Breaking through the illusion of the mortal world

Chapter 96 Guardian

The crimson sand was swept into the air by the sword energy, then fell back down to the broken platform, like eternal tears of blood, scattered on the scorched earth of the Tian Shu ruins.

Lu Ming remained standing on the edge of the broken platform, his green robe fluttering in the wind and sand, yet he remained as steadfast as a pine tree rooted in a rock, never retreating an inch.

The snowflakes in the clouds hummed softly in his hand, their emerald light reflecting off the ruins and shattered stars.

Lu Ming kept the approaching Void Shadow Soldiers and Shadow Riders at bay.

The Xuanwu Sword Technique changes at will; when it rises, it's like waves on the ocean; when it falls, it's like a mountain pressing down; when it stretches across the vast ocean, it's like the Milky Way falling from the sky.

The shadow soldier's blade claws slashed at his shoulder, leaving only a faint white mark. His body, which had reached the Great Perfection of Body Tempering, was instantly regenerated, without leaving a trace of blood.

The True Martial Pills and top-grade spirit stones in the storage bag were being consumed like water.

Lu Ming's brows furrowed more and more tightly.

It wasn't just because of the endless stream of illusory shadow soldiers, but also because of the increasingly weak aura behind him.

Ning Qingxue leaned against a broken pillar in the center of the broken platform, her black outfit already soaked with cold sweat.

Her originally pale cheeks were now flushed with an unnatural redness.

Although the power of the void could not get close to Lu Ming, it had quietly invaded the depths of Ning Qingxue's meridians during the previous melee.

That force suppressed her spiritual power, rendering it completely useless, and continuously invaded the life force within her body.

Her consciousness began to fade, and the Heartbreak Bell on her wrist could no longer make a sound.

At this moment, Ning Qingxue didn't even have the strength to raise her hand to protect herself. She could only curl up under the broken pillar, her whole body trembling slightly. Her originally aloof eyes were now filled with confusion and vulnerability.

"Mother..."

A whisper, barely audible, escaped from her chapped lips. It was so faint that it was almost swallowed up by the wind, sand, and the sound of swords, yet it reached Lu Ming's ears precisely.

Lu Ming's hand holding the sword suddenly paused.

Qingping's sword intent faltered slightly, and the three shadow soldiers who rushed in front of her took the opportunity to slash with their claws, leaving several deep, bone-revealing wounds on her forearm.

But he seemed oblivious, as the self-healing power of his body allowed his flesh to regrow in an instant.

Lu Ming turned around and quickly rushed to Ning Qingxue's side.

The girl curled up on the cold stone slab, her long hair sticking messily to her burning cheeks, her long eyelashes covered with fine sand, and her tightly closed eyes filled with pain and fear.

She was no longer the proud young master of the Li Tian Palace, but a pitiful person tormented by pain. She murmured broken words over and over again, full of helplessness.

"It's so cold...it's so dark, don't leave me alone..."

"Mother, where are you? Don't leave me."

"No...no, I'm scared..."

Lu Ming's heart softened at that moment.

He harbored prejudice against the demonic path because of his master's teachings and his encounter in the land of immortal ruins. He also felt distant from her because of her coldness and confrontational nature.

But seeing her curled up behind him, so helpless, the last vestiges of his prejudice and estrangement began to melt away.

He forgot about the surrounding killing intent and the endless shadow soldiers, and simply bent down and carefully helped Ning Qingxue up, letting her lean against him.

Her body was incredibly hot, and the scalding temperature made Lu Ming's heart tighten.

"Don't be afraid."

Lu Ming spoke in a low, steady voice, like the only light in the ruins, steadily entering Ning Qingxue's hazy consciousness.

He gently wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her tightly in his embrace, while with the other hand he took out a warm Soul-Nourishing Pill from his storage bag and then pulled out a top-grade spirit stone that radiated spiritual light.

He first gently placed the pill to Ning Qingxue's lips, then his palm emanated a gentle Xuan Yuan True Qi, which he slowly channeled into her body.

He carefully untangled her disordered meridians, guiding the medicinal power of the pills and the spiritual energy of the spirit stones to dispel the void power in her meridians.

The spiritual power from the Immortal Sword Dao Foundation flowed continuously into Ning Qingxue's body through his palm.

Like a warm spring breeze, it gently soothed the wounds in her meridians and suppressed the eroding void power within her body.

In her hazy state, Ning Qingxue felt a warm force enveloping her, which eased her burning body slightly, and she subconsciously shrank closer to that warmth.

Her hands gripped Lu Ming's clothes tightly, as if she had grasped the only light in the darkness, and she refused to let go.

Lu Ming moved gently, not daring to disturb her in the slightest, focusing all his attention on healing her injuries.

However, the surrounding illusory shadow soldiers and shadow riders would not give them a moment to breathe.

The dark gray mist surged more violently, and the shadow soldiers rushed towards the broken platform like an ink tide. The roars of the shadow riders made the remaining pillars tremble.

The blades and mist armor gleamed with a cold, eerie light, their target still Lu Ming, the boy whose Dao foundation suppressed their instincts.

They ignored the unconscious and vulnerable Ning Qingxue, and unleashed all their killing and violence upon Lu Ming.

Lu Ming glanced down at the girl in his arms, who was clutching his clothes tightly and whose brows were still furrowed.

In a moment of panic, Lu Ming's Qingping sword intent surged suddenly, like snowflakes flying over an empty mountain, engulfing the entire broken platform.

He maintained his arm around Ning Qingxue, unwilling to let her suffer the slightest jolt or disturbance.

Lu Ming gripped the sword with one hand, and a burst of azure light flashed from the clouds. The Xuanwu Sword Technique, Rifting the Universe, was unleashed in the same motion.

A single sword cleaved the sky, a blue rainbow piercing the sun.

A powerful sword light flashed like a line opening in the sky, drawing a beautiful arc through the dark ruins.

Wherever the sword light passed, the shadow riders and shadow soldiers who rushed in front of him crumbled inch by inch, turning into a sky full of gray smoke and disappearing without even a chance to fight back.

He held Ning Qingxue in his arms, standing steadily on the broken platform, his green robe fluttering in the wind, his sword flashing gracefully.

He held her, burning hot and fragile, before him were endless, ethereal shadows charging towards him, and behind him lay the desolate ruins of the ancient Heavenly Pivot.

The wind whipped up red sand, brushing against his hair and across her burning cheeks.

The broken pillar remained silent, the star patterns flickered, the sword's cry resounded, and the bell's sound faded into silence.

In the deathly silence of heaven and earth, that tall figure, like a solitary mountain, single-handedly created a peaceful and undisturbed haven for the person in his arms.

Lu Ming looked down and saw the girl in his arms relax her furrowed brows slightly, which put his mind at ease.

He dared not stray far from the broken platform, where the remaining star array patterns could slightly resist the power of nothingness, making it the most suitable place for Ning Qingxue to recuperate.

He remained in this small space, holding the unconscious girl, facing this endless killing trap alone.

He rapidly absorbed the spiritual energy of the top-grade spirit stones, the medicinal power of the True Martial Pill circulated within his body, and the self-healing power of his physical body was constantly in operation. He became more and more stable and courageous with each battle.

Under the nourishment of his special spiritual power, Ning Qingxue's high fever subsided slightly, and her murmurs gradually subsided, but she still clung tightly to his clothes, refusing to let go.

Lu Ming looked down at her tightly pursed lips, his expression softening slightly.

He didn't know how many dangers lay beyond these ruins, when he would be able to kill all the illusory shadow soldiers, or where the road ahead lay.

But he knew that he could not back down at this moment.

Amidst the ruins, swords danced across the sky.

Amidst the eternal desolation, a steadfast guardianship became the only scene in this deathly silent world.