Chapter 1557 - 1553: Loss of the Soul

Long Yijian's face also showed an expression of surprise. But there was no one who could stop the descending strike. Everything seemed to proceed in slow motion, the longsword slicing from Fang Wushang's shoulder down to his chest, then stopping.

Ye Qiu desperately reached out both hands toward Fang Wu, who was falling backwards silently into her embrace.

After meeting her gaze, a smile appeared on Fang Wushang's face. Then—she closed her eyes.

Time stopped instantly.

Suddenly, a barrage of images crashed into Ye Qiu's mind.

Sunset. Grasslands. A gentle breeze. The weather felt slightly cold.

The two sat side by side on a hill, looking down at the golden-red sunset melting into the deep blue of the lake.

The surrounding trees rustled and the sound of tired birds calling as they returned to their nests filled the air.

She quietly held his hand. Rested her head on his shoulder.

The clouds in the sky began to move. Stars started to twinkle one, two at a time.

The two of them watched tirelessly as the world was gradually dyed in another color.

Soon after, she said to him:

"Ye Qiu is a bit sleepy. Can I rest my head on your lap for a while?"

Smiling, Ye Qiu replied:

"Hmm, of course you can. Take your time to sleep—"

Fang Wu, lying in her embrace just like then, had a serene smile on her face. Ye Qiu gazed into her eyes filled with infinite love. But the weight and warmth he felt at that time had now vanished without a trace.

"This can't be true... Fang Wushang... how could this... how could this happen..."

Ye Qiu murmured in a trembling voice. But the relentless light slowly intensified—

A tear gently fell from Fang Wushang's eye. Her lips moved faintly, slowly, as if to leave a final sound.

"Sorry, goodbye, Ye Qiu――"

She gently floated up—

Went motionless in Ye Qiu's embrace.

Ye Qiu let out a voice that was barely a roar while tightly hugging the motionless Fang Wushang in his arms.

This shouldn't have happened. It's impossible. Impossible. Impossi—Ye Qiu collapsed to his knees on the ground, broken.

Long Yijian twisted his mouth, spreading his arms dramatically and said:

"This is truly amazing. Isn't this just like the plot of a role-playing game? There should be no way to recover from a paralysis state... such a thing really happened..."

But his voice could no longer reach Ye Qiu's consciousness. At this moment, Ye Qiu felt only the sensation of falling endlessly into an abyss of despair, as if all his emotions had been burned away.

In this way, the reason for all his efforts disappeared.

Regardless of battling in this world, returning to the original world, or even the significance of continuing to live, they all disappeared. When he lost his family and companions due to his lack of strength in the past, he should have ended his life then. In this way, he wouldn't have met Fang Wushang, nor would he have repeated the same mistake.

Preventing Fang Wushang from committing suicide—how could he have said such a naive, rash thing? He completely misunderstood Fang Wushang. Like this—with a hollow void in his heart, how could he continue living...

Ye Qiu silently gazed at Fang Wushang's fine sword left on the floor. Then he reached out his left hand and grabbed it.

Desperately gazing at this overly lightweight and delicate weapon, hoping to find any trace of Fang Wushang's existence from it, but there was nothing. The surface flashed with a shine devoid of any emotion, without leaving any mark of its owner.

Ye Qiu, holding his own sword in his right hand and Fang Wushang's fine sword in his left, wobbled to his feet.

Nothing mattered anymore. Ye Qiu just wanted to take the brief memories of their life together to the same place to find her.

It seemed there was someone calling his name from behind.

But Ye Qiu didn't stop his steps, only raised the sword in his right hand with force and charged at Long Yijian. After stumbling a few steps, he thrust the sword out.

Seeing this action, which was neither a move nor even an attack, Long Yijian's face showed an expression of pity—he easily deflected Ye Qiu's sword with his shield, then drove his longsword straight through Ye Qiu's chest.

Ye Qiu looked emotionlessly at the metallic glint piercing deeply into his body. There was no thought in his mind. Only a colorless, transparent transcendent understanding of "So, it's all over."

Ye Qiu could feel himself slowly dying. Ye Qiu closed his eyes. Hoping that in the moment his consciousness faded, the smile of Fang Wushang would appear in his mind.

But even with closed eyes, he wasn't dead yet. That pitiful body was crying out, its lifespan dwindling at a certain speed.

At this moment, Ye Qiu suddenly felt a strong, unprecedented rage.

It's this guy. It's this guy who killed Fang Wushang. Even Long Yijian, the mastermind, is just a part of it. Tearing Fang Wushang apart, erasing her consciousness, is the feeling that envelops him now—this is all the will of this world.

It is the digital Death Gods who, while mocking human stupidity, mercilessly wield the scythe—

What exactly are humans? Are they mere puppets, controlled by this absolutely inviolable thread? Just because this world says "OK" they survive, and if it says "Die!" everyone perishes, is that all there is to it?

Like mocking his rage, his brain seemed to be talking to himself, declaring his death. "Die" was the pronouncement handed down by God.

A fierce cold invaded his entire body, and his bodily sensations gradually thinned.

He could feel a massive amount of air squirming within his body, decomposing, slicing, and eroding Ye Qiu's existence. The cold breath climbed up his neck, invading his mind. The sensations of his skin, his hearing, his sight, all were gradually fading away. His body felt like it was beginning to dissolve completely.

How could it be so easy to disappear like this.

Ye Qiu opened his eyes. He could see. He could still see. He could still see Long Yijian, the sword still impaled in Ye Qiu's chest. And the look of astonishment on his face.

Perhaps the acceleration of perception was unfolding once again, the process of dispersing into clones that should have been executed in an instant now felt surprisingly slow. His body's outline had already become blurry, and light particles from each part were falling off as if to break apart, but he still existed. He was still alive.

"Wooooooohhhhhhhhhhh!"