0113 Living

Huanluo stood frozen in place, utterly stunned. In the blink of an eye, her father lay on the brink of death, and her mother chose to end her own life. Anyone in such a situation would be driven mad.

The beasts that had been relentlessly pursuing the scattered soldiers moments ago had now vanished without a trace. The human soldiers had retreated back into the city of Arcadia. Amid the vast forest, only lifeless bodies, incapacitated soldiers, and the tragic Li family remained. Among the three, only Huanluo could barely still move, yet she stood dazed, staring blankly at the two embracing figures before her, as if believing that if she remained still, they would remain like that forever.

Though far away, at least they were alive—happily alive in the arms of their loved ones.

It was not until a painful groan from Xia Kui shattered Huanluo’s wandering soul and dragged her back to reality. She quickly hurried forward, leaning on her father’s shoulder as she knelt, anxiously watching her mother writhing in agony. Upon kneeling, Huanluo distinctly felt her father’s breath had ceased. Though his body still radiated warmth, and blood seeped steadily from his wounds, staining the ground crimson, his arms clutching her mother remained unmoving—he had indeed passed into another world.

Xia Kui, still in pain, seemed to have long accepted this truth. She forced a faint smile, her trembling arm reaching out to grasp her daughter’s hand. Huanluo immediately clasped it tightly. Xia Kui was clearly at her limit; the white glow enveloping her body, once intensifying, now gradually faded. The bone-deep pain slowly vanished, and her consciousness grew more and more indistinct. Her eyes blurred, and the only sensation left was a profound relief, as if rebirth followed great suffering. It felt as though closing her eyes could cast away the pain and return her to her most beautiful moments.

In those days of youth, when the lanterns first lit the night, they had agreed to meet behind the garden, strolling and dancing together, hearts entwined.

Lost in this dream, a faint smile tugged at Xia Kui’s lips as she whispered softly and repeatedly. Huanluo had to bend down close to catch the weakening words.

“Wait for me...”

The words barely lingered in the air before fading away, carrying with them a lingering attachment to this world. In the embrace of her beloved, wearing the most serene and beautiful expression, Xia Kui gradually became one with the wind elements around her.

The beloved was gone, leaving behind only a solitary garment.

The forest, which had just been bathed in light, was once again swallowed by darkness. Within this natural camouflage, a small group of beasts, unable to suppress their ambition, silently emerged from the surrounding woods. They were a band of bold and patient creatures, numbering around forty or fifty. When the main force had decided to retreat, these few had quietly stayed behind, carefully observing Li Yi and Xia Kui’s movements, constantly calculating how to seize an opportunity for profit.

Unfortunately, Li Yi and Xia Kui were now dead, and the human army had completely withdrawn to Arcadia. But it did not matter. Among the battlefield strewn with useless corpses, there remained one valuable, living target. The members of the beast squad grinned wickedly as they stealthily closed in on their sole focus—Huanluo.

The beasts thought to themselves: Huanluo was gravely wounded, severely battered, and utterly isolated. Capturing her alive would surely be a great achievement. Though she seemed unremarkable, she was still a core member of the human army’s main assault force.

Filled with ambition, the beasts excitedly charged toward Huanluo without hesitation. The more impatient among them gathered at a distance, conjuring magical projectiles and hurling them directly at her. To the beasts, Huanluo appeared as fragile as a dish on a platter—too good to pass up.

Yet Huanluo was not indifferent to their attack. Observers would notice her wounds, large and small, slowly knitting closed. Her emotions shifted from shock and confusion to a calm steadiness. The natural killing aura honed through countless battles began to materialize, swirling like pale red smoke around her.

She effortlessly dodged dozens of magic bolts with minimal movement. Her slightly curled fingers seemed to be summoning something, continuously curling inward. Slowly, Huanluo rose to her feet, stepping past her parents’ resting place to face the beasts head-on. Her pace gradually quickened, her lowered head concealing her expression. To the enemy, all they saw was a fragile human girl moving with a speed rivaling that of the beasts themselves, racing toward them.

Just as they were about to engage at close quarters, Huanluo suddenly raised her empty right hand to the sky. From the direction of Arcadia came a thunderous roar, followed by a long sword glowing with an eerie red light, abruptly breaking free from the city’s confines and soaring above its rooftops. The dragon emblem on the hilt shimmered faintly in the darkness. Before it could fully display its beauty, the sword swiftly flew into Huanluo’s awaiting hand at her urgent summons.

Upon grasping Dragonfang, the sword’s state instantly transformed. The faint red killing aura surged into the blade. Already steeped in resentment, the sword, now invigorated by bloodlust and hatred, reached its peak lethality in an instant. Its metallic edge seemed soaked in blood, faintly glowing red.

As the battle erupted, dozens of beasts maintained their prior formation, gathering magical energy on their razor-sharp claws. Using their massive bulk, they encircled Huanluo, intending to overwhelm her with a crushing assault. But Huanluo’s movements were more than three times faster than before. Her eyes sharpened, and within the tight ring of beasts, she found a narrow gap to cleverly evade all major attacks, counterstriking with only minor scratches as her cost.

The arrogant beasts had gravely underestimated Dragonfang’s power. The sword, bearing millennia of vengeance, unleashed all its hatred upon these innocent foes. Its cold metal easily tore through their tough hides. With Huanluo’s precise strikes, two beasts fell instantly.

The beasts, stunned by the counterattack, were forced to acknowledge the woman’s formidable strength. Yet, no matter how powerful a single individual was, they could not withstand an endless onslaught of relentless group attacks. Sensing the growing magical power of their comrades gathering behind, the beasts surrounding Huanluo quietly smiled—a subtle, unreadable expression of confidence.