Chapter 216: Ten Minutes After Waking from the Dream—If You Still Remember Me

Everything happened unnoticed. In such critical moments, by facing challenges bravely and never giving up, even despair can turn into hope.
Liu Yi’s face was as pale as paper, his eyes somewhat confused. But the moment he looked up at the summit, it seemed as though new hope arose, for they had already overcome this seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Below, everything was a fiery red; the ground cracked, and red flames burst forth from the fissures before disappearing quickly. This repeated countless times, making the surrounding space scorching hot and distorting the air.
Looking at the flames below, Liu Yi shook his head gently. He knew well whether they could cross the remaining sea of fire. Having lost too much blood, he felt dizzy, and the wounds from the blade left him utterly exhausted. Yet, since they had come this far, he knew there was no need to retreat. Even if it meant death, he would keep moving forward—because he didn’t want to leave any regrets in this real dream.
Liu Yi turned slightly, intending to tell Ye Luobaihua that they had passed the first test and crossed this seemingly impossible mountain of blades. But when he saw Ye Luobaihua’s equally pale, bloodless face, he couldn’t speak for some reason. Her beautiful face was as pale as paper, her thin lips colorless, her eyes slightly closed. Her right hand clutched tightly onto a sharp black stone nearby, with bright red blood flowing from her hand down her snow-white fingers and onto the ground.
Liu Yi knew Ye Luobaihua was extremely weak—she had lost too much blood. Her consciousness was becoming blurred due to the blood loss. Yet, there was a smile on her lips, a very happy smile. Through her blurred eyes, seeing Liu Yi reach the summit, she felt joyous, but she no longer had the strength to take another step forward. Perhaps she stayed behind without making a sound, not wanting Liu Yi to worry about her.
Without further thought, Liu Yi stepped down two times, grabbed Ye Luobaihua’s arm, turned, and carried her on his back. “Does it hurt?” he asked.
Ye Luobaihua’s mind had already been somewhat unclear, but Liu Yi’s actions suddenly clarified it. She shook her head and smiled faintly. “It doesn’t hurt.” Her voice was no longer as pleasant as before—it was weak and faint because she was too weak.
Liu Yi climbed to the summit and began walking down slowly. He said to Ye Luobaihua, “Look, we’ve crossed this mountain of blades. As long as we get through this sea of fire, we’ll be able to see the Prophet.”
Ye Luobaihua still smiled faintly. But through their close contact, Liu Yi could sense the tremor in her weak body. Seeing her smile, Liu Yi knew she didn’t want him to worry.

Liu Yi’s face was pale, and every step he took seemed extremely difficult. Yet, somehow finding the strength, he carried Ye Luo Baihua down that Mountain of Black Stones. The moment they reached the bottom, the scorching heat rushed at them, accompanied by a suffocating sensation that filled their minds.

Ye Luo Baihua opened her blurred eyes and looked around. Everything was a sea of fire—flames the color of fire red coiled like dragons around them. Flames flew through the air from time to time, and countless cracks in the ground spewed flames that vanished instantly. The space around the blazing flames was distorted by the heat. As soon as they stepped into this realm, they felt an unprecedented heat, as if they were in a furnace.

Liu Yi was not unfamiliar with such heat; in fact, he was quite accustomed to it. Under normal circumstances, he could even summon Dragon Flame to absorb the heat here. But now, as an ordinary person, he couldn’t muster a trace of his vital energy. He couldn’t summon Dragon Flame nor use his vital energy to generate protective auras. Even though they were only at the edge of this sea of fire, the intense heat already made him sweat profusely. He took deep breaths, trying to ease the discomfort in his body.

Although Ye Luo Baihua was on Liu Yi’s back and didn’t have to come into direct contact with the heat from the ground, the surrounding scorching air still made her feel miserable, even making breathing difficult.

Liu Yi glanced around. Countless flames kept bursting forth, and objects resembling fire dragons flew through the air. Everything was red, filled only with heat. With difficulty, he took another step forward, trying to distract himself from the mental pain by saying, “Well? It’s much warmer here, right?”

Ye Luo Baihua didn’t reply. Instead, in her weak, feeble voice, she said, “Put me down. You should be able to get out of this sea of fire by yourself.”

Liu Yi continued walking forward, but he had to stop briefly after each step. He replied to Ye Luo Baihua, “How is that possible?”

Ye Luo Baihua continued, “Let go. If you keep carrying me, we’ll never be able to get out of here. If you put me down, you should be able to make it alone.”

Liu Yi kept walking, shaking his head with a bitter smile. “Do you know? If I put you down now, you’ll die.”

Ye Luo Baihua nodded. “It’s better to die alone than die together.”

Liu Yi continued to walk slowly, still shaking his head. “Maybe not.”

Ye Luo Baihua listened to his words. Though she didn’t understand, she knew exactly what he meant—he wouldn’t let go. Even if they both died here, he still wouldn’t release her.

The flames around them were like the death gods of hell, constantly closing in on their bodies. The scorching air assaulted them relentlessly. Their sweat had long disappeared, and in such extreme heat, the water in their bodies had vanished, leaving their skin dry and cracked. Especially their wounds—under the intense heat, the blood had already coagulated into clots, only to be torn apart by the harsh air. The pain continued to ravage their bodies.

Ye Luobaihua was already weak, and after being tormented by such scorching flames, her consciousness had long become blurred. But Liu Yi was different. He had only one belief in his heart—he knew he had to persevere. As long as he was still standing there, as long as he could force himself to take another step forward, he would not give up. He knew… despair could turn into hope. The endless pain made him see the figure of the one in his dreams. He knew she was waiting for him—seven thousand years of waiting, all because of that love once shared. He knew… he couldn’t fall. The fate of those behind him now rested in his hands. If he couldn’t reach the end, then she either wouldn’t either.

Liu Yi’s body trembled slightly, but he still struggled to move forward. With each step, his wounds split further, causing more pain. Without sweat, his skin began to blister. Amidst the pain and suffering, he persisted. The flames around them were like demons from hell, surrounding them at all times. He didn’t know how much time had passed or how far he had walked. Liu Yi’s eyes no longer had any luster, his face was pale, and his body was utterly weak. His ability to keep going came entirely from his unwavering belief.

With a “thud,” a sound came through. Liu Yi regained some consciousness. What was that sound? When he looked around, he realized it was the sound of himself falling. He didn’t know when or how far he had walked. He no longer had the strength to continue and unknowingly collapsed. Looking at the raging flames around him and the fire dragon circling in the sky, Liu Yi smiled helplessly and whispered to himself, “Is this fate?”

As Liu Yi fell, Ye Luobaihua, who had been in a daze, regained clarity due to the sudden movement. Seeing Liu Yi lying beside her, her eyes filled with tears. She didn’t understand why she still had tears in this scorching sea of fire. But deep in her heart, she knew he would rather die with her than let her escape alone. In the end, he still hadn’t given up on her. Yet, there was only one outcome possible…

Liu Yi tried to struggle to get up, but halfway there, he sat back down. The pain from his wounds left him without any strength. Combined with severe blood loss and the extreme heat, he sensed something terrifying… he was dying.

At that moment, Ye Luobaihua slowly stood up. No one knew, not even she herself, where the strength came from to stand again. But in her eyes, she saw the end of the sea of fire—just a short distance away, three steps ahead, right before her eyes. The moment she saw it, she stood up. Perhaps that was hope in despair.

Ye Luobaihua gently helped Liu Yi up. Her voice remained soft and weak as she said, “We’re almost there. Can you see? Ahead, look—right there is the end of the sea of fire.”

Liu Yi opened his weak eyes once again and looked ahead. Sure enough, beyond the splashing flames, there was a stretch of dry land. The sky in the distance was deep blue, with cold moonlight shining on the earth. The starry sky remained bright. Looking at what lay before him, Liu Yi simply smiled, shook his head, and said, “It seems like heaven and earth apart; we’re doomed to never meet.”

Ye Luobaihua supported Liu Yi, who was about to fall, and said, “You can do it. You’ll definitely make it out.”

Liu Yi shook his head. “No, I don’t even have the strength to stand. Let go! If you can, then leave this place.”

The scorching heat from the flames around them continued to assail their bodies, causing their wounds to split further. Ye Luobaihua smiled faintly and said, “If only one of us can survive, who do you think it will be?” Her voice was soft, but the question was so confusing that it left no answer possible.

Liu Yi looked into Ye Luobaihua’s eyes. For a moment, those eyes became bright and clear, as if filled with hope—or perhaps despair. He shook his head and replied, “I don’t understand.”

Ye Luobaihua grabbed Liu Yi’s shoulders with both hands and smiled. “Then leave. Forget what happened here and do what you need to do. If you can still remember me, please don’t look back at me.” With all her strength, she turned and pushed him hard behind Liu Yi. Though the force wasn’t great, it was enough to send Liu Yi’s weak body rushing forward…

In an instant, everything turned into a memory. That desperate act kept repeating, while Liu Yi’s weak body couldn’t respond at all. Just as he stepped away from the sea of flames, that weak voice echoed in his mind once more: “If you can still remember me, please don’t look back at me.” What was that? Why not look back? Was this really goodbye? Was this the end?

The flames were no longer fierce, the sky was no longer deep blue, the morning stars were no longer bright, and the moonlight was obscured by white clouds. Tragedies of love repeated endlessly in the world, and even the Moon Goddess wouldn’t want to watch. With a thud, Liu Yi’s body fell onto the black soil. A gentle breeze blew across his body, sharpening his consciousness. What had just happened? Where was she? Where was Ye Luobaihua? Suddenly, he remembered—they had no chance of surviving in that sea of flames. At that moment, Ye Luobaihua used her last strength to push herself out, leaving behind a sentence that was hard to understand yet forced one to ponder: “If you can still remember me, please don’t look back at me.”

Everything happened so suddenly. Why not look back? Somehow, he found the strength to support his weak body and turned around abruptly. The towering flames made it impossible to see what was in the middle. Through that red, twisted space, there was only one figure—a slender figure—slowly falling. Then, the whole world fell silent, with no sound left. Liu Yi knew that figure was Ye Luobaihua.

The familiar scent of lilies filled the air, along with a gentle voice: “If you still remember me, then please don’t look back at me.” As the world grew quiet and a soft breeze blew, a white light shone over the sea of fire. At the same time, the prophet in white appeared before Liu Yi, saying, “You’ve succeeded—you’ve escaped this sea of fire. Now I can fulfill Princess Baihua’s wish and restore your eyes.”

Liu Yi slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion. Shaking his head in disbelief, he asked, “Can you tell me why?”

The prophet merely smiled and said, “Too many answers have already brought you too much suffering. Why are you so persistent? Since you’ve escaped this sea of fire, what more do you need? I’ll restore your eyes and give you dreams—Isn’t that good enough?”

“No,” came a loud and clear voice that echoed across the night sky. He could no longer remain calm; his eyes were no longer confused. In fact, it seemed he had gone mad. For some reason, the prophet’s words didn’t bring him joy—they only caused greater pain, a heartache worse than any physical wound. Shouting at the prophet above him, Liu Yi said, “Is this a test? If so, let me tell you… you’ve succeeded.” Then, without saying another word, he rushed headlong back into the sea of fire.

The prophet in white listened to Liu Yi’s words and watched his actions, nodding gently before his smiling face slowly disappeared, vanishing…

The moment he entered the sea of fire, the scorching heat instantly enveloped Liu Yi’s entire body. But now, he no longer felt the pain of his wounds or any sense of weakness. His emotions overwhelmed everything. After taking a few steps, he saw Ye Luobaihua lying on the ground. Liu Yi knelt down gently, helped her up, and looked at her unconscious state. Shaking his head, he said, “Why did it have to end like this? Did you think I’d walk out on my own?”

Liu Yi turned around, picked up Ye Luobaihua again, and continued forward. Flames erupted around them, and the scorching heat threatened everything, but it could no longer stop his determined heart.

At that moment, Ye Luobaihua became somewhat conscious due to Liu Yi’s movements. But having lost so much blood and exhausted herself while helping Liu Yi escape the sea of fire, she was still dazed. Watching her own body move forward little by little, with that familiar figure still carrying her, she shook her head weakly and said, “Why did you have to come back?”

Liu Yi continued to struggle forward. Though it was difficult, each step he took was firm as if stones were falling, and he replied, “For me, responsibility might be more important than life. And you… you’ve given me another reason I can’t give up.”

When the gentle breeze blew again, when the bright moon illuminated the earth once more, and when the morning star shone brightly for the two of them, everything became so real. The sea of fire and the mountain of knives vanished instantly, leaving no trace behind. As white light descended from the sky, the two no longer felt tired. Liu Yi gently placed Ye Luo Baihua down. Bathed in that white light, their wounds healed instantly, and even the tears in their clothes were mended, becoming brand new with no gaps at all.

At that moment, the white light condensed, and before their eyes appeared an old man with white hair. Liu Yi and Ye Luo Baihua naturally knew who he was. They had gone through countless hardships and near-death experiences just to meet this old man, for he was the prophet of true dreams.

Before Ye Luo Baihua and Liu Yi could speak, the prophet said, “If this is a test, then you have already used your courage to put me in a difficult position. If this is a trial, then you have already proven through your faith the futility of such trials. Just now, I have returned to you everything you lost in this dream, down to every single hair on your bodies.”

Ye Luo Baihua now seemed like a completely different person from before. “Really? Then we can get out now. Can you restore his eyes?”

The prophet nodded. “Of course. But… his eyes weren’t blind to begin with. Perhaps he himself has forgotten one thing—the violent blood of the true demon is immune to any toxins. Even the poison of the Nine Nether Demon God cannot make you lose your eyes. It’s just that you’re too stubborn. In fact, you’re too afraid to face that part of your story. I think, after all this, you still don’t want to see anything. At least you need your eyes to finish what you started.”

Liu Yi seemed to understand something. He looked at the prophet but couldn’t speak what he wanted to say; he simply nodded gently.

Ye Luo Baihua, however, was confused. If his eyes weren’t blind, why couldn’t he see?

Just then, the prophet’s figure gradually disappeared. “Go back. There are still many things waiting for you in that world… No matter how ugly the world may be, you must face it. Perhaps there are still more people who care about you. Stop making more mistakes. Go and do what you want to do.” As his figure faded away, the entire world also became misty and unclear…