Chapter 797: This is a Father"s Love
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric
Deep in the Cloudmist Ridge.
Peng peng peng peng!
A figure was knocked back and crashed heavily into the cliff face. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and blood was spilling from his mouth.
He had lost a hand, and most of his bones had snapped from the many intense battles he had fought. Breathing raggedly, it felt as if he was just clutching to the final flicker of his life.
The enemy he was facing was a ma.s.sive ape-like saint beast. It had a pitch-black body and enormous fists, and it possessed fearsome strength to fit its stature.
"I have not taken the Cloudmist Flower, I can"t die just yet!"
Clenching his teeth, he pulled himself out from the cliff face through sheer resolution, and with his gaze fixated in the distance, he immediately charged over.
"d.a.m.n it!" Seeing how that fellow was still persisting on, the ape snorted heavily and charged at the man once more.
Upon reaching the level of a saint beast, the ape was already capable of speaking human speech.
It had encountered the human an hour ago, and considering that the other party was a Saint realm 1-dan intermediate stage cultivation, he thought that he should be able to easily send the other party fleeing with fear with a strike of its fist.
Who could have thought that the other party would disregard his injuries entirely and charge on resolutely, as if he was in a trance?
Pursuing the human, it had already landed over twenty clean punches on him.
With the incredible might of its fists, even a fellow Saint realm pinnacle beast would have succ.u.mbed by now. But no matter how many blows it landed on him, he just couldn"t be stopped.
Hong long!
With a swift leap, the ape smashed that human into the ground, shattering innumerable bones in his body further.
Pu pu pu!
The human spewed yet another mouthful of fresh blood with so much force that it felt as if he would spew his innards out as well. The ape thought that he had finally defeated the human with this blow, but the other party abruptly leaped out from the ground in the next moment and trudged on.
"Just what is that fellow up to?" The ape couldn"t comprehend the human"s persistence.
All lifeforms, be it human or beast, carried a natural deference for life. They were driven by a natural tendency for survival, and they would do anything they could to clutch on to life. Yet, that fellow rushed forward adamantly with no regard for his life.
"Soon... I will reach the area where the Cloudmist Flowers grow soon..." Paying no heed to the Ancient Ape, Wei Changfeng glanced at the surroundings as a spark of hope lit in his black eyes.
He was thinking that he would sneak onto the mountain, harvest a stalk of Cloudmist Flower, and leave quietly, but who could have thought that he would be so unlucky as to be spotted by the Virescent Voice Beast so early in, drawing in powerful beasts to him.
To be honest, as the boss of the Spirit Emporium, Wei Changfeng possessed many unique artifacts that would have allowed him to escape even from the Saint 1-dan pinnacle Ancient Ape. But... if he were to do that, it would be impossible for him to make it within the two day deadline that You Xu set.
He needed the Cloudmist Flower to trade for the Ten-leafed Flower in order to save his daughter"s life. For that goal, even if death was at the very end of the path, he would tread on it without any hesitation!
Peng!
Struck yet again, Wei Changfeng was sent tumbling on the ground. With each blow, Wei Changfeng could feel his strength and consciousness being driven out from his body.
In a moment of daze, he could vaguely see a figure beckoning him over...
...
"I haven"t met him yet, and I don"t even know his gender, but he"s our child. Even at the risk of my life, I can"t allow anything to happen to him!"
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, a stream of tears flowed down her face as she faced him, "I know that you love me, and you will respect my decision..."
"No..." He wanted to reach out to stop her, but at this very moment, his strength was sealed. No matter how hard he struggled, his body just wouldn"t move.
"With the severe injuries I carry on me, my life is already limited. I want to give my life to him and allow him to live on in my stead..."
With a dull moan, she transferred the remaining strength she had in her towards her womb, granting her child the strength to come to this world. A resounding cry of an infant echoed in the cavern...
Finally, he managed to break the seal that bound him, but by this point, she was already lying on the ground, devoid of strength. In his embrace, she smiled, "Changfeng, I"m sorry. Take care of our child and bring her up well..."
Before she could finish her words, her body had already slumped lifelessly.
...
"Your daughter has suffered considerable damage in the womb. I fear that she won"t live more than three months!" An old man shook his head.
He gritted his teeth as he heard those words.
This life was one she had exchanged her life for. If his daughter were to die, how could he face the woman he deeply loved?
Thus, he traveled the world, searching for renowned physicians to treat his daughter.
"The spirit of artifacts can grant her soul the power to support her body, allowing her to live on... but this is only a temporary a measure. Its effectiveness will eventually wear out..." a 6-star physician told him.
"As long as she can live on, I am willing to pay any price..." he replied with clenched fists.
Thus, he built the Spirit Emporium and went around scouring for as many artifacts as he could, resorting to even underhanded means to obtain them...
Finally...
His daughter"s condition improved.
"Papa..."
A young voice sounded. His eyes reddened, and at that moment, he felt as if everything he had done had paid off.
This was because... she was his daughter!
As well as her daughter!
...
"Where is mama?"
An eight-year-old child asked him. The gleam in her eyes and the slight frown on her forehead seemed like an exact replica of hers.
"She... has gone to a faraway place..."
Holding his daughter dearly, his eyes couldn"t help but redden.
...
"Father, am I reaching my end? I feel so tired and exhausted..."
"You will be fine. Father will save you..." he spoke with a lump in his throat.
"The Ten-leafed Flower can save your daughter"s life..." the young master told him.
"I need a stalk of Cloudmist Flower. If you can bring me a Cloudmist Flower within two days, I will trade my Ten-leafed Flower for it!" Vice School Head You Xu said with a nod.
...
"I can"t die yet. If I were to die, there will be no hope for Ruyan as well!"
Many scenes flashed across Wei Changfeng"s eyes as he struggled to his feet once more.
If he didn"t require the Cloudmist Flower to save her daughter, he would never have been able to push on so far. The Ancient Ape behind him might not be able to comprehend his actions, and Zhang Xuan might not be able to understand his tenacity, but only he knew that he would do anything for his daughter.
In this world, there was nothing more important than his daughter!
"Almost..."
He rushed across the hill, and all of the sudden, the clouds before him parted, and a beautiful white flower appeared in his sight.
"Cloudmist Flower..." Wei Changfeng"s body trembled in agitation.
The only reason why he had trudged on this far was for this. Finally, his goal was right before his eyes!
Peng!
Just as he wanted to rush forward to pick the flower, he was suddenly kicked by the Ancient Ape from the back.
Tumbling on the ground furious once more, Wei Changfeng felt his consciousness blurring. He felt lethargic and powerless, and an urge to rest welled up within him.
"I must obtain it..."
But he still climbed to his feet once more. Rus.h.i.+ng forward, he swiftly grabbed the flower and kept it in a jade box.
Hu!
In that instant, he heaved a sigh of relief, and the edges of his lips curled up.
In that instant, he felt that all of the injuries he had sustained was worth it.
With this, the young master would be able to save his daughter. Even if he were to die, he would be able to stand before her proudly and say that he had protected their daughter!
"All this... for a stalk of Cloudmist Flower?"
Seeing the contented smile on that human, the Ancient Ape had an unbelievable look on its face.
It was still wondering what it was that would drive a human to persevere on even at the expense of its life, but to think that this would be all...
A Saint realm expert losing his life over a mere tea leaf... Was this really worth it?
Taking its reactions into sight, Wei Changfeng simply smiled.
How could a beast understand human emotions?
With the item he came for in hand, he took in a deep breath and began trudging down the mountain.
"Hmph! Regardless of what you are here for, the Cloudmist Ridge isn"t a place where you can come and leave as you please!"
With a furious roar, the Ancient Ape charged forward and clawed at Wei Changfeng.
Pu he!
How could the severely injured Wei Changfeng stand against the Ancient Ape? His chest was immediately pierced through, and fresh blood spewed from the wounds.
"I..." Wei Changfeng staggered backward weakly. He tried to draw on all of his strength to retaliate, only to realize that he was completely depleted.
His body had already reached its very limit!
He could feel an immense force tugging at his soul, seemingly trying to draw his soul somewhere.
"Is this death? I should be able to meet her now... right?"
His consciousness gradually blurred as his soul began departing from his body to enter an unknown dimension.
"Wei Changfeng!"
In that final moment, he vaguely saw a figure rus.h.i.+ng towards him in his blurred vision, and an anxious voice called his name.
"Young master?"
Feebly, he muttered, "Why did you come? It"s dangerous here..."
The reason why he dared not tell the young master about the condition of the Cloudmist Ridge was due to his fear that the young master would insist on tagging along with him. If something were to happen to the young master, there would be no one who could save his daughter!
"Dangerous? If you knew it was dangerous, why didn"t you tell me?" Zhang Xuan roared furiously.
He had rushed all the way here, but from the looks of it, he was still too late.
He could feel that the other party"s life force had already withered. Not even a 7-star physician would be able to save him now.
Placing his fingers on the other party"s acupoint, Zhang Xuan furiously pumped his Heaven"s Path zhenqi into Wei Changfeng"s body in hope for a miracle. However, as if a bag filled with holes, his zhenqi simply leaked out of the other party"s body, unable to do any good at all.
"Young master, don"t bother. I know that I... won"t make it..."
Flicking his wrist, Wei Changfeng pa.s.sed a jade box over with trembling hands, "This is the Cloudmist Flower..."
"You..."
Zhang Xuan"s face was livid. He really didn"t expect that fellow to go so far just for a stalk of Cloudmist Flower.
"You must save her..." Wei Changfeng"s voice slowly grew fainter and fainter.
"Don"t worry, I will save her. I will let her live an ordinary, no, a life far better than an ordinary one..." Zhang Xuan said hoa.r.s.ely.
"Thank you, young master..."
Wei Changfeng nodded, but in the next moment, his soul finally succ.u.mbed to the force and disappeared into the unknown dimension, and his body slumped back powerlessly.
"Changfeng..."
Sensing the final flicker of life within his subordinate fade, Zhang Xuan"s eyes reddened and he roared furiously.
At this moment, how could he still not comprehend the reason behind Wei Changfeng"s actions?
Everything he did was for his daughter!
This is.. a father"s love!
The simplest and most selfless love in the world!
...
"Human, this isn"t a place where you can enter as you please..."
Upon seeing yet another person rus.h.i.+ng in and disregarding its presence even, the Ancient Ape roared in fury.
"This isn"t a place where I can enter as I please?" Zhang Xuan raised his head and gazed at the Ancient Ape. "You are the one who killed Wei Changfeng?"
His eyes were filled with coldness and savagery.
Huala!
In the next moment, more than twenty Saint realm puppets appeared abruptly and rushed for the Ancient Ape.
"Make it suffer a fate worse than death!"