Below Yunmeng Mountain, Feng Guiqu, who was knocked unconscious by the eight-nine spiritual attack, slowly woke up.
He got up in a daze, finding Yin Qing nowhere. He looked up and saw a large, earth-yellow hand clenched into a fist.
Traces of mountain and river power seeped out from within. He knew then that Yin Qing and Qinglian were trapped inside.
The fist's power was immense and was constantly tightening, putting Yin Qing's life in peril.
So, he gritted his teeth and, controlling his wind ability, shot up into the sky.
Before the apocalypse, he already knew that Yin Qing considered him a spare tire.
He wasn't foolish. Yin Qing deliberately kept her distance from him in public.
She never introduced him to her friends or classmates. Unless she needed his help, she never contacted him proactively.
Yin Qing never gave a direct response to his affections, nor did she explicitly reject him.
He understood his role in Yin Qing's heart because he knew he wasn't outstanding, yet he still liked her.
Even as a spare tire, he was content and never complained.
It was because he truly loved Yin Qing, willing to sacrifice everything for her. He understood he was like a moth to a flame.
There would be no happy ending, and he would be the one hurt in the end.
But he couldn't help himself. Because of his liking, because of his love, he sought no return and had no self.
As long as he could maintain a sliver of connection with Yin Qing, even if she didn't like him and was just using him,
He would be willing, even find joy in it. He just wanted to be a fool who knew everything.
Even if he was a spare tire, he wanted to be a premium one.
Even if there was no final outcome, at least Yin Qing would remember him.
However, today, he was going to do one last thing for Yin Qing.
He felt the terrifying power emanating from that large hand.
It was far more potent and substantial than the mountain and river power emitted by Qinglian, beyond his ability to resist.
But he was not afraid, for he had a life, and for Yin Qing, he could give up his life.
A smile played on Feng Guiqu's lips as scenes of his time with Yin Qing flashed through his mind, frame by frame.
Every scene, every word Yin Qing spoke, even her smiles and frowns, he remembered clearly.
The wind element gathered madly around him, exceeding his capacity to bear it.
But he didn't stop, desperately holding on. He was about to reach the giant fist.
He had to persevere, even though his body was being damaged by the overloaded wind power.
His meridians were broken, his internal organs shattered, yet he still didn't stop, allowing the wind power to surge in.
Because compared to saving Yin Qing and letting her live, the pain he endured was nothing.
He only had one chance, and he had to make it foolproof, accumulating more power.
The power of self-destruction would increase by one part, and his beloved Qing'er's chance of survival would increase by one part.
The power gathered within him was too immense, making him unable to bear it. Feng Guiqu's seven orifices began to bleed.
Blood flowed like winding little snakes from his nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. Feng Guiqu knew his body had reached its limit, and his life was nearing its end.
"Qing'er, I love you!"
No longer controlling his body, Feng Guiqu roared and charged towards the index and middle fingers of the giant fist.
On each fist, those two fingers were where the power was greatest.
As long as those two fingers were shattered, Yin Qing could break free and survive.
Yin Qing and Qinglian, trapped, were doomed. The situation had stabilized.
No one expected Feng Guiqu, who had been unconscious, to suddenly make a move.
And in such a fierce, life-risking manner. So, by the time everyone heard Feng Guiqu's roar
and became alert, the explosion had already occurred. It was too late to intercept.
The giant fist in the sky, missing two fingers, allowed Yin Qing, riding Qinglian, to seize the opportunity and escape.
Like a shooting star, she fled into the distance, completely disregarding how the explosion happened.
Even as she fled, she didn't even glance at the spot where Feng Guiqu had fallen unconscious.
Her only thought was to quickly escape Yunmeng Mountain. She never cared about Feng Guiqu's life or death.
In her heart, no one was more important than her own life. Men were merely tools for her success.
"What a heartless and unrighteous person, she doesn't even deserve to be called human. What a pity for Feng Guiqu's unwavering devotion."
Everyone clearly heard Feng Guiqu's roar before his self-destruction.
Knowing why he had resolutely detonated himself, they all felt it was a waste.
Ming Yue's heart grew even more disdainful of Yin Qing. She urged the giant hand, now missing two fingers, to strike at the fleeing Yin Qing.
Though missing fingers, the hand did not lose speed. It flashed through the air and caught up with the escaping Qinglian.
The raised palm, suffused with earth power, slammed down fiercely.
Yin Qing, standing on the lotus seed, felt a powerful force attacking her from behind.
So, she poured all her strength into Qinglian and abruptly accelerated.
She escaped the giant palm's grasp, taking the person and the lotus with her. However, even as she escaped, her back was grazed by the palm's wind.
She felt a burning pain in her back, her internal organs were shaken and displaced, and with a "wow," she spat out a mouthful of blood.
Then her body went limp, and she fainted on the lotus seed, losing consciousness.
Qinglian beneath her also suffered. Its petals and seedpod were affected by the palm's wind.
Under the earth power, Qinglian's mountain and river power became vulnerable.
It was directly struck by the giant palm, losing three petals and two seedpods. However, the mouthful of blood Yin Qing spat out before fainting gave Qinglian a boost, increasing its speed.
It was seen protecting the unconscious Yin Qing, as if teleporting, flashing away and disappearing without a trace.
"A pity, she still managed to escape."
Seeing Qinglian disappear, everyone's expression was filled with anger. Gong Que huffed and said.
"It was Feng Guiqu who saved her with his life. I wonder if she understands that.
However, even though she escaped, there are spoils of war left behind.
With these, Gong Que and Tian Shang will immediately become max-level ability users."
Ming Yue sighed, and at the same time, reached out and retracted the earth power.
In her hand appeared two lotus seeds, like green jade, and three green petals, which had fallen from Qinglian.
She gave one seed to Tian Shang and a petal to Gong Que. Both were overjoyed.
They immediately ran back to their rooms to refine and absorb them. If Ming Yue said max-level, it would certainly be max-level.
Such an opportunity was rare and could not be missed.
After all, max-level ability users were few and far between.
They were the ceiling for ability users, a level most people could never reach in their lifetime.
She stored the remaining seeds and petals in her spatial dimension, then released the Endless Sea of Clouds again, re-enveloping Yunmeng Mountain.
"Queen, you are too powerful. Following you gives me such a sense of security.
Can you reconsider my proposal of marrying into your family? I can offer the White Tiger Base as my dowry and marry into Yunmeng Mountain.
As long as you agree to take me in, even as a concubine, without a formal title."
Ren Jian shamelessly approached Ming Yue, his request laced with a sly grin, willingly offering himself as a concubine.
"Shameless fellow, get lost!"
His words left Ming Yue at a loss for how to respond.