As the words fell, Lin Qiubai's figure dissipated, merging into the wind.

"Sword Master!"

After jointly executing that sword with Lin Qiubai, Wan Haihao, whose body was already on the verge of collapse, saw this scene and felt a clogging air stuck in his chest.

He only managed to utter two words before fainting on the spot.

He didn't even have time to bid farewell to Lin Qiubai.

Not far away, Su Qiangwei, who had been under immense tension, suddenly felt her nerves relax. "What do you mean by 'the promise isn't fulfilled'? You've already done so well. If taking us back safely is the only way to finish it, wouldn't that make us seem useless? Sword Master... don't learn from Ma Ran..."

Before finishing her words, the frail girl naturally closed her eyes, falling into the deepest of slumbers.

Zhu Hanyi trembled all over and used all his strength to stand up.

Every muscle fiber screamed and protested, urging him to close his eyes and rest immediately.

But Zhu Hanyi forcibly suppressed the call of every cell.

He let the tears roll down his cheek.

He didn't raise a hand to wipe them away.

Because he no longer had the strength to do such a thing.

The surrounding grey mist seemed to be gradually dissipating.

Zhu Hanyi gripped his sword with both hands, standing like a nail in place.

He struggled to keep his eyes open, fighting against the urge to faint.

The White Mane aliens were cunning and treacherous, full of deceit, ruthless and merciless.

No one knew whether the one who had been cut in half earlier still had companions.

If everyone died not in fierce battle but in their sleep, it would be too tragic!

Su Qiangwei and Wan Haihao had already reached their limits.

They could sleep peacefully now.

But Zhu Hanyi could not sleep!

He had to ensure the safety of his two teammates.

His whole body felt as if it were being pierced by many scorching hot needles.

It was as if countless blades were flowing through his veins.

The numerous small wounds inflicted earlier by the Grey-clothed Sword Saint were gradually losing sensation, likely infected.

But...

Zhu Hanyi bit down hard, swallowing the bloody water into his stomach, gripping the Eight-sided Han Sword tightly in his hand.

Drowsiness, fatigue, and pain all welled up together, like a dark tide threatening to completely engulf him.

"I can't sleep."

"Absolutely not!"

"I must not fall asleep!"

Zhu Hanyi was in a daze, feeling as though his body and soul were almost departing from each other, and he himself felt light, like he could soar into the clouds at any moment.

His eyes were filled with bloodshot lines, yet he still stood by his sword, trying desperately not to fall.

"Master's promise was to ensure the three of us return alive..."

Zhu Hanyi tried to open his eyes.

Maybe because he exerted too much force, the corners of his eyes silently cracked, fresh blood streaming down his cheeks.

"Master is gone."

"So..."

"This promise..."

"I will fulfill it!"

The dense fog covering Lotus City was slowly dispersing, with a sun in the sky scattering its rays and illuminating the earth.

At this moment, Zhu Hanyi experienced something unprecedented.

While his eyes were open, he felt that his vision was completely dark.

The light seemed to be gradually dimming.

Before him lay an expanse of darkness!

All he could see was that Eight-sided Han Sword.

Even at this moment, the Rain Boiling Sword remained by its owner's side, unwavering in its loyalty.

So long as he gripped it, Zhu Hanyi felt he wasn't alone.

He could no longer see anything.

But...

He could still vaguely sense that his two comrades were alive.

Su Qiangwei and Wan Haihao's hearts were still beating.

Their breaths were weak but persisting.

Time was passing, second by second.

Zhu Hanyi had completely lost his sense of time.

Each second felt as though a whole year had passed.

"Quick! Rescue them!"

"Glucose solution... intravenous input... adrenaline..."

"Those two who fainted are in a slightly better condition... this one standing, his heartbeat has already stopped!"

"Hurry! Do CPR!"

"It's useless! He's dead!"

"You're full of crap! I say, he's still alive!"

"Defibrillator... cardiac pacing..."

"His heartbeat is back! This must be a miracle!"

"This person seems of average build, why is he so heavy!"

Perhaps it was an illusion, but Zhu Hanyi heard some voices.

"The rescue is here..."

Zhu Hanyi's mind relaxed, and he completely lost consciousness.

...

When the rescue team arrived, they found Zhu Hanyi maintaining a standing posture.

However, at this moment, he had completely lost consciousness, and both his breathing and heartbeat had stopped.

Fortunately, thanks to Ma Ran's prophecy, prior to the Lotus City Demon Mountain incident, various academic societies and equivalent institutions had made thorough preparations.

At least in terms of medical logistics, they ensured the world's top-level standards.

After seventeen hours of surgery, Zhu Hanyi was successfully resuscitated.

President Sun from Sichuan Qinglian Academy noticed with concern that Zhu Hanyi's cherished Rain Boiling Sword seemed to have been lost amidst the chaos of battle.

"The Sword Master is gone, and that sword is the only keepsake from disciple to master."

"We must retrieve the Rain Boiling Sword!"

"Otherwise, the child will be heartbroken when he wakes up!"

Saying this, President Sun rolled up his sleeves, preparing to return to Lotus City to retrieve Zhu Hanyi's Rain Boiling Sword.

Ma Ran raised his hand to stop him.

"There's no need."

President Sun's eyes widened: "What do you mean there's no need?"

Ma Ran looked him up and down, speaking in a thoughtful tone, "I can fully understand your concern for him."

"However, you might have misunderstood."

Then, Ma Ran's tone steadied as he continued, "When the rescuers reported his abnormal weight earlier, I had my suspicions."

"After observing for a while, I realized..."

"After the Demon Mountain battle, Zhu Hanyi has broken through the First Realm of Swordsmanship, the 'Nurturing' Sword phase."

"Which means, now he is a Second Realm Swordsmanship Seven Vortex Sword Cultivator."

"The Rain Boiling Sword has already transformed into a semi-material, semi-energy state, becoming Zhu Hanyi's Sword Spirit, and is housed within his body, coexisting and nourishing with his soul."

"Don't worry, he hasn't sustained irreversible injuries."

"Once he heals, he'll become even stronger."

There were some more private pieces of information that Ma Ran didn't disclose.

For instance...

Zhu Hanyi's spiritual power saw a significant increase after the Lotus City Demon Mountain battle.

Using Ma Ran as a frame of reference—disregarding combat power—Zhu Hanyi's current spiritual power alone has reached the intensity Ma Ran had before his rebirth at the Seventh Rank of Inner Qi.

President Sun paused, a smile spreading across his face: "I see..."

"That's wonderful news!"

If someone else had said these words, he might not have believed them.

But the person speaking was Ma Ran.

The credibility was high!

Knowing Zhu Hanyi had found fortune amid misfortune, President Sun couldn't help but rejoice.

After a while of joy, he slapped his forehead: "I almost forgot!"

Recently, the White Mane aliens have been very active on Earth, with intelligence reports revealing they had invaded over fifty times in the past month.

Apart from the seemingly aimless slaughter, their actions of transporting items through Space Gates seem to be less about looting resources and more about gathering samples and intelligence.

The General Staff suspects that White Mane aliens might be analyzing Earth's current technological level through these daily supplies.

In China, the invasion attempts by White Mane aliens have been thwarted multiple times without success.

Especially this time in the Lotus City Demon Mountain battle, members of other academic societies made prominent contributions.

The contributions of Su Qiangwei, Wan Haihao, Zhu Hanyi, and Lin Qiubai were especially indelible.

But in this incident, Ma Ran's prophecy played a monumental role!

In the eyes of many presidents and high-level figures, he now occupies a crucial position.

President Sun jogged out of the ward.

Shortly after, the old man breathlessly handed a thick diary to Ma Ran.

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