Chapter 00347: Thank You for Believing in Me
# Thank You for Believing in Me
Chapter 347
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 347: Thank You for Believing in Me
Lan Xiaobu could only struggle to gather his strength, but no matter how hard he tried, his falling speed continued to increase.
If this kept up, death was inevitable.
Lan Xiaobu widened his eyes, desperately scanning his surroundings.
The Dao is never truly cut off; even in the most dire situations, there should always be a sliver of hope.
His efforts weren’t in vain.
He spotted a dark mass in the distance.
Whatever it was, it had to be better than falling to his death.
Almost as soon as he saw it, Lan Xiaobu twisted his body and lunged toward it.
To his relief, as he landed on the dark mass, his descent slowed.
The object was soft, like a black cloud.
However, his joy was short-lived.
After slowing his fall slightly, the black cloud-like substance began to dissolve.
Before Lan Xiaobu could even figure out what it was, the black cloud vanished.
Soon, Lan Xiaobu was falling at his previous speed again.
Drawing from his earlier experience, he searched for another black cloud to slow his fall.
Fortunately, he quickly found a second one and lunged toward it.
This cycle repeated itself countless times during his descent.
Finally, he felt his feet hit solid ground, followed by the sound of bones cracking.
Pain shot through his limbs and spine, but Lan Xiaobu breathed a sigh of relief.
He had finally reached the bottom of the canyon.
Broken bones were nothing as long as he could recover his divine sense.
With it, he could heal his injuries instantly.
However, Lan Xiaobu’s mood quickly darkened.
He realized that even at the bottom of the canyon, his divine sense couldn’t penetrate outward.
What was worse, there was no trace of life energy here.
"Brother Lan, have we fallen to the bottom of the canyon?" Yu Ruo asked as she got up.
She had been cradled in Lan Xiaobu’s arms during the fall and was unharmed.
Lan Xiaobu nodded.
"It seems so. My divine sense can’t extend out here, and I can’t access my healing pills. We need to find a safer place and leave this area as soon as possible."
"I’ll carry you," Yu Ruo said without waiting for Lan Xiaobu’s consent.
She tore a strip of cloth from her dress and fashioned it into a makeshift sling to carry him on her back.
Deep down, she was grateful to Lan Xiaobu.
If he hadn’t held her during the fall, she would have been reduced to a bloody pulp instead of just suffering broken bones.
Lan Xiaobu didn’t refuse.
He truly couldn’t walk in his current state.
When Lan Xiaobu had been carrying Yu Ruo earlier, he hadn’t thought much of it.
Now, unable to move and being carried by her, he couldn’t help but notice her faint fragrance and the warmth of her body.
His mind, which had been calm until now, began to stir.
He thought back to the day he married Su Cen…
That day, a haggard Su Cen had found him and asked if he still meant what he had said years ago.
Without any ceremony or witnesses, they had simply taken a photo together and started their life as a couple.
In this life, Su Cen must be one of the strongest cultivators on Earth by now.
"Are you thinking about Liu Li?" Yu Ruo suddenly asked, sensing a slight rise in Lan Xiaobu’s body temperature.
She hadn’t experienced much herself, but she had seen plenty in the Huanü Palace.
Women there had seen it all.
She was carrying Lan Xiaobu, and with his divine sense and cultivation sealed, it was natural for him to react physically.
But she was only in her twenties in this life, while Lan Xiaobu was likely tens of thousands of years old.
"Liu Li?" Lan Xiaobu was momentarily stunned before replying, "I was thinking about my woman."
A sentence flashed through his mind: "... I boarded the Pohe II to search for my man…"
Lan Xiaobu suddenly wondered what Luo Caisi’s reaction would be if she appeared before him and he showed her this message.
Would she be embarrassed?
Luo Caisi had always been independent and reserved.
He thought of the necklace in his Cosmic Dimension Matrix and the missing ancient path.
Perhaps when Luo Caisi had said that she couldn’t be the only one maintaining the Taichuan Ancient Path, she had already made her decision.
"It’s not Liu Li?" Yu Ruo asked.
"No, her name is Luo Caisi," Lan Xiaobu said, finally confirming in his heart that Luo Caisi truly saw him as her man.
Perhaps it was because they had spent so many days together, or perhaps because no one else in her life had been as close to her as he had.
The atmosphere grew silent.
Yu Ruo lowered her head and continued walking.
Lan Xiaobu noticed that the canyon floor was barren, like a desert.
After walking for so long, he hadn’t seen a single blade of grass.
This was to be expected—a place devoid of life energy couldn’t sustain life.
From deeper within the canyon came a mournful wailing sound, though it was likely just the wind echoing through the narrow passages.
Lan Xiaobu’s unease grew.
If the entire canyon was like this, his injuries would never heal.
Without his divine sense, he couldn’t access his healing pills.
Even if he could, there was no way to cultivate here, meaning he couldn’t use immortal energy to recover.
And with no life energy around, he couldn’t use that to heal either.
At first, Lan Xiaobu and Yu Ruo exchanged a few words, but as they walked further, their conversations dwindled.
By the eleventh day of Yu Ruo carrying Lan Xiaobu, even she, a peak Golden Core cultivator, was exhausted.
Without any spiritual energy to replenish her strength, even a Golden Core cultivator couldn’t endure indefinitely.
"Sister Yu Ruo, I’ve dragged you into this. This place is the same everywhere. Even if we walk for years, nothing will change. Leave me here and find a way out. Continuing like this will only lead to both of us dying in this canyon," Lan Xiaobu sighed.
Yu Ruo ignored him and kept walking.
One day, two days…
By the third month, Lan Xiaobu could feel Yu Ruo’s steps becoming unsteady.
She was clearly at her limit.
"Leave me here. If you keep going, you’ll die in this canyon. Put me down and see if you can find a way out. Carrying me any further is pointless…" Lan Xiaobu urged again, sensing her exhaustion.
Yu Ruo stopped.
She suddenly dropped Lan Xiaobu from her back.
He hit the ground, his already broken legs suffering further damage.
He let out a muffled groan but said nothing more.
Yu Ruo turned to look at him.
For the first time in months, Lan Xiaobu saw her face.
She was pale and haggard.
She stared at him and said, "Brother Lan, when you were carrying me, I never asked you to drop me. I knew you weren’t that kind of person. So why do you think I am? Yes, I’m from the Huanü Palace, but I’m not there because I’m a lowly person. I’m not the kind of woman those hypocrites despise…"
Tears streamed down her face as she spoke, seemingly forgetting Lan Xiaobu’s presence.
"Those sanctimonious hypocrites, those so-called saints, throw women who don’t obey them into the Huanü Palace. They make the whole world despise, loathe, and curse these women. But we’re human too. We have the right to live normal lives like everyone else…"
By the end, Yu Ruo was too exhausted to continue.
She collapsed onto Lan Xiaobu and fell into a deep sleep.
Lan Xiaobu gently stroked her dry hair, realizing he had been wrong.
He had always thought the Huanü Palace was a place where immortal garments were made or where cultivators’ armor was repaired.
Though Yu Ruo hadn’t explained, he had guessed that the Huanü Palace had nothing to do with clothing.
The women there were likely victims of tragic fates, forced to endure endless slander.
He just didn’t know what their primary role was.
After a full day, Yu Ruo woke up.
Seeing that she had fallen asleep on Lan Xiaobu, she quickly got up.
"I’m sorry, Brother Lan. I was too overwhelmed and said things I shouldn’t have."
Lan Xiaobu shook his head.
"No, it’s my fault for not understanding you. When you said Liu Li had no friends, I now realize that no one in the Huanü Palace has friends. I hope I can be your first friend."
Yu Ruo stared at him for a long time before suddenly asking, "If I were that woman—the one who’s been with countless men, who betrayed the saints, conspired with the vile, and is utterly despicable—would you still be my friend?"
Lan Xiaobu smiled faintly.
"You’re not."
Though his words were calm and soft, their firmness told Yu Ruo that he truly believed in her.
"Brother Lan, the reason I chose to cultivate the Longevity Art was because you told me that even if I cultivated the techniques of the Holy Sect, I would only ever be an ordinary member at best. I dream of one day returning to the Holy Sect and exposing those hypocrites for who they really are. If I only cultivated the techniques they discarded, that dream would remain just a dream. Thank you for teaching me a new technique. I really like the Longevity Art," Yu Ruo said, her voice as gentle as a breeze.
After a pause, she gently picked Lan Xiaobu up and carried him on her back again.
"And thank you for believing in me."
"From what you’ve said, it seems the Huanü Palace is looked down upon by everyone. Is that because of the Holy Sect’s propaganda?" Lan Xiaobu asked.
Yu Ruo shook her head.
"No. It’s because there really was a woman like that in the Huanü Palace. Her name was Leng Yishang. She would do anything to achieve her goals, taking any man she pleased. She conspired with the repulsive Lord of the Abyss, betrayed five saints, and nearly wiped out all life in an entire realm…"
"So the Huanü Palace exists because of Leng Yishang?" Lan Xiaobu asked.
"Yes," Yu Ruo replied.
"All the women in the Huanü Palace hate her. If it weren’t for her, the Huanü Palace wouldn’t exist, and we wouldn’t be in such a miserable state."
(End of Chapter)