Chapter 188: As It Was in Times Past

The aerial warship sped away, quickly leaving the burning fortress behind. In the belly of the warship, Qian Ye silently laid Song Zining down. The Seventh Young Master of the Song Clan had narrowly escaped death, yet he was in a surprisingly good mood, and he joked, “It seems I have a charmed life, always meeting noble saviors wherever I go…”

But Qian Ye did not respond to his dry humor. Instead, he slowly crumpled to the ground.

Song Zining didn’t think much of it at first, asking, “You’re already tired?” However, when Qian Ye remained unresponsive, panic set in. He rushed over and shouted, “Hey! What’s wrong with you?”

Zhao Yuying appeared behind Song Zining, pressing down on his shoulders to stop him. She said, “If you keep jostling him like that, he’ll really die.”

Song Zining forced himself to calm down, releasing his grip. He watched as Zhao Yuying carefully helped Qian Ye up, then asked, “What happened to him?”

Zhao Yuying looked grave and visibly distressed. She reached out several times to touch Qian Ye’s back but hesitated and drew back each time. Finally, she let out a heavy sigh and told Song Zining, “Qian Ye… he took that shot for you. Come over here and see the extent of the wound on his back!”

Darkness seemed to envelop Song Zining’s vision.

He realized that in the brief moment just passed, he had unconsciously forgotten the lethal shot that had come from afar, aiming to take his life. He hadn’t even thought about where that shot had gone. That shot carried a pressure like an ocean, almost as powerful as a full-force attack from a Marquis. How could such a powerful being miss?

In this critical moment, Song Zining, though more decisive than Zhao Yuying, gritted his teeth and slowly turned Qian Ye over, revealing his back.

A large, bowl-sized wound was visible on Qian Ye’s back. It didn’t look too severe, but it was extremely deep, deep enough to see the spine, which was half-eroded!

Such a wound would not be hopeless for a true powerhouse. But now, with no sign of healing, not even a trace of regrowth, Song Zining’s heart sank into an icy abyss.

He knew how powerful Qian Ye’s bloodline body was, how strong its regenerative abilities were. Normally, such a wound should have been healing at a visible rate, but now there was no sign of it. In Song Zining’s eyes, this was more terrifying than a normal human’s flesh being corroded by blood Qi. Because it meant that Qian Ye’s body was losing its vitality.

Sure enough, the wound began to seep a clear, water-like liquid, and the exposed flesh gradually turned an eerie pale. This, in Song Zining’s memory, was a sign of a high-ranking bloodline noble nearing death.

How could a full-force attack from a Viscount of the Bloodline be so easily borne?

Seeing this, Song Zining suddenly calmed down. He gave Zhao Yuying a meaningful look, then picked up Qian Ye and carried him to a nearby cabin, gently placing him down.

Zhao Yuying, somewhat confused, followed him in, not understanding what Song Zining was doing. She had seen something dangerous in Song Zining’s eyes just now.

Song Zining walked to the door, closed it, and blocked Zhao Yuying’s view. He then scanned the wide belly of the ship. All he saw were warriors of the Zhao Clan, most of whom had fought to the last in the second fortress, and a few who had withdrawn from the first fortress and then participated in the defense of the second.

In the ship, most of these warriors were injured, lying or sitting silently, even the severely wounded holding back their groans.

After looking around, seeing his comrades who had bled and fought alongside him, Song Zining suddenly sighed. Unable to bring himself to do it, he returned to the cabin and shut the door tightly.

Under Zhao Yuying’s puzzled gaze, Song Zining rolled up his left sleeve and ran two fingers of his right hand across his wrist, cutting a deep gash. Fresh blood spurted from his wrist!

Zhao Yuying was shocked and nearly screamed. She stared at Song Zining’s every move, not understanding why he would hurt himself. At that moment, Song Zining glanced at her, his gaze complex.

A chill suddenly rose in Zhao Yuying’s heart, sensing a strong, life-threatening danger from Song Zining.

Song Zining’s condition was not good; he had exhausted his strength in the two fortress defenses and was injured in dozens of places, both big and small. In theory, Zhao Yuying could knock him down with a single finger. Even in his prime, he was no match for her. Yet, now, she felt as if her life was in peril.

Song Zining only looked at her once, then lowered his head, aligning his bleeding wrist with Qian Ye’s wound. The blood immediately flowed, covering the wound. His blood was a deep red, with a faint mist rising, emitting a refreshing aroma.

Zhao Yuying was even more surprised. Song Zining had infused his blood with Origin Power! He was already very weak, and this act was clearly overextending his life force.

This rich, Origin Power-infused blood, poured over Qian Ye’s wound, forming a small pool. The pale flesh at Qian Ye’s wound, soaked in the blood, quickly regained its color.

Song Zining’s left hand hovered in the air, blood gushing from the wrist like a spring, pouring over Qian Ye. The flow was so fast that Song Zining soon turned pale, his lips completely devoid of color.

In a moment, nearly a small basin of blood poured into Qian Ye’s wound. The pale flesh started turning rosy, but the pool did not grow; all the new blood seemed to be absorbed by Qian Ye.

Qian Ye slightly moved, a thread of life returning to his formerly lifeless body.

Zhao Yuying, well-versed in many things, understood immediately and gasped, “Qian Ye, he…”

Song Zining looked at her and said calmly, “Today’s events were not his choice. In my eyes, Qian Ye is always human and always my brother.”

The shock was so great that Zhao Yuying was stunned. Now she understood why Song Zining had shown a strange killing intent towards her earlier. Humans and dark races are eternal enemies, and the instinctive reaction of an Empire warrior upon seeing a human tainted by the Bloodline was to kill them on the spot.

If Zhao Yuying had made any move, she might have faced a desperate counterattack from Song Zining.

Zhao Yuying, smart and clever, quickly put together the pieces.

She suddenly reached out, grabbing Song Zining’s wrist, sealing the wound. Her move was lightning-fast, and her Origin Power instantly immobilized Song Zining.

Though Song Zining had prepared, he couldn’t avoid it. He was caught, and all his plans were foiled.

Zhao Yuying pulled Song Zining away, then extended her left hand, making a small cut on her wrist, allowing her blood to flow into Qian Ye’s wound.

Her blood was different from Song Zining’s. A straight column of mist rose, like a cloud arrow, shooting toward the ceiling, with a concentration of Origin Power far exceeding top-grade Origin Essence, surpassing Song Zining’s.

Zhao Yuying’s Origin Power cultivation was higher than Song Zining’s, and she was in peak condition, so her blood contained several times more Origin Power. As soon as the blood touched the wound, Qian Ye sensed it, and his body shook. The necrotic flesh began to fall off, new flesh growing beneath, greedily absorbing Zhao Yuying’s blood.

Seeing this, Song Zining stopped struggling.

Zhao Yuying paid no heed to the blood flowing from her wrist. She turned to Song Zining and said, “In my heart, Qian Ye will always be the little Fifth I held as a child. Besides, with your little cultivation, you think you can challenge me? When this is over, I’ll teach you a lesson!”

Song Zining immediately put on a bright smile and flattered her, “Sister Yuying, wise and powerful, how can I compare to you?”

Zhao Yuying huffed, accepting the flattery, and looked back at Qian Ye.

Now, Qian Ye’s body was trembling more intensely, and the flesh at the wound was starting to regenerate. Suddenly, a rhythmic thumping sound, like a war drum, filled the cabin—Qian Ye’s blood core had begun to beat again.

With the revival of the blood core, Qian Ye regained his vitality. The large amount of blood from Song Zining and Zhao Yuying put him into a boiling blood state, and the wound began to heal at an astonishing rate, even repairing the damaged bones.

Qian Ye groaned and slowly woke up.

“Enough,” Song Zining signaled to Zhao Yuying, indicating she should seal her wound. In that short time, Zhao Yuying had lost half her blood, and if she continued, even her strength would be in danger.

Qian Ye opened his eyes, regaining consciousness, and was surprised by the unusually intense boiling blood state. Before he lost consciousness, he clearly remembered being hit by a fatal shot, severely injured, and his blood core losing vitality. But now, what was happening?

Struggling to stand, Qian Ye saw Song Zining and Zhao Yuying, their faces pale, and the wounds on their wrists. He immediately understood what had transpired.

Qian Ye felt something rising in his throat, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

Zhao Yuying sternly said, “I know nothing and don’t want to hear any boring questions. Go find someone else to talk to. Goodbye!”

Qian Ye was taken aback. As he looked at Song Zining, the Seventh Young Master said coolly, “I’m still recovering from serious injuries and am exhausted. I’m going to find some beautiful women to discuss the profound truths of life. Don’t disturb me unless it’s important.”

With that, the two left the cabin, giving Qian Ye no chance to speak.

“You…” Watching their wavering figures, Qian Ye didn’t know what to say.