Volume 4: It's Dark, Please Close Your Eyes Chapter 79 Sorry, I'm Falling Behind
When Jiang Wuyan fell to the ground, all the star power in his body had dissipated. Waves of severe pain continued to come from his star veins and acupoints, stimulating his nerves. However, without having to maintain the state of retrograde star veins and the forbidden star-picking technique, Jiang Wuyan's condition was better than before.
Even though he was lying on the ground and didn't even have the strength to sit up, he still couldn't help but raise his head to see the final development of the battle.
After the dust gradually dispersed, what came into Jiang Wuyan's sight was the slowly blooming Phoenix Blood Thorn, Xiaotang's gradually becoming clearer figure, and Zheng Qian, who was coughing up blood and moving almost step by step to the side of the four Far North Demon Butterflies lying on the ground in a mess, carefully implementing the policy of finishing off the enemy that Tang Zheng had instilled in them.
After these four four-star peak Arctic Demon Butterflies were controlled by Jiang Wuyan using the Star-Picking Secret Technique, they did not even use their demonic power to defend themselves. They were completely devastated by the power of Xiaotang's four-star explosion and had already passed out. After Zheng Qian cut off their joints and acupoints with a knife, they completely lost their combat effectiveness and could no longer pose any threat to anyone.
In the distance, the most crucial battle had come to an end.
The five-star Arctic Demon Butterfly leader, who failed to wait for the help of his four followers, ultimately could not escape Tang Zheng's rampage. After being beaten beyond recognition, his eyes turned black and he fell into a coma. At this moment, Tang Zheng grabbed one of his legs and dragged him over step by step. His face, which could no longer be recognized in its original form, left a long trail of blood on the ground in the valley.
Seeing that the battle had been completely settled, the last trace of worry in Jiang Wuyan's heart quietly dissipated. After taking a long breath, he fell to the ground in the valley completely exhausted.
"The sect's sky is always as blue as this place..." The only part of Jiang Wuyan's body that could move now was his eyeballs. He stared blankly at the sky, and his thoughts suddenly drifted back to the Zhaixing Sect.
"Wu Yan, your swordsmanship still needs further practice..."
"Wu Yan, you have to set a good example for your fellow apprentices!"
"Wu Yan, when you go to the academy, you must remember to study hard. You are the future of the entire Zhaixing Sect!"
…
The scenes of growing up in the sect from childhood to adulthood kept flashing through Jiang Wuyan's mind.
The expectations of his teachers, the admiration of his peers, the worship of his fellow students... all came together to form a huge whip, constantly urging him to never stop, not to be lazy, and to make progress courageously.
However, from today on, this long whip can only hit the air, adding to the sadness.
"I'm sorry, Sect Master, I'm sorry, Master... For the sake of my friends, I have no choice." Jiang Wuyan sighed deeply, nodded with difficulty, and took a last look at Tang Zheng and others who were running towards him. A smile finally condensed at the corner of his mouth.
"It feels really good to be able to protect your partners... Maybe, Mr. Xu, you were happy at the last moment." Jiang Wuyan thought silently in his heart. His eyelids became so heavy that he could no longer lift them. His whole body seemed to become lighter, and finally, everything in front of his eyes went completely dark.
"Mr. Jiang, you have lost too much blood, and your star veins and acupoints have been severely damaged. Only one in ten is left alive. However, with the large amount of rare medicinal materials that Tang Zheng brought with him, plus my blood-making life-extending Gu, your life is no longer in danger. I estimate that he will wake up in the next two days. But in the future..."
It was unknown how long it had been, but Jiang Wuyan suddenly woke up and a vague voice suddenly appeared in his ears. The voice gradually became clearer and it was Hua Yingxiu.
"What will happen to him in the future? Will there be any sequelae?"
This was Tang Xiaotang's voice, her tone full of concern and eagerness.
"From now on, Mr. Jiang, I'm afraid..." Hua Yingxiu's tone was a little hesitant in the face of Xiaotang's questioning and the concerned looks of Tang Zheng and Zheng Qian, as if she was considering how to tactfully express this cruel fact.
"From now on, I'm afraid there will be no hope of advancement, right?" Jiang Wuyan took a deep breath and struggled to sit up while speaking.
"Don't say anything, you're awake!"
"Great, you finally woke up."
Seeing Jiang Wuyan waking up, Tang Zheng and the others immediately showed a look of joy on their faces. They reached out to support him and reduce the pressure on him to get up.
"Young Master Jiang..." Hua Yingxiu felt extremely uncomfortable for a moment when she heard Jiang Wuyan say so lightly the words that she could never say. Looking at Jiang Wuyan's face, she was afraid that he might faint again due to such a sudden great stimulation.
"It's okay. The star veins are moving backwards and my future is cut off. Miss Xiu'er, don't worry. Before making a decision, I know the consequences of using the sect's forbidden techniques. Now that I have chosen to use them, I will not regret it, nor will I blame myself from now on." Jiang Wuyan waved his hand, signaling Hua Yingxiu not to worry about his mental state.
Everyone had not yet recovered from the joy of Jiang Wuyan's awakening, but after hearing Jiang Wuyan's calm tone draw such a despairing conclusion about his future, everyone's faces suddenly sank.
Seeing his teammates' expressions of concern, surprise, and fear of execution, Jiang Wuyan slowly looked around at everyone and was the first to speak: "I'm sorry, from now on, I'm afraid I... will fall behind."
After saying this, Jiang Wuyan felt as if there was a place in his heart that was forever empty.
Since meeting Tang Zheng, entering Yisu Academy, and joining this short-lived but legendary team.
Jiang Wuyan asked himself, whether in terms of talent or astrology, he could not be considered at the forefront of this team.
Therefore, he began to work harder on the path of cultivation, moving forward non-stop, running non-stop, all for the sake of... being able to keep up with the pace of these teammates whom he admired, who attracted his attention, and who he was willing to fight side by side with.
However, from the moment he reversed the star veins and started the secret method of picking stars, he could only stay where he was, looking at the backs of his companions and silently offering his blessings.
Here, the road ahead of him was already a cliff.
"What nonsense are you talking about? You are the leader of the Zhaixing Sect and one of the geniuses of the Yisu Academy. How is it possible that you cannot advance in the future? We all have to practice together to reach five stars, six stars... until we become the Star Master!" Tang Xiaotang shouted, and couldn't help but shed tears.
"Nonsense, so what if the star veins are retrograde? Didn't Tian Meng, who had the starburst, also think he was going to die, but he was cured? I even attracted two evil stars to attack the five-star level in one night. The eight-star mountain master thought I was hopeless, but I was promoted to the five-star level? We are also working hard to wake up Xu Qingyan who has turned into a monster, and we have made good progress. Since we have survived these situations that are also considered desperate, you have decided to leave the team without permission in the future just because your star veins have retrograded once?!"
"Let me tell you, no matter whether it is going against the flow or going backwards, I don't care what happened in the past or what others are like. You are our partner and we will never abandon or give up on you. Believe me, all problems will be solved!" Tang Zheng looked into Jiang Wuyan's eyes and said with certainty.
"That's right, I used to be a two-star bandit. I thought I would be a two-star bandit for the rest of my life. But after being taken in by the boss, I have now become the leader of an independent bandit group that is popular among thousands of girls. Don't worry, it's just the star veins going in the opposite direction. I will definitely handle it!"
…
Looking at his teammates' sincere faces and encouraging tones, Jiang Wuyan felt a warmth in his heart, but he just smiled and did not answer.
He knew that once he nodded, it was a commitment.
Helping him solve the huge problem of his star veins going backwards and his inability to advance to immortality will become a whip that will always hit Tang Zheng and the others in the heart until this problem is solved.
He had been whipped like this many times and knew how tiring it was. He didn't want to bring more burden to Tang Zheng and his men who were already overwhelmed enough.
Seeing Jiang Wuyan's expression, which didn't seem to be getting any more depressed, Tang Zheng heaved a sigh of relief, smiled, patted Jiang Wuyan on the shoulder and said, "By the way, it's better to smile. Look at you guys lately. You've been forcing me to speak so seriously every day. If this continues, I'll almost lose myself."
Jiang Wuyan did not mention the matter of the retrograde star veins, and neither did the others.
However, everyone silently kept this matter firmly in mind, and when this matter was settled, this would be everyone’s next goal.
"By the way, we have captured a five-star Arctic Demon Butterfly, four four-star peak Arctic Demon Butterflies, and two four-star high-level Arctic Demon Butterflies. This trip to the demon clan can be said to be a success. Can we return next?" Tang Xiaotang suddenly asked.
Ever since Jiang Wuyan fell into a coma after the battle in the valley, everyone has been busy trying to find ways to heal him and wake him up as soon as possible.
Now that Jiang Wuyan has finally woken up, it's time to put the return trip on the agenda for discussion.
"Well, once your injuries are completely healed, we will return to the human territory." Tang Zheng nodded.
"Then... how should we deal with these Arctic Demon Butterflies, Boss? I have cut their acupoints and meridians as you requested, but these guys still keep making noise and cursing as soon as they wake up these past few days. It's really annoying." Zheng Qian asked.
At this time, as if in response to his words, a burst of shouting and cursing from the deep of the cave where they lived came from those Far North Demon Butterflies. Although the voices were weak, the tone was extremely vicious. Tang Zheng and others couldn't help but frowned when they heard it.
"I remember that the Far North Demon Butterfly once threatened that if it caught us, it would turn us all into human pigs. Well, let's fulfill its wish and turn them all into demon pigs, Xiu'er. This shouldn't affect the effect of turning them into butterfly zombies later, right?" Tang Zheng asked.
