Chapter 1539 - 1536: Harvester

"Ha, not at all. I wouldn't do something so lame. I just recently managed to join the 'Harvesters'. Though it's only a mental joining. They taught me this Paralysis Skill back then... Ouch, oh no, oh no..."

Bai Zhuotian stood up with movements as mechanical and stiff as a robot.

"That's enough talking, or the poison's effect will almost be over. Let's begin the final task. Ever since that duel day, every night in my dreams... I keep dreaming of that moment..."

Cladier's eyes, nearly round with obsession, burned with a persistent flame. His mouth stretched to the corners of his cheeks, a long tongue protruded, readying to forcefully bring the sword down from his tiptoes.

Before he could take action, Ye Qiu used only the strength of his wrist to launch the throwing short spear held in his right hand. Although aiming for Cladier's face, where it would cause significant harm, the accuracy was impaired by the paralysis, and the trajectory veered off, embedding the steel spear into Bai Zhuotian's left arm.

Cladier did not receive a fatal injury, plunging Ye Qiu into the abyss of despair.

"...It hurts..."

Bai Zhuotian wrinkled his nose, pouted his lips, and stabbed the tip of his sword into Ye Qiu's right arm. Then, as if trying to carve it out, he twisted it two or three times inside.

"...!"

Beyond the intense numbness, the nerve-wracking pain spread throughout his body. As the sword was carving into Ye Qiu's arm, he could feel his own body bleeding bit by bit.

"Is the drug effect still not over...?"

Ye Qiu gritted his teeth in endurance, waiting for the moment his body regained freedom. Although it varies according to the strength of the poison, generally speaking, it takes about five minutes for paralysis poison to return the body to its normal state.

Bai Zhuotian pulled out the sword and then stabbed it into Ye Qiu's left leg. The electric current stimulating his paralyzed nerves raced through his body again, mercilessly calculating the damage onto Ye Qiu's body.

"How's that... how does it feel to be about to die... tell me... hurry up..."

Bai Zhuotian mumbled as he stared straight at Ye Qiu's face.

"Why don't you say something, kid... cry out that you don't want to die..."

Due to excessive blood loss, Ye Qiu was slowly losing consciousness. Dong seemed unable to hear him either, yet still, he hadn't recovered from the paralysis. His entire body began to slowly grow cold, as Death God climbed up from his feet with icy air.

Ye Qiu had seen countless people die. At the moment of death, each and every one of them bore the same expression. An expression as if asking, "Will I really die just like this?"

Perhaps, deep down, everyone was unwilling to believe in this reality of their own death.

In their hearts, they had a tentative hope, a speculation that perhaps they hadn't died yet. To verify whether this speculation was true, they would have to experience it themselves.

"Hey, hey, say something, won't you? Almost dead?"

Bai Zhuotian pulled the sword out of Ye Qiu's foot and then stabbed it into Ye Qiu's abdomen. A large amount of blood spurted out; he was on the brink, yet Ye Qiu felt it had nothing to do with him. As he was tormented by the sword, his thoughts drifted into a pitch-black alley, his consciousness covered by a thick and heavy veil.

But---- suddenly a surge of intense fear gripped Ye Qiu's heart.

Fang Wushang. He was about to leave her behind and disappear from this world. Fang Wushang would fall into Bai Zhuotian's hands, suffering the same torment as himself. This possibility transformed into unbearable pain, bringing Ye Qiu back to consciousness.

"Argh!"

Ye Qiu opened his eyes, grabbed the sword embedded in his abdomen with his left hand, and slowly pulled it out with all his might. Bai Zhuotian made a sound of surprise, saying:

"Oh... oh? What, are you afraid to die after all?"

"That's right... I... can't die yet..."

"Ha! Hahaha! Yeah, that's more like it!"

Bai Zhuotian screeched, throwing his whole weight onto the sword, which Ye Qiu struggled to hold with one hand.

Finally---- the sword tip was slowly yet surely descending again, and Ye Qiu was plunged into a state of horror and despair.

Is this where it ends?

Is he really going to die here? Leaving Fang Wushang alone in this mad world?

Ye Qiu desperately resisted the gradually descending sword tip and the despair building within.

"Die--------! Die already--------!"

Bai Zhuotian screamed in a sharp voice.

The murderous intent clad in dark gray metal descended centimeter by centimeter. Finally, the sword tip touched his body---- then slightly pierced in...

At this moment, a sudden gust of wind blew.

It was a wind tinged with blue and green.

"Wha-what...!"

The murderer raised his head in surprise, and instantly flew together with the sword. Ye Qiu silently watched the person who landed in front of him.

"I made it... Almost didn't make it... God... thank you for letting me make it..."

Her trembling voice sounded as exquisite as if it could rival the angels' wings flapping. Fang Wushang knelt down as if collapsing, her lips trembling, eyes wide as she looked at him.

"You're still alive... you're still alive, right, Ye Qiu..."

"...Mm... still alive and kicking..."

Ye Qiu responded with a hoarse and weak voice, astonishing even to himself. Fang Wushang nodded vigorously, taking a pink potion from her right pocket and placing her left hand on his chest, whispering "Can you drink it?" She quickly fed Ye Qiu the potion, and after confirming it had taken effect, Fang Wushang whispered softly to Ye Qiu:

"Wait for me... it'll be over soon..."

Then she stood up, drawing a fine sword with graceful movements as she walked forward.

Nan Zhuotian, her target, finally managed to stand up at this time. He widened his eyes as he recognized the person approaching.

"Lady, Lady Fang Wushang... why, why are you here... No, it's just a training, yes, some accident happened during training..."

Bai Zhuotian sprang up as if loaded with a spring, using a tense voice to make excuses, but his words went unfinished. Because Fang Wushang's right hand flashed, and the sword tip had already torn Bai Zhuotian's mouth.

"Ugh wa!"

Bai Zhuotian covered his mouth with one hand, his head recoiling back, pausing momentarily. When he lifted his head again, a familiar expression of hatred was already painted on his face.

"This damn woman... don't go too far... huh, you came at the right time after all. I was going to get rid of you anyway..."

But even this sentence couldn't be completed. Because Fang Wushang had already launched a torrent of furious attacks.

"Oh... ah ah...!"