Chapter 212: What a Day Tomorrow, A Beauty’s Sorrow in July

One mistake can never be undone. Unless miracles exist in this world—but do miracles really exist? If they do, it’s only in stories…
…
Liu Yi’s body gradually turned cold, his face as pale as ash. His eyes were closed peacefully, without a sound. Ye Luobaihua didn’t know how long she had been crying, but it seemed the person before her would never hear her cries. She couldn’t believe it—Liu Yi was dead. More than that, she simply couldn’t accept it.
Her tears, once cold, seemed to have lost all warmth. Ye Luobaihua hugged Liu Yi tightly, her eyes slowly closing. She didn’t know what she was thinking—perhaps she didn’t even know. Her heart was shattered, yet now she had calmed down. In that calmness, she could only pray silently, praying that Liu Yi would open his eyes to look at her once more. Though the outcome would be the same, she didn’t care.
The dark clouds in the sky grew denser, and white lightning flashed intermittently in the gray space. This eerie world was illuminated again and again. The devil formed from that drop of blood slowly raised its sword, its black blade pointing at Ye Luobaihua’s throat. Its blood-red eyes seemed to declare their deaths.
Ye Luobaihua seemed unaware that the sword was aimed at her. Her life was on the brink of darkness. Most of her sorrow and emotions were devoted to the person before her. Everything was so calm, yet the occasional lightning flashes hinted at the slaughter lurking beneath that calm.
The Blood Demon—Liu Yi’s disguise—now had a gloomy, dark face. Its red eyes held no emotion. Finally, it slowly raised its sword and then swung it fiercely at Ye Luobaihua’s head. It was unclear whether this was the Blood Demon’s method of killing or simply its belief that a dying person didn’t require great spiritual energy to deal with. Thus, the sword’s speed wasn’t fast.
Just then, a white lightning bolt cracked down a foot away from the Blood Demon. The powerful force of nature sent the Blood Demon, Ye Luobaihua, and the unconscious Liu Yi flying apart. The Blood Demon stopped ten zhang away, while the unconscious Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua were thrown dozens of zhang far due to their lack of defense. It was only because Ye Luobaihua, in panic, used her spiritual energy to stabilize their bodies.
Although Ye Luobaihua stabilized their bodies, the violent shaking during retreat caused Liu Yi to spit out black blood. His already cold body had no breath, but miraculously, he opened his eyes. Ye Luobaihua, sitting on the ground, quickly helped him up, saying in delight, “You’re really awake.”
Liu Yi’s gaze was weak and empty, as if he might close his eyes soon. Looking at Ye Luobaihua’s tear-red eyes, he forced a bitter smile and said, “My injuries are severe, but I won’t die. That fake death earlier was just my cultivation technique reducing the consumption of spiritual energy to heal my internal and external wounds.”
Ye Luobaihua stared at Liu Yi, not knowing what to say, and simply said, “I knew you’d wake up.”

Liu Yi looked at Ye Luo Baihua, shook his head, and said, “Even if I wake up, what does it matter? We can’t withstand his sword anyway.”
Ye Luo Baihua shook her head and said, “No, as long as you wake up, that’s enough. We shouldn’t worry about when he’ll kill us.”
Liu Yi was confused by her words. If it was all death anyway, why did he still need to wake up? Looking at her, he continued, “Did you see the Blood Demon version of me?”
Ye Luo Baihua pointed to the Blood Demon standing motionless twenty-odd zhang away, its sword upright, and said, “I saw it. What’s wrong?”
Liu Yi replied, “Perhaps this is fate’s arrangement. I’ve been determined to break free from these shackles, but only when I reached the end did I realize that every step I took was actually part of fate’s plan. If one day I truly can’t control my cultivation method from devouring souls, then I’ll become a Blood Demon in the human world. At that time… all the killings will stem from me. If this dream is a prophecy, then dying here might be the best reason for myself.”
Ye Luo Baihua shook her head and said, “That won’t happen. Our fates are in our own hands. We’ll control them ourselves. Any prophecy is untrue. If you die like this, what about your wife? The one who suffered so much for you in the human world—will you just give up like that?”
Ye Luo Baihua didn’t know why she suddenly said such things, but if there was anything Liu Yi cherished, it must be this. At least it could inspire him to want to survive.
Liu Yi looked at her, shook his head, and said, “Yes. I came to this world to help my flag lift the curse of Pangu and return to the divine realm, escaping the suffering of the human world. But… can I continue? When dreams clash with reality, which do you think one should follow?”
Seeing Liu Yi’s helpless eyes, Ye Luo Baihua understood what he was thinking. Without knowing where the words came from, she replied, “No matter how unrealistic the dreams are, no matter the conflict between reality and dreams, we should just be ourselves and walk the path we must take. Whether we can reach the end or not, as long as we try, we can smile even in death.”
Hearing her words, Liu Yi seemed to ponder. Yes, what was wrong with him? It was just a nightmare. Why would he think about the future and even consider giving up? What was happening to him? Without even trying, he wanted to give up. Waves of guilt made his already agonizing heart hurt even more. Looking at Ye Luo Baihua’s serious expression, Liu Yi replied, “Thank you.”
But just then, a violent cold wind blew, and white lightning flashed repeatedly in the sky, producing deafening noises. The Blood Demon version of Liu Yi moved then. His right-hand sword slashed out violently, emitting a silver-white crescent light. As that light touched the ground, a powerful force sent mud flying everywhere.

Liu Yi watched as the sword light shot toward him at great speed. He wanted to fight back, but his body was so painful that he couldn’t muster any strength. The power of that white sword light was immense—far beyond Ye Luo Baihua’s capabilities. Having faced death several times, Liu Yi had thought about dying here, but hearing Ye Luo Baihua’s words gave him a desire to survive. Yet now, that hope seemed very slim…

But something strange happened at that moment. Just as the white sword light emerged from the ground, aiming at both Liu Yi and Ye Luo Baihua at incredible speed, a purple light streaked across the sky—like a meteor, moving at a speed comparable to one. As the purple light descended, there came a loud clashing sound of weapons.

This sound puzzled Ye Luo Baihua and Liu Yi greatly. Who could it be? Who would intervene in this dream? After exchanging glances, they looked toward where the two lights collided. There, a purple crystal flower stood in the ground—its stems, leaves, and petals all made of crystal. But upon closer inspection, the flower seemed untouched by any carving, as if it had been born naturally.

Liu Yi was shocked. “It’s Qi Yue,” he said. He clearly remembered this flower. In the “Chaos Immortal Realm,” Qi Yue had planted various beautiful stones in the bamboo garden and even told him, “Stay here until you grow old, until you can’t go anywhere else, and watch these stones bloom.” But everything was uncertain. If miracles truly existed in the world, then this miracle lay with Qi Yue. That day, the rain was bitter; all life tasted its harshness. That day, the earth came to life, stones turned into crystal, and colorful flowers bloomed. After leaving that immortal realm, Liu Yi clearly remembered that Qi Yue had chosen the purple crystal flower—those very petals before him.

Although Ye Luo Baihua found the flower beautiful, she didn’t know its story, so she asked, “How do you know?”

Liu Yi shook his head and said nothing. Too much helplessness in the past had hurt those who cared; he preferred to keep it buried in his memories.

At that moment, the purple crystal flower suddenly cracked and shattered into countless crystal fragments. For some reason, these fragments reflected all the light, floating slowly in the air. In an instant, the space between them was filled with these purple crystal shards.

At the same time, the world gradually regained its light. The dark clouds were mercilessly pierced by the reflected light from the countless purple crystal fragments. Slowly, sunlight returned to the earth. As the purple light enveloped everything around, they all condensed together in an instant—but what formed was not the purple crystal flower.

When that intense light disappeared, July appeared before Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua. Liu Yi’s eyes held indescribable emotions. Yes, this was a dream—yet even in a dream, July would always be by his side. But the more she did this, the more he felt he owed her so much. At this moment, Liu Yi could no longer tell whether this was a dream or reality. Here, his life continued thanks to July’s longing…

Ye Luobaihua looked at July. Having always had a fondness for her, she said happily, “It’s you.”

July’s face showed no expression, but in her eyes, all the longing and concern were evident. Looking at Ye Luobaihua, July smiled gently, then turned to Liu Yi and asked, “Do you admit that the person before you is July?”

The question was simple, yet impossible to answer. Looking at the person before him, Liu Yi knew clearly that she was not July—she was merely a shadow in a dream. But why? Why did everything feel so real? Her actions, her gaze… Liu Yi looked at July but couldn’t answer. Was this the sorrow of life? Facing someone who loved him, he couldn’t answer such a simple question; he didn’t even acknowledge her.

July’s eyes were filled with disappointment… She slowly turned away, perhaps not wanting him to see her vulnerability. With her back to Liu Yi, her body gradually became transparent, then radiant with light. Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua were shocked—what was that? Why had July turned into that purple, transparent crystal once again?

As the crystal solidified, July’s voice softly reached their ears: “Perhaps you’ll forget. Maybe when you wake from this dream, you’ll remember—the longing turned to sand, the sorrow turned to tears, the seven-colored flowers… When they become mere shadows in your memory, will you still remember the person in the dream?”

A short sentence, clear and straightforward, filled with endless sorrow. It drowned out the pain in Liu Yi’s heart. Watching July’s body gradually turn into crystal, Ye Luobaihua felt an indescribable sadness.

As a strong light emanated from within the purple crystal, countless fragments formed and drifted rapidly toward the blood demon. When all the crystals surrounded the blood demon, another intense light burst forth, with the fragments reflecting every available light…

As the light grew stronger, Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua saw the blood demon gradually disappear, turning into red air that slowly evaporated and vanished. Meanwhile, the purple crystal fragments lost their luster and fell to the ground, disappearing entirely upon contact.

Liu Yi felt as though his heart had been pierced by a sword again. Drawing strength from somewhere, he stood up and shouted loudly, “No, July.”

The sound filled the entire space, and a white light covered everything. The whole world vanished in an instant, disappearing without a trace. As the white light gradually faded, the yellow desert world reappeared before Liu Yi and Ye Luo Baihua’s eyes. They were back in this world. Under the deep blue night sky, countless yellow sands fell. By the clear lake were women’s tears, expressing their sorrow.

Liu Yi closed his eyes. At that moment, endless remorse overwhelmed him. In his dream, July wanted nothing more than a simple call, a simple acknowledgment. Yet, even in his dream, Liu Yi lacked the courage to admit it. To save himself, July ended her dreamlike life and died in another world alongside that blood-red devil. What was she thinking? He could no longer control his remorse and madness. Liu Yi shouted loudly to the world around him, “July!”

Ye Luo Baihua seemed to understand what Liu Yi was thinking. Seeing his remorseful gaze, she couldn’t say a word.

Yellow sands drifted down from the sky, making the world beautiful yet lonely. The sands turned into longing, remaining in this world unknown to anyone. From the distant starry sky came a familiar voice: “Time has passed. Ten years have gone by. The flowing water shows no mercy. We met and got to know each other, yet we are as far apart as the ends of the earth. Dreams are like bubbles. Looking at today, longing turns into sand, etched deep in the heart—yet it’s like morning dew and a fleeting flower…”

Hearing these words, Liu Yi felt as if he no longer existed. He didn’t know anything about any of this. July’s life was revealed truthfully through just a few words. Was this a dream or reality? Why did July’s suffering continue here? Was it fate? Fate that she loved the wrong person, fate that that person couldn’t love her? Why? Why did she still persist? Why was she unrepentant? Why… Liu Yi could no longer control his emotions and shouted, “Why?”

Ye Luo Baihua looked at the nearly frenzied Liu Yi and calmly said, “You must have the answer in your heart. Do you remember what July said here once? Once she fell in love with someone, how could she love another? Since she had no one else to love, why would she give up? Persistence is painful, but I think it’s what she wanted. Just like you with your wife—that’s the answer.”

Hearing Ye Luo Baihua’s words, it seemed he truly had an answer in his heart. Looking at the yellow sands falling from the sky, Liu Yi slowly recited the words that came from the sky… “We met and got to know each other, yet we are as far apart as the ends of the earth…” As far apart as the ends of the earth… Liu Yi integrated July’s heart into his own. Now, he could fully understand what it meant to be as far apart as the ends of the earth. But what good was it all? It was all a mistake, a mistake that shouldn’t have happened. The sorrow in his heart prevented him from stopping thinking. Regarding his previous remorse, he could only say to himself, “If there’s another life, I only hope July never meets me, let alone falls in love with me.”

Time slowly passed between the two of them. The sun still did not rise in the sky; the deep blue night seemed like eternal loneliness, with the bright stars appearing equally solitary. A shooting star cut through the heavens, and yellow sand, like countless thoughts, filled the entire world. Their wounds gradually healed. By now, Liu Yi’s wounds had mostly healed thanks to the effect of the Violent Blood, but a permanent scar remained in his heart—a lasting sense of guilt toward July from that dream.

Watching his body improve little by little, one day Liu Yi sat by the clear lake, watching the yellow sand fall around him, enjoying the loneliness and sorrow of this world. Ye Luobaihua came up from behind and said, “This world belongs to July’s dream. July is dead now, but those thoughts still remain. Perhaps… those so-called thoughts are actually this world crying for July.”

Liu Yi nodded, not knowing what to say. After a long while, he finally spoke, “Will July come back?”

Ye Luobaihua smiled slightly and said, “Of course. July will definitely return. Looking at you, how could your heart not hold July?”

Liu Yi shook his head. “I feel more guilt, responsibility, and gratitude toward July, but… that’s not what I need. I love my wife. Do you understand? The world is clear—liking someone doesn’t equal loving them.”

Ye Luobaihua just smiled faintly. “Why explain this? Where did you hear such nonsense? From a woman’s perspective, July is in your heart. Still refuse to admit it? Deep liking equals shallow love! Right? Sometimes, love approaches you unnoticed, but once lost, it becomes clear—just like July’s death…”

Thinking of how July ended her own life in that nightmare, Liu Yi was filled with regret. What he was thinking now was about the real July—whether she had truly been hurt. But he didn’t need to ponder these things now, as he hadn’t even left the dream world, nor had his eyes been healed. Bringing this up now was nothing but delusion.

Liu Yi looked at his clothes. For some reason, when he returned to this world, the wounds on his clothes and body had fully healed. Although there were still some injuries inside his body, they had almost healed after days of rest. He looked at Ye Luobaihua and said, “We should set off. I don’t know what the next nightmare will be. It seems we’ll have to pay a high price to meet that prophet.”

Ye Luobaihua didn’t seem concerned, as if the previous two nightmares had nothing to do with her. She simply smiled happily and said, “No matter what the next nightmare is, I’m not afraid anymore. The experiences here have been richer than my entire life. They’ve made me understand many things. At least… I understand. Well, enough talk. Let’s keep moving.”

Liu Yi didn’t expect Ye Luobaihua to become so cheerful and seem quite happy. However, when she stopped speaking halfway through, Liu Yi was puzzled. After guessing for a while, he still couldn’t figure out what she wanted to say next. But he didn’t want to overthink it—wasn’t he the same? He had also learned a lot here.