Translator: CinderTL
"Protect Eldest Sister!"
Zuoqiu Yi's expression was frantic. Though her eldest sister had always been strict with her and forbade her from being with Lin Fan, her sister's place in her heart remained irreplaceable—even more precious than her own life!
Seeing her sister in danger, Zuoqiu Yi's body reacted before her mind could process the situation. She leaped forward, positioning herself directly in front of Zuoqiu Shu, facing the thousand corpse demons head-on.
Though terror flickered in her eyes, she stood her ground, shielding her sister with unwavering resolve.
"Little sister, run!" Zuoqiu Shu cried out in alarm. Her younger sister's cultivation level was only at Foundation Establishment Perfection—how could she possibly withstand a thousand corpse demons?
"Little sister, get out of here!" Zuoqiu Chen and the others shouted anxiously.
Before they could react, the corpse demons surged forward. Behind them, the Zuoqiu Clan members responded in varied ways: some turned and fled, abandoning familial ties in their panic, while others charged forward, desperate to protect their kin.
Zuoqiu Yi's gaze hardened, her inner courage fully ignited. She knew she couldn't retreat.
She saw that her elder sisters' Spiritual Power had been exhausted. Now, it was up to her.
Having been protected by her sisters for decades, today, it was her turn to protect them.
"Kill!"
With a soft cry, Zuoqiu Yi advanced instead of retreating. Gripping her sword, she plunged into the swarm of corpse demons. Her blade flashed in a sweeping arc, a streak of light slicing through the air, and a corpse demon instantly collapsed.
Zuoqiu Zhen's eyes flashed as she drew her sword and charged forward. Zuoqiu Shu cried out in alarm, "Sixth sister, no! Retreat immediately!"
The sixth and seventh sisters were only at the Peak Stage of Foundation Establishment—this was suicide!
Behind them, the rest of the Zuoqiu Clan joined the fray, engaging the corpse demons in fierce combat.
As a corpse demon lunged at Zuoqiu Yi, her first instinct was to dodge. But she froze mid-motion.
I can't dodge!
Her sisters were behind her.
Gathering her Spiritual Power, she thrust her sword straight at the corpse demon's skull.
Bang!
The skull shattered, killing the demon instantly. Zuoqiu Yi's face paled, her Qi Sea shuddering from the backlash. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of her mouth. Ignoring it, she immediately clashed with the next corpse demon.
Watching her sixth and seventh sisters in such peril, Zuoqiu Shu's beautiful eyes turned bloodshot, her expression torn. Seeing her sixth sister faltering, she knew they would all die here unless she found a way to break the stalemate.
Her gaze hardened. With a swift motion, she retrieved a medicinal pill and brought it to her lips.
Zuoqiu Hui, witnessing this, froze in shock, then cried out in horror, "Eldest sister, no! Don't!"
She recognized the pill instantly:
The Soul-Burning Pill!
This pill burned one's divine soul to fuel the body, amplifying combat power. Even when Spiritual Power was exhausted, it could unleash two hundred percent of one's true strength!
But!
The fuel for this inferno was one's own soul.
Taking this pill will almost certainly lead to death!
"No, Eldest Sister, don't!"
"Eldest Sister!"
Zuoqiu Chen lunged forward, desperate to snatch the pill, but she was a fraction of a second too late.
Zuoqiu Shu had already swallowed it.
Boom!
A tremendous aura erupted from her, causing her simple robe to billow wildly. Her complexion visibly flushed with color.
Zuoqiu Hui watched her eldest sister regain her combat prowess, her eyes filled with sorrow. She knew this was merely a final, desperate burst of energy—a fleeting moment of glory before inevitable death.
Once you take the Soul-Burning Pill, there's no escape. Your soul will dissipate, your soulfire will be extinguished.
"Eldest Sister..."
Zuoqiu Chen reached out futilely, her eyes bloodshot, hot tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the ground.
Zuoqiu Shu glanced back at her sisters, a gentle smile gracing her lips. There was no fear of death in her eyes, only serene acceptance. She turned to Zuoqiu Chen and said,
"Take care of the others."
With these final words, Zuoqiu Shu flicked her wrist. A sharp clang rang out as her sword transformed into a streak of light, piercing through the horde of corpse demons. Her figure followed in a blur, leaving a trail of fallen demons in her wake.
Bang!
Zuoqiu Yi, her Spiritual Power completely exhausted, was sent flying by a corpse demon's brutal strike. She tumbled helplessly through the air, her eyes locking onto the pair of horns charging straight toward her. Despair flooded her face.
Is this it...?
Zuoqiu Yi let out a bitter laugh. If I must die, so be it. I just hope Eldest Sister and the others can survive.
Whoosh!
A flash of light and shadow, and Zuoqiu Yi found herself cradled in someone's arms. She twisted her head and exclaimed in delight, "Eldest sister, you're alright!"
Zuoqiu Shu merely smiled at her, offering no further words. She gently set Yi down behind her. "Protect yourself well, and don't bring disgrace upon the clan."
With that, she soared back into the swarm of corpse demons, engaging in fierce combat.
Zuoqiu Yi wiped the blood from her lips, her internal organs throbbing with unbearable pain. She knew she had sustained serious injuries.
She stumbled backward, noticing the sorrowful expressions on the faces of her elder sisters, Zuoqiu Chen, Zuoqiu Hui, and others, some even shedding tears. Confused, she asked, "What's wrong?"
No one answered.
Growing more puzzled, Zuoqiu Yi turned to look at her eldest sister.
Amidst the corpse demon horde, Zuoqiu Shu felt a growing urgency. The Soul-Burning Pill's effects were potent but fleeting, as the soul could only burn for so long. She had to eradicate all the corpse demons within this limited time.
Her sword flashed even faster, streaks of light slicing through the air as massive numbers of corpse demons fell to the ground, their numbers visibly dwindling.
A quick glance revealed that only a few dozen corpse demons remained, posing no further threat.
Zuoqiu Shu finally breathed a sigh of relief, but her divine soul remained in chaos. She could no longer remember why she had been driven to slay the corpse demons, only that a lingering obsession in her heart told her they must be eradicated.
They must be eradicated!
As her final sword strike fell, the last corpse demon perished completely.
Zuoqiu Yi gazed at her sisters, then at her eldest sister, uncertain why the atmosphere felt so heavy.
Clang!
The sword clattered to the ground, its sharp sound instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Zuoqiu Yi followed the sound to its source: her eldest sister's sword.
"Eldest sister?" she asked tentatively.
Zuoqiu Shu's eyes were vacant as she glanced at her youngest sister. Forcing a reassuring smile, she leaned back and collapsed.
"Eldest sister!"
Zuoqiu Yi cried out in alarm, rushing forward to catch her sister in her arms. Before she could even exhale in relief, she froze, her fingers trembling as she slowly pressed them beneath her sister's nose. She... couldn't feel any breath.
"No... no..." Zuoqiu Yi murmured in denial, refusing to believe it. I must be mistaken.
Yet a growing sense of dread tightened its grip on her heart. She remembered the grief-stricken faces of her sisters...
The memory of her eldest sister's final, wistful smile surged back, and an overwhelming panic gripped Zuoqiu Yi's heart.
Her hand slowly approached her sister's chest...
No heartbeat.
"Eldest Sister!!!"
Zuoqiu Yi threw her head back and howled in agony, hot tears streaming down her face and dripping onto Zuoqiu Shu's body. But they could no longer awaken her, and there would be no one left to wipe them away.
At that moment, a hand reached out and gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eye. "Take Eldest Sister with us. Let's go."
Zuoqiu Chen forcibly suppressed her grief. Though she tried to remain calm, her voice still trembled slightly.
Her eldest sister's final words echoed in her ears: From now on, you're the eldest sister to the younger ones. You must take responsibility for their care.
This place wasn't safe. They had to leave immediately. If another horde of corpse demons arrived, none of them would escape, and her eldest sister's sacrifice would have been in vain.
"Move!"
Zuoqiu Chen's voice hardened slightly as she lifted Zuoqiu Shu's corpse and turned to leave.
Zuoqiu Zhen followed silently, her head bowed, tears streaming down her face.
She didn't understand. She had never felt particularly close to this so-called eldest sister, so why...
Did her heart ache so terribly?
(End of the Chapter)
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