Chapter 1733: Final Chapter · Shore Crossing Arc [77] · “Love.”
They were almost in despair, like travelers lost in the desert, with sandstorms filling their vision and no clue which direction to go. If Su Ming’an hadn’t appeared in time, Violet would have soon exhausted her divine power and failed to hold on, and they might have been wiped out here.
With Su Ming’an’s arrival, they had a leader.
"Awooo—" Si Nian transformed into a bright red wolf, carrying the severely injured Chen Yuhang, the Radiant Angel Violet, who was supporting the barrier, and Su Ming’an the Spiritual Body, sprinting towards the Demon Mother Goddess under Su Ming’an’s command.
Su Ming’an checked Chen Yuhang’s injuries on the wolf’s back; the side waist was visibly concave, as if corroded, without bleeding, and in a state of high fever coma. Su Ming’an immediately drew his weapon.
...
[Jiangmeng Heshan’s Priest’s Staff (Red Level): "Swimming fish meet flying birds, can Chao Yan fall at dusk?"]
Attack Power: 5~10
Durability: 10/10
Equipment Requirement: Healing profession, Spirit 50 points or above.
Active Skills (Healing Hand): After chanting for a second, restore 50+2*mentality points health points to the selected player, and dispel negative effects below the fourth rank. Cooldown time 10 seconds. Costs 100 blue energy points.
...
"Healing Hand."
Su Ming’an chanted for a second, and instantly, green light surged, and Chen Yuhang’s wound healed.
However, Chen Yuhang’s brow was tightly knit, still not waking up. Clearly, it wasn’t a matter of health points; theoretically, by using this skill, anyone’s health should be instantly filled. Yet most of the time, the deaths of those around him had nothing to do with health points; health points were merely the most superficial quantitative measure.
"Huff huff huff—!"
The Red Wolf raced all the way, experiencing several dangerous turbulence and conceptual shocks, and under Su Ming’an’s blessing, finally nearing the resting place of the Demon Mother Goddess.
"It’s been a long time, the Demon Mother Goddess might not withstand the invasion from the eighth throne from the inside, being controlled by it." Su Ming’an steadied the swaying wolf fur, looking ahead into the darkness.
"What should we do then? Cough cough cough!" Violet lay on the wolf’s back, coughing violently. The five of them were able to make it here thanks to her constantly holding up the shield. Had Su Ming’an not come to guide them in time, she was already at her limit, even prepared to die from exhaustion.
"You focus on recovering, let me think." Su Ming’an reassured her.
He greatly admired the bravery of these five people: Violet, Si Nian, Chen Yuhang, Yang Changxu, Joy. Had he arrived a moment later, they would have died here confused and lost. Had Lü God and Wang Xingkong not managed to relay the message to him in time, they would have died too. If Violet had insisted for just a few minutes less, in this environment where normal life cannot survive, they would have perished. To dare to reject the visible happiness and march towards an abyss that is nearly certain death... they are undeniably courageous.
"If it has been controlled by the eighth throne, we’ll need to be ready for battle. I still have a trump card. But using my trump card now will slightly decrease the chance of victory in the final battle..." Su Ming’an thought quickly.
This battle’s intensity was too high, and the cost of failure was too great, making him feel unprecedented pressure, even compared to the Dawn War.
Suddenly, he felt a soft hand. Violet was lying flat on the wolf’s back but stretched out her hand with effort, gently patting his shoulder.
"When I first saw you, you also had a fatigued look." Violet’s voice was faint, as if about to fall asleep anytime, her face exhaustedly pale, yet she smiled at him, "I won’t say ’if we can’t win the final battle, we’ll stop’ because I know you definitely want to win, and can’t simply stop, given the enormous sacrifice that might follow... I just want to say, relax, Number One Player, you’ve lost a trump card, but others surely have their trump cards; though their thousands of cards might not match one of yours, they will assist you, people like us will help you, you see, we all recklessly came to help you... so there’s no need to worry; stacking trump cards, you lose one, others replenish with a thousand... so doesn’t that mean it evens out?"
Su Ming’an froze for a moment. Violet’s comfort was always perfectly timed.
"We are destined to be solitary islands in this world, even the closest people will have distances, no one can truly understand us." Violet said intermittently, "But this doesn’t mean contact and intimacy are meaningless, humans are social animals, walking alone for too long, even with enough resilient will, you will eventually feel cold... You’re trembling, did you notice? When you saw Chen Yuhang injured, you were trembling entirely, maybe you didn’t even notice yourself. Luckily..."
She gently patted his arm: "Luckily, now it’s better. Everyone is relieved when they see you, ready to entrust everything to you, but I hope you also have moments of relief when you see me."
... Am I trembling?
Su Ming’an noticed his trembling and immediately controlled it. How can one wield a sword, or confront enemies, if trembling endlessly? The Gray Mist People, Heidi Doya, the deceased ordinary people, Atlanda... one after another advised him not to move forward, the pressure too much, unprecedented till now, surpassing even previous crises. The fear was not merely failing to reach the endpoint but not being able to ascertain if the endpoint was reachable.
He came to meet Chen Yuhang and the others, intending to give them hope, yet unexpectedly Violet provided warmth in return. Perhaps humanity is indeed a kind of social creature, very peculiar, after brief comfort, he indeed felt less anxious.
"Maybe it’s too much pressure." Si Nian spoke while running, "Relax a bit, young man, you’re outstanding."
"He lacks someone who can embrace candidly." Violet lifted her head, "I might not be that person, but even a few seconds is fine, Su Ming’an, please close your eyes and rest for a while."
Su Ming’an closed his eyes.
A hand held his, just like that, without moving.
Warm light landed on his forehead, the rapidly flying Red Wolf supporting the shield, running like a small starfire amidst pitch-black currents. Above was the vast sea of stars, bizarre scenes, beyond common sense creatures, swirling streams of consciousness... the red light points moved, like flames speeding through a deep dark forest.
It was like sinking into a serene, stable, blurred dream core, reminiscent of the comforting warmth of floating in a basin of warm water when young.
In the ear was the whimpering fragmented wind, Su Ming’an seemed to hear a voice whispering in his ear.
"Child... my child... love you... miss you dearly..."
Once again this voice.
Since his return to the past, this call has sounded more than once, sometimes dense, sometimes affectionate, sometimes loving, sometimes sorrowful. It should undoubtedly be Lin Wang’an’s handiwork, hadn’t she let go already? Why resort to such trivial means again? And how is she making him hear?
He opened his eyes, looking forward.
"... Have you rested well?" Violet’s hand tightly clasped his.
Even though it was only a few seconds of closed eyes, it was a precious rest.
"Thank you." Su Ming’an took a deep breath and released his hand.
Violet’s rest was very necessary, it was a short intermission. His nerves were tense for too long, thirteen game rounds one after another, his brain exhausted to the point of almost melting. Next, he had to face the big boss, the Radiant Mother God, and the biggest boss behind, the Lord of Dreams, with no time to catch his breath.
Even if it was only a few seconds, a handshake, a few words of comfort, it was enough to keep a drowning person afloat.
He wanted very little, just something so simple. A little bit of light was enough to support him through the long night that ordinary people couldn’t endure. A slight and insignificant spark was enough to burn for a long time.
"Si Nian, are you okay?" The next moment, Su Ming’an was concerned about Si Nian, who was running. For an ordinary person, it was a miracle for Si Nian to get this far. This veteran had now become the representative in the eyes of Luowasha’s ordinary people. But Si Nian’s state was obviously not right; he became sullen after exchanging items.
"I’m fine," Si Nian said hoarsely. "I’m no longer young, not as impulsive as the young ones... don’t mind me."
"You didn’t choose to return to Luowasha to resurrect Chun Tang?"
"As I’ve said before, that dark world... for people like us who are insignificant, even if we come back to life, it will continue to be painful," Si Nian said. "Only if you win can I be at ease living with her under the sun. So, I ultimately decided to come with this kid Chen Yuhang. Since he’s so daring, I can’t just be a coward."
"Thank you, when everything is over, if you and Chun Tang are to wed, I can be your witness," Su Ming’an said.
Violet suddenly said, "Don’t you think this sounds like setting a FLAG? Something like ’after this battle, let’s get married’..."
"Reverse FLAG." Su Ming’an had already anticipated this. This flag was intentionally set, "Ancient flags are no longer in vogue in Luowasha."
Si Nian laughed heartily, "Yes! I don’t believe in such taboos! We’ll throw a big banquet and invite all the brothers who survived to have a great drink! Chun Tang is excellent at making wine. She buried several jars of pear blossom wine underground, saying she’ll dig them up when there’s peace..."
The four of them moved forward in the vast expanse of the universe, like generals and soldiers about to step onto the battlefield.
The pitch-black domain gradually approached, and the sound gradually vanished.
At the moment when the immense outline, like a nebula, almost occupied the entire view—
Su Ming’an suddenly spoke again, his voice very soft:
"Si Nian."
"Hmm?"
"Wait for me to drink wine." Su Ming’an said, his gaze locked on the innumerable chaotic evil eyes gradually opening in the darkness ahead, "I will be the witness for you and Chun Tang."
If this promise truly materializes, it means everything will have gone well.
——The Red Wolf carried the three of them, diving headlong into the Nine Serenities.
Inside the pitch-dark and gloomy domain, it was as though a layer of dark-colored paint had been applied, evoking feelings of malice and ominousness.
Su Ming’an’s hand condensed devouring power, ready to go all out in battle. He was the first to jump off the wolf’s back and rush forward, standing in front of the others, with his spine extending tendrils...
However, the scene before him was startling.
——The Eighth Thrones had not succeeded; Isabelle had not lost herself.
Gray mist swirled before him, the all-engulfing, indescribable Mother God shell had vanished, replaced by a humanoid form. Isabelle lay in a human’s arms, her body covered with a thin layer of clothing, with three pairs of shadow-like wings behind her.
A man in a white lab coat held her gently, letting her head rest on his knee, with a very tender gesture, soothingly patting, as if calming a patient caught in a nightmare.
The tiny human in the boundless void source point, clad in a white lab coat, calming an ancient deity symbolizing malice and madness. This scene appeared both sacred and uncanny.
——It was Yi Song.
Su Ming’an, though aware of their pure love story, didn’t expect them to reunite. After all, the essence of life was vastly different, and their relationship wasn’t romantic love, but a connection requiring a mosaic that ordinary people couldn’t comprehend.
As he calmed her, Isabelle showed signs of mental stability. A human could comfort a deity and repel high-dimensional invasion... it was simply unbelievable. This either demonstrated that Yi Song’s healing skills were astonishingly advanced, or that Isabelle indeed saw him as distinct.
"Su Ming’an?" Noticing the commotion, Yi Song raised his head, gesturing a silent gesture with his finger, his peach blossom eyes slightly curving, "I’m treating my patient."
"Impressive, Doctor Yi." Su Ming’an was indeed impressed. In many senses, Yi Song’s action was truly remarkable.
"I have utmost patience for my patients." Yi Song tidied his slightly disheveled gray-blue hair, careful about his appearance, "I knew through comments that Isabelle was about to be invaded by the Eighth Thrones, so I rushed over, my patient... must not meet harm."
"Yi Song, how did you get here?" Violet was puzzled. They were participating in the Source Point Trial, yet Yi Song seemed not to be among them. How did Yi Song make it here?
"——I killed myself." The nonchalant answer came from Yi Song’s mouth.
For an instant, everyone was stunned.
Si Nian stared in shock, Violet’s eyes widened, even Su Ming’an paused for a moment.
Like the Radiant Mother God’s believers who discarded their bodies to dive into the sea, Yi Song did the same thing — he abandoned his body, turned into a soul, and came through a contract resonating with the Demon Mother Goddess. This was the only way to bypass the source point’s exclusivity; as long as he was alive, he couldn’t enter, he had to be dead first.
To treat a patient, the doctor killed himself, just to get to the patient’s side...
"You love Him?" Si Nian blurted out, this answer was indisputable. If not for deep love, how could a human disregard their life to reach a deity? He believed that only love could make somebody disregard life and death, just as he treated Chun Tang.
