Regarding the question of whether one thousand lives are enough to beat Honkai Impact 3rd.

He had been forcibly using power beyond the limits of the human body. Even though the Still Water Realm could delay the damage to the greatest extent through precise control and force dissipation, the bones in his hands had already cracked slightly.

But it's okay, he still managed to do it in the end.

The ground behind the three was littered with corpses.

The jackal carcass on the ground was the only obstacle they had encountered before.

He had brutally killed all the enemies in front of him, but the remaining enemies from all sides were still in pursuit. He could not afford to waste this opportunity to break through the encirclement.

"Rin! Get on my back! Principal Theresa, let's run!"

After saying that, Su Qing'an carried the little girl on his back and, disregarding his physical exhaustion, ran forward as fast as he could.

So light. It's as light as a feather.

The boy was a little confused. He had carried Rin on his back before, but this time the little girl was obviously much lighter than before.

Without lingering thought, Su Qing'an and Theresa disappeared into the fire-lit forest, continuing their escape.

About ten minutes later, Su Qing'an's sword heart could no longer detect the pursuers' presence. He cautiously observed his surroundings for a while and then slowly stopped.

Even though he intended to use the cover of the mountains and forests to shake off his pursuers, the ease with which he managed to escape was still somewhat unexpected.

Su Qing'an carefully put the little girl down from his back. He had no time to try to comfort Lin. The boy's body seemed to have all his strength drained away, and he lay limply on the ground.

Theresa, standing to the side, was panting and trying to calm herself down. For the body in this spiritual space, this amount of exercise was already a bit excessive.

She looked at Su Qing'an's body, which was beginning to twitch unnaturally, with some concern, and asked:

"Su Qing'an! Are you alright?"

With each breath, the force flowed through the boy's body like water, calming his involuntary trembling in just a few seconds.

He said:

"Don't worry, I'm fine now, Headmaster."

Theresa sighed and gently tapped the boy's head with her small hand, earnestly admonishing him:

"You've overused your body, you should know that, right? Even here, you can't just do whatever you want. None of us know what might happen if something goes wrong."

Because Yae Rin was nearby, Theresa spoke rather cryptically, but Su Qing'an undoubtedly understood her meaning.

Even if you are a manifestation of your spirit or soul here, no one can guarantee what will happen in the outside world if you die here.

Thinking negatively, it wouldn't be surprising if brain death occurred.

Su Qing'an propped himself up, ending his collapsed state, and said:

"I understand, Headmaster."

Theresa nodded, remained silent for a moment, and then said:

"Let's split up into two groups, Su Qing'an."

71. Theresa's determination, the path of both.

Su Qing'an hesitated for a moment upon hearing this before replying:

"I understand. Dividing forces is indeed a viable option given the current situation. Since Principal Theresa has brought it up herself, it means you must have already made your decision."

The current Stigmata Space is probably on the verge of collapse, just like the data space where he encountered Kallen before, which could turn into a dark and boundless wasteland at any time.

Time is undoubtedly crucial in this situation, and Theresa must have had sufficient means to protect herself to dare to make this proposal.

Unlike outsiders like Su Qing'an who forced their way in, this place is essentially Theresa's home turf. Even though she has lost all her advantages now, it's only natural that she still retains some tactics.

Although he didn't know what the method was, Su Qing'an could guess that it wasn't some cheap card that could be used casually.

This is also the reason why she hadn't taken action before.

Theresa nodded and said:

“We’ll go to Yae Shrine and the village separately to find Yae Sakura. You take Rin to the village, and I’ll go to the shrine.”

"When we arrive, whether we find Yae Sakura or not, we'll meet up first."

Whether it's to keep the promise with Rin or because of this only clue we can currently find, finding Yae Sakura is the top priority.

Next, the two spent less than a minute deciding on a meeting point and decisively ended their rest, heading in different directions.

Su Qing'an once again carried the silent Rin on his back. Before leaving, he watched the girl's slender figure in a kimono gradually disappear into the black smoke and intertwined branches.

Without hesitation, the boy turned and walked toward the village.

--------------

Yae Sakura at the shrine.

The girl gripped the silver cross on her chest, a subtle yet undeniable force guiding her toward the danger.

There was something unspoken between her and Su Qing'an.

Finding Yae Sakura now would probably be very dangerous.

Regardless of what state Yae Sakura is in now that she has already been defeated, that monster will most likely be next to the shrine maiden.

The girl gazed at the sky, now painted in the darkness of night, and smiled:

"I will let you out, Su Qing'an."

This is an adult matter, and adults should face their own problems.

How can children easily go to war for adults?

Theresa stubbornly believed this, and in her eyes, the world that required those girls to wear armor was already unlovable enough. She absolutely did not want her students to risk their lives for her.

And then there's that shrine maiden.

Despite her current predicament, the kindness of being saved by half a life remained real and tangible in Theresa's eyes.

Perhaps it's a stupid idea, but that's just the kind of person the girl is.

Higokumaru is Higokumaru, and Yae Sakura is Yae Sakura.

Whether facing the Lawgiver or Enyi, Theresa decided to repay them both with the cross in her hand.

Killing that monster will certainly prevent it from escaping this shackle.

St. Freya Academy is Theresa's Achilles' heel, and she is willing to pay any price for it.

So the girl decided to end it all and embarked on a journey.

--------------

"Big brother, do you know? My sister killed Dad."

Rin's words rang in her ears; she so casually uttered something that she, from her position, could never possibly know.

Su Qing'an's steps remained steady, and her smooth breathing technique minimized the consumption of physical energy.

He didn't speak, but a wave of emotion surged within him.

Countless thoughts flooded my mind.

Is the girl, light as a feather, on my back now really just a fleeting shadow in history?

Why would she say that her sister killed their father?

If what Rin said is true, then perhaps this is the reason why Yae Sakura was defeated.

Yae Sakura killed her father.

She made a choice she would never have made before. This priestess trampled on a part of her past personality, broke through five hundred years of perseverance and forbearance, and killed Yaehiko.

What follows is a void in the heart and a low point in willpower.

The result is that the current Stigmata Space has begun its march towards destruction.

Ignoring the boy's reaction, the girl continued:

“Last night, my dad came into my room with a knife, and then my sister subdued him and took him away.”

Su Qing'an's pupils contracted slightly. He knew that Yae no Kami would make a move against Rin sooner or later, but he didn't expect that Yae no Kami would make a move on the very night they arrived at the Yae Shrine.

This is clearly unusual.

The boy hesitated for a moment, then asked:

"Rin...do you know why Mr. Yae came here?"

The girl buried her face in Su Qing'an's back, her voice muffled as she answered.

“I know, because my father told me a few days ago that Rin is to be sacrificed for the village. It is the duty of the Yae family, and it is a necessary sacrifice for the village.”

"Rin's health has always been poor, and she probably wouldn't have lived much longer, so I said yes, but I'm also a little sad."

The girl said somewhat defiantly:

"Even though Rin did nothing wrong, why does Dad always look at me with such disgust?"

Yae Rin was clearly disappointed, and her tone became low.

The boy couldn't see the girl's specific expression at that moment, but the emotion was still conveyed to Su Qing'an through Rin's words.

Is it because my health is too poor?

"If my sister finds out, what will she think? She'll be even more upset."

"Ke Lin doesn't want her sister to be sad."

"Besides, it's no use even if my sister finds out. She can't go against our father, she has always been like that."

The girl's answer veered off-topic; it didn't seem like she was answering Su Qing'an's question, but rather like she was confiding something.

“My father is a very cautious and suspicious person, so the reason he was holding a knife that day was probably to make it impossible for me to escape.”

"Once my Achilles tendon is severed, even if my sister decides to run away with me, it will be impossible."

“But then my sister came out. Before she took my father away, she touched my hair. At that time, I pretended to be asleep because I didn’t want her to worry, but I always felt that my sister knew I was pretending to be asleep.”

"She told me, Rin, don't be afraid, it will all be over soon."

“In the morning, I didn’t see my father. When my sister waved goodbye to me, I felt that she was going to do something that wasn’t something a sister would do.”

"But I know that whatever my sister did, it was all for Rin."