Bai Ran took a deep breath, her exhaled breath trembling uncontrollably.
Qing Long gazed at the night sky, a fragile smile gracing his lips. "Be good, don't hesitate."
What was death, anyway? It was nothing...
Even Xuan Wu, usually taciturn, was prepared to face death.
No...
Bai Ran lifted her eyes, her crimson gaze filled with ferocity, as if she had made a decision.
"Your Excellency! We can see inside the scene!"
The cage transformed into a transparent barrier. Jing Feng exclaimed with joy as the scene gradually cleared.
But when he saw clearly, his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground.
"How can this be..."
"Miss Bai she..."
The air was thick with the scent of blood. A crimson figure swayed precariously in the air.
And at the center of her heart, a long sword was impaled.
Blood flowed onto her robes, merging and then dripping from the hem, splattering onto the ground.
Long Jin Han's eyes were bloodshot, and he attacked the barrier like a madman.
Zhu Que gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face.
"The trial... is not over yet..."
Her lips trembled incessantly, a profound tightness in her throat.
Master isn't dead yet... the trial isn't over yet...
Long Jin Han's face was deathly pale. He watched with his own eyes as the figure fell from a height, crashing onto the deserted street.
"Y-girl?"
He watched as the small body coughed up large mouthfuls of blood.
Then, trembling, she once again gripped the sword and thrust it into her own heart.
Long Jin Han's long, slender hands became bloody, yet he seemed not to feel the pain, attacking the barrier with all his might.
In an instant, Xiao Zi's ears buzzed, and a sharp pain shot through her heart.
"Little one... what are you doing..."
The tiny figure lay on the empty street, blood flowing out, filling more than half the street.
Bai Ran's breath grew weaker, but as she looked at the four figures in the sky, she raised a smile.
"You won't hurt me..."
"And how could I bear to hurt you..."
Zhu Que covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably, "Master..."
Qing Long turned his face away, faintly seeing crystal tears sliding down his cheeks.
Bai Ran closed her eyes, completely devoid of life.
She died in the desolate street.
Long Jin Han stopped his actions, his mind a blank.
"Y-girl?"
"Y-girl... don't scare me..."
They had just agreed to marry...
Long Jin Han's vision was blurred by tears, his throat seemingly clogged by something.
His mouth opened, but only a sob escaped.
"Miss Bai is dead?"
Jing Feng clenched his fists, his pupils trembling incessantly.
"The trial is over..."
Qing Long raised his head, his eyes tightly closed, tears trickling from the corners of his eyes.
In an instant, the phantom forms of the four ancient divine beasts blazed forth, their totems seemingly coming alive and dancing.
The already colorful sky became even more brilliant, streams of light rampant.
The four totems danced in the clouds, radiance flowing wherever they passed.
The dark, oppressive clouds dispersed completely, revealing the starry night sky.
The four totems danced freely, spinning, and finally merged together.
In the upper left was the soaring Qing Long, and in the upper right, the crying Zhu Que.
In the lower left was the roaring Bai Hu, and in the lower right, the steadfast Xuan Wu.
The four totems fused into a complete emblem, which began to drift towards the figure on the ground.
The emblem shrank continuously and seeped into Bai Ran's heart.
"Thump—"
The heart that had stopped beating began to revive.
"It's over..."
"Master..." Zhu Que wiped away her tears.
Master guessed right.
An incense stick ago—
Bai Ran, holding the Feng Yin Sword, suddenly reversed its direction, pointing the tip at herself.
"Master!" Zhu Que cried out, rushing towards Bai Ran in a panic.
"Don't come over!"
Zhu Que stopped, looking at Bai Ran in disbelief, her body trembling continuously.
"What are you doing!" Qing Long roared, his eyes rimmed with red.
Bai Ran bit her lower lip, gripping the sword. "If I lose, I die."
"If I win, you die."
"I can only take a gamble, a gamble on what the true meaning of this assessment is!"
With that, she plunged the Feng Yin Sword deeply into her chest.
Bai Ran gritted her teeth, her body swaying slightly. "This trial... descended upon the contractors..."
"It's just that I had to use my life as a stake..."
Amidst the chaos, a guess surfaced in Bai Ran's mind.
Whether the contractor killed the divine beast, or the divine beast killed the contractor.
Both indicated that this human was unworthy of being a contractor.
The contractor's assessment tested whether they were qualified to contract with the Four Ancient Divine Beasts.
If so, there was only one best outcome.
That was, the contractor, even if annihilated, would not be willing to harm the divine beasts.
This was what the Heavenly Dao was testing, the core.
"Master guessed right..."
Zhu Que gritted her teeth, her spiritual energy gradually becoming more abundant.
Four figures descended from the sky and surrounded Bai Ran.
The person on the ground lay quietly, blood still flowing on the ground, not yet dry.
Under everyone's gaze, her complexion was no longer pale, but gradually regained its color.
Bai Ran's long, slender eyelashes fluttered, and slowly, she opened her eyes.
The seven-colored light dazzled her eyes. Bai Ran reached out, slowly touching the sky.
"It's successful..."
She smiled, and the four hands reached out together, tightly grasping Bai Ran's outstretched hand.
Qing Long, Bai Hu, Zhu Que, Xuan Wu, although tears still lingered on everyone's faces,
They now looked at Bai Ran and revealed their most sincere smiles.
The barrier dissipated, and the weak Bai Ran instantly fell into a warm embrace.
A familiar scent wafted, and the man's broad shoulders trembled continuously.
Long Jin Han held her tightly, as if afraid she would leave again.
Bai Ran reached out, a gentle smile on her lips. "It's okay now, it's all over..."
She extended her small hand, stroking Long Jin Han's back rhythmically.
"I won't leave you..."
"So don't be afraid..."
As her words fell, Long Jin Han's arms tightened even more. "Y-girl..."
"Don't lie to me..."
"Mhm, I won't lie to you..."
Jing Feng walked over, wiping his tears haphazardly. "That was truly terrifying."
Jiang Ye looked at Zhu Que, who was approaching, and opened his arms.
Zhu Que lowered her gaze, chuckled softly, and then threw herself into his embrace.
Dong Ling and Zhong Zi stood not far away, also smiling with relief.
"Little one, are you really alright?"
Hearing this, Bai Ran turned her head and saw that the vain fox was completely charred, emitting a foul smoky odor.
His once beautiful fox tail was now curled and stiff from being burned.
Bai Ran knew he had been struck by lightning like this out of excessive worry for her.
However, looking at Xiao Zi's appearance, she couldn't help but laugh.