Chapter 117: What Should She Do?

In the blink of an eye, Chu Tian gathered his remaining strength and lunged toward Long Tianjiao. He shoved her into the corner of the stone chamber, using his own body as a shield to protect her.

Boom!

A split second later, a massive boulder crashed down onto Chu Tian’s back. He immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto Long Tianjiao’s face, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Chu Tian remained standing, his hands braced against the stone wall. Though his spine had been shattered by the impact, causing him to hunch over like a tortoise bearing the weight of the boulder, he refused to collapse.

Outside the underground palace, Situ Deng scrambled to escape. No sooner had he cleared the entrance than the entire structure crumbled, collapsing in on itself. Chu Tian and Long Tianjiao were completely buried. The avatar of Wu Xingyan also dissolved into a streak of light, returning to the protective talisman on Situ Deng’s person.

Situ Deng panted heavily, still reeling from the shock. He had expected the avatar to make short work of Chu Tian, yet they had been evenly matched, resulting in such catastrophic destruction. If he had been even a split second slower, he would have been buried alive himself.

Just then, Tang Rixin arrived with his subordinates. Situ Deng turned to face them, the blood still staining his mouth. His arms were injured, and his back was bruised and battered, leaving him in a wretched state.

"Young Master Situ, are you... alright?" Tang Rixin asked, shock evident in his eyes. Situ Deng was a Martial Venerable; what kind of expert could have possibly driven him to such a state?

"I am fine," Situ Deng replied weakly. Though severely injured, he had succeeded in killing Chu Tian. Furthermore, the fact that Wu Xingyan’s avatar had intervened personally signaled his intent: he no longer required Chu Tian alive. And if Wu Xingyan had no further need for Chu Tian or the cultivation of his "Seven Orifice Exquisite Heart," then Chu Tian’s seven senior sisters were equally expendable.

Situ Deng’s expression darkened. Although Long Tianjiao had died in the collapse, the thought of the remaining six sisters ignited a flicker of malice in his eyes. Those six stunning women were now his for the taking.

"Young Master Situ, what happened inside? Why was there such a massive commotion?" Tang Rixin asked, clutching his chest; his own injuries had yet to heal.

Situ Deng remained silent for a moment, his face growing somber. He had no desire to recount the events. After all, losing to Chu Tian was not a glorious affair, and given his pride, he would never reveal the details. "Chu Tian tried to rescue Long Tianjiao. He is dead now."

"Young Master Situ is truly invincible," Tang Rixin chuckled, assuming Chu Tian had been killed by Situ Deng. He had no idea that Situ Deng had actually been bested. "At least we don't have to worry about him anymore."

"What happened to you? How did you get injured?" Situ Deng asked, eager to change the subject.

"Someone was spying nearby. We engaged them, so we sustained minor injuries," Tang Rixin replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Is it taken care of?"

"Rest assured, Young Master, it is finished," Tang Rixin answered quickly. They had forced Wang Jiulong off a cliff; there was no way he could have survived.

Situ Deng nodded.

"Young Master Situ, now that Long Tianjiao is dead, how do we threaten Long Sihai? How do we carry out Master Wu's plan?" Tang Rixin asked, clearly worried.

"What is there to fear? Long Sihai doesn't know she's dead!" Situ Deng snapped, his tone hardening. "As long as we pretend we still have her, we can continue to threaten him. The Master's plan remains unaffected!" With things as they were, he had no better option.

"Then what is our next move? This place has been compromised. Should we stay?"

"No. We head to the venue of the North-South Dispute immediately. We cannot delay the Master's plans." Situ Deng made the decision, leading the group away from the summit.

Meanwhile, inside the ruins of the palace, the darkness was absolute. Had Chu Tian not used his back to brace the boulder, Long Tianjiao would have been crushed to death instantly. The fallen debris had formed a triangular support against the wall, sealing off the small pocket of space where they lay. Even without Chu Tian’s strength, the boulder would no longer shift.

Realizing this, Chu Tian let out a long breath, and the sudden release of tension drained the last of his strength. He collapsed to the ground. The space was cramped, barely ten square meters, but it was enough for the two of them. They were incredibly fortunate to have survived.

"Xiao Tian!" Seeing Chu Tian covered in blood and sprawled on the ground, Long Tianjiao burst into tears. She was not a woman prone to weeping, but seeing his life force fading and his breathing growing shallow, she could no longer contain her grief. If this continued, he would surely die.

She shook her hair and rubbed her head against the stone wall until she managed to dislodge a hairpin. Though her hands were still cuffed behind her back, she maneuvered the pin into her palm and began to pick the lock. Despite the tears streaming down her face, her movements were steady.

Click.

The handcuffs fell away, and her hands were free. Her wrists were numb from being bound all night, but she ignored the pain.

"Xiao Tian, wake up!" she sobbed, clutching his clothes and gently shaking him. "If you die like this, how... how am I supposed to face the others?"

Blood soaked through his clothes and onto her palms. In the darkness, she could not see the extent of his wounds, but the warmth of the blood against her skin told her everything she needed to know.

What could she do? What was she supposed to do?