In the darkness, Mu Xue found herself pressed against a strong and broad chest.
She could smell a familiar faint fragrance from that person, feel his body temperature through the thin clothes, and hear his clear heartbeats.
Qianji transformed into black scales that covered her from behind layer by layer, protecting her tightly between the armor and Cen Qianshan's chest.
When faced with danger, Mu Xue is used to using her own flesh and blood to fight for a way out. She has been doing this since she was a child, using her own scars to exchange for a glimmer of hope.
She never thought that there was someone in this world whom she could occasionally rely on.
Once upon a time, the skinny boy who was protected in her arms could now protect her with his chest and arms, shielding each other from the wind and rain.
They fell rapidly and fell into a strange dimension.
There are no mountains, rocks or soil there, only a vast expanse of sky with misty nebulae and stars of various sizes suspended in it.
A strong hurricane was blowing in this strange space, and those space cracks that could tear everything apart at any time appeared everywhere like big gaping mouths, unexpectedly.
Mu Xue felt a warm liquid dripping onto her face.
That was blood, Cen Qianshan's blood.
"Let me go, you are injured, I want to fight on my own." Mu Xue pushed the chest.
The man said nothing. He used one arm to press her harder into his arms, and with his other hand he drew out a sharp long knife.
Frost was unsheathed, splitting the turbulent winds. A vague space shadow appeared behind Cen Qianshan, and hideous demons appeared in the space one after another, barely protecting them from passing through the terrifying black cracks.
Even so, his body was gradually stained red with blood, and even Qianji, who was protecting it with all his strength, began to crack under the repeated impacts. Many fragments were constantly peeled off from its body and left in the vast space where there was no distinction between up and down.
As a result, it became thinner and thinner, and in many cases, it was unable to completely block those powerful attacks.
"It's rare to reach the Shura realm in the Jindan stage. It's really interesting to see so many interesting humans appear in one day."
Above the star-filled sky, a huge statue stood on a black star. The statue had golden rings on its arms and pale eyes. It looked down from the sky with the pressure of an ancient god.
"All I want to keep is the person in your arms." A soft and magnetic voice came from the sky, "Since your cultivation is not easy, I will let her go and let you go."
Cen Qianshan didn't say anything, and what answered her was the shadow of a knife that came from the air.
"You are just a tiny being, and you dare to fight with me? You'll never regret it." A faint voice came from the sky, and the huge shadow of the statue gradually disappeared on the dark screen.
A hundred years ago, I watched helplessly as you gods sent down thunder from the nine heavens, turning my most precious things into ashes, but I was powerless to do anything.
Now, I can hold her in my arms and protect her like this. Even if I die, it will be considered that my wish has been fulfilled.
Cen Qianshan reached out to wipe away the blood on his face that was blocking his vision. He ignored the words of the gods in the sky, and ignored the protests of Mu Xue in his arms. He fought alone with his sword shining.
"Let me out, Cen Qianshan!" Mu Xue shouted loudly.
The battle was so fierce and dangerous that her soul could see it clearly. Qianji's armor was peeling off. It completely shrank its defense range, barely protecting itself, and the warm blood flowing from Cen Qianshan's chest almost soaked her hair.
"Let me go. With your Jindan stage cultivation, you can only escape by yourself." Mu Xue was anxious and tried to explain, "I will be fine, don't worry. Cen Qianshan, I will definitely appear in front of you again and will definitely come to find you again. Do you understand? Let go, let me go."
At this moment, Mu Xue wanted to tell Cen Qianshan that she was the master he had been concerned about for many years.
He didn't have to fight to the death like this. Although it was difficult for him to survive in such a storm at the Foundation Establishment stage, even if he died, he could still be reborn again, and the two of them would have a chance to meet again.
She just regretted that she couldn't say it out loud. Once she said it, the ban on speaking would be lifted and the secret method of the infinite incarnation wheel would be useless.
Cen Qianshan said nothing, stubbornly protecting her. With a cold knife bathed in blood, he fought alone in the God Realm.
No one knew how much time had passed before they finally escaped from that strange dimension and landed on solid ground.
Qianji fell off Mu Xue's body and shrank into half of an incomplete little puppet. The iron mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out.
Mu Xue looked at Qianji with red eyes, and looked at the bloody person in front of her with red eyes. The person touched her outline with his blood-soaked fingers, looked her up and down carefully, and smiled with relief, "Okay, okay, you're fine, you're finally fine this time."
Before he could finish his words, he had exhausted all his spiritual power and collapsed on her shoulder.
Mu Xue caught him, turned her head and wiped the tears from her eyes, unable to bear to see his bruised back.
She let Cen Qianshan lie on his legs while she treated and bandaged his wounds.
He was still frowning in coma. Mu Xue looked at him for a long time, then reached out and gently smoothed his brows and touched his soft hair.
Did he guess something? But he refrained from asking anything.
Thinking back to when he was on the ground just now, he expressed his feelings so passionately and frankly. Thinking back to when he fell into the abyss, he held me in his arms without caring about anything.
Mu Xue felt sour and bitter in her heart. She couldn't help but lower her head to his and hug him quietly.
She didn't know that at that moment, Cen Qianshan's hand hanging by his side suddenly clenched, and his fingers were deeply embedded in her skin.
They were in what seemed to be a long tunnel. The tunnel was winding and deep, and no one knew where it led to. The dark and lightless underground was very humid, and the stone walls were filled with the sound of dripping water.
Mu Xue took out a glass lamp from her storage bag, and a circle of warm yellow light lit up.
Under the light, you can see that at intervals on the stone wall, there are beautifully carved stone statues, including mortals, monsters, and demons. Some have ferocious faces, while others have kind faces. Under the swaying of light and shadow, they are mysterious and simple, as if they have spirits.
Mu Xue stood up and tried to move forward, but a hand reached out and held her back.
"Don't go." The man who just woke up spoke in a hoarse voice. The weak light shone on his sharply defined face. He looked pale, with no blood on his lips.
"Are you awake?" Mu Xue bent down to look at him and said softly, "It's okay. I just want to go to the front to take a look. I won't leave you behind."
"You will," the injured man said word by word, his eyes reflecting the lights, "You all will, you all just throw me away."
Perhaps the injured person was particularly sensitive, so Mu Xue had to summon Yingtian Cloud and let Cen Qianshan lie on it, floating beside her, and walking slowly forward side by side with her.
The light flickered, casting changing shadows on the stone statues with different postures on the stone wall, as if they were about to come alive in the next moment. The sound of dripping water in the cave continued to sound along with the sound of footsteps.
"When I was only five years old, my parents didn't want me anymore and sold me... for two low-level spirit stones."
Cen Qianshan, lying on the Yingtian Cloud, looked at the moving stone wall behind his head, and walked and talked slowly, as if he was talking to Mu Xue, or as if he was talking to himself. His weak voice echoed in the long, empty tunnel.
"Not long after, the beast who bought me died. His wife sold me, this time to a slave farm. There, I was beaten every day, and waited for all kinds of customers to touch me and pick on me. They said that I was just a plaything, a commodity, not a human being at all."
"If things go well, I'll be sold to a rich family and become their toy. If things go badly, I'll be sold to a dark mine and work until I die."
"So during the first few years after I came to my master's side, I was very cautious and tried my best to please her. But every time she took me out, I was terrified, afraid that she was going to take me out and throw me away."
Mu Xue looked at Cen Xiaoshan lying on the Yingtian cloud and suddenly recalled the past.
Now lying on the clouds, Cen Qianshan looked so tall, with broad shoulders, long legs and a tight waist. At that time, he was still a very skinny little boy.
That day, when I took him out to purchase groceries, when we reached the entrance of the shopping street, the boy's face suddenly turned even paler than it is now.
He suddenly grabbed the wall tightly and refused to move.
"What's wrong? Hurry up." Mu Xue, confused, turned back and urged.
The skinny boy was silent for a long time and lowered his head. "Did I do something wrong?"
"What are you talking about? I'm running out of time. If you really don't want to come in, just wait for me here."
Mu Xue didn't understand why he was in a bad mood, so she had to walk into the shopping street where all kinds of goods, including human trafficking, were traded.
When she came out after attending the lengthy auction, her little apprentice, who had been squatting in the corner without moving, ran to her side. With red eyes and snow all over his head and shoulders, he trembled and stretched out his hand to her.
Mu Xue held his little hand, which was icy and cold, with cold sweat on the palm and trembling constantly.
"What's the matter? Is the hill cold? I'm going to take you home now."
"Take me home?"
"Yes, I bought a lot of things, and I also bought you some delicious food. We will make beef bone soup tonight."
“Master…” The young boy raised his head and looked at her.
"What's wrong?"
"Master will not abandon Xiaoshan, right?"
"Of course. Our Xiaoshan is so capable, how could we bear to abandon you."
…
It turned out that this was what he was afraid of at that time. Mu Xue regretted her carelessness for taking him to the slave market where he was sold before, and she didn't pay any attention to his mood at all.
"Master is the only person in the world who treats me well. I once thought I would never be abandoned again," Cen Qianshan closed his eyes. "But in the end, she still left me alone."
Mu Xue reached out her hand, grasped the now slender and powerful palm, clenched it, and squeezed it gently, "You are injured, get some sleep. Don't be afraid, I won't let go."
She held the cloud and the person lying on the cloud and walked forward little by little.
So the man fell asleep in a cloud-like dream, slowly closed his eyes, and fell into a peaceful sleep.