Chapter 163: A Thousand Nights of Blessings at That Corner

What could he say about that perseverance? What could he offer in return? What could she ask for after such an experience? She couldn’t expect stories within stories, and he couldn’t give what was around her. All the contradictions, all the wrongs—yet they happened precisely to these two people…
“A dragon? What dragon? Forget dragons—even a cat scares me. How would I know what that is? It just makes my heart tighten and makes me sweat. Let alone thinking about what it is like.” The mole expressed his feelings while explaining that voice.
In Liu Yi’s mind, however, was another thought: The spirit of Dragon Flame had always lived in the hottest places. Then, perhaps the spirit that controlled water elements was right here in this Weak Water. If he guessed correctly, the Eight Deserts Divine Dragon could subdue at least three of them. In his memory, there indeed were stories about Weak Water, but there were no three realms. He never expected to find it in this world—gaining everything required great effort.
Liu Yi couldn’t help but ask, “Is that place called Weak Water right in these back mountains?”
The mole nodded. “Mm-hm. We hadn’t discovered it before. It’s only in recent days that the Weak Water has risen higher and higher. In a few days, this place might be flooded. It seems the end of the world is approaching.”
Liu Yi said, “Don’t worry. I’ll go take a look. There must be a reason for this; it can’t happen without cause.”
When July heard this, she said, “I want to go too…”
Liu Yi looked at her and smiled. “It’s very dangerous.”
July replied, “I’m not afraid. Over the years, my cultivation skills have improved greatly. I wonder how well you’ve learned all those things I’ve taught you.”
Liu Yi shook his head helplessly. “Alright, then let’s go together.” With that, he drew his sword, which floated into the air. Liu Yi joked, “Madam, please.”
July smiled and leaped onto the blade of ‘Sorrowful Dream.’ Liu Yi followed suit, flying into the air toward the direction the mole had indicated. Since these back mountains weren’t very far from where they lived—just surrounded by continuous peaks with a deep pool in the middle—the water, being shallow, hadn’t caught Liu Yi’s attention before. But now that he heard it was Weak Water and that it kept rising rapidly every day, his curiosity was piqued.
July took Liu Yi’s hand. He dodged slightly but was still grabbed. July said unhappily, “Why do you keep dodging? I’m not going to eat you.”
Liu Yi smiled helplessly. What could he say to her? He only knew he owed her so much…
Since the distance wasn’t far, it took about fifteen minutes for Liu Yi to fly above the pool with July. They slowly descended and looked around at the structure of the mountain. It truly resembled a natural giant barrel, with water seemingly being poured into it. Yet the water showed no sign of life, like still water with not a single ripple…
July and Liu Yi stood by the pool, looking at the black water. July asked, “Is this the Weak Water?”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “Mm, right?”
Qiyue added, “It looks more like still water. From outside, we could see that the mountain is hundreds of feet tall. Now we’re standing in the middle of it—this water must be very deep.”
Liu Yi remained silent. He picked a leaf from a nearby tree, tossed it casually, and it flew ten feet away. As soon as the leaf touched the water’s surface, it began sinking rapidly.
Liu Yi said, “See? This is Weak Water. Nothing in the world can stay on its surface.”
At that moment, strange monster cries came from the forest. Combined with the color of the still water, it unconsciously induced a sense of terror. Qiyue suddenly felt cold beneath her feet, as if something was there. She looked down and saw that the black water had reached her feet. But what puzzled her was that only her feet were in the water, while Liu Yi’s feet were not. Why?
Qiyue couldn’t help but ask, “Scholar, look! The water seems ‘alive.’ Why is it only at my feet, and nothing at yours?”
Upon hearing Qiyue’s words, Liu Yi looked down. Indeed, the water around Qiyue’s feet seemed to have risen deliberately, while there was no sign of water rising around his feet. A thought struck Liu Yi, and he said urgently, “It’s bad! Back away quickly…”
But his voice came too late. The water beneath Qiyue’s feet acted like tangible hands, pulling her into the black water. In an instant, she disappeared, leaving only a slight ripple on the calm surface, which soon returned to stillness, as if nothing had happened.
In that instant, Liu Yi’s mind grew confused. He couldn’t say he loved Qiyue, but years of affection had gradually made him accept her. Now, such a thing had happened suddenly. Liu Yi’s heart fell silent. What could possibly have the audacity to snatch someone away from a True Demon?
The demonic nature suppressed for fifteen years erupted in that instant. The killing heart of the thirteenth level of “Lanerfina Qing” appeared around Liu Yi with absolute terror, emitting a deep red glow. In an instant, blood-red clouds rolled in from the sky—this was the world-destroying level of the thirteenth level, the killing heart. The hurricane-like wind roared as if challenging the black lake. His disheveled white hair fluttered again, seemingly expressing the pain of the True Demon, while his black leather coat flapped violently, a sign of his overwhelming strength.
His eyes glowed red as he held “Sorrowful Dream” and declared loudly, “I don’t care if you’re from heaven or earth, whether you’re a god or a demon. If even a single hair on Qiyue is harmed, I’ll make you sink forever. The world below is your hell, and the loss of your freedom will be your punishment.”
At that moment, a vortex gradually formed in the center of the lake—a black vortex mixed with purple lightning. Small animals and dead branches around it were slowly drawn into the vortex, which resembled a black hole, a void that could devour everything. Yet it was so blurred that it was impossible to tell what it really was.

Liu Yi placed his left hand on the sword, while his right hand hung naturally at his side. Yet he knew this was the best sword stance. Perhaps, fifteen years ago, it would have been nearly impossible for him to split the Weak Water, but now that he could split heaven and earth, how could he fear it? Liu Yi stared at the black vortex and shouted loudly, “Come out!”

With his shout, he moved—his posture instantly shifting from upright to a half-squat. He gripped the sword hilt, and the powerful true energy of the 13th level of “Lanerfina Qing” rapidly filled his body. Red and purple lights emanated from both sides of the sword blade. As the true energy converged, Liu Yi swung his sword downward. With a roar like that of a dragon, a purplish-red dragon shadow, carrying a scorching heat that could burn everything, instantly sliced through the water’s surface. As the water was split, the scorching heat turned the black Weak Water into white vapor…

Once the water was swiftly split, a strange howl sounded, followed by a blue dragon bursting out of the water. Just like the Dragon Flame Liu Yi had seen overseas, this dragon’s body was made of water yet had a tangible form. It had no claws, only a dragon body, a dragon head, and a dragon tail, coiling out gracefully…

Liu Yi should have been overjoyed, for this dragon was none other than Long Ze, the Divine Dragon of the Eight Directions, belonging to the element of water. It should have been tamed seven thousand years ago but was delayed until now. But why was it here? Perhaps the changes over time had buried it, and, unable to endure solitude, it had reappeared.

Yet anger replaced joy in Liu Yi’s heart, for July was missing. Instead of targeting him, this evil dragon had attacked July by his side. Filled with extreme anger, Liu Yi shouted loudly, “Where is she? Whether you can understand my words or not, if you don’t hand her to me right now, don’t blame me for using my sword mercilessly!”

Clearly, Long Ze paid no attention to Liu Yi’s words. Its deep blue eyes grew even larger, and its body twisted violently. Countless ice particles instantly formed, shooting toward Liu Yi like arrows with a howling sound.

Using the “Lanerfina Qing” technique, Liu Yi created a protective aura six feet around his body. The sharp ice particles were useless against it, bouncing off as they encountered his protective aura.

But Long Ze did not stop attacking. It opened its mouth, firing a deep blue water arrow at Liu Yi. In terms of speed, it seemed ordinary, but Liu Yi noticed that the air around it was burning. If he wasn’t mistaken, this water arrow must be extremely poisonous, with strong corrosive properties.

Not daring to take chances, Liu Yi drew “Sorrowful Dream” once more. This sword had no specific technique yet contained countless strategies; it had no fixed form yet could break everything. A red light flashed across the blue water arrow, and as the light disappeared, Liu Yi sheathed his sword again. The deep blue water arrow split in half mid-air, shooting in two directions. As it hit the ground, black smoke rose, and the blue water slowly seeped into the soil.

Liu Yi turned his head and saw it, flying into a rage. He shouted, “Wicked dragon! The Demon Lord is here—why don’t you submit?” With that, he knelt on one knee. The long “Sorrowful Dream” sword instantly sank two feet into the ground. Then, using both hands, he channeled “Lanalfina Qing” into the sword’s blade and roared, “Dragon Flame, ‘Transform!’” As Liu Yi shouted, the red light on the other side of the “Sorrowful Dream” sword was replaced by purplish-red light, and the entire sword emitted a purplish-red glow. Soon after, a dragon roar sounded, and the “Sorrowful Dream” instantly transformed into its true form—a massive fire dragon that soared into the sky. The intense heat caused cracks to appear in the ground, the Weak Water began to boil, and trees started burning; everything changed under the flames.

At this moment, Liu Yi no longer needed to use the sword. He had fully understood the essence of “Sorrowful Dream”—it could be used as a sword, the supreme weapon among all things, or it could transform into a dragon and ascend to the heavens. Now, “Sorrowful Dream” was not just a sword; it was an object—a tool to harness divine dragons for one’s own use. Calling it a divine artifact would not be an exaggeration.

Liu Yi stood up, his white hair fluttering and his black robes swirling. His eyes glowed red as he watched the Dragon Flame mercilessly charge at Dragon Ze and gradually devouring it…

The Eight Deserts Divine Dragons were originally led by the Dragon Emperor. But since the Dragon Emperor had transformed into a sword and no longer existed in the Eight Deserts, the fire dragon took its place as the leader, followed by Dragon Ze, Dragon Wind, Dragon Thunder, Dragon Radiance, and Dragon Star. These dragons, born from spirits, were ones Liu Yi had planned to subdue seven thousand years ago. The Dragon Emperor’s transformation into a sword made it an ideal divine artifact to absorb them. However, due to the reckless actions of the Nie people, the Eight Deserts Divine Dragons were not subdued seven thousand years ago.

Another reason: the last dragon spirit had disappeared for unknown reasons and never reappeared. Both the Dragon Spirit Realm and the Nie people had tried to find out what happened, but to no avail. Because of this, the Nie people felt that the Eight Deserts Divine Dragons were incomplete. Even if they subdued the seven divine dragons, it wouldn’t be very effective. Thus, seven thousand years later, Liu Yi ended up subduing them all.

At this moment, Liu Yi no longer had any intention of subduing this wicked dragon. What concerned him now was July—what had become of her? If, in this lie, he couldn’t even protect his fake wife, his conscience would condemn him for life.

Liu Yi paid no attention to the fierce battle between the Dragon Flame and Dragon Ze, nor did he care whether the Weak Water would bury him. All he knew was that if anything happened to July, he wouldn’t be able to face himself. Without hesitation, he leaped into the dark Weak Water. Through the gap between them, Liu Yi used the powerful third-stage energy of “Lanalfina Qing” to separate the Weak Water around his body. In the darkness, he searched vaguely for July’s figure.

Surrounding him was endless darkness. He wanted to call July’s name, but the sound vanished the moment it was uttered. Suddenly, he realized that even though he had the power to split heaven and earth, he still felt utterly lonely and helpless. Regarding all things, he could only marvel at the talents of the wise—there was no one the strongest…

Beneath the water was complete darkness, devoid of life. There were only sand and stones, along with the corpses of animals that hadn’t had time to escape and some trees that had already drowned…

Suddenly, Liu Yi’s eyes lit up. Indeed, there was someone there—it was July. Yes, it really was her. Her attire would surely allow Liu Yi to recognize her at first glance. He rushed over quickly, but his weak strength limited his speed.

The distance that seemed so close now appeared far away. As Liu Yi moved, he grabbed her hand, but by then she had already lost consciousness. He quickly lifted her into his arms, creating a space separate from the Weak Water under the protection of the third-stage energy of “Lanelfina Qing”.

July had practiced the ninth-stage technique of “Lanelfina Qing”, which allowed her to exchange air through her skin’s pores. Yet the Weak Water had knocked her unconscious. Holding July’s pulse, Liu Yi felt happier than ever. He picked her up and said, “Hold on, July. Just a little longer. I’ll take you out right away.” With that, he tried to lift off using external force…

But Liu Yi realized that his third-stage technique couldn’t help him leave this place. Everything in the world complements and counters each other; without the strongest mindset, he understood reality once again. Holding July, he quickened his pace. Right—he had to return to that split gap, at least before it closed, otherwise… he would be buried forever by the Weak Water.

Without hesitation, he sped up. Amidst the turbulence, July spat out some black water and gradually regained consciousness. Looking at Liu Yi, she simply smiled and said, “Where… are we? Under the Weak Water?”

Liu Yi nodded and continued to walk toward the gap.

July clung tightly to Liu Yi and asked, “Why did you come down? We’ll both die.” She buried her head in his chest.

Liu Yi also smiled bitterly and said, “If we die together, maybe I’ll be fine. But if I don’t come down, my conscience will prevent me from facing myself forever.”

He added, “Look, we won’t die. As long as we reach that place free from the Weak Water, we can leave this damned place.”

July stared at the light, her face pale, as she smiled faintly and said, “Hehe… I can’t remember how many times we’ve faced death together. Maybe I can’t do anything else, but I can accompany you to the end of the road…”

Liu Yi shook his head and said, “No, we won’t die. Don’t say such things. Our lives have just begun. Why talk about death? Why talk about the end of the road? I will definitely take you out of this damned place.”

July shook her head and replied, “Scholar, let’s stop deceiving each other, okay? The moment I entered this Weak Water, I felt relief… but I also felt my pain, my longing—for your smile.”

Liu Yi stopped abruptly, then continued walking. “Hehe, what did you say, July? We’re not deceiving each other at all.”

July gently shook her head and said, “Twelve years ago, your eyes changed, and your smile changed too. In your dreams, night after night, I could hear Gillier’s name. All that accompanied me were those nightmares. I know your memory returned twelve years ago, but I just didn’t want to break this lie, hoping for a little more happiness. For thousands of days and nights, all that accompanied me was more pain.”
Liu Yi stopped and looked at July, saying, “You know all this?”
July nodded. She didn’t dare look into Liu Yi’s eyes, for in those eyes was longing for Gillier, which she could read. The result of reading that was even greater heartache. She buried her head back in Liu Yi’s chest.
July continued, “I really don’t want to break this lie. I’d rather we keep deceiving each other like this forever. It’s exhausting and hypocritical, but I can’t. I can’t be selfish any longer. I know you’re in pain too. This world doesn’t belong to you. You need to leave. At the moment you lost consciousness, I suddenly felt your pain, felt that love—perhaps, there should be more tolerance…”
Liu Yi said, “Stop talking. I’ll take you out. Everything will be fine. The scholar said he would protect you.” For some reason, Liu Yi suddenly remembered those words.
July smiled at Liu Yi and said, “I’m satisfied. Although I hear you call Gillier’s name every night, in this lie, I am your wife. Although I have the same nightmares every night, with you always holding Gillier while I can only bless you from that lonely corner, I’m willing.”
Hearing July’s words, Liu Yi didn’t know what to feel… Suddenly, the light ahead grew smaller. Liu Yi knew the gap was about to close. He had to hurry, or they would be buried forever.