After My Death, the Female Lead Breaks the Heartless Path - Chapter 21

Xu Jingqiu naturally heard the commotion behind her and sensed that the “constructs” sent by the Heavenly Dao were beyond their current ability to handle. She whispered, “Go help them.”

The Heavenly Dao Ruler on her wrist flickered, then transformed into a beam of light that flew to the side of Wen Banxia and Liu Ruichu, who were fending off the Heavenly Dao constructs. It materialized into a sword and cleaved one of the constructs in two. Wen Banxia and Liu Ruichu swiftly followed up, blocking the attacks of the remaining constructs from both sides.

“Is it over just like that?” Wen Banxia felt a sense of disbelief. How could this sword so effortlessly slice through a construct at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage?

She recognized it as the divine artifact Xu Jingqiu had obtained in the secret realm, the one called the “Heavenly Dao Ruler.” Ai Yanran had been relentlessly trying to seize it, and now it was clear just how formidable it truly was.

In contrast to her astonishment, Liu Ruichu was unusually frustrated. She was considered one of the top experts in the demon realm and had thought she could flawlessly carry out the task assigned by their leader. Who would have expected their leader’s partner to be so fierce?

The Heavenly Dao Ruler also assumed the battle was over and quietly hovered beside Wen Banxia. However, the two women remained vigilant until Xu Jingqiu said, “It’s done,” at which point they finally relaxed slightly.

Wen Banxia glanced at the screen. Though she still couldn’t understand the text displayed, the overwhelming red had significantly diminished, allowing her to infer that the immediate danger had passed.

But before they could catch their breath, the alarm blared once more. A large triangular symbol with an exclamation mark inside appeared at the center of the screen, flashing incessantly.

Wen Banxia’s heart skipped a beat. She instinctively looked toward Xu Jingqiu and, seeing no trace of panic on her face, felt somewhat reassured. At the very least, it seemed the situation wasn’t yet dire.

Xu Jingqiu took a deep breath and spoke in an eerily calm tone, “Next, we may be separated. No matter what happens, your first priority is to protect yourselves.”

“Separated?”

Returning to the screen, Xu Jingqiu began constructing new defenses. “Yes. The secret realm’s situation is about to undergo drastic changes. This is part of the realm’s normal defense mechanisms, but our side will likely face additional enemies. I’ll have the Heavenly Dao Ruler accompany you. Grab hold of it now!”

Wen Banxia and Liu Ruichu instinctively reached for the Heavenly Dao Ruler, which had somehow moved between them. In the next moment, the scene before them shifted rapidly. A fissure split the ground, and walls rose to separate them from Xu Jingqiu. Before they could even utter a word, the disturbance ceased.

They were completely cut off from each other.

Wen Banxia grew anxious. They had the Heavenly Dao Ruler with them, but what about Xu Jingqiu? Hadn’t she said she couldn’t afford to be distracted while defending? What if she encountered danger?

Seeing her disoriented state, Liu Ruichu snapped, “Enemies are approaching! Stay focused!”

Countless Heavenly Dao constructs, identical to the previous ones, emerged from the liquefied ground, roaring as they advanced. Without Xu Jingqiu by their side, the Heavenly Dao Ruler did not autonomously construct the large-scale destructive weapons, and even if it had, no one would know how to operate them.

As if receiving some command, the previously disoriented and uncertain Heavenly Ruler suddenly calmed down. Then, with a flash of light, it split into two and shot toward the two of them.

Wen Banxia instinctively closed her eyes, but the expected impact never came. Instead, she felt a cool sensation enveloping her body, accompanied by an influx of extremely pure energy that continuously filled the void within her. When she opened her eyes, she found that the Heavenly Ruler had transformed into armor clinging to their bodies. Strangely, it felt weightless and did not hinder their movements in the slightest in fact, it seemed to make them more agile.

Wen Banxia’s heart suddenly settled. It must have been Xu Jingqiu who had given the Heavenly Ruler an order, prompting its response. At the very least, this meant Xu Jingqiu was safe.

Now, all they had to do was hold out until the end. The only question was how the other places were faring whether they were also under such attacks. She couldn’t concern herself with Penglai, but in the Demon Realm, only Yin Ruolan would likely be able to withstand such an assault.

With the Heavenly Ruler’s assistance, Wen Banxia felt her attacks had significantly improved. Her depleted spiritual energy was replenished, and most of the enemy strikes were effortlessly blocked.

At first, it was relatively easy, but they soon realized something was wrong.

The enemies were simply too numerous endless, impossible to eradicate.

Every time an “Heavenly Construct” was slain, it dissolved into black sand and merged with the ground, which had somehow turned black. From it, even more constructs emerged.

A sense of despair began to creep into her. She swung her arm mechanically, but for how long could this last? Though her spiritual energy seemed limitless, her physical stamina was steadily draining.

The armor on her body glowed, repelling a construct that had somehow slipped behind her. Wen Banxia swiftly followed up with a sword strike, panting heavily.

On the other side, Liu Ruichu wasn’t faring much better. The two of them were further hindered by their conflicting energies, one using spiritual power, the other demonic energy forcing them to keep their distance to avoid harming each other.

Just a little longer they had to hold out until Xiao Qiu safely concluded whatever she was doing. Wen Banxia had come here to protect Xiao Qiu, not to be a burden. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to summon her fighting spirit, her lower lip bitten until it bled slightly.

Even though she knew she shouldn’t let her mind wander, she couldn’t help but recall the day of their parting.

To this day, she remembered the scene vividly. Every time she woke from a nightmare, endless regret would wash over her.

Back then, Xu Jingqiu had only just begun to master sword techniques and was still an ordinary person. She could handle Qi Refining cultivators, but she stood little chance against Foundation Establishment cultivators, let alone a Golden Core expert leading the group.

How desperate must Xu Jingqiu have felt, surrounded by cultivators some of whom were once her own kin?

Just like now, when Wen Banxia could see no hope in sight. The Heavenly Constructs surged forward one after another, endless and relentless. Her arm grew numb and heavy, too tired to lift her sword, forcing her to rely on her fists.

In her daze, Wen Banxia seemed to see that day’s scene again only this time, she was no longer viewing it from the perspective of a perpetrator. She had become Xu Jingqiu.

The person before her simply could not be repelled. She fought with all her might, but could only temporarily drive them back, soon finding herself trapped once again, unable to break free.

It was as if she suddenly understood Xu Jingqiu she had no right to ask for forgiveness.

“…Attack! Guard your mind, don’t let it affect you!”

A sharp pain suddenly pierced her chest. The armor she wore emitted a dazzling light in an attempt to repel the enemy ahead, but it was futile. She could only watch helplessly as the long sword plunged into her body, causing her to spit out a mouthful of blood.

Liu Ruichu had also reached her limit. Forcing herself to strike once more, she repelled the construct and turned to check on Wen Banxia.

Wen Banxia used her sword to prop herself up from the ground, quickly swallowing a pill, but it had no effect. Blood continued to flow, and her consciousness began to blur.

“Is this the end, then?” Wen Banxia let out a bitter laugh, feeling a deep sense of helplessness.

Had she fallen into a trap after all? In the end, she had still become a burden.

The enemies continued to multiply. Liu Ruichu could barely manage to protect the two of them, but eventually, she too was overwhelmed. It seemed they were truly going to meet their end here.

The Heavenly Ruler flew out, transforming into a shield that enveloped the two of them. The relentless attacks sent ripples across its surface, and faint cracks began to appear.

Just then, the wall behind them collapsed. Black sand billowed, obscuring their vision. Through the haze, they could vaguely make out a figure approaching, exuding a suffocating aura of killing intent.

The shield formed by the Heavenly Ruler suddenly emitted a blinding light, instantly dispersing all the black sand and forcing the Heavenly constructs to retreat repeatedly. Then, it transformed into a streak of light and flew backward.

Once the Heavenly Ruler returned to her right wrist, Xu Jingqiu first used her abilities to stabilize Wen Banxia’s injuries, preventing them from worsening. Then, she raised her right hand toward the constructs, the red bloodstain on her left cheek glowing ominously.

[Armament Release: Infinite Sniper]

Golden vortexes unfolded behind Xu Jingqiu, from which countless guns emerged, aiming directly at the constructs. With a snap of her fingers, they unleashed a barrage of fire, annihilating the enemies in the blink of an eye.

Xu Jingqiu retrieved the Heavenly Ruler and commanded, “Request: Eliminate the Outer God’s forces, then open the path to the middle layer. Activate the middle layer’s Mist Illusion to maximum capacity.”

A faint tremor ran through the walls, as if explosions were occurring in multiple places. Xu Jingqiu paid it no mind. She handed Liu Ruichu a bottle of medicine and then knelt in front of Wen Banxia.

Wen Banxia struggled to open her eyes upon sensing someone kneeling before her. When she saw it was Xu Jingqiu, she managed a faint smile. “Did you succeed? Your face.”

Xu Jingqiu nodded, the bloodstain on her face beginning to fade. “I just had another fight with the Heavenly Dao, that’s all. It’s nothing, it’ll heal soon.”

Wen Banxia let out a sigh of relief, a sense of resignation in her voice. “That’s good. I didn’t hold you back, did I?”

“Not at all. Thank you for holding them off. It allowed me to finish things quickly on my end otherwise, it would have been much more troublesome. Don’t speak anymore, lie down.”

Wen Banxia did not lie down. She could feel her life force slipping away, as if it were happening in an instant. It felt so sudden, especially since she had only just found her again. “About what happened before. I’m truly sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you like that. I should have noticed Ai Yanran’s schemes earlier. If I had, perhaps you wouldn’t have had to go through all that.”

Xu Jingqiu did not speak. Instead, she silently and gently pressed the person down, placing her hand a finger’s width away from the wound. The Ruler of Heavenly Principles emitted a faint green light, dispersing the sinister energy within the wound.

Wen Banxia’s consciousness had long since begun to blur, yet she continued murmuring to herself: “Whether you hate me or resent me, I deserve it all. I am unworthy of being your sister, and I have failed our parents’ expectations. I am truly sorry, so very sorry.”

Xu Jingqiu withdrew her hand and, without changing her expression, slipped a pill into Wen Banxia’s mouth, then covered her lips to prevent her from spitting it out. “Don’t speak now. Everything will be fine from here on. You can sleep.”

A nauseating bitterness instantly spread through her mouth. Wen Banxia instinctively tried to spit it out, but with her mouth covered, she had no choice but to swallow. Then, she grew increasingly drowsy, her eyes closing as she fell into unconsciousness.

In her dazed state, it seemed she saw once again the nightmares that had long haunted her.

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