Chapter 127: Cloud Sail Appears

Just as Che Wuyou was lost in his own thoughts, a pillar of golden light suddenly erupted from the empty ground beside him. Caught completely off guard, he was startled by the abrupt commotion. When he finally made sense of what had happened, he could not help but be rendered speechless.

Within the brilliant golden pillar of energy, a youth lay curled in a ball, his body covered in rags and stained with blood. His face was deathly pale, and his aura was incredibly unstable; his condition was clearly dire. Yet, in his hands, he clutched a massive sword—a giant blade that he would never abandon, no matter the circumstances.

As the golden light slowly faded, Yun Fan’s figure was fully revealed to Che Wuyou. Che had no time to marvel at how Yun Fan had managed to overcome the odds to clear the trial and even seize the Wufeng Sword. He rushed to the youth’s side and gently tapped his shoulder. "Brother, how are you? Can you still hold on?"

To his surprise, at this slight touch, Yun Fan’s body offered no resistance and slumped limply to the ground. It turned out that his eyes were tightly shut, and he had long since fallen into a coma. It was a mystery how he had managed to bring both himself and the Wufeng Sword into the second level. Startled, Che Wuyou immediately checked his condition and felt a wave of relief upon discovering that, while his injuries were severe, his life was not yet in immediate danger if treated promptly.

"How am I supposed to carry both of them away by myself?" Che Wuyou frowned, looking at the young man and woman lying on either side of him. He had waited for them, but now that they were both unconscious and critically injured, where could he take them? He had no idea if this second level held new dangers or how strong its guardian might be, but judging by the steel giant of the first level, the guardian of the second was certainly not to be trifled with. With a helpless sigh, he decided he had no choice but to take things one step at a time.

Che Wuyou knelt and used some basic techniques to stimulate Yun Fan's circulation, intending to use his "Golden Touch" to force down the injuries and prevent him from dying of blood loss or trauma. However, even in his coma, Yun Fan held the Wufeng Sword tightly against his chest. To perform deep treatment, Che had to remove the blade first.

Without thinking too much, he reached out to pry Yun Fan’s hands loose. But the youth was gripping the sword with such desperate strength that Che failed several times. Undeterred, Che Wuyou shook his head slightly and applied even greater force, determined to finish the task.

"Get away, get away... don't take my Wufeng Sword!" Suddenly, an immense force surged from Yun Fan’s right foot, sending Che Wuyou spinning through the air. A while later, he crawled up from the ground in the distance, covered in dirt. Wiping the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, he limped back toward the pair.

As he approached, Che Wuyou was extremely cautious, only drawing near once he confirmed that Yun Fan was still lying motionless. Yun Fan was a dangerous individual, and his explosive power even in such a wounded state left Che feeling uneasy.

"Yun Fan, don't misunderstand, I’m not trying to take your sword; I’m just trying to treat your wounds," Che said carefully. He kept some distance, still shaken by that unexpected kick.

Seeing no reaction, Che frowned. What was going on with this guy? He crept closer and repeated his words. This time, Yun Fan responded, though his voice was so faint that Che couldn't make out the words.

Helpless, Che inched closer until he caught the intermittent muttering: "Don't... take it from me... the Wufeng Sword is mine... it's all mine..."

"Ugh..." Hearing the incoherent ramblings, Che Wuyou observed him closely and realized the lad was still deeply unconscious. He had wanted to reason with him, to make him realize his mistake and perhaps teach him a lesson—after all, that kick wasn't something he should have to take for free. But realizing the boy was still out cold, he felt cheated of his vengeance.

In a world of fiery red with extremely low visibility, a limping figure dragged two other bodies along. The two appeared as boneless as ragdolls, hanging from his arms as he hauled them forward. A closer look revealed that both were still unconscious.

The limping figure was Che Wuyou. He had intended to treat Yun Fan properly—after all, Yun Fan had done him a favor, and he had even deceived the youth; he felt responsible. But because the Wufeng Sword was so massive and covered half of Yun Fan’s body, Che had been forced to settle for a hasty treatment.

The three pushed forward in this manner. Despite two being unconscious and one injured, their pace was not slow. It was a necessity; Yun Fan and the girl were in critical condition. While Che’s Golden Touch was miraculous, it could only suppress their injuries temporarily, not cure them. If the injuries flared up before he found a way to heal them, it would be disastrous.

As he walked, Che checked their faces frequently. Yun Fan’s color was holding, but Zhang Qing’er’s face had turned from pale to a ghastly green; clearly, her injuries were becoming impossible to suppress. Che was anxious, but in this vast, fiery, red world, where could he find medicinal herbs?

He hadn't seen so much as a single shrub along the way. He couldn't help but regret not letting Zhang Qing’er forfeit while she was still conscious; at least that would have saved her life. Now, if he were to forcibly wake her to make her forfeit, her injuries might flare up instantly, and even if the array transported her out of the Heaven-Reaching Tower, her life might not be guaranteed.