“If reincarnation is real… then in my next life…” Bai Ruoyue murmured weakly.

  “Senior Sister, I’m not done living this one yet,” Han retorted, rummaging through his spatial ring with his spiritual force.

  “You’re only eighteen, still single—why are you talking about next lives? Worry about surviving this one first!”

  Single? What kind of creature is that?

  As Bai Ruoyue pondered this strange phrase, Han hurled something far into the distance with all his strength.

  “Eat shit, you beasts!”

  A delicate brocade box flew through the air, snapping open mid-flight to reveal its contents—

  A mound of blood-soaked mud, dusted with powdered pills.

  A strange, irresistible fragrance filled the air.

  The three Bone Forging beasts that had been charging toward Han and Bai Ruoyue immediately froze, their gazes snapping toward the box.

  Their eyes turned bloodshot, thick saliva dripping uncontrollably from their jaws.

  Han and Bai Ruoyue? Forgotten.

  Han wasted no time. He activated a concealment artifact, completely erasing his breath, energy, and even his life force—rendering him undetectable.

  Then, he placed a Seclusion Leaf on Bai Ruoyue, hiding her presence as well.

  Artifact: Deathless Mask.

  Rare Treasure: Breath-Concealing Leaf.

  ROAR!

  The tiger, snake, leopard, and lion howled in unison.

  Han and Bai Ruoyue’s scent was no longer enticing.

  The four beasts lunged at the brocade box, descending into a frenzied brawl.

  Han took off, carrying Bai Ruoyue, sprinting toward the most rugged, uneven terrain he could find.

  Behind them, the sounds of a brutal, all-out battle erupted—snarls, roars, and the crashing of trees as the beasts tore into each other.

  “Junior Brother… what was that?”

  “Corpse refinement medicine. Specially made for refining undead. Lethal to anything still alive.”

  …?

  Han kept running, adjusting his direction as he explained,

  “On top of that, I mixed in another special powder—Beast Lure Pill.”

  A pill that exuded an irresistible aroma for wild beasts.

  It could be used whole or ground into powder for wider dispersion.

  To creatures caught in its influence, nothing else mattered—not even Han and Bai Ruoyue.

  Of course, using it required perfect timing.

  If Han had thrown it when only the serpent was present, it would’ve swallowed the pill instantly and kept chasing them—turning them into seasoned prey instead.

  By using it now, with multiple beasts competing for dominance, it had bought them precious time.

  —

  They ran. The roars of battle faded behind them.

  Just when Han thought they were finally safe—

  BOOM!

  A colossal war elephant crashed through the trees from the side, its sheer presence radiating Bone Forging strength.

  Han almost swore aloud.

  Didn’t I just drink a luck-boosting elixir? Why is my luck still garbage?!

  Without hesitation, he changed course.

  The only consolation—the elephant was weaker than the serpent and significantly slower.

  AWOOO!

  A wolf’s howl cut through the air.

  A lone dire wolf, swift as lightning, lunged at him—too fast to react in time.

  Though its presence was far less overwhelming, it was still at Organ Tempering level.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me! Getting bullied by Bone Forging beasts is bad enough—now even you dare?!”

  Han snarled.

  One arm clutched Bai Ruoyue tightly, while the other—

  Shoved his sword straight into the wolf’s mouth as it bit down.

  Ice and fire erupted.

  The wolf let out a bloodcurdling screech.

  BANG!

  The impact still sent Han flying backward.

  The wolf’s claws tore into his side, ripping flesh and muscle apart—blood sprayed into the air.

  Carrying Bai Ruoyue severely restricted Han’s movement, preventing him from fighting at full strength.

  The wolf kept struggling, thrashing wildly.

  Han twisted his sword inside its throat, digging deeper, while using his forearm to block its snapping jaws.

  With a final shove, he flung the dying wolf toward the charging war elephant.

  A gift for you! Enjoy!

  But the elephant didn’t even glance at the wolf—

  Its focus remained locked on Han.

  And worse—

  Han’s spiritual senses picked up another disturbance.

  More trees collapsing.

  More thunderous footsteps shaking the ground.

  What now?!

  Han kept running.

  Then—

  Bai Ruoyue’s arms slipped from around his neck.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  He looked down.

  Her body was limp.

  Her eyes barely open.

  Her skin—ashen.

  “…Senior Sister? Senior Sister?!”

  “…Han…” she whispered.

  —

  WHOOSH!

  Han’s spiritual senses suddenly picked up moisture in the air.

  A cliff.

  A roaring waterfall.

  Ahead of him—

  A bottomless abyss, shrouded in mist.

  He turned, trying to find another way—

  But no matter where he moved, the cliff stretched endlessly.

  No paths.

  No life.

  Behind him—

  Not just the elephant.

  The black-spotted leopard had returned.

  Han took a deep breath.

  Stepping to the cliff’s edge—

  He turned to face the approaching beasts—

  And flipped them off.

  Then, without hesitation—

  He leapt.

  “I’ll be back for you bastards!”

  The leopard and elephant skidded to a halt, staring down at the abyss—

  Only to lose interest in the vanished prey.

  With nowhere to chase, they turned on each other, a new battle beginning.

  —

  Meanwhile, mid-air—

  Han floated, Bai Ruoyue still in his arms.

  Behind him, arms wrapped around his back, was An Lang.

  Han couldn’t fly on his own.

  But An Lang was a ghost.

  Flight was effortless for him.

  Han had avoided using this trick in the forest, fearing it would attract flying beasts.

  Being hunted in the air was even deadlier than on land.

  But he had scanned ahead before jumping—

  There were no flying beasts in this area.

  At least, none within his detection range.

  They had no other option.

  Above, the sounds of battle continued.

  Boulders and debris tumbled from the cliffside.

  “Master, what now?” An Lang asked, worried.

  “Find a place to land.”

  Han didn’t dare ascend—if the leopard spotted him, it would leap straight at them.

  Scanning the misty abyss, Han’s eyes locked onto something.

  “There. A cave in the waterfall.”

  “What if it’s a beast’s den?”

  Before Han could answer, An Lang bit his lip and charged in first.

  “I’ll check it out!”

  If something’s in there, let me die first!

  Seconds later, he re-emerged, grinning.

  “Master! It’s safe—no signs of any beasts!”

  They slipped through the waterfall.

  Dark. Damp. Silent.

  For the first time in hours—

  Han exhaled in relief.

  Finally, a stroke of good luck.

  But his relief was short-lived.

  In his arms, Bai Ruoyue was deathly still.

  Her breath—shallow.

  Her entire arm had rotted away, veins blackened beyond recognition.

  Even worse—

  Through his spiritual perception, Han saw—

  Her bones were shattered.

  Her organs crushed.

  Her meridians in tatters.

  The serpent’s single strike had nearly killed her.

  Han placed her down, his heart pounding.

  “Antidote… I need an antidote…”

  Desperately, he searched through his own storage—and hers.

  None of the detoxifying pills could combat this level of venom.

  “Master, you’re poisoned too,” An Lang said anxiously.

  Han looked down.

  His own body was drenched in blood and poison.

  But—

  To his shock—

  The poison was slowly pushing itself out of his skin.

  His wounds remained, but the venom couldn’t invade him.

  “…Why am I immune?”

  His mind raced.

  Then, a thought struck him.

  He grabbed a dagger—

  SLASH!

  And cut his own wrist.

  Blood dripped into Bai Ruoyue’s mouth.

  Within the crimson liquid

  Blood continued to flow into Bai Ruoyue’s mouth. Whenever it threatened to clot, Han forced his true energy into the wound, keeping it open.

  Her body seemed to react instinctively, swallowing the blood on its own.

  Fifteen minutes passed.

  A massive loss of blood, even with Han’s formidable constitution, left him feeling lightheaded and pale.

  Suddenly—

  “Ahh!”

  An Lang let out a startled shriek, snapping Han back to reality.

  Sword in hand, Han whipped around, ready for an attack—

  Only to see nothing but shadows.

  “What the hell are you screaming for?!” Han snapped.

  An Lang pointed, her voice trembling with excitement.

  “White Lady—she’s healing!”

  Han turned his gaze to Bai Ruoyue.

  Her ashen complexion had lightened, the eerie black veins fading in color.

  From her once-rotting arm, inky-green venom oozed out, dripping onto the cave floor with a hissing sound—the toxic fluid burning through the stone.

  A surge of relief washed over Han.

  It worked.

  “Master, your blood… can cleanse poison?” An Lang whispered, awestruck.

  Han’s expression darkened.

  “Never speak of this to anyone.”

  An Lang nodded frantically.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul!”

  Watching Bai Ruoyue’s condition improve, Han finally let go of the tension gripping his chest.

  His guess had been right.

  She was going to survive.

  His blood contained traces of True Dragon essence, the residual power of a Golden Core pill, and the unmatched purity of his Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart.

  It all made sense.

  The serpent’s poison hadn’t affected him—meaning something in his body naturally countered it.

  The most likely explanation?

  These three divine relics—especially the True Dragon Blood Soul Stone.

  The Dragon Soul’s power had long since fused with Han, circulating through his bloodstream.

  By feeding Bai Ruoyue his blood, he was essentially transferring those divine energies into her.

  For him, losing an hour’s worth of power meant nothing—he had been refining these forces for months.

  But for Bai Ruoyue—

  It was life-saving.

  —

  The blood kept flowing.

  Han’s face grew paler and paler.

  An Lang, watching anxiously, clutched her hands together.

  “Master… maybe you should rest for a bit?”

  Han shook his head.

  “No. If the poison leaves behind permanent damage, she’ll never fully recover.”

  An hour passed.

  If Han weren’t a warrior—if he weren’t strengthened by legendary artifacts—he would have already died from blood loss.

  Even with all his advantages, he was at his limit.

  Why the hell does Senior Sister need so much blood?!

  At last, Bai Ruoyue’s face returned to its normal color.

  The venom had completely stopped leaking from her wounds.

  Even the rotted flesh on her arm was regenerating—healing at an astonishing rate under the influence of Han’s blood.

  This was the power of the Golden Core.

  The power of the Dragon Soul.

  The reason Han had never feared fighting recklessly.

  Then—

  THUD!

  Han collapsed beside Bai Ruoyue.

  I survived the beasts… only to get drained dry by Senior Sister…

  Even in unconsciousness, his hand remained resting near Bai Ruoyue’s lips.

  —

  An Lang panicked.

  She rushed forward, checking his pulse.

  Still breathing.

  Relief flooded her.

  He was just unconscious from exhaustion.

  Quickly, she grabbed several healing pills, forcing them into both Han and Bai Ruoyue’s mouths.

  Then, she rushed outside, filled a wooden bowl with water from the waterfall, and carefully fed them.

  For the rest of the night, she did not leave their side.

  Her spiritual senses expanded outward, scanning for danger.

  Eyes sharp, body tense, ready to fight.

  Above the cliff—

  The occasional roar of beasts echoed through the night.

  Each time, An Lang’s ghostly body shivered.

  She clenched her fists, trying to steady herself.

  Come on, beasts! If you want to hurt Master, you’ll have to get through me first!

  …

  Waaaah, I’m actually really scared!

  —

  Time passed.

  The sun set.

  Darkness swallowed the land.

  And then—

  Bai Ruoyue stirred.

  Her fingers twitched.

  Her eyelashes fluttered.

  Then—

  Her eyes slowly opened.

  For a moment, her mind was foggy.

  The snake… the chase… Junior Brother…

  Then, she fully regained consciousness.

  And the first thing she saw—

  Was a wrist pressed to her lips.

  A bleeding wrist.

  Beside her, Han lay motionless.

  Her eyes widened.

  Grabbing his hand, she shouted in panic.

  “Junior Brother?!”

  Then, she saw the wound on his wrist.

  She touched her lips—

  And saw red.

  Blood.

  Her heart froze.

  Her gaze flickered between her bloodstained fingertips and Han’s open wound.

  Her eyes turned red with unshed tears.

  Tears that soon began to fall.

  She pulled Han into her arms.

  Then, she noticed—

  The wounds across his body.

  Scars from the serpent’s blast.

  Bite marks from the dire wolf’s fangs.

  Gashes so deep she could see bone.

  The sight made her sob uncontrollably.

  “Junior Brother… Junior Brother…”

  Her voice trembled.

  Her heart ached.

  —

  Then—

  “Oh! White Lady, you’re awake!”

  An Lang floated in, carrying another bowl of water.

  She had sensed Bai Ruoyue waking moments ago.

  “An Lang?!” Bai Ruoyue turned immediately.

  “What happened to Junior Brother?! What is this?!”

  An Lang hesitated.

  She glanced at Han’s unconscious figure, then back at Bai Ruoyue.

  Finally, she sighed.

  “We were hunted by beasts all the way here,” she explained. “Master had no choice but to jump off the cliff—then found this place.”

  “After that… he passed out.”

  Bai Ruoyue’s eyes flickered.

  “…And then, he saved me.”

  It wasn’t a question.

  It was a fact.

  An Lang hesitated again.

  Then, she made a show of looking guilty—shaking her head.

  “Master… told me not to tell you that he used his own blood to heal you. That he fed you for an hour straight.”

  “I promised I wouldn’t say a word.”

  “I have to keep his secret.”

  Bai Ruoyue: …

  She burst into fresh tears.