Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

Qi Zhimu remained silent.

Seeing this, Qinghan roughly guessed the reason and wisely said no more.

Mianxue sighed inwardly.

Not long ago, they had all seen Jingliu's aggrieved look.

But Jingliu didn't know that the source of this grievance actually came from Qi Zhimu's worries.

He feared that she might also die a heroic death like those passionate young Yunqi riders who never gave up until their last breath.

Sometimes, even the Immortal Boat General cannot guarantee the safety of every Cloud Rider under his command, let alone the mere Valiant Guards?

If an enemy of equal or even greater strength appears, the general and his elite guards must personally engage in battle and cannot remain in command.

On-the-spot command could only be entrusted to the military strategist.

The battlefield is cruel; no one is omnipotent, and anyone could lose their life in the next second.

As a master, how can I show my disciple my powerlessness?

No one in the expedition team would ever consider him incompetent.

Only those in command truly understand the psychological torment of watching their own lives perish before their very eyes.

For thousands of years, the higher the rank in the Cloud Cavalry, the faster they fall into demonic possession with age. This is because they have witnessed too much death and endured too much loss.

"Lord Zhimu, you have done very well..." Mianxue Qinghan really wanted to say this.

But they also knew they couldn't say it.

They have no right to speak.

The entire expeditionary force believed he had fulfilled all his duties, but he did not think so, nor could he possibly think so.

Mianxue understands, and Qinghan understands too.

after all--

They were all survivors of the Cangcheng disaster, and had witnessed countless lives die before their eyes. How could they be indifferent to the sacrifice of their comrades?

The reason for returning to the Cloud Cavalry headquarters was to hold a patrol meeting to hunt down Usa and to report more details of the battle.

The hunting people will never forget revenge.

……

It was nearly midnight.

Finally, after being struck again, Jingliu's vision went black, and he could no longer straighten his body.

She stumbled forward and fell with a dull thud.

Before losing consciousness, a pair of calm eyes appeared in my blurred vision.

Something complex seemed to flash across those eyes.

But before Jingliu could see clearly, darkness completely swallowed her consciousness.

On the artificial sky that simulates the night sky, starlight falls and reflects on the girl's face, which is filled with pain and brows furrowed.

Qi Zhimu gently picked her up, turned around and walked towards the rest area, letting out a barely audible sigh.

He quietly looked at the training records from the martial arts arena for a long time, then turned off the screen.

He knew that Jingliu was growing rapidly, and even if Qinghan and Mianxue sparred with her, the outcome was uncertain.

However, when facing a more powerful enemy who could attack from an unknown direction at any time and pierce your throat, Jingliu's current strength is far from sufficient.

From the moment Cangcheng perished and his mother passed away, he thought he had nothing left to lose and nothing he couldn't pay the price for.

But now... he has something to worry about.

He had made a promise to keep Jingliu alive, so that he could survive on the even more brutal battlefield.

Upon returning home, after entrusting Jing Liu to Mian Xue's care, Qi Zhimu immediately went into his private laboratory.

The first thing to do is lock the door, and then enter the dark room.

He swallowed the specially developed elixir and stepped into a special area to activate the device.

Four sharp iron chains pierced through his body from both ends, completely sealing the meridians near his internal organs.

At the same time, dozens of silver needles followed closely behind, precisely piercing specific acupoints throughout the body.

Qi Zhimu pressed his right hand tightly against his forehead, his expression contorted as he suppressed extreme pain.

If Jing Liu hadn't appeared in time to calm his burgeoning sanity, I'm afraid...

For centuries, he has been constantly suffering loss.

From comrades-in-arms to his home, and finally even his family left him.

Now, he only has Kagami Ryu as his adopted disciple.

If even she dies...

Qi Zhimu knows that he is gradually moving towards extremes, but he cannot completely control himself.

The fire of hatred in his heart never went out, but it did not attract any attention from him.

He needed power, but he could not obtain it as a hunter's subject because he had become tainted by taboos that he should not have touched.

The demonic body is the destiny of the immortal beings on the Immortal Ship.

If fate dictates that he must give up some things in this life in order to gain the power he desires, then... there is only one path.

He will persevere.

The flame in your heart must not be extinguished until it is extinguished.

"Suddenly... I will kill you... I definitely will..."

But before that, Usa must be killed, by my own hand!

Qi Zhimu gripped his face tightly with his five fingers, as if trying to forcibly dig out of his mind those crazy things that wanted to replace his reason.

As the medication and equipment gradually took effect, the madness in Qi Zhimu's eyes began to subside.

He turned his head to look at the huge, sharp object not far away, his face showing a predatory and eccentric madness.

……

early morning.

Jing Liu awoke from her daze, and the snow-white ceiling came into view.

Then came the pain.

It felt like the bones in my body were being disassembled and reassembled, and every muscle was protesting.

She instinctively tried to get up, but the sharp pain in her back made her gasp sharply.

Memories of yesterday flood back.

Her master's unwavering eyes and those cold, harsh words... hurt her more than the blows from the Jin army.

There was no reassuring figure beside her, only a white jade bottle on the bedside table, with a note pressed down on it.

A glint of light flashed in Jingliu's eyes as he eagerly grabbed the note.

The moment I saw the handwriting clearly, the light turned into a deep sense of loss.

It turns out that it was the Resurrection Pill left for her by Senior Mianxue... which can promote rapid wound healing and reduce healing pain.

Her master would no longer take care of her like before.

From now on, you will have to bear the consequences of high-intensity training.

…Just like his style.

"Survived fifty medium-sized battles..."

"Master, I will do it... In return, Master must wait patiently for me..."

Jing Liu took the pill and lay back on the bed, a slightly sickly smile unconsciously curving his lips.

Neither of us can break our promise...