All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

Chapter 274 The Frost of Despair

Days passed by, and the people of Lingxu Sect still did not give up on her. They continued to care for and look after her silently. However, she remained unmoved, as cold as ice, carefully concealing her physical condition and her inner feelings.

Even today, with the hunters' surprise attack, the Lingxu Sect has been reduced to ruins, countless fellow disciples have died, and senior brothers and sisters are seriously injured and on the verge of death. Standing on this broken land, looking at everything before her, the pain and despair in her heart have been amplified infinitely once again.

She even began to suspect that it was because of her, because of her damned constitution, that the Lingxu Sect had suffered this disaster.

If she hadn't come to the Lingxu Sect, if she hadn't appeared before them, would they have avoided this calamity and been able to live a good life?

Guilt, self-blame, despair, fear—all these emotions intertwined, like an invisible net, tightly enveloping her and making it hard for her to breathe.

She was plunged into deep pain, her eyes vacant, her body stiff, as if her soul had been ripped out, and she was oblivious to the sounds around her.

Unbeknownst to her, while she was lost in painful contemplation, several dark figures had already quietly appeared around her and surrounded her tightly.

Those were several hunters who had escaped the net. They were covered in blood, their eyes were cold and bloodthirsty, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of their mouths as they stared intently at Ning Shuang, their eyes filled with greed.

In the chaos, they had just caught a glimpse of Ning Shuang and were drawn to her beauty. They also sensed an extremely powerful and strange force hidden within her. They knew that this woman was no ordinary person, and that capturing her would be of great benefit, whether for pleasure or for cultivation.

"Little beauty, stop daydreaming and come with us." One of the hunters spoke, his tone flippant and his eyes filled with greed, as he approached Ning Shuang step by step.

Ning Shuang remained unresponsive, still immersed in her own pain, as if everything around her was irrelevant to her.

A hint of impatience flashed in the eyes of the hunter. Without another word, he drew his black longsword and thrust it fiercely toward Ning Shuang's chest with a sharp killing intent!

It was incredibly fast, so fast that only a black afterimage remained, so fast that Ning Shuang had no time to react!

At the critical moment!

A tremendous force suddenly came from the side, slamming into Ning Shuang and throwing her off her feet, causing her to crash heavily onto a pile of rubble not far away.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, Ning Shuang was thrown into a painful thud, a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, and her consciousness returned instantly.

She subconsciously looked up at the spot where she had just been standing.

That one glance made her freeze, her pupils shrink, and her blood seemed to freeze completely at that moment.

There she was, her junior brother Xia Gui, standing where she had just stood, his chest pierced by a black, sharp knife!

The dagger pierced Xia Gui's back and emerged from his chest. Blood gushed out from the gap in the dagger, staining Xia Gui's robes and the ground red.

Xia Gui's body trembled slightly, her face as pale as paper, devoid of any color. She turned her head with difficulty, her gaze falling on Ning Shuang, and she forced a faint smile at the corner of her mouth.

"Senior...Sister..." His voice was as weak as a mosquito's buzz, broken and intermittent, each word accompanied by a spit of blood, "Go...quickly...go..."

The voice, filled with endless weakness, yet also with a hint of determination and concern, seemed to be using its last ounce of strength to urge Ning Shuang to escape this place and live on.

Ning Shuang stared at Xia Gui, at the blood on his chest, and at the worry and concern in his eyes. She was completely stunned.

She opened her mouth, wanting to speak, wanting to call out "Junior Brother Xia Gui," but it was as if something was blocking her throat, and she couldn't make a sound. Only tears, without warning, surged out again, streaming down her cheeks.

That little boy who was always chattering, innocent and cute, always calling her "Senior Sister Ning Shuang," always holding her hand, sharing delicious food with her, and always looking at her with the purest eyes, that junior brother who would never give up on her no matter how indifferent she was, and who would always stay with her, actually had his chest pierced while trying to save her!

"No...no..." Ning Shuang screamed frantically in her heart, wanting to rush over, wanting to hug Xia Gui, wanting to save her, but her body was as if nailed to the spot, unable to move, and she could only watch helplessly as Xia Gui slowly lost her life.

The hunter looked at Xia Gui with disdain and cruelty in his eyes. He pulled out a sharp knife from his hand, then raised his foot and kicked Xia Gui hard!

"Bang!"

Xia Gui's body was kicked away like a kite with a broken string, landing heavily on the dilapidated sect building not far away with a dull thud. Debris from the building fell down and hit him.

Blood instantly stained the dilapidated building beneath Xia Gui, the crimson stain stinging Ning Shuang's eyes.

Xia Gui's body stirred, as if she wanted to raise her head again and say to Ning Shuang, "Senior Sister, go quickly!" But she no longer had the strength. Her eyes slowly closed, and a faint smile remained on her lips. That smile was one of concern, worry, and the hope that Ning Shuang could live well.

There was no more chattering, no more innocent and lovely smiles, and no more junior brother who held her hand and called her "Senior Sister Ning Shuang".

Xia Gui died.

He died trying to save her.

Ning Shuang looked at everything before her, at the glaring crimson, at Xia Gui's lifeless body. Her heart, which had long been numb and frozen, seemed to be shattered at this moment, and then began to beat again.

It was not a warm beat, but a beat filled with endless pain and regret.

An unprecedented, heart-wrenching feeling erupted from the depths of her heart like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing her entire body.

That pain was more intense than being betrayed by a loved one, more intense than being used as a cauldron by evil cultivators, more intense than being hunted down in Kunlun Ruins, and more intense than awakening the sacrificial constitution.

It was a pain that went deep into the bone, a pain that tore the heart apart, a pain like losing a loved one, a pain of guilt and self-blame, a pain of despair and helplessness.

Her body began to tremble violently, and she clutched her chest tightly with both hands, trying to relieve the extreme pain. But the pain grew stronger and stronger, as if it were tearing her heart apart and devouring her soul.

Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision. From her throat came suppressed and desperate sobs, like those of a wounded animal, helpless and in pain.

As she looked at Xia Gui's corpse, images of Xia Gui's innocent and adorable appearance kept flashing through her mind, as did the image of Xia Gui holding her hand and calling her "Senior Sister Ning Shuang," and the image of Xia Gui being pierced through the chest by a sharp knife while trying to save her.

Guilt, like a venomous snake, gnawed at her heart.

If she hadn't been so cold-hearted, if she had accepted Xia Gui's kindness sooner, if she had been able to sense the danger around her, if she had been stronger, would Xia Gui have survived?

It's all her fault, it's all her fault!

It was she who implicated Xia Gui; it was she who killed the most innocent and kind-hearted junior brother; it was she who once again destroyed a source of warmth and hope.

The hunters looked at Ning Shuang, who was lying on the ground, weeping and trembling, with disdain and cruelty in their eyes. They approached Ning Shuang step by step, the long knives in their hands gleaming with a cold light.

"Little beauty, don't be sad. The troublesome person is dead. Next, it's your turn."

"Don't worry, we'll treat you well and won't let you die so soon."

Their words, cold and cruel, pierced Ning Shuang's heart like sharp knives, intensifying her pain once more.

But Ning Shuang seemed not to hear their words. She remained collapsed on the ground, trembling all over, tears streaming down her face. In her mind, there was only the image of Xia Gui, and only that deep-seated pain and guilt.

Her body grew colder and colder, that bone-chilling cold spreading throughout her body once again, but this time it was colder and more piercing than ever before.

She could feel that her sacrificial constitution was being stimulated by emotions and was beginning to stir. A powerful and strange force was constantly surging through her meridians, as if it was about to break free of its restraints and erupt.

But she had no mind to care about any of that; in her heart, there was only pain, guilt, and endless despair.

Xia Gui died; he died saving her.

The Lingxu Sect was destroyed; countless fellow disciples died or were injured.

Her life remained an endless darkness, an endless purgatory.

That heart-wrenching pain, like a tidal wave, swept over her entire body wave after wave, growing stronger and more intense, almost suffocating her and driving her to the brink of collapse.

She didn't know what to do, whether she could survive, what her future held, or what hope she had.

All she knew was that Xia Gui was dead, gone forever, and she didn't even have the strength to avenge him.

The hunters had reached her, their long knives raised high, the cold blades reflecting a blinding light, ready to strike her down.

But Ning Shuang remained unresponsive, still immersed in that heart-wrenching pain, as if death was a relief for her.

That heart-wrenching pain was still sweeping through her entire body; every inch of her skin, every vein, every cell was enduring extreme agony and emitting silent wails.

Her consciousness began to fade, tears continued to fall, a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes were empty and desperate, as if the whole world had collapsed, leaving only endless darkness and pain.

The hunter's longsword slowly fell, its chilling killing intent enveloping her entire body. Yet, she did not flinch, remaining immersed in the excruciating, bone-deep pain, unable to extricate herself.

That heart-wrenching pain, like a leech, clung tightly to her, engulfing her entire body, making her feel like she was living a life worse than death, plunging her into an abyss of despair from which she could never escape.

She even began to pray, praying that this torment would end soon, praying that she could join Xia Gui soon, that she could be freed soon, that she could get away from this endless purgatory, away from this damned fate.

The hunter's long knife drew ever closer, its cold blade almost touching her skin, yet she remained unresponsive, still enduring the excruciating pain, still slowly sinking into despair.

In her mind, Xia Gui's innocent and lovely smile reappeared, as did the image of Xia Gui holding her hand and calling her "Senior Sister Ning Shuang," and the image of Xia Gui having her chest pierced by a sharp knife while trying to save her.

Guilt and pain erupted again, and that heart-wrenching feeling intensified once more, engulfing her entire body and almost causing her to lose all consciousness. Only endless pain and despair remained, swirling and washing over her mind repeatedly.

She didn't know where her fate would lead, how long this suffering would last, whether she would have a chance to avenge Xia Gui, or whether she would have a chance to escape this damned destiny.

All she knew was that she was enduring unprecedented pain. The excruciating pain had swept over her entire body, penetrated her very bones, and been etched into her soul, making her feel like she was living a life worse than death and leaving her utterly hopeless.

The hunter's smile grew increasingly cruel, the long knife in his hand drew ever closer, and the chilling killing intent intensified. Yet, Ning Shuang remained collapsed on the ground, trembling all over, tears streaming down her face, lost in the excruciating pain she couldn't escape.

The wind continued to blow, whipping up the bloodstains and pebbles on the ground, making a mournful sound, as if it were mourning for Xia Gui, and feeling sorrow for Ning Shuang's despair.

On the ruins of Lingxu Sect, the stench of blood still lingered, and the atmosphere of despair still permeated the air. Ning Shuang was enduring that heart-wrenching pain, slowly sinking into the abyss of despair, awaiting her not knowing whether it was death or an even more terrible fate.

That excruciating pain continued to engulf her entire body. Each wash intensified her suffering, blurred her consciousness, and deepened her despair.

Her body grew weaker and weaker, more and more blood flowed from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes became increasingly vacant. That heart-wrenching pain had completely enveloped her, completely devoured her, leaving her unable to breathe, unable to think, and unable to struggle any longer.

She could only let the heart-wrenching pain engulf her entire body, and let herself sink deeper and deeper into the abyss of despair, not knowing where the end was, not knowing if she would have a chance to stand up again, if she would have a chance to avenge Xia Gui, or if she would have a chance to escape this damned fate.

The hunter's long knife was finally about to fall, the cold blade already touching her hair, but she still did not react, still immersed in that heart-wrenching pain, as if death was a relief for her, her only destination.

The excruciating pain continued to engulf her, growing stronger and more intense, until she almost lost all sensation, leaving only endless suffering and despair that echoed and washed over her mind without end.