"The only thing I didn't anticipate was..." Zhong Yun gasped for breath, "That from this distance, Wang Jingze could still launch a surprise attack."

"It seems this universe truly teems with strange and extraordinary individuals; let your guard down for an instant, and you'll capsize in the shallows." Having spoken so much in one go, Zhong Yun felt a weariness settle over his spirit.

"Stop talking, you need to rest properly," Yu Daoqing said with heartfelt concern, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Although the unknown drug was causing a backlash of Yuan within him, strangely, Zhong Yun was still able to maintain clarity, his body intermittently pulsing with purple light.

"I feel terrible." The purple light emanating from Zhong Yun intensified, his face contorted in pain, and the sweat she had just wiped away immediately beaded up again on his forehead.

Yu Daoqing pulled him close, his body trembling, unable to gauge the immense agony he was enduring. Her heart felt as if it were being carved with a knife; watching Zhong Yun suffer so grievously left her utterly helpless.

"Zhong Yun, you cannot die..." Yu Daoqing clutched his neck tightly, overwhelmed by sorrow.

With difficulty, Zhong Yun shifted his gaze to fall upon her, his lips moving twice, yet unable to emit a single sound.

Yu Daoqing felt the vibration in his throat and looked up. Seeing his lips moving, she quickly leaned down, bringing her ear close to his mouth.

"I... I’m not reconciled... I... have never... kissed a girl..." Having heard this broken confession, Zhong Yun's voice faded, and he could no longer be heard. Feeling the life force draining rapidly from the man in her arms, Yu Daoqing didn't hesitate, covering his lips with her own. A slight twitch played at the corner of Zhong Yun's mouth—it was the smile of a prankster whose trick had succeeded.

The last trace of Yuan in his body was eroded, and Zhong Yun’s consciousness grew increasingly blurry. "Xiao Ling, make sure you find me a handsome guy to possess next time..." This was his final thought as he was pulled under, sinking into boundless darkness.

Feeling the heat of Zhong Yun's lips turn instantly cold, Yu Daoqing felt her heart shatter into countless pieces. She raised her head. The purple light on Zhong Yun’s body had vanished, and the shocking red coloring on his skin had dissipated as well. All that remained was a chilling pallor.

"I don't want you to die..." Yu Daoqing murmured beside his ear, trying to coax him back from the abyss of unconsciousness.

She held Zhong Yun in a reverse embrace, leaning his back against her chest. One hand pressed against his sternum; the faint, steady beat beneath her palm was the only force sustaining her, offering a sliver of hope.

"Did you know? In our Jialan, there's a legend..." Yu Daoqing held him like that, never ceasing to whisper stories into his ear, finishing one only to begin the next. Zhong Yun had always loved hearing her tell fascinating anecdotes.

Time ticked by, second by second. The entire vessel was utterly silent, save for Yu Daoqing’s soft voice emanating from the main control room.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Yu Daoqing remained motionless, embracing Zhong Yun, entirely lost in her narrative.

Suddenly, a sharp alarm blared through the main control room: "Attention. Bug-Bee Three is commencing docking sequence."

Yu Daoqing jolted awake, staring at the flashing lights on the console with stunned disbelief. A wave of sheer ecstasy washed over her. "Zhong Yun, did you hear that? We've arrived! You're going to be saved right away!"

After a moment, the flashing lights ceased, and the system's voice sounded again. "Docking complete."

Then, the hatch slid open automatically, and a machine shaped like a bed rolled in. "Place Zhong Yun onto the platform," a voice devoid of emotion commanded.

Yu Daoqing glanced down at Zhong Yun in her arms; his complexion seemed even paler than before, his lips utterly devoid of color. Gritting her teeth, she lifted him and placed him onto the platform.

As soon as Zhong Yun lay down, a transparent helmet encased his entire head. A smaller mask then covered his mouth and nose. A stream of pink liquid began to pour out, filling the sealed helmet and completely submerging Zhong Yun's head within it.

The mechanical bed began to move, and Yu Daoqing followed closely, her hand still gripping Zhong Yun's.

The bed carried them straight into the main control room. Upon entering, Yu Daoqing saw a youth with long black hair, dressed in black attire, who bore a striking resemblance to Zhong Yun. He exuded an intense aura of detachment that made others instinctively shrink away.

"You are Yu Daoqing."

The youth’s tone was detached, causing Yu Daoqing a wave of discomfort. However, concerned only with Zhong Yun’s condition, she had no patience for niceties. "I am. Are you Xiao Ling that Zhong Yun mentioned? We must hurry back to Dawa..."

"It's too late," the ZER, who had materialized in the form of the youth, cut her off, his cold words striking deep into Yu Daoqing’s fragile heart.

"How can it be too late?" Touched upon her deepest fear, Yu Daoqing's long-suppressed emotions instantly broke free. "It can be in time! It absolutely can be in time..."

She looked toward ZER, her clothes suddenly billowing as if caught in a strong wind, emitting an overpowering, suffocating killing intent. "Are you going or not? If not, I’ll kill you."

"If you wish Zhong Yun to die, then proceed," ZER remained impassive under her threat.

Yu Daoqing’s chest rose and fell rapidly; her exquisite, perfect features twisted slightly. The movement in her clothing stilled, and the palpable killing intent dissipated.

Her face was deathly pale. "What do you want? What will it take for you to save him?"

"What can you offer?" ZER's voice continued.

"Can you bring him back to life?" Yu Daoqing stared intently at him, trying to penetrate the deepest reaches of his soul.

ZER sensed she might have misunderstood something, but he had no intention of clarifying. "Only if you can pay a sufficiently heavy price."

"I can give everything," Yu Daoqing declared firmly, her tone admitting no doubt. "As long as you can bring him back to life."

"Including your life?" ZER’s gaze sharpened; this was the first change in his expression Yu Daoqing had witnessed.

"Including my life."

"You may leave now." Having received the answer, ZER turned his back and issued the dismissal.

"How will you save him?" Yu Daoqing pressed anxiously.

"On one planet."

Qi Yun Star. The Mars descended once more. In the base, countless subjects of Zhong Yun swarmed out, prostrating themselves in worship toward the Mars hanging in the sky.

Indeed, they were now Zhong Yun's subjects—humans transported by the Omni Nation Management Company who were still in a state of ignorance. In the great cosmic civilization, any civilization unable to achieve interstellar flight was considered backward. Zhong Yun's home, Earth, was a nascent civilization that had only just emerged from that primitive state.

The valley where the base was situated had been utterly transformed. Fifty thousand people had constructed a sizable complex of buildings around the perimeter of the base. Further out, a tall, imposing wall made of metal encircled the entire base and the newly built structures, preventing wild beasts from entering and harming the inhabitants.

The Omni Nation Management Company had been considerate, sending only children aged ten or younger. Individuals of this age were easily molded, and if educated well, they could become Zhong Yun’s loyal aides when they grew up.

"What did you say?" In the main control room of the Mars, Yu Daoqing was utterly dumbfounded.

"To save Zhong Yun, only the spring water of the World Tree will suffice," ZER repeated his earlier statement.

"You're insane! The World Tree has been extinct for ages..." Yu Daoqing felt the world spinning. Zhong Yun's condition worsened daily, and he was clearly reaching his limit. Who could have imagined that this Xiao Ling would lead them to this primitive star, wasting precious time for treatment? Zhong Yun’s life was hanging by a thread.

"If anything happens to him, I will have you join him in the grave," Yu Daoqing struggled to suppress the intense killing intent surging within her.

As if deaf to her words, ZER continued, "You are the Saintess of the Jialan Clan. Do you know about the Rite of Sacrifice?"

Yu Daoqing’s eyes narrowed, and she regarded him with an intensely dangerous look. "How do you know that? Tell me, who sent you?"

"Zhong Yun’s time is running short," ZER looked at her coldly. "Answer."

Yu Daoqing’s forehead twitched a few times. Recalling Zhong Yun lying in the healing tank, she immediately softened again. "I’ve heard of it, but I don't know..."

"This is the complete process of the Life Sacrifice. Record it." ZER spoke, and a panoramic video began to play in the space before them.

A woman in a moon-white gown performed an elegant, ancient dance before an inconceivably magnificent tree...

Watching this video, Yu Daoqing was deeply shaken. She had never seen this footage, yet an ancient memory deeply rooted in her bloodline gave her a sense of fatalistic familiarity with the scene unfolding.

"This is..." After it finished, Yu Daoqing stared in shock.

"How do you possess this?" Yu Daoqing murmured as if in a trance. The video was so real, imbued with a sacred, ancient aura that made one feel present at the moment. This was absolutely not something simulated by virtual technology.

She was certain this footage had been filmed on location.

"Zhong Yun's time is running short," ZER stressed again.

Yu Daoqing’s spirit jolted. She cleared her mind of the shock and quickly composed herself. "I have recorded it."

"Be warned, what you are about to undertake is the Life Sacrifice of the highest danger level: catalyzing a World Tree sapling to reach its nascent state. It carries the very real possibility of completely depleting your own life force," ZER warned coldly.

ZER’s solemn expression and words made Yu Daoqing’s heart clench. Could it be true that the World Tree, extinct for five millennia, actually existed on this planet?

If this were true... even if it weren't for saving Zhong Yun, she would offer her life for the World Tree without hesitation. It was her inherent mission as a Saintess.

"When the World Tree reaches its nascent body, a spring eye will form, and the water that flows out can eliminate all negative conditions. It is the best known cure for Yuan Devouring," ZER explained.

"I ask you one last time: for Zhong Yun, what are you willing to offer?" ZER fixed his gaze on Yu Daoqing, his ruthless eyes piercing into the core of her soul.

"Everything I possess," Yu Daoqing stated calmly, as if discussing the most trivial matter.

P: The next chapter will be quite late. Please vote with monthly tickets.