Chaotic World Book-Chapter 276 - 271 True · Mutual Support in Adversity

"Thud!"

"Splash!"

Zhao Changhe emerged from the water, holding the unconscious Yue Hongling in his arms.

Falling into this "Vortex," below was actually water—and it was boundless, a vast expanse of it, with no shore in sight for the time being.

Zhao Changhe was at a loss for words, not even sure if he had enough strength to swim out while holding someone. Which direction was the shore?

Having escaped death at the hands of the powerful and the army, it would be ironic to die from drowning in the sea. Would it be enough to make Chi Li and the others die laughing, or consider it all ending together?

He looked up at the sky but couldn’t see it.

Darkness surrounded him; around him were probably spatial barriers—this was an independent Otherworldly Space, possibly a sea or a large lake from Ancient Times, cut off and isolated here.

The occasional feelings from the outside seemed more like artificial "protection" or "concealment" rather than natural occurrences—an arrangement that could not have happened without human intervention.

Zhao Changhe didn’t have the heart to ponder what ancient story this place corresponded to. He extended his Five Senses to the limit, the enhancements for his vision and night vision in full effect, and finally saw a vague outline of a coastline to the east. He desperately began swimming towards it.

His injuries were no lighter than Yue Hongling’s, and the subsequent combat and ride had been just as jarring. Yue Hongling, whose Cultivation was much stronger than his, had fainted... Had it not been for his recent physique transformation that allowed him to hold on, he might have long lost consciousness.

But even now, it was truly his last breath. The little bit of distance to the shore, within arm’s reach, seemed like a Heavenly Chasm—his swimming grew slower and heavier.

With his left hand still holding Yue Hongling and only one hand to swim, he felt increasingly weak and hopeless. Several times, he felt like he was going to sink, but he forcefully sustained himself with a breath from his Dantian, grimly clenching his teeth to maintain consciousness.

But from beginning to end, the thought to cast her aside never crossed his mind, not even for a moment... even though letting go might have been the difference between making it to the shore or not.

But he never entertained the thought.

His only intent was to get her to the shore.

Yue Hongling slowly opened her eyes, hazy at first, but quickly understanding the situation.

Seeing Zhao Changhe’s face, contorted with effort, Yue Hongling’s eyes grew misty, and the Chaotic World Book’s evaluation crossed her mind again.

Changhe bathed in the evening glow.

It wasn’t the sunset bathing the Changhe, but the reverse... Perhaps the poetry held a different meaning, something scholars could endlessly debate. But at that moment, there was no need for dispute—it was him caring for her, risking his very chance of survival.

In his embrace, Yue Hongling could vividly feel Zhao Changhe’s True Qi was completely depleted, even overdrawn. His meridians, embarrassing as they already were, had started to atrophy. He was swimming purely by muscular strength.

But the more he relied on muscle, the more his wounds aggravated. Beneath the unseen water surface, she could guess that blood was steadily leaking out. Not knowing whether the water was clean, the infection alone could take his life.

Yue Hongling watched and, without realizing it, leaned closer.

Zhao Changhe was nearly delirious, oblivious to the awakened woman in his arms, hanging on by pure instinct, dog-paddling in the water. Unaware, a warmth touched his lips.

He jolted back to his senses, and their lips had fully merged.

A breath of fresh air moved from her mouth to his, warm and penetrating his being.

Zhao Changhe decisively started the Dual Cultivation Technique and immediately felt as if a parched land had been infused with living water. In an instant, spring bloomed, his Dantian moistened again, and True Qi began to regrow, with the desiccated meridians starting to trickle, soaking into muscle and bone.

It was like experiencing rebirth.

This Dual Cultivation during a time of desperate need had an astonishing effect.

He instinctively sought more, sucking harder and trying to probe further.

Yue Hongling stalled for a moment but ultimately complied, parting slightly, allowing him entry.

Fainting was a form of self-protection for the body, with Inner Strength circling on its own, recuperating some True Qi. Now, he was drawing it all out, leaving nothing. Continuing like this was essentially harvesting, but Yue Hongling showed no resistance, even actively relaxing her Dantian’s defenses, letting him harvest as he wished.

Truthfully, just kissing wasn’t enough to achieve the harvesting effect, no matter what. Despite their coordination, the meridians barely benefited; instead, their initially dried lips became moistened, growing even more vibrant.

Yue Hongling’s mind was muddled by the kisses, and a nonsensical thought emerged—could this be the true meaning of "nourishing each other"?

"Drip..."

In the embrace of their kiss, Zhao Changhe’s hands and legs subconsciously continued to crawl forward, and the short "Heavenly Chasm" was now easily traversed; Zhao Changhe’s right hand had already reached the solid ground at the riverbank.

The two of them realized this at the same time, slightly parted, and silently climbed onto the bank, both with their hearts pounding.

Before this, Yue Hongling had kissed his cheek and said, "It’s just a reward."

This time, not only was their kiss prolonged, but it was also much deeper than when Sisi had pretended to be her and lightly kissed his lips.

Yue Hongling remembered Sisi’s words, "I think if it were you, you would probably do something similar..."

Perhaps so... Especially this time they reunited, no matter from which aspect, he was so heart-stirring. It was like walking alone in the desert when a spring breeze hits and suddenly there’s an oasis ahead.

And so her heart settled there as well.

Zhao Changhe turned to look at her. The female hero, after emerging from the water, had disheveled hair clinging to her forehead, a hazy look in her eyes, and her head slightly bowed with some shyness. She looked very different from her usual valiant self, showing a vulnerable contrast. That bashful downward glance was the final bit of stubborn pride of a female hero, yet it was even more heart-touching.

At this moment, she truly appeared like a woman.

He gulped and broke the silence in a low voice, "How is your Inner Breath?"

Yue Hongling steadied herself and simply responded, "Depleted."

Actually, she had automatically recovered a bit during her self-protective faint, but she had given all of it to him just now...

She knew what Zhao Changhe meant to say right now.

Both were wounded, their physical state not as good as before, both soaking wet, with a danger of infection looming if they continued like this. If someone didn’t find them here, they themselves might just fall ill on the spot.

But although they both carried travel bags, everything was soaked through and they couldn’t dry off and change their clothes right away.

So what to do?

Zhao Changhe undid and discarded the grassland clothes given to him by Ba Tu, revealing his strong and solid body.

Yue Hongling felt a bit envious—men had it so easy.

Zhao Changhe reached into his travel bag and after some searching, he found the Fire Knife and Fire Stone, laying them out to dry. "This thing is a bit more reliable than a Fire Lighter, let’s see if it can make a fire after it dries. I’ll go look around to see if I can find some dry grass or the like, and you..."

He stood up and slowly walked into the darkness, "You should take off and try to dry yourself. I, I won’t look."

Yue Hongling watched him stagger away into the shadows with complex emotions and pursed her lips.

Actually, given the atmosphere just then, it wouldn’t matter if he looked. If he had simply held her and taken off her clothes, she might not have resisted.

But everyone was injured and exhausted, dirty and smelly; there really wasn’t any mood for that.

But how to put it... It would be better if you took the opportunity of the mood to undress her.

There was not a single place to hide in the vast open space. Even if he shouldn’t be able to see in the dark, how could she manage to undress in front of him!

As she was struggling with the neckline of her clothes, Zhao Changhe’s voice came through the darkness: "There’s a pile of rocks here that looks like a standard beach... Bring the Fire Knife and Fire Stone over here and hide behind the rocks, while I’ll keep looking to see if there are any plants around."

Yue Hongling arranged his belongings spread on the ground and followed the sound to find him. In the darkness, she saw piles of rough rocks, some huge, standing around like a natural hut, providing a sudden sense of safety amidst the boundless darkness.

Even though in reality there was no difference, with no doors and windows to shield them, if he really wanted to look, he could simply peek his head over... But psychologically, it was different.

Biting her lower lip, Yue Hongling slowly untied her wet clothes, revealing her body, as white as jade, in the darkness.

Who said I smell... In fact, my body is no longer tarnished; it’s just the clothes that stink...

No, you’re the one who stinks!

Over there, Zhao Changhe was using all his eyesight to search around, eventually finding some withered grass on the ground and some yellowed trees nearby. Despite severe pain in his lower abdomen, he brought down some dried branches with his Dragon Sparrow.

Yue Hongling quietly watched him from behind the stones. Everyone was so weak, yet strangely enough, she felt an unprecedented sense of safety.

The feeling was bizarre and inexplicable.

It was like a frail wife watching a man who could shake the heavens and the earth, clearing thorns to build a safe nest for her.

Like a pillar supporting a roof.

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