bookandnovel Chapter 31 The Last Li
Chapter 31 The Last Li
After rushing out of the Howling Stone Forest, no one dared to linger for even a moment.
Taking advantage of the twilight and the terrain, they ran wildly until they could no longer hear the howling of wolves, and only then did they dare to stop and catch their breath.
Everyone has reached their limit.
Lin Feng's face was pale, and his hand holding the sword trembled slightly. Zhao Qian had several deep claw marks on his body.
Li Yun and Zhou Ming were almost exhausted of their spiritual energy and could only stand up by supporting each other.
Hu Zhen almost collapsed due to excessive use of her spiritual power.
Lu Ming gently put Qin Feiyu down and let him lean against a rock.
Qin Feiyu remained unconscious. Although the bleeding from his chest wound had stopped thanks to the medicine and pills, his face was ashen and his breathing was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind.
Lu Ming himself was almost completely exhausted, his legs trembling uncontrollably, and his clothes on the back were soaked with blood and sweat.
He slumped to the ground, panting heavily, feeling a burning pain in his lungs.
Lin Feng checked Qin Feiyu's condition, his brows furrowed, and said in a deep voice:
"The situation is dire; the injuries are worsening. Our medicines have limited effect, so we must get to the reception platform as soon as possible. Perhaps the elders have a solution."
He unfolded the map, pointed to a point, and said in a hoarse voice, "We are less than a hundred miles away from the reception platform."
A distance of a hundred miles is nothing to these cultivators under normal circumstances.
But now, everyone is wounded and exhausted, with their spiritual energy depleted, and they are carrying a companion whose life is hanging by a thread. This hundred-mile journey is like an insurmountable chasm.
As night deepened, the chill became biting.
No one dared to light a fire; they could only huddle together, relying on their faint body heat and the remaining spiritual energy to resist the cold.
The faint roars of beasts and chirping of insects could be heard all around, but no one spoke, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was suffocating.
Hu Zhen stayed by Qin Feiyu's side, constantly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with a damp cloth, tears silently streaming down her face.
She remembered that when they were in Qinghe Village, Qin Feiyu was always the most mischievous and carefree one.
Although he was mischievous in the eyes of adults, he was extremely kind to his companions... but now he lies here, his fate unknown.
Looking at Qin Feiyu's pale face, Lu Ming felt a pang of self-reproach and pain.
If he were a little stronger and reacted a little faster, he might have been able to block the wolf king's attack... Various negative emotions gnawed at his heart.
Deep within his mind, the seed of demonic cultivation seemed to sense this pain and vulnerability, quietly releasing a trace of its aura, tempting him to sink into regret and helplessness.
"No..." Lu Ming shook his head violently, forcibly suppressing those negative emotions.
"Now is not the time to think about these things! We must get Feiyu out of here!"
He closed his eyes and began frantically circulating the Qi-guiding technique.
Ignoring the stinging pain in his meridians and the cold sweat pouring down his forehead, he greedily absorbed the sparse spiritual energy of heaven and earth around him, even if it only restored a sliver of strength.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the team set off again, with Lu Ming insisting on carrying Qin Feiyu on his back.
His unwavering determination inspired everyone.
Every step of this final hundred miles was incredibly difficult.
Swamps, poisonous miasma, steep slopes... each obstacle requires tremendous effort to overcome.
The group moved as slowly as snails.
Qin Feiyu would occasionally regain consciousness for a brief moment during the bumpy ride.
He saw Lu Ming's profile, drenched in sweat, gritting his teeth and persevering.
Seeing the exhausted yet determined look in his teammates' eyes.
His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
Only tears slid down from the corners of her eyes.
He desperately wanted to walk on his own, not wanting to be a burden to everyone, but his body wouldn't obey him.
Time passed by, the sun gradually rose higher and then gradually set in the west.
The giant peak where the reception platform is located is now clearly visible, and one can even faintly see the faint light emanating from the white jade platform at the summit.
Hope is just around the corner!
But everyone's physical strength was truly at its limit.
Lin Feng was already swaying as he walked, Zhao Qian needed to use a wooden stick to move forward, and Li Yun and Zhou Ming were almost being supported by Hu Zhen as they walked.
Lu Ming felt Qin Feiyu on his back getting heavier and heavier, as if he were carrying a mountain.
His consciousness began to blur, and his vision became somewhat unsteady, but he was supported by an indomitable will to move his legs.
He kept telling himself, "Almost there...almost there...hang in there..."
The setting sun once again painted the sky red.
Only one steep slope, ten miles away, remained from the reception platform.
This ten-mile steep slope, which is usually easy to cross, now feels like a path to heaven.
Lu Ming carried Qin Feiyu on his back, each step landing on jagged rocks, his body staggering as if he might fall at any moment.
The hard, sharp stones scraped his body, leaving bloody marks, but he didn't care at all and felt no pain.
Lu Ming's lips were cracked and bleeding, his face was as pale as paper, and his sweat had long since dried up. Only his heavy breathing proved that he was still alive.
Qin Feiyu briefly awoke from his coma once again.
He lay on Lu Ming's trembling back, and could clearly feel that Lu Ming's heartbeat was like a drumbeat, and his breath was hoarse like a broken bellows.
He saw the bulging veins on Lu Ming's neck and the uncontrollable spasms in his calves with every step he took.
He also saw Lin Feng not far ahead.
This usually composed senior brother Lin was now unsteady on his feet, almost crawling up the hill using his sword as a crutch.
I saw Zhao Qian, Li Yun, and Zhou Ming supporting each other, each step they took was unsteady.
He saw that Hu Zhen looked extremely pale and haggard, and was supporting Lu Ming.
A wave of bitterness and indignation washed over Qin Feiyu.
He knew he couldn't do it anymore.
Even if he barely makes it to the receiving platform, such severe injuries might not be enough to save him.
And he is dragging down his best brother and the entire team!
Lu Ming almost exhausted his life force to carry him.
His teammates were all badly injured and their speed was greatly reduced as they tried to protect him.
If this continues, it's possible that no one will be able to reach the receiving platform within the stipulated time! Five years of arduous training, ruined in an instant!
He could be fearless and never give up even in the face of death during his own trials, but he could never bear to be a burden to his brothers!
He recalled the vow he and Lu Ming had made together to cultivate immortality, and Lu Ming's unwavering determination to carry him all the way...
He can't be so selfish!
Tears blurred his vision again, but Qin Feiyu still struggled to keep his eyes open, afraid that he would never wake up again.
He used the last bit of strength in his body to slightly raise his right hand, which was still movable.
With difficulty and trembling hands, he reached for the protective jade talisman in his bosom.
Lu Mingzheng took a step upwards with all his might, when he suddenly felt Qin Feiyu's movements stiffen slightly behind him.
"Feiyu? You're awake?" Lu Ming's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
Qin Feiyu did not answer.
He looked at Lu Ming's profile, which was covered in sweat and dust, so close to his face.
Looking at his chapped lips, I felt an overwhelming sense of reluctance and heartache.
He opened his mouth and forced out a few words:
"Brother...take care..."
Then, before Lu Ming could react, Qin Feiyu suddenly tightened his fingers!
"Snap—!"
A crisp sound rang out, particularly jarring on the silent, steep slope!
A soft white light instantly shone from Qin Feiyu's arms, enveloping his entire body.
A powerful spatial fluctuation emanated from the space.
"No—!!!" Lu Ming roared with difficulty, his throat feeling like it was being cut by a knife.
Lu Ming turned around abruptly and saw Qin Feiyu, who had fallen into a coma again in the white light, but with a look of relief on his face.
The next moment, a flash of white light appeared, and Qin Feiyu's figure instantly disappeared on Lu Ming's back.
The sudden disappearance of the weight caused Lu Ming, who had been tense, to stagger and fall backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
He lay on the ground, his hands gripping the cracks in the stone, streaks of blood staining the cracks red.
Lu Ming's body trembled violently. He didn't cry out, but his shoulders heaved violently, emitting a wounded beast-like whimper.
Mud and sweat clung to Lu Ming's face, flowing freely.
Feiyu did this so as not to be a burden to him! To give him a chance to ascend the guiding platform! She sacrificed her own withdrawal to give him his last hope!
Lin Feng and the others also stopped in their tracks, staring blankly at the spot where Qin Feiyu had disappeared, and at Lu Ming, who was lying on the ground in agony.
The crowd remained silent for a long time.
Lin Feng walked to Lu Ming's side and pulled him up forcefully, his voice hoarse but strong:
"Stand up! Lu Ming! Fei Yu gave us this opportunity by withdrawing! Don't let his sacrifice be in vain!"
Don't let him down. The welcoming platform is up there, let's go!
Lu Ming raised his head, wiped his face, straightened up, and looked at the white jade platform at the summit.
"Go!" He squeezed out a single word from deep in his throat, his voice low but carrying a do-or-die spirit.
With their burdens gone, the remaining six people, with their last bit of strength, launched a final sprint toward the finish line.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast their shadows long and thin.