Gu Ruoyun quickly ran towards the voice and saw the Vermillion Bird’s pale little face. However, her eyes had lost its splendor and were now devoid of emotion.

　　Her body was covered with densely packed holes ¹ and was still bleeding profusely while the blood on her face had dried.

　　“Vermillion Bird!”

　　Gu Ruoyun’s chest tightened and she wrapped her arms around the Vermillion Bird’s body in a tight embrace. However, she could feel the Vermillion Bird’s tiny body gradually turn cold and it soon felt as if she was holding a block of ice.

　　“Vermillion Bird, take this pill.”

　　At that moment, Gu Ruoyun has no room for consideration. She quickly grabbed a pill and stuffed it into the Vermillion Bird’s mouth, hoping that the pill’s power could save the Vermillion Bird.

　　The Vermillion Bird’s eyes were filled with desolation and helplessness as she stared at the woman’s lucid and elegant features unblinkingly. “Master, it’s my honor to have met you in this lifetime but from now on, I can no longer fight for you…”

　　“No, you’ll be fine, I won’t allow anything to happen to you!” Gu Ruoyun’s hands were trembling. The agony in her heart was so great that she could not endure it. “Vermillion Bird, I will save you! You must also tell me what had happened after I had lost consciousness. Where are the other three Divine Beasts, and Xiao Ye and Zixie?”

　　The Vermillion Bird shook her head as she stared at Gu Ruoyun’s anxious expression. Her emotionless eyes were filled with absolute sadness.

　　“The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Turtle… Their souls have been destroyed! Their bodies… I reckon that they are somewhere in this pile of bodies. As for Qianbei Ye and Leader Zixie, I don’t know where they’ve gone to.”

　　Their souls have been destroyed!

　　These words were like a stroke of lightning on a clear day and shocked Gu Ruoyun so much that she stumbled backward. Her lucid and elegant features have gone pale and her eyes have turned desolate. There was a look of extreme agony in her gaze.

　　Qianbei Ye and Zixie’s whereabouts are unknown while the Azure Dragon and the rest have had their souls destroyed?

　　What on earth has happened after I collapsed?

　　“Master, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to leave you too.” The Vermillion Bird’s eyes were fixed squarely upon Gu Ruoyun as she smiled bitterly. ” However, I truly don’t regret having known you in this lifetime.”

　　Saying these words seemed to have taken up the last of the Vermillion Bird’s strength. Her eyelids fluttered before she closed her eyes completely. Her already frail breath has now so weak that it could not be felt at all…

　　“No!”

　　Gu Ruoyun held the Vermillion Bird’s body tightly and let out a heart-rending cry, “Cang Ming! You’ve killed my people! I, Gu Ruoyun, will draw my daggers against you! I will avenge them even if my soul is destroyed in the process!”

　　Her heart felt as if it someone was twisting it and it was throbbing with agony! She also felt a great rage that gave her to urge to destroy the entire world!

　　“Vermillion Bird, you can rest in peace here for now. Once I’ve finished everything, I will take you all away from this place.”

　　Gu Ruoyun lowered her eyelids as she carefully placed the Vermillion Bird’s body to the ground. After that, she seemed to remember something and she quickly sped towards the Cloudy Wind Empire’s Imperial Palace.

　　It was now autumn and the fallen leaves littered the streets. The once bustling streets in the Cloudy Wind Empire were now so completely silent that it felt eerily strange.

　　Gu Ruoyun did not hesitate and rushed towards the Imperial Palace as fast as she could. Her heart has never felt so anxious before and felt almost as if it wanted to burst from her chest.

　　Father, Mother, Xun’er… Nothing must happen to you!