novelraw Chapter 1081: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (89) — Caged Bird
Chapter 1081: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (89) — Caged Bird
“Princess!”
“Big Sister!!”
Kui Qianyi and Gui Ying’s voices called from above, but Su Zijun didn’t respond immediately.
Because at this moment, a figure—whose name she didn’t know and whose gender was impossible to tell—was charging at her with a twisted, furious face.
“This is not something you are qualified to touch!!” Count Drekeya roared in fury—anyone would go mad if something they had struggled so hard to obtain was suddenly snatched away by a random intruder.
But for Su Zijun, the saying goes: if you find treasure on the ground, don’t ask heaven or earth… just ask your own luck!
Without hesitation, Su Zijun threw the damaged Gaia she was holding—previously beaten by her—straight at Count Drekeya!
The Jiangshi body was incredibly durable, and with that strength behind the throw, the broken Combat-Type Gaia flew like a cannonball, slamming directly into Count Drekeya!
The count’s barrier blocked the body’s impact, but the inertia still sent him flying backward!
Boom—!!Count Drekeya crashed into the wreckage of the giant sphere!
Right after, Su Zijun leapt up onto the metal bridge above. She slapped her palm forward, sending a massive dark-red Demonic Energy wave to intercept the endless lightning striking the True Dragon constructed body—temporarily shielding it from the violent storm.
The constructed body then fell to the metal bridge, landing hard—Su Zijun kept an eye on the raging Prototype Gaia, all while swiftly moving to the constructed body’s side.
The constructed body staggered to its feet. Su Zijun frowned, “What’s wrong with you… how’d you get so weak?”
“Later…” the constructed body looked up. “Help me do something!”
Su Zijun’s brow furrowed deeper. “No way… I’m getting goosebumps all over. It can’t be anything good!”
“Be good! Just trust me!”
Suddenly, the constructed body lunged and thrust its hand directly into Su Zijun’s chest!
The rough action flushed Su Zijun’s face red as she screamed, “Old hag! You’re really doing this?!”
“Less talking!” the constructed body gritted its teeth. “I’ll make it up to you! I’ll give you free access to the hospital’s blood bank!”
“I don’t want it… damn it!!” Su Zijun struggled hard, but deep inside her—maybe from her soul—a sense of powerlessness robbed her of all resistance.
A high-pitched moan escaped her lips. “No… at least not here… old hag!! I’m tearing down your hospital when I get back… ah~!!! Mmm… ahhh~~”
Her body arched backward, and a surge of immense power burst from her chest as the constructed body slowly pulled its hand out!
Golden energy ribbons spilled out from her chest, swirling through the air and colliding with the surrounding lightning!
A golden sword shadow began to emerge from her chest.
Finally, with a powerful yank, the constructed body pulled the sword free—Su Zijun’s back bent to the extreme, and her moaning reached its peak!
“The slumbering spirit of the Xuanyuan Sword… in the name of the True Dragon… in the name of the Xuanyuan Royal Family’s eldest princess…”
The constructed body’s voice rang low and thunderous. It raised the golden sword shadow high above!
Then, it shoved the now-weak Su Zijun toward Kui Qianyi and Gui Ying—she slammed into Kui Qianyi before Gui Ying caught her.
“Damn old hag… ruthless sword draw… I’m emptying your blood bank or I’m not Su Zijun…”
“Big Sis… maybe warm up a bit first?”
Weak and drained, Su Zijun glared at Gui Ying—then bit down on his arm!
Gui Ying winced but let her feed on his blood.
“You should find a woman… your blood’s way too fiery!”
“…"
Truly a Xuanyuan royal—always offending people right out the gate. Gui Ying sighed and looked up at the constructed body, now wielding both True Dragon and Xuanyuan sword powers.
Above, it raised the golden sword high and slashed downward at the Prototype Gaia with overwhelming might!
Two supreme forces clashed within the vast space, tearing through the surrounding metal walls like paper!
Zzzzzzzzzzz—!!!!
The massive energy clash triggered a shockwave that ravaged everything!
Then, with a mighty dragon’s roar from the constructed body, the golden sword broke through the layers of lightning, cleaving the Prototype Gaia down!
The terrifying sword light pierced through the Leixia Ship and the mountain it was buried in—finally dissipating into the sea of clouds beyond.
The constructed body watched as the Prototype Gaia fell.
It lay buried under metal wreckage… twitching like a broken puppet, limbs spasming.
It seemed to try to raise a hand, neck twisting stiffly… but its expression stayed blank. In the end, its pupils faded and lost all color. It lay silently among the wreckage, sharp shards impaling the ground around it.
With the Prototype Gaia finally down, the constructed body slowly descended—then slashed at the massive fallen sphere.
The golden blade cleaved it open instantly.
Inside, Count Drekeya stood in shock and fury—he had hidden there. When he saw the lifeless Prototype Gaia, he didn’t seem angry—instead, a strange relief flashed across his face.
“You kept calling me ‘Dragonkind’ just now—pretty bold, huh?” the constructed body’s gaze turned icy, towering above the Count, golden sword raised and brimming with power.
Count Drekeya frowned, scanning the area—especially the small blue screen beside him.
Special Combat-Type Valkyrie-Class Gaia, completion rate: 96.9%
Damn it… still not finished!
Count Drekeya slowly stood up, facing the constructed body. “What, you don’t want to know where you came from… don’t you want to understand what you really are?”
The golden sword shadow, once raised high, now subtly lowered... The constructed body said nothing, only stared at Count Drekeya.
“I can tell you everything!” Count Drekeya opened his arms. “I can even free you from your ‘mission’! I can help you travel across endless timelines and dimensions! Listen, experimental bodies with single-digit serial numbers all hold immense potential, even the possibility of reaching the ‘Zero Point Field,’ infinitely close to the Root… I can help you awaken your hidden power! Your future could rival that of the immortals of Penglai!”
As Count Drekeya painted visions of something vast and ultimate, the constructed body slowly swung the golden sword downward.
“So what… I’m not interested.”
The constructed body—Long Xiruo—spoke expressionlessly, “I am the True Dragon of Divine Land… I was, and I always will be. There’s no need to change anything.”
The sword came down, its golden light piercing straight through Count Drekeya’s body. His form instantly shattered, dissolving into thick black mist that boiled furiously!
But the black mist forcibly began to gather, desperately trying to maintain Drekeya’s shape. “Ah… damn you, Dragonkind… I won’t let you go! I’ll never let you go—ahhhh!!!”
At last, the boiling mist neutralized the sword’s golden light. Count Drekeya’s body stabilized again… but his face was pale as death.
Seeing this, the constructed body snorted coldly and swung the sword again.
Just then, a crazed glint flashed in Count Drekeya’s eyes! He quickly opened the brocade box he had taken from Tai Yinzi—
Inside was a crystalline white bone hand!
With it, Drekeya viciously stabbed his own wrist—biting down hard, clearly enduring immense pain as he dropped to his knees, screaming in agony.
The constructed body frowned—but the descending golden sword light didn’t stop. Yet in the next instant, the golden sword shadow suddenly twisted!
All around… something terrifying filled the space—an aura that made both the constructed body and Long Xiruo herself shudder in fear!
In a daze, she felt like she had returned to that day… the day the proud True Dragon of Divine Land was struck down and reduced to a little girl… that thing that made even her soul tremble!!
At the same time, a pained scream echoed from above—Su Zijun, who had been leaning on Gui Ying, collapsed onto the metal bridge, clutching herself in agony!
The constructed body clenched her teeth and fired the golden sword light directly into Su Zijun’s body. Only then did Su Zijun’s heart-wrenching screams stop.
“A Xuanyuan Sword without a vessel… is still far too dangerous,” the constructed body thought, sighing inwardly. She knew that if she kept forcing it, it would be Su Zijun’s life paying the price.
“Do you know why I went to such lengths to get a Black Soul Envoy’s body?” Drekeya painfully rose to his feet. The white bone hand had fully merged into his arm. “It’s because… only with that can one even have a chance to touch the Root… What I want is the pure Root aura of a Black Soul Envoy! Dragonkind—go to hell!!”
Count Drekeya swung the bone hand violently!
At that moment, the constructed body’s form disintegrated… and at the same time, the unconscious Xiao Shengmo’s Tower of Ten Thousand Ghosts trembled. A black light shot out, and a small figure stumbled forth—it was the little girl form of Long Xiruo!
She spat out thick blood and collapsed to the ground.
Su Zijun struggled to stand, catching a glimpse of the scene—her mouth opened in shock. But in that moment, something yanked her arm—the glowing orb that had initially flown toward her now suddenly slipped from her grasp!
The orb plummeted swiftly… and landed right into Count Drekeya’s hand!
And then… something even more bizarre occurred.
Time seemed to reverse itself. The enormous spherical construct, which had been shattered to fragments by Kui Qianyi’s explosive turtle and the constructed body’s sword light, began to slowly regenerate—piece by piece!
All of it… seemed to stem from that white bone hand now fused with Drekeya’s arm!
“This is Root power… even time can be twisted…” Count Drekeya laughed madly. “I did it! I did it!!! Teacher Cicero! Did you see this!!! I… I finally obtained it… I finally obtained it!!!”
...
A blue fairy-wren suddenly fluttered across the courtyard inside the cage, flying to its edge… it seemed to want to escape, but was blocked by an invisible dome.
It stubbornly slammed its body against the unseen barrier separating it from the outside world… but it was futile.
Luo Qiu watched the tiny bird and said softly, “The Eternal Kingdom… that was Mr. Cicero’s homeland, wasn’t it?”
Cicero, also watching the struggling bird, nodded. “Yes. There was a courtyard just like this one.”
Luo Qiu looked beyond the dome.
Outside, there was nothing but void.
“What lies beyond the cage?”
Cicero replied, “I don’t know. I’ve never been outside… I thought everything within the cage was already complete. But some still want to leave. Only…”
“Only what?”
“Eternity doesn’t exist.” Cicero looked at Luo Qiu. “If you’re interested, don’t just explore the future. Perhaps you should look back—return to the Original World… witness the rise and fall of the Eternal Kingdom.”
“I will,” Luo Qiu nodded.
Cicero’s body began to fade, along with the courtyard inside the cage. With a gentle smile, he said, “That useless student of mine… I’ll leave him to you.”
Luo Qiu shook his head. “I’m just doing business by the rules.”
Cicero chuckled softly, then said, “Lastly… may I be alone for a while?”
Luo Qiu was stunned, then nodded silently.
Closing his eyes, he didn’t linger, and soon left the courtyard in the cage… like a bursting bubble, the courtyard vanished entirely.
...
At the end.
Cicero looked up at the struggling bird… watched it vanish before him.
“What’s beyond the cage… I really wish I could see it myself. But I… I guess I won’t make it. I hope… I hope you can. I hope you surpass Your Majesty Karla Fal… I hope you can be free… Your Highness.”
Everything faded.
(End of Chapter)