the ground.
Inexplicable anger and fear welled up in Qianye’s heart. He grabbed Nighteye’s collar, dragged her toward him, and shouted at the top of his lungs, “What the h.e.l.l are you doing? Are you courting death?”
Nighteye’s voice was just as calm. “Aren’t you the same?”
Qianye wanted to retort, but Nighteye pushed herself into his arms and sealed his mouth with her own.
At this very moment, both of their minds were blank.
They separated briefly after an unknown length of time, gasping deeply like fish that had been washed ash.o.r.e. Their eyes darted about, afraid to look straight at one another. Only their arms were locked tightly together—so tight that it was almost stifling.
At last, Nighteye spoke, “Why didn’t you slash down?”
“Why didn’t you load that bullet?”
At this point, there was no longer a need to speak. The choice they had made at the juncture of life and death was clear proof of their feelings.
“Ah!” Nighteye suddenly pulled away ,but a startled Qianye reached out and drew her back into his arms.
Nighteye glared at Qianye and said, “Stop fooling around! We still haven’t finished the important business!”
She stood up, leapt toward the ceiling, and s.n.a.t.c.hed the ancient essence fragment before returning to Qianye’s side.
“Absorb it, now!”
Qianye caught the fragment subconsciously. However, he glanced at Nighteye without any movement.
Without waiting for him to say anything, Nighteye said, “Don’t look at me, my condition right now is much better than it looks. This thing is useless to me now.”
Qianye gave it some thought and reckoned that was the case. Qianye had already noticed while he was healing Nighteye that her blood energy rank was extremely high. Moreover, the conferment of the princess t.i.tle involved stringent rules. Only scions with the potential to reach the prince rank were addressed as such.
Nighteye’s bloodline was already quite powerful. Now that she had been healed with two drops of origin blood from Qianye, she was certain to reach the duke rank in the future. This piece of ancient essence would only be gilding the lily.
Qianye hesitated for a while. “I don’t really need it, either, but my brother can use it.”
But Nighteye reached out and covered Qianye’s mouth, preventing him from speaking on. She looked into his eyes and said seriously, “I seized this ancient essence fragment, so it’s mine. Are you going to fight me for it?”
Qianye shook his head.
“That’s it! So it’s mine and whatever I say, counts. You will absorb it, now! Immediately!”
Nighteye was serious—a sense of pressure and even killing intent began to appear around her.
Qianye pushed her hand away and said helplessly, “I really feel that it won’t be able to exert its full effects on me.”
The Profound Combatant Formula and the ember from Sky Demon’s avatar had brought him knowledge. Meanwhile, the Song Clan Ancient Scroll was vast and unfathomable, capable of breaking through most ordinary bottlenecks in cultivation. Song Zining’s reminder that night had helped him find a new chapter, most likely the path beyond the Mystery and Glory chapters. He hadn’t even found the time to cultivate and a.s.similate these things, so adding the ancient essence fragment had little meaning.
However, Nighteye wouldn’t back down. She looked into his eyes and said word by word, “Qianye, I’m a woman, and you’re the only one in my eyes. I don’t give a d.a.m.n about brothers or friends. Since this ancient essence fragment is mine, I’ll only let you use it. If you don’t, then I’ll destroy it now!”
At this point, Qianye raised his hands in defeat. “Okay, okay. I’ll use it, alright?”
Nighteye didn’t relax at all. She pushed the essence into Qianye’s hand and said, “Use it now, I’ll keep guard.”
Nighteye got up toward the weapons she had dropped and fully equipped herself once again. She hoisted her sniper rifle once more and, this time, actually loaded the Black t.i.tanium Bullet of Annihilation into the chamber.
Qianye raised the ancient essence fragment with both hands, sensing its fluctuations and gradually adjusting his body to it. From his experience with absorbing the ember of Sky Demon’s avatar, he knew that a clear head was critical to maintaining consciousness during the influx of great power.