The death of Ji Shiyou plunged Mingyue into despair, as if the sky had collapsed.
After a brief daze, her body erupted with boundless hostility. She rose, intending to kill Zhao Wumian and avenge Ji Shiyou.
"Sister, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I was useless and let that bad guy escape."
Baobao shuffled over, her head bowed, speaking timidly.
She had failed her sister's instructions, letting Zhao Wumian get away. Besides blaming herself, she also resented her own inadequacy.
While Mingyue was tending to Ji Shiyou, Baobao controlled the Floating Light Palace, unleashing a sea of fire.
It engulfed Zhao Wumian, who stood on the Floating Cloud, trapping him within. The blazing Sun True Fire burned, threatening to refine Zhao Wumian.
Unexpectedly, the Floating Cloud beneath Zhao Wumian suddenly unleashed a gust of wind, blowing a gap in the encirclement.
Seizing the opportunity, he controlled the Floating Cloud to charge out of the sea of fire and fled.
The Floating Cloud was inherently a wind-attribute artifact. Once activated, it moved so fast that not even a blur could be seen before it exited the sea of clouds and left the scope of Yunmeng Mountain.
Everyone was focused on Ji Shiyou and hadn't noticed the aerial battle. Baobao and Ba Jiu were caught off guard.
Furthermore, Mingyue was consumed by grief, and the boundless sea of clouds was left uncontrolled. Zhao Wumian exploited this opening to escape.
In fact, the moment he learned that the Floating Light Palace had recognized a master and Mingyue recognized the Floating Cloud, Zhao Wumian knew.
His trip to Yunmeng Mountain had failed. He also understood clearly that with the Golden Crow's ability, it was impossible for the Floating Light Palace to recognize a master on its own.
The only explanation was that with Mingyue's assistance, Baobao had succeeded.
Just now, Mingyue not only spoke the name of the Floating Light Palace but also its attributes and uses, as if she knew them by heart.
She was clearly very familiar with it. Now that she recognized the Floating Cloud, Zhao Wumian felt this woman was not simple.
Moreover, she kept mentioning the Wu Clan, indicating a deep connection. He had to retreat and plan carefully.
However, facing Mingyue, whose cultivation he couldn't discern, and Baobao, who possessed the Floating Light Palace, he lacked the confidence to retreat unscathed.
As he pondered a way to escape, Mingyue suddenly left to tend to Ji Shiyou, giving him hope.
The Floating Cloud beneath him, like the Floating Light Palace, was one of the seven sacrificial artifacts of the Wu Clan, with comparable power.
Furthermore, he had already bonded with it, allowing the two to merge and unleash their maximum power.
Thus, he waited for his moment. When Baobao surrounded him with the sea of fire and everyone thought he was cornered,
He struck suddenly, at a moment when no one was prepared, and with the Floating Cloud, he escaped Yunmeng Mountain.
"I overlooked it. With the Floating Cloud in his hands, you couldn't keep him.
There are more important matters to attend to now. I must fulfill Ji Shiyou's last wish so that he can rest in peace.
After that, I will personally go to the Azure Dragon Base to take Zhao Wumian's life and comfort Ji Shiyou's spirit."
Looking at Baobao's self-reproachful expression and then at everyone's faces, filled with sorrow and concern for her,
Mingyue suppressed her grief, regained her usual calm demeanor, adjusted her emotions, and spoke with composure.
She reached out and summoned a white cloud from the sea of clouds, lifting Ji Shiyou's body.
Controlling the cloud, she walked step by step towards the thousand acres of fertile land, arriving at the meticulously arranged proposal site Ji Shiyou had prepared.
Wen Qingtian and the other base members followed behind her, their faces etched with grief.
They thought Mingyue intended to bury Ji Shiyou in the farmland, so they followed silently.
They wanted to send Ji Shiyou off on his final journey, tears in their eyes, remembering his kindness to them.
Ji Shiyou was a competent leader of the base, who had poured his heart and soul into their welfare. He even remembered the names of every base member.
He was fully aware of their situations. Whenever they encountered difficulties, Ji Shiyou would resolve them promptly and offer assistance.
In this cruel apocalypse, he gave them warmth and the courage to live.
He was like a burning sun, not only guiding them through the apocalypse but also making them feel that warmth still existed in this cold world.
Someone spontaneously tore white cloth into strips and distributed them.
Everyone tied white cloths around their heads, mourning Ji Shiyou, expressing their sorrow and remembrance in this way.
Mingyue controlled Ji Shiyou, encased in the white cloud, walking along a long runway adorned with colorful balloons and ribbons.
She reached a stage filled with flowers. With a wave of her hand, the metal casing around Ji Shiyou's body disappeared.
It revealed his body, now reduced to a pulp. Without the casing and support, Ji Shiyou's body did not disintegrate.
This was because the white cloud had replaced the metal casing, continuing to envelop his form.
Mingyue retrieved a wooden box from Ji Shiyou's chest. The box had shattered due to the pressure.
It was deeply embedded where Ji Shiyou's heart had been, soaked in blood.
Mingyue opened the wooden box. Inside was an exquisite bracelet, strung with sixty-four soybean-sized purple-gold beads.
"This bracelet was made by Old Ji himself. There are sixty-four beads.
They represent the sixty-four days from your first meeting until today.
On each bead, he used his special ability to draw a picture, depicting every moment you spent together.
In these days, he worked tirelessly to finish this bracelet, wanting to propose to you sooner and have you wear it,"
Wen Qingtian said, his voice choked with emotion, as he looked at the bracelet in Mingyue's hand.
Mingyue examined the blood-stained bracelet closely. Indeed, on each soybean-sized golden bead, there was a miniature scene.
Though small, they were lifelike. Each picture contained two small figures.
It was immediately clear they were Mingyue and Ji Shiyou, depicting various scenarios they had experienced together.
To render such vivid scenes on such small golden beads demonstrated the immense effort and dedication Ji Shiyou had invested.
"I like it very much!"
Mingyue's eyes reddened, but she said calmly, and fastened the bracelet onto her wrist.
Then, she took out a black suit, a white shirt, and new shoes, and personally dressed Ji Shiyou.
She also took out a towel and cleaned Ji Shiyou's bloody head.
Then she stood up and, with a wave of her hand, a bright red wedding dress appeared on her.
Seeing Mingyue's actions, everyone was so stunned that they stopped crying. Was Mingyue holding a wedding instead of a funeral?
"Ji Shiyou, I really like the venue you meticulously prepared.
I also really like your confession, and I love your gift even more.
Therefore, this venue today is not for a proposal, but for a wedding.
Yes, I accept. I will marry you now and become your wife."
Mingyue looked at Ji Shiyou, her voice firm and filled with a smile, though tears mingled with her joy.
"So, from now on, we are husband and wife.
As your wife, I have a secret to tell you."
Mingyue embraced Ji Shiyou, leaning close to his ear, and whispered.