Demonic aura surged across the sky while the land collapsed. However, that skinny figure simply stood quietly in front. Meanwhile, those monstrous giant waves were all unable to reach him.
He turned his body before he uttered those words in a somewhat hoarse voice. After which, he walked and went beside Ling Qingzhu, whose head was tilted towards one side, before he looked at her blood stained veil. Meanwhile, there was still a familiar chillness on the latter’s brows. However, this was different from the iciness of Ying Huanhuan. Her chillness contained an inborn pride and that was also perhaps the reason why she was so outstanding.
Ling Qingzhu also realized that that young man had walked to her side. Her water like eyes, which didn’t reveal much emotions even when she was about to die, suddenly became a little chaotic. Clenching her hands, she firmly repressed her emotions and stopped herself from looking at that man, who appeared extremely dazzling at this moment.
Currently, his appearance was completely different from the miserable appearance he had three years ago.
While her mind was in a state of chaos, the young man in front of her bent his body, before he directly lifted her off the ground from her waist. The moment she left the ground, Ling Qingzhu felt her mind turn blank. A moment later, she recovered her senses before she began to struggle violently.
“Stop moving.”
A somewhat low and deep voice was transmitted over, before Ling Qingzhu’s delicate figure stiffened. Finally, she lifted her head. Immediately, a youthful face, which looked a lot more tough and mature compared to three years ago, was imprinted on her eyes.
Currently, the latter’s brows were knitted. Moreover, his elegant and sharp demeanour even took Ling Qingzhu by surprise. The past three years seemed to have washed away his shell and gradually revealed the things that were hidden deep within his bones.
Ling Qingzhu clenched her teeth gently. However, as she was already wounded, her resistance slowly died down. Meanwhile, only her tightly clenched hands were proof of the ripples stirred in her heart.
“Lin… big brother Lin Dong?”
Su Rou and the many disciples from Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace were startled when they saw that young man, who was walking towards them with Ling Qingzhu in his arms. It was a long while later, before Su Rou suddenly came to her senses. Immediately, unconcealable wild joy surged onto her pretty face.
“Big brother Lin Dong, it’s really you! You have returned to the Eastern Xuan Region?! I knew that you would come back!”
Lin Dong stopped in front of Su Rou. When he saw the joy on that pretty young lady’s face, he involuntarily smiled. The timid and weak young lady from before had finally blossomed.
“Well done.”
Lin Dong gently placed Ling Qingzhu down from his embrace. After which, he extended his hand and rubbed Su Rou’s little head. The latter’s face reddened immediately. However, this familiar action caused warmth to surface in her heart. Instantly, she felt as though all the fatigue within her body had disappeared.
“Cough.” Beside them, Ling Qingzhu suddenly coughed softly. Meanwhile, a bright red colour surfaced under her veil. Clearly, Lu Feng’s attacks had left her with severe injuries.
“Senior sister Qingzhu, are you alright?!”
Su Rou was greatly startled. The surrounding disciples from Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace also hurriedly surrounded her. Meanwhile, their eyes were all filled with anxiety.
Ling Qingzhu shook her head. She looked at her blood stained seniors and juniors, before she softly said, “Brace yourselves. Powerful foes remain at our doorsteps…”
After hearing her words, the crowd quickly snapped out of their joyous state. Immediately, all their faces darkened. After all, there was still a huge army from Yuan Gate on the outside, eyeing them with ill intent. Moreover, even Ling Qingzhu was defeated by the first elder of Yuan Gate. Therefore, they had essentially lost their final pillar of support.
“Leave everything else to my Dao Sect. All of you should just focus on protecting her.”
Lin Dong glanced at Ling Qingzhu. Currently, the latter’s eyes had regained some of its usual colour. However, she chose to avoid making eye contact with him. In fact, each time they were about to make eye contact, she would turn away immediately.
“Big brother Lin Dong… you… be careful. The first elder of Yuan Gate is extremely powerful.” Su Rou bit her red lips. Although logically speaking, she felt that Lin Dong should think about escaping at a juncture like this, the blind faith she had in Lin Dong twisted the words she wanted to say.
“Friend from Dao Sect, on behalf of my Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace, Qingzhu would like to thank you for your help today. However, I hope that you will retreat if you are unable to handle them. After all, my Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace will not give in to Yuan Gate even at the cost of our lives.” Ling Qingzhu lowered her pretty eyes and softly said.
By their side, Su Rou stuck her tongue out when she heard those words. However, she did not dare to speak up. After all, she had a close relationship with Ling Qingzhu and knew that there was a murky relationship between the two of them. In fact, over the past three years since Lin Dong left, she occasionally caught Ling Qingzhu falling into a daze during her training. Moreover, judging by her demeanor, it was clear that she was pining after someone.
Those incidents piqued Su Rou’s curiosity. After all, Ling Qingzhu had a cool and aloof character, and she had strong mental fortitude. In fact, there were countless geniuses and monsters in the Eastern Xuan Region who were pining after her. However, none of them were able to make any headway. At times, Su Rou even thought that there was no man in this world, who could cause this haughty fairy like senior to behave like an ordinary little girl. As such, when she saw Ling Qingzhu acting in this manner, she felt great shock in her heart.
However, what puzzled her was that Ling Qingzhu chose to treat big brother Lin Dong like a stranger, even though there was clearly a relationship between the both of them.
Although she had her doubts, Ling Qingzhu clearly enjoyed an extremely high status in Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace. Hence, she did not dare to question her.
“Why are you calling me a friend from Dao Sect? Don’t you know my name?” Lin Dong also lifted his brows when he heard Ling Qingzhu’s words. Meanwhile, a trace of fury flashed across his eyes. Was this woman trying to provoke him on purpose?
Ling Qingzhu’s eyes remained indifferent. She neither lifted her head nor did she reply.
Lin Dong snorted furiously after he saw her conduct. Immediately, he turned around and left. However, Ling Qingzhu involuntarily clenched her hand at this moment. Meanwhile, her teeth gently bit her red lips, which were hidden under her veil. However, she stubbornly remained quiet.
However, while she remained obstinate, Lin Dong, who had only taken two steps, suddenly turned around. Then, he directly flung his palm towards Ling Qingzhu’s face, in front of many startled onlookers from Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace. Moreover, it looked as though he was lashing out in anger.
Ling Qingzhu’s delicate figure shook when she detected the palm wind that was rushing over. She shut her pretty eyes and did not move.
“Rip.”
Fingernails, which were accompanied by palm wind, brushed past Ling Qingzhu’s face. After which, she suddenly felt a cooling sensation on her face. It turns out that the veil covering her face had been forcefully removed.
With the removal of her veil, her seemingly perfect pretty face hidden beneath was also exposed. At that moment, it seemed as though the sky had brightened.
“You!”
The cooling sensation on her face caused Ling Qingzhu to be startled. She hurriedly opened her eyes before she touched her jade like face. After which, she was startled when she saw the veil in Lin Dong’s hand. Finally, shame and anger appeared on her usually cool and aloof face. Those emotions, which appeared instantly, caused the surrounding Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace disciples to be stunned. After all, Ling Qingzhu typically acted in a cool and indifferent manner within the palace, and she seldom revealed such a touching emotion, that was comparable to a fairy descending in the mortal world.
“You look much better than before. There is no need to act like a fairy in front of me. I don’t buy it.” Lin Dong was absentminded for a moment because of that dazzlingly and beautiful face. After which, he teased when he saw that shame and anger had surged onto Ling Qingzhu’s face.
“Who cares whether you like it or not.” Ling Qingzhu said furiously. However, even though she was angry, her face still looked mesmerizing.
“Haha.”
Lin Dong laughed out loud. After which, his dark black eyes gradually became cold and stern. He slowly turned his head before he glanced at the experts from Yuan Gate, who were eyeing them with ill intent. Then, he spoke in a faint voice, “Leave everything else to me.”
Ling Qingzhu looked at his skinny back. Her emotions seemed to have became a lot more chaotic after her veil was snatched by that fellow in an overbearing manner. Then, she bit her lips and suppressed the anger and embarrassment in her heart. Regardless, Lin Dong had showed up at a critical moment and he had indeed stirred ripples in her calm unemotional heart.
Her relationship with Lin Dong was so complicated that she was troubled by it. Given their characters, there was no way that they could easily forget about the ridiculous deed that they did back then. As such, there would always be a unique spot for each other in their respective hearts. This was something that even the prideful Ling Qingzhu had no choice but to admit. After all, if it was another man who had removed her veil, she would have pierced him with her sword immediately. However, since it was Lin Dong who did so, that act, which could incite her murderous intent, only left her vexed and embarrassed.
Ling Qingzhu was undoubtedly a haughty and aloof person. This was clearly demonstrated when they met for the first time many years ago. However, on their first encounter, she was an extremely talented individual from Nine Heavens Supreme Purity Palace, while Lin Dong was merely a kid from the branch family of a clan in a low rank empire. Hence, there was a massive gap between them, both in terms of status and strength.
Back then, Ling Qingzhu ought to have killed this person, who had taken her virginity, with a stab from her sword. However, Lin Dong’s bright and heated eyes stopped her from doing so. At that time, she knew that this seemingly weak young man possessed tenacity and determination that no one could match up to.
Moreover, she was aware that she had become the target whom he was actively chasing after.
Furthermore, she was also well aware of the tremendous efforts that he had put in.
In order to accomplish his goal, since that day onwards, this cub like young man had began to run with all his might on a path filled with all sorts of dangers and obstacles. Even though he ended up covered with wounds, he never regretted his decision.
Perhaps, at that time, even she did not expect that this once weak young man, would actually stand in front of her many years later and use his small body to help her to block the wild storms, which even she could not endure.
Emotions churned within her heart. Past memories also began to replay within Ling Qingzhu’s mind. Finally, a gentle emotion appeared within her clear and bright eyes. After which, a soft voice was slowly transmitted into Lin Dong’s ears.
“Be careful.”