128 Please sit tigh (2/2)

'I'm okay!' Yuan Xuelan answered enthusiastically, 'Holding off…the advance…' he gritted his teeth as he wedged his sword into the main artery found in a Fallen God's thigh, trying to avoid the spill of filth that spilled out. 'I'm making do.'

'It's bad isn't it? Don't lie.'

Yuan Xuelan panted heavily. Maybe he was a little tired, 'It's…I'll live.'

'Reinforcements are coming.'

'What? How do you know?' Yuan Xuelan blinked and staggered when the ground shook. He cursed and rolled out of the way of an attack.

'Sect Leader Chen has stopped bickering. He is going back to chanting.'

'...Right.' Yuan Xuelan understood that he owed his life to Chen Gaoyong, but he was not disillusioned. If only Chen Gaoyong hadn't stepped in to interfere earlier, Yuan Xuelan wouldn't be in this situation either.

A surge of relief released through his body like a deep sigh.

'Please sit tight. Be safe, Xuelan.'

Yuan Xuelan wished there was a way to know if Liu Sumeng was holding up. But he knew that asking would probably only be a hindrance to his beloved so he held back and whispered through the spell, 'You too.'

The connection cut.

Just then, Yuan Xuelan heard a female cultivator scream. Fallen over, the monstrosity in front of her was about to smite her out of existence. Without a second thought, he rushed over to save her.

Slow, he already knew he was going to be too slow and lifted Silei. Divine flames enveloped his arms and legs, bracing for the inevitable blow.

The soles of a dark heel came down with striking speed. The air curved, a loud boom. The ground cracked beneath Xuelan's feet. His bones were creaking with stress as the Fallen God's weight and power bore down on him.

A cry wretched out of his throat, ”Move! Move already!” He screamed at the dumb shaking girl.

His muscles felt like they were tearing from strain. The blaze of divine fire coiled around his limbs like a snake, both healing and scorching his flesh at the same time.

It took a moment for the girl (whose name Xuelan had totally and completely forgotten) finally scooted herself out of the way with fearful shrills. Yuan Xuelan's strength was about to give.

With the last of his power, he tilted his blade to deflect the giant's strength, just managing to roll out of the way before being crushed under the monster's beastly weight.

Yuan Xuelan panted deeply. The cries of battle still resounded around him but everything came in almost muffled. He was dizzy, his flesh was sizzling. An itch tapped in the back of his consciousness but he couldn't…he couldn't grasp onto it, even if Huo Tang was trying to tell him something important.

His eyes were heavy, slow, as they lifted to see the Fallen God march toward him.

Fuck.

Yuan Xuelan's fingers loosened and tightened again. He didn't know where he was going to get the strength to face this thing but he had to try…

He wanted to see Sumeng again.

Can't die here, no matter what.

The divine flame that flickered inside of him flared. A terrible scorching pain devoured his innards but he didn't care. The entire world slowed down.

'You'll die like this!'

But Huo Tang's voice didn't reach him.

However, Yuan Xuelan didn't even need to lift a single finger.

A spear pierced through the giant's jugular and both its elbows and knees. Its movements locked. An elegant row of talismans danced around it like a serpent, constricting the waist. The wind was sliced apart with a movement that could not be followed with the naked eye.

The Fallen God was cleaved clean in two.

Yuan Xuelan was so stunned he was frozen to the spoke.

Liu Langce, the Guanghai Elder stood on the other side of the Fallen God's corpse. He looked bored and unconcerned, his colourful robes fluttering in the wind.

”Don't die on me now, kid. What would A-Chao say?”