Imperial God Emperor

Among the ruins.

“Brother Luo Qi, brother Zhou Yuanshan, you are back! Water, where's the water?” Cheng Kui and Liu Ming, who were responsible for guarding and maintaining order, thought that brother Luo Qi and the others had found water when they saw Zhang Ye and the others. Their eyes lit up and they immediately ran over.  

Zhang Ye was taken aback, brows unconsciously scrunched together. 

Behind him, Qiao Qu, Luo Qi and the others shook their heads, sighing.  

With a disappointed face, Cheng Kui turned his head back to look again. His muscles becoming stiff and tight as he mumbled, “Junior brother Mo and brother Xu... they... why...” 

“Junior brother Cheng! How are Uncle Huang and Aunt Lin?” Qiao Qu suddenly raised her voice, interrupting Cheng Kiu, and repeatedly signaled them to not ask any further with her eyes. 

On the other side, Zhang Ye was walking toward the ruins without saying a word. 

Unclear with the situation, Liu Ming and Cheng Kiu exchanged a glance, then looked at the expression etched on the faces of their senior sister and the several other senior brothers, and seemed to understand what had happened.

After a few words of conversation, the group returned to the ruins with a hint of hidden sorrow on their faces. 

Zhang Ye slowly stood up on a huge rock when he saw the junior brothers coming over, “In a moment go tell the others that Luo Qi has found water, but it’s not a lot and won’t be enough to share between everyone, so today it will be the same as usual.” 

Qiao Qu, Cheng Kui and others nodded. 

They understood what it meant by the words ‘as usual’ from Zhang Ye. 

Qiao Qu and the several other brothers took out two large and thick bowls from the storage space and a black curved dagger. 

“Senior sister Qiao Qu, you’ve been drawing your blood these past few days, leave it to us today... I couldn't find a water source and I should compensate...” Luo Qi hurriedly rolled up his sleeve and stretched out his arm.

“Yes, you are the beautiful senior sister in our heart. If you were left with so many scars on your arms that would affect our face.” Liu Ming also laughed, offering his arm that was full of knife marks.

Qiao Qu looked at her arm. 

Indeed, in the past few days she had been constantly drawing out blood, and there was not enough time and spiritual qi for her to restore her yuan qi——The world was desolate, making it difficult to absorb spiritual qi from the outside world. She did not want to consume the small amount of yuan qi within her body to treat her injuries. Every little bit of yuan qi had to be saved to be use in battle. Thus, the scars on Qiao Qu's arm, which was as white as lotus roots, had not completely faded and was unsightly. 

But so what? 

In this ancient city, which person wasn’t struggling on the edge of life and death, and who wasn’t doing their best to save the lives of everyone.

Especially Zhang Ye. 

Qiao Qu looked at senior brother Zhang Ye, who was pulling up his sleeves. The dozens of crisscross blade marks on both his arms were even more frightening.  

“You two have just returned, I should help share the burden?” After a thought, Qiao Qu changed to her other arm with fewer wounds, stretching it towards the curved blade.

The blade slashed out.

A wound appeared on the arm and blood was flowing out. 

A tinge of pain flashed across Qiao Qu's face, but she clenched her teeth and did not say anything. 

Drip... 

Drip... drip...

Drop after drop of the essence and blood of a martial artist, along the wounds on Zhang Ye and the other people's arms, slowly slid into the two large bowls.

Following the dripping noises, the ordinary people who were gathered around the ruins seemed to have sensed something, and one after another, turned to look at the disciples of the Ancient Sky Dragon Sect. Some of whom could not help weeping. However, though they looked sorrowful, they were not able to shed the slightest bead of tear. 

A moment later. 

The two large bowls were filled to the brim with the essence and blood of Zhang Ye and the others.

Cheng Qiu along with Liu Ming, Luo Qi and Zhou Yuanshan, each holding two large bowls, divided into two sides and headed toward the crowd that was leaning against the wall.

The blood of an expert contained the spirit and qi of heaven and earth. Although it could not satisfy one’s hunger and thirst, it can preserve the last trace of vitality and the continuance of life.

These three days, since the supply of food and water had been completely used up, Zhang Ye, Qiao Qu and the others had no choice but to come to this. Every day they had to use their own essence and blood to feed the dying elderly, women and children, in order to extend the lives of the hundreds of people to continue to this day. 

However, even if experts were full of blood, they still wouldn’t last long in the face of hundreds of weak people.

Not to mention that they were also short on water and food, and their yuan qi was almost depleted. It could be said that they were in a state where they may endanger their own life. 

In the end, such a choice was tantamount to drinking poison in the hope of quenching thirst. 

Zhang Ye and Qiao Qu stood side by side at the entrance of the ruins, gazing into the hazy night with a solemn face. 

In truth, they had already reached the point of exhaustion, and even the two of them did not know what to do next. 

How could the heavens be so heartless? 

In the vast darkness, there was not a glimmer of light. 

It was at that time that a new change appeared again. 

A weak voice suddenly broke out from the ruins. 

“No, I can’t drink your blood anymore. These days it is thanks to you that I, Aunt Lin, could live for a few more days. Yu Leaf City is now under the rule of those thieves who brutally slaughters people, and is more like a demonic city. I am already very happy to have escaped that place. We have no water and food now, and are just relying on your blood to survive. I can’t bear to see this... I am old and frail, I am of no use. Leave the blood for the children, do not waste it on me...” 

An old woman, who had disheveled hair, looked haggard, and whose skin was dry and wrinkled up, spoke in a sorrowful voice.  

“Aunt Lin, what are you saying, if Uncle Lin and Lin San had not spread the news out in time, how could we have fled that place safely. Your husband and son have lost their lives in exchange for our freedom. They are our saviour, and you are their only family in this world, how can we ignore you? Believe us, we have found water, hold on for a few more days. When senior brother Jin Yu and the others find an Origin crystal, he will take us to find the Domain Gate and we can get out of Ancient Sky Dragon Domain!” Cheng Kui was only a young man in his twenties. As he was speaking he hurriedly put a drop of blood onto Aunt Lin's finger. The corner of his eyes seems to be faintly red. 

On the other side, when Zhang Ye and Qiao Qu heard the commotion, they exchanged a glance and ran towards Aunt Lin and the others. 

“Come, Nian’er, this blood is for you, get strong and live well.” Aunt Lin smiled, struggling to sit up. She moved two steps closer, and laboriously pointed her finger in the direction of the previous mother and son.  

“Aunt Lin, you... No, Nian'er is still young. He can hold on for a few more days...” The Mother hurriedly shook her head. 

If she had taken away the blood on Aunt Lin's hand, it was equivalent to taking away the life of Aunt Lin. This group of people had together escaped from the jaws of a tiger and could be described as having been through life and death together. It was impossible for something like that to happen. 

Aunt Lin smiled lightly, and put her finger gently towards the little boy called Nian'er in his mother's arms. 

After obtaining the energy and spiritual qi of that drop of blood, the originally lethargic Nian’er who was almost in an unconscious state slowly opened his eyes, and a hint of colour brightened up his small, thin face. 

“Well, my old husband and son have died in the hands of those thieves. I am already very satisfied to live a few more days. Now I should go accompany them. I don’t have much blood and flesh left, but it can still be used. You can just take it to cook, to replenish some physical strength. Otherwise if you will continue to lose blood, your strength will also weaken, and it will be difficult for you to protect the children...” 

Before she had finished.

Aunt Lin, who had been incredibly weak all along, all of a sudden resolutely slammed into the stonewall behind her. Before the others could react, she had directly killed herself and collapsed onto the ground. 

There was only a little amount of blood flowing out of the palm-sized wound. 

“Aunt Lin!” 

“Quick! Quickly save her!” 

Several of the disciples nearby gathered around at the same time.

But when Zhou Yuanshan, who had the strongest medical knowledge, examined Aunt Lin, he shook his head, indicating that there was nothing he could do.

“Aunt Lin was incredibly weak, lacking in water and food for a few days. She was on the verge of death but, now...” Zhou Yuanshan stretched out his hand and gently closed Aunt Lin's eyes.

Around, the people curled up under the stonewalls and broken statues were grieving, many could not bear to look again. 

“Aunt Lin, Aunt Lin, if we really ate your flesh and drank your blood in order to survive, then what would be the difference between us and those evil people!” Qiao Qu held Aunt Lin's thin hand that was gradually turning cold, both angry and sad. 

But Aunt Lin could no longer hear her. 

At that moment of death, there was still a hint of determination and a hint of gratification on Aunt Lin’s face. 

The group was sad, but there was nothing they could do. 

Half an hour later. 

All of the hundreds of people had absorbed a drop of blood and began to rest.

During this period of time there were a few old men who also wanted to follow Aunt Lin’s example and end their life. They did not want to be a burden to the group anymore but were stopped by the disciples of the Ancient Sky Dragon Sect. 

Zhang Ye and Qiao Qu led several other junior brothers to the city walls of Lifeng City. 

Lifeng City was dark and silent, and everywhere was full of endless desolation. 

“Senior brother Zhang Ye, what should we do next? We can’t continue to extend the lives of the others, this is not a long term solution.” Qiao Qu knitted her brows in a deep frown. The scene of Aunt Lin resolutely taking her own life seemed to linger in her mind. 

“Yes, senior brother Jin Yu and the others are still in Yu Leaf City. They should have started the plan by now, I wonder if they had succeeded.” Cheng Kui was gazing in the direction of Yu Leaf City with a tinge of worry in his eyes.  

“Sigh... A small piece of ordinary Origin crystal is now priceless in Ancient Sky Dragon Domain. It’s not that easy to steal it.” Luo Qi sighed, “I just hope senior brother Jin Yu and the others are safe...” 

Zhang Ye stood at the edge of the city wall, similarly staring at the direction of Yu Leaf City in silence. It was unknown what he was thinking about. 

It was at this point that a strange scene occurred again. 

There was a flashing brilliance in the Void. 

Before anyone could react, in a place around less than one hundred kilometers away from Lifeng City, there were ripples of dense yuan qi that was like a huge net, enveloping the sky and the surroundings of the city.  

“Hahahaha... Zhang Ye, you traitors! Let's see where else you can run to!” 

A tyrannical and cold voice resounded between Heaven and earth.