Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

Her and her sister's standing in Lord Zhimu's heart was far less than that of Jingliu.

He only regarded them as subordinates or friends with similar tragic pasts.

But that doesn't stop him from having done so much for them.

He rescued her time and time again on the battlefield and worked tirelessly for her leg ailment for many years.

Lord Zhi Mu was unaware that she and her sister were no longer fighting for themselves, nor for Yao Qing or the alliance, but for him.

Without him, they would have died in the calamity of Cangcheng.

Following his will, they walked the path of hunting down the immortal messengers without complaint or regret.

When he finally learned all this, they had successfully occupied a place in his heart.

But by then, their deaths were already a foregone conclusion.

So Lord Zhimu asked: Are you willing to fall into the abyss with him?

The answer requires no thought at all.

For Lord Zhimu, it was an abyss from which there was no turning back.

For her and her sister, that was the only future they could have: to follow Lord Zhimu and fulfill the vow they had made to fight for him.

Even if I become the eternal sinner of the Immortal Ship, I will not be alone.

……

After an unknown amount of time, Qi Zhimu finally stopped self-harming, the frenzied crimson in his eyes gradually faded, and he regained his senses.

Qinghan slowly approached, his eyes revealing undisguised worry.

"Lord Zhimu, even someone as powerful as the Free Manifestation Body cannot diminish the influence of the Demonic Yin Body?"

"Because of her... it's not possible yet."

"Mirror Flow?"

"Yes, to save you and Mianxue, we must stabilize your consciousness in order to resist the negative effects of activating the Free Manifestation."

Qi Zhimu said softly:

"But your dying consciousness is too fragile, so I can only merge my consciousness with yours briefly."

"When our consciousnesses merge, you will be able to see parts of my memories."

As for deeper memories that do not belong to this world, they are protected by the system.

He could see more in the sisters' memories, including their emotions.

Even if you had a premonition, you are still moved when you face the answer and learn things you never paid attention to before.

For example, even if he ordered the two sisters to rush into the horde of monstrous creatures to their deaths, they would not question it in the slightest.

When he became the entirety of someone else's heart and their faith, Qi Zhimu couldn't help but feel a complex mix of emotions.

Qinghan nodded; she naturally understood what the former meant.

In the year 5749 of the Star Calendar, Qi Zhimu has learned most of the important memories from the outbreak of the Second Abundant People's War in the Jade Palace to the present day.

It was then that Qinghan truly understood—

The way Qi Zhimu cured her leg ailment was by transferring the remaining power of Rahu into his body, suppressing and devouring it with his own power.

The flesh, nutrients, and blessings of countless bountiful creatures that died at his hands were all plundered.

If you use these plundered powers to strengthen yourself with the Freedom of Movement Technique, your Abundance Blessing level will increase as you accumulate them.

When the level is high enough, the effects of the demonic body should be mitigated.

But now, perhaps we should use this plundered wealth to fill the void in Mirror Stream's celestial condition.

Thinking of this, Qinghan didn't ask any further questions, and her gaze fell on Qi Zhimu's muscular chest.

Inside beats a heart that does not belong to him, a bountiful calamity originating from the death of the warrior leader Wusa of the Buli people.

The clump of flesh handed over to the Ten Kings' Division was merely a portion cut from the surface of the heart.

After a certain period of time, that piece of heart tissue will also recover.

This is the terrible thing about the calamity of abundance.

If Usa didn't need this item to command the entire tribe and consolidate his power, sharing it with the wolves would inevitably bring great trouble to the Immortal Ship.

But that's impossible. If you share, how can you become a dictatorial ruler?

Before he became the leader of the Bu Li War, Usa was a member of the Eclipse Moon Hunter Group.

The Eclipse Hunters are the most warlike predators. Their founders claimed to have swallowed the flesh of gods, hence the name "God-Swallowing Hunters."

The Bu Li people of this hunting group received the most Moon Madness Blessings, and when they fall into Moon Madness, they enter a state of uncontrollable madness.

A small number of fox-people in Yaoqing may also suffer from Moon Madness symptoms, so it is considered a compulsory course in Cloud Rider training, and everyone is very familiar with it.

The characteristics and traditions of the Lunar Eclipse Hunters have led them to prefer feeding on the flesh and blood of different races, constantly mutating and innovating their genes.

Therefore, when fighting against the Eclipse Hunters, it is essential to focus on clearing the battlefield and not leave the remains of comrades behind.

This is not just a matter of honor and emotion, but a set of rules that must be followed.

In conclusion, it would be a lie for Qinghan to say she wasn't worried.

No one has ever tried to transplant the culprits from the human body and assimilate them into internal organs through the Free Body Technique. Who knows if there are any hidden dangers involved?

"After all, it comes from Bu Liren. The blessing level is not low. Won't it produce any side effects?" Qinghan asked with concern.

"Yes, if you're not careful, you can easily go berserk and lose control of your mind, triggering demonic forces. If you kill for too long or too much, you might even crave blood."

When the topic of side effects came up, Qi Zhimu couldn't help but frown.

Although every Cloud Rider wished they could devour the flesh and drink its blood of the abundant and wicked creatures.

But generally speaking, who would do such a thing?

He plunders abundant creatures, but only by freely manifesting his body to extract the nutrients and blessings from their flesh and blood, rather than by directly devouring them with his mouth.

"Can the spontaneous manifestation of the body eliminate this influence?"

"It should be possible. That impulse isn't hard to control, and its influence will gradually weaken as the bounty from plunder increases."

At this point, Qi Zhimu scrutinized Qinghan's cold face, remaining silent for a long time.

Qinghan looked at her with some confusion and became a little awkward.

"What is it, Lord Zhimu?"

"Having the ability to manifest freely means being unable to extricate oneself, which implies committing the ten heinous crimes, being neither subject to the Ten Kings' Judgments nor tolerated by the laws of the Immortal Ship, and falling into such an abyss. Do you truly not regret it?"

"Lord Chimu!!"

Upon hearing this, Qinghan couldn't help but bite her lower lip. A strong impulse surged within her, prompting her to take a step closer—

She tiptoed, reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips without saying a word.

Qi Zhimu was stunned.

After a long while, Qinghan realized what she had done. She panicked and let go of his mouth and hand, not daring to look him in the eye.

"...In the past, Lord Zhimu did not respond to my affections because he had touched upon forbidden things, but now, we are on the exact same path..."

"My sister and I will continue our future because of you. No matter what the outcome, we will accept it with equanimity and never regret it."

She mustered her courage to hold his hand, but instead hugged him tightly around the waist.

Even in the icy depths of the sea, Qi Zhimu could still feel the warmth of the woman in his arms and her unreserved sincerity.

He remained silent.

Knowing the suffering of walking in the abyss, I am unwilling to let those who deeply love me step into this world...

It was precisely because the person in his arms was someone willing to give everything for him that he asked that question.

If one person falls into the abyss, they and the disciple can be safe in exchange.

He will not hesitate.

"In that case, follow me... The war is not over yet; it's time to prepare for the next battle."

Once the war ends, he will rebuild the future for Kagami-ryu.