The sweet and cool liquid flowed down her throat, like red wine in a goblet.
After drinking to her heart’s content, Bai Luxin felt Nuobai’s wrist that was placed at her lips.
“Cough… Nuobai!”
Realizing what she had been drinking, Bai Luxin angrily pushed her wrist away.
“How could you make me drink your blood!”
“So, is it only permissible for Sister to be willful? You used the medicine on me, left me the water, and didn’t even bring your own food. Do you really want to survive?”
Nuobai’s voice carried a weak and feeble tone. Bai Luxin could hear the fear, worry, and happiness hidden within.
Supporting Nuobai’s face and bringing it closer, she could see that Nuobai was pale and her heartbeat was weak.
Just how much blood had she given her…
Holding her against her chest, Bai Luxin’s voice choked.
“Nuobai, you are not allowed to give me your blood anymore.”
“If not blood, does Sister want to eat meat?”
Now that Bai Luxin was awake, she felt relieved. She even had the mood to crack a joke.
“Sister, take a nap. Don’t worry about me. We’re going to survive together. Trust me…”
Nuobai’s voice grew softer, and she fell asleep.
Bai Luxin hugged her with an aching heart.
Nuobai was so light now that she could barely feel her weight, like a feather that could be blown away at any moment.
Of course she wanted to survive together, but she was afraid that Nuobai would leave her first.
She was really scared… If they couldn’t survive together, she thought she could let Nuobai live.
She didn’t want to be left alone in the world like when her parents died.
Doing this was cruel to Nuobai, but she was still so young, with a long life ahead.
She would meet better people in the future. As long as she could live, that would be enough.
If she died, then she would die together with her.
On the first night in the desert, the temperature plummeted.
Nuobai woke up and used her body heat to warm Bai Luxin.
The wounds on her skin and tail could be ignored, but the injury on her lower back was too severe and showed no signs of improvement.
The residual chaotic energy interfered with her spinal nerves, making it impossible for her to stand or walk.
She needed some time to remove this energy.
Bai Luxin was a light sleeper and was awakened by her movements.
She found the food placed beside her and fed it to Nuobai.
Seeing her so obedient, Bai Luxin breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been afraid that Nuobai would refuse to eat and throw a tantrum.
The cave was very dark. Nuobai gathered a beam of light on her fingertip.
Under the light, Bai Luxin finally saw Nuobai’s current state.
Her bloodstained clothes were discarded to the side.
She was only wearing underwear, with wounds covering her entire body.
On her waist was a dark red gap, with a bit of white visible in the middle.
Her severed tail lay motionless by her leg.
“Drink… some water.”
Bai Luxin’s heart trembled at the sight.
She prepared to feed her some water and then recall her into the Beast Taming Space to recover.
Nuobai resisted the summon and cut her wrist.
“After you drink, I’ll go back.”
Bai Luxin couldn’t push her away. Nuobai’s eyes were gentle, but her tone brooked no argument.
“Don’t waste it.”
Blood had already flowed down to her neck. Bai Luxin had no choice but to open her mouth and catch it.
After two sips, she patted Nuobai’s arm to indicate she was full.
“Not enough. Don’t cry. I’m injured and can’t walk on my own. If you collapse, I’ll die too.”
Hearing Nuobai’s words, Bai Luxin stopped resisting.
Until she drank as much as usual, Nuobai let her go and returned to the Beast Taming Space with a smile.
“When we’re safe, I’ll accept Sister’s punishment…”
Bai Luxin held back her tears and curled up on the clothes Nuobai had laid out for her, trying to conserve energy.
In the following days, Bai Luxin would carry Nuobai to search for a way out in the early morning and at dusk.
At noon and night, they would find a place to hide.
Every time Bai Luxin finished feeding Nuobai, Nuobai would hold her down and cut her own wrist.
According to her, if she didn’t drink, she would stay here forever with her.
This outcome was obviously unacceptable to Bai Luxin.
Under her strong resistance, the two agreed that she would only drink once a day at most; otherwise, she would hate Nuobai for life.
On the evening of the seventh day in the desert, the two huddled together.
Unfortunately, they had not found an oasis, nor encountered any living creature.
It was as if they were the only two lives here. Bai Luxin was in despair.
She didn’t want to drag Nuobai down with her. Leaning on her, she begged.
“Stop looking after me, okay?”
“Sister, don’t think about anything. Leave everything to me.”
Nuobai soothed her to sleep and continued to recover her wounds. Her waist was still not healed.
The energy at the wound was very stubborn.
However, during this time, her [Energy Perception] had advanced to a new level.
Through perception, she noticed that the water element in the air was increasing uniformly at an imperceptible rate.
Persevere. There must still be hope.
After resting here for three days, Nuobai was initially able to walk.
She took over leading Bai Luxin to search for a way out.
There were no signs in the desert. Nuobai couldn’t sense any vitality, so she kept walking in one direction without stopping.
Under her deliberate control, Bai Luxin remained asleep most of the time.
On the fifteenth day in the desert, Nuobai had finished all the food. Bai Luxin had been drinking her blood, so there was still a little water left.
Every time she fed blood, she would cry.
What was there to cry about? Nuobai really didn’t understand.
The water element in the air had increased a bit more.
During rest, Nuobai tried to control it, but she still couldn’t condense it into water.
Hold on a little longer. The water element should be enough soon…
Day twenty-one in the desert. The water was all gone. Nuobai stopped moving.
The water element in the air had never reached a level where it could be condensed into water.
It must be that my control is insufficient. Nuobai focused her mind to gather the elemental power.
Bai Luxin’s consciousness was already fading. Nuobai could no longer feed her large amounts of blood.
She had to ensure that both of them could survive longer…
Day thirty-six in the desert. Nuobai didn’t know how they had managed to hold on until now.
She had unilaterally refused the Contract Power, leaving it inside Bai Luxin so that she could survive.
So hard to endure, much harder than on the Snowy Mountain.
Nuobai thought as she let blood drip from her fingertip. Thank the Twilight Power for keeping her alive…
Day forty-six in the desert.
Nuobai hadn’t slept in a month. She was afraid that if she fell asleep, she wouldn’t wake up.
Today there was good news. By consuming the energy stored in her [Golden Eyes of Betrayal] , she could condense water, albeit very little, but it was a good start.
By morning, she had to take Bai Luxin to another place. There was no more water element here…
Day fifty-two in the desert. Nuobai felt that on her body, there was nothing but skin and bones.
It seemed she had no more blood to spare… Nuobai’s gaze shifted to her own heart… Not yet. This is the last…
Day sixty in the desert. Nuobai fed all the condensed water to her…
Day sixty…
Something seemed to be growing from underground, but Nuobai’s body could no longer hold on.
She collapsed onto the sand, yet her consciousness remained clear.
So this is the [Ice Soul] , always keeping one awake. Wait a little longer… [Fight to the Death] activated.
Nuobai cut open her chest…
Sand…
Nuobai could hardly believe it. Plants were actually growing in the desert!
They sprouted from the sand, carrying moisture, enveloping animals.
In the blink of an eye, the lifeless desert had turned into a bustling rainforest.
Nuobai was filled with unwillingness and sorrow.
Why did it only appear now…