Chapter Nine: The First Rain of the Year 4998

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"I'm afraid... I won't hold out until then." Gu Linglong's voice was as frail as a newborn child.

Xiaoying, supporting both of them from behind, was already streaming tears. At this moment, she could no longer hold back, her voice trembling as she said, "No, sister, you'll be all right!"

Gu Linglong gave a weak chuckle, lifting her other hand to tightly grasp Boss Li's. "To leave like this... isn't so bad," she said with a smile at Li Chengzhu, her lips parting slightly, singing in a tone filled with sorrow:

“The brocade zither’s fifty strings, each string and fret recalling youthful years.
Zhuang Zhou’s morning dream lost in butterflies, the King’s spring longing entrusted to the cuckoo.
In the vast sea, the bright moon sheds tears upon pearls;
On the warm jade fields, mist rises like smoke.
This feeling can only become a memory,
But at the time, it was already confusion.”

"Ah—!" Boss Li could no longer contain his grief and let out a mournful cry to the heavens. Only after checking Gu Linglong's pulse did he realize her injuries were far more severe than they appeared.

Physical wounds were easy to heal, but the attack array unleashed by the celestial sword at her core had shattered her immortal armor, nearly destroying her immortal infant. Even now, Gu Linglong's immortal infant teetered on the brink of dissolution. If rescue did not come soon, Gu Linglong would surely die as her body exploded.

What to do? What to do?

This crisis was entirely different from the last time Gu Linglong nearly succumbed to inner demons. Then, her immortal infant was chaotic but not fading. Had it been the same, it would have been easier—just find a secluded spot for dual cultivation and soothe her immortal infant. But now...

Boss Li finally realized he was helpless.

The little creature beside him chirped twice at Boss Li, then clawed at the Blood Jade Ring on his hand.

Li Chengzhu felt like a complete fool.

Indeed, concern leads to confusion.

Inside the ring were still the three life-saving celestial pills bestowed by his ancestor.

Fumbling, he retrieved a Crimson Essence Celestial Pill from the Blood Jade Ring, his face alight with hope as he looked at Gu Linglong. "She can be saved, she can be saved..."

Gu Linglong struggled to lift her eyelids, managing a faint smile at Boss Li before again closing her eyes.

Boss Li hurriedly tried to place the celestial pill in Gu Linglong's mouth, but she was too weak to open her lips; the pill pressed against her teeth, unable to go in.

In a moment of desperation, Boss Li could not afford to care about propriety. He placed the Crimson Essence Celestial Pill in his own mouth, moistening it with saliva, then transferred it to Gu Linglong’s lips.

But Boss Li had miscalculated.

The Crimson Essence Celestial Pill dissolved almost instantly in his mouth, so by the time he transferred it to Gu Linglong, only a small portion remained.

"Damn it!" Boss Li cursed bitterly. Why did things always go wrong at the most critical moment? Fearing the medicine would not be enough, he immediately put the remaining two Crimson Essence Celestial Pills into his mouth and transferred them the same way to Gu Linglong.

Once the celestial pills entered her body, Gu Linglong's dissolving immortal infant immediately stabilized, held in a fragile equilibrium. At the same time, all her immortal energy was sealed off—she could not use any of it.

After checking her pulse again, Boss Li finally managed a relieved smile and gently whispered, "It's all right now. Rest well."

Gu Linglong's long lashes fluttered slightly before she fell into a deep sleep.

"How is she?" Xiaoying asked, her voice still thick with tears.

Boss Li turned his head with difficulty, nearly brushing lips with Xiaoying. "She'll be fine."

He did not tell Xiaoying the full truth, fearing it would worry her.

Boss Li had no idea how long the three Crimson Essence Celestial Pills would seal Gu Linglong's immortal energy—perhaps a month, perhaps forty days. If by then a way to heal her was still not found, Gu Linglong's fate would remain grim. After all, her immortal infant was gravely injured.

"As long as she's fine," Xiaoying finally breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately grew concerned again. "What about you? Are you badly hurt?"

Boss Li reached out, wiping away the tears on Xiaoying’s face with a smile. "I'm fine—tough as a turtle!"

The celestial sword’s attack had wounded Boss Li as well, but thanks to his formidable healing abilities, he no longer felt much of it. Still, his whole body ached terribly, and because of the Crimson Essence Celestial Pills, his energy could not recover, making the pain even more intense. To keep Xiaoying from worrying further, Boss Li simply gritted his teeth and endured.

Above them, the battle had reached its fever pitch.

The two immortals, giving up on defense, suffered considerable losses themselves.

Of the two celestial swords that struck at Li Chengzhu, one was deflected by Gu Linglong, but the other pierced her abdomen.

Now, with only their defensive treasures left, the two immortals quickly suffered a major setback at Yuan Mu’s hands. One immortal’s protective treasure was broken with everyone’s combined efforts, and he was finally wounded—not severely, but the attack, aimed at the immortal’s crotch, left him staggering drunkenly through the air.

Yuan Mu had learned that move from Boss Li himself and was quite pleased with his handiwork.

Meanwhile, Qiu Feng had become like a madman, his beloved’s fate uncertain, his heart pounding with dread. He fought recklessly, caring nothing for teamwork.

But soon, the immortals' counterattack cost Rainbow City’s battle group two of their main warriors.

At the instant the celestial swords were withdrawn, the two experts in their tribulation stage were caught off guard and struck down, unable to get back up. Only Qiu Feng and Yuan Mu were left to resist.

Boss Li, cradling Gu Linglong and leaning against Xiaoying behind him, paid no attention to the battle before them.

As he watched color slowly return to Gu Linglong’s face, he recalled her question: "Will you marry me?" and the poem she sang. Boss Li could not help but feel his blood surge, his meridians throbbing with pain, as if something inside him was trying to break through the barrier of the Crimson Essence Celestial Pills.

"Girl," Boss Li said, struggling to distract himself from the pain that pierced his very bones.

"Yes?" Xiaoying answered softly from behind.

"And you? Why?"

"Why what?" Xiaoying’s face flushed instantly. She knew exactly what Boss Li meant, but she could not help but lower her head, pretending not to understand.

"Why did you stand in front of me?" Boss Li gently laid Gu Linglong down, letting her head rest on his thigh. "You know you couldn't have blocked those two swords."

Silence.

After a long while, Xiaoying finally sighed. "I don’t know. My body just moved on its own."

With a thud, Boss Li’s heart was struck once more, making the world spin.

Her answer was exactly the same as Gu Linglong’s. Boss Li laughed.

As the slaughter raged in the sky, and Xiaoying’s face burned with embarrassment, only Boss Li laughed wildly, so much so that even the heavens and earth seemed moved—gusts of wind rose, and raindrops fell from the sky, washing away the blood and ugliness of this land.

The first rain I’ve seen since arriving in the Immortal Realm, Boss Li murmured to himself.