Chapter 1490 - 434: A Glimmer of Hope Amid Despair (6k)

At this moment, Zhou Qing’s whole body was tense, yet he couldn’t even move his fingertips.

Shen Hanyi looked at the violently struggling Zhou Qing, the corners of her pale lips lifting into a bitter smile, as silent tears rolled down.

Then she lowered her head to gently kiss Yaoyao’s rosy cheek, her fingers reluctantly tracing the child’s outline before tremblingly placing the child gently on the ground.

She untied her storage bag and tucked it into the swaddling cloth.

As she stood up, she suddenly leaned forward, her bloodstained lips pressing heavily on Zhou Qing’s lips, and only after several beats did she slowly release them.

This kiss carried the taste of rusty blood, salty and bitter.

"I’m sorry..." her voice was broken, "this time I have to break my promise."

Zhou Qing’s eyes were about to crack, his Divine Sense was shaking madly: "No, no, don’t do anything foolish, I’m here, I have an Extreme Dao Weapon, he’s seriously injured now, I can definitely kill him..."

But Shen Hanyi shook her head, saying, "He is in the late stage of the Supreme Realm, even seriously injured and near death, he is not someone we can contend with. Now, we haven’t even recovered a tenth of our strength at its peak..."

Zhou Qing’s Divine Sense trembled violently: "No, there must be another way! We can... we can..."

"If the track of history can truly not be changed," Shen Hanyi suddenly revealed a beautiful yet sorrowful smile, her fingers gently tracing Zhou Qing’s face, "But knowing you’re still alive gives me peace."

Her gaze landed tenderly on the infant in the swaddle: "I saw Yaoyao when she was little, I saw her grown up too... thus... I have no regrets."

"I beg you..." Zhou Qing’s Divine Sense quivered with a heart-wrenching fluctuation, "let me go..."

"He has a bloodline guide, finding us is just a matter of time." Shen Hanyi trembled as she took off a protective Jade Pendant and tucked it into the swaddle again, "Now the only thing I can do is to lead him away..."

She suddenly bent down, kissing the child’s forehead almost greedily: "Yaoyao... Mother is sorry... I can’t watch you grow up..."

Choked up in her throat, "Mother... truly can’t bear it..."

"Back then your grandmother, to protect me and your uncle, did the same..." She pressed her face against the child’s warm skin, "Now Mother... must walk the same path."

"Don’t hate Mother... just hope you can be safe..."

Tears fell on the child’s clothes as she bent down to kiss once more.

Turning to Zhou Qing, Shen Hanyi’s voice was already resolute: "This restriction will lift in half an hour. Take her and go, never look back... do not seek revenge, only wish that she lives a steady life..."

Zhou Qing looked at her, tears streaming down his face.

Shen Hanyi gave Zhou Qing one last glance, then turned and rushed out of the cave mansion—

"No..." Zhou Qing’s lips quivered, the hoarse call echoing futily within the confined cavern.

Not long after, a burst of manic laughter erupted from outside the cave.

"I wondered why this light spot suddenly moved, turned out it’s trying to escape?" That voice mocked, "Where do you think you’re going to run!"

Soon after, a terrifying rumbling sound exploded, Spiritual Power burst, making the cave tremble slightly.

Afterward, a piercing phoenix cry tore through the sky—

"You dare to self-destruct? Just like your father!" Bai Fengyin’s voice suddenly rose with shock.

Boom—!

The earth-shattering self-destruct shockwave swept in, the cave entrance collapsed with a bang, boulders rolled, dust soared, and finally, everything returned to silence.

Zhou Qing stood there rigidly, the muscles on his face twitching slightly, tears silently flowing down.

"No... it can’t be..." his eyes lost focus, lips trembling as a disjointed mutter spilled out.

Moments later, Bai Fengyin’s voice sounded again, this time with intense coughing, followed by a chilly mockery:

"Truly a fierce woman, but doing this, she certainly did it to protect someone."

He chuckled softly, "Don’t you think so... Zhou Qing?"

Killing intent surged in Zhou Qing’s eyes, Spiritual Power fluctuating violently, almost breaking through the restraints.

"I will kill you... I must kill you..."

Bai Fengyin said leisurely: "But since she exposed herself, even trying to lead me away, I suppose your situation here isn’t good... then I’ll search slowly."

With these words, a strange silence surrounded them again, only a Divine Sense swept through the entire mountain range like a viper.

However, soon after, an unfamiliar hoarse voice came from outside the cave—

"Hey? Such a big commotion, turns out it’s the Vice Palace Master of Celestial Phoenix Palace?"

That voice teased, "What, the dignified Vice Palace Master, in such a dire state?"

"Hey, why are you running? Even though we have past grudges, Mr. Xiao doesn’t take advantage of others’ misfortunes!"

Then, everything returned to silence once again.

Half an hour later, Zhou Qing’s forehead rune burned out, the restraint suddenly vanished.

"Ah—!" He howled to the sky, the sound mournful, frightening the baby in the swaddle into crying.

He snapped back to himself, scooped up the child, and rushed out of the cave like a madman.

Dozens of miles away, deep in the gorge, black smoke rose like pillars, the violent Spiritual Power still rampaging...

"No! No—" Zhou Qing stumbled to the spot with the baby in his arms, trembling at the sight.

The entire valley was covered with glistening ice crystals, crisscrossing the charred ground were dozens of unfathomably deep chasms.

The explosion crater at the center still smoked faintly, with eerie dark red ice crystals forming at its edges.

Fine ice crystal dust still floated in the air.

He fell to his knees, tears blurring his vision.

Suddenly, a glimpse of pure white was faintly visible between the rocks.

Zhou Qing’s entire body shook violently, crawling desperately forward—that was Han Yi’s veil!

The thin veil, delicate as a cicada’s wing, was still stained with a few already dried bloodstains. He held it trembling, familiar orchid fragrance mixed with the smell of blood filled his nostrils.

He suddenly pressed the veil to his face, letting out a heart-wrenching wail to the sky.

"Boom—" Thunder rumbled in the sky, raindrops as big as beans pelted down, soon turning into a torrential downpour.