"Youyue gave it to me," Nilou replied.
"He's really pulling out all the stops. Giving away such an important weapon? That's just like him," Venus muttered, her voice tinged with jealousy.
"Ha ha..." Nilou chuckled awkwardly, her cheeks flushing slightly.
At that moment, Buer chimed in, "Don't get jealous just yet. Having this weapon is a good thing. Let's focus on saving Nabu first..."
"..." Venus shot Buer a disdainful look but finally relented, "Fine..."
Buer's reminder snapped Nahida, Venus, and Nilou into action.
Meanwhile, Nabu's internal injuries gradually began to heal.
On a cliff outside Sumeru City, Li Youyue, completely oblivious to the crisis, was still entangled in a passionate embrace with Columbia.
"Mmm..."
After a long, lingering kiss, Columbia finally released Li Youyue's lips, licking her lips sensuously.
"Lord Youyue's lips are so delicious... I could just eat them up..."
"Then you should forgive Arlecchino and let bygones be bygones," Li Youyue said, his cheeks flushed slightly. "She's actually a good person deep down... You could even become friends in the future."
Columbia frowned slightly, leaning against his chest. "Lord Youyue, I don't particularly enjoy hearing about other women when we're alone..."
"Ah..."
Li Youyue froze, taken aback.
*So Columbia's possessive streak runs this deep? She won't even let me mention another woman's name?*
"My apologies. I'll be more careful in the future..."
"At moments like these, Lord Youyue belongs solely to me... Only I am allowed to savor this..." Columbia's tone remained calm, but a sharp edge crept into her voice. "So all the others... can just die."
Columbia quickly regained her composure.
"My apologies, Lord Youyue. I lost my composure for a moment there..."
"You won't tell anyone else about this, will you?"
Columbia flashed a breathtaking smile, her wine-red eyes glowing with captivating allure.
"O-of course not..." Li Youyue replied diplomatically.
"Every facet of Columbia's being is for my eyes alone... the others don't deserve to see it..."
Columbia continued, "So, Lord Youyue, which of Columbia's forms do you prefer...?"
"This one...?"
"Or perhaps..."
"..."
Li Youyue gazed at Columbia's curvaceous figure, and a strange thought crossed his mind.
What is Columbia's true form like?
Is she a red demon or a radiant seraphim?
"I understand... Lord Youyue wants to see Columbia's original appearance, doesn't he?" Columbia blushed deeply, her voice tinged with bashfulness.
"If it's for Lord Youyue..."
"...I wouldn't mind..."
"That's Columbia's most beautiful form... Lord Youyue would surely adore it..."
"Hahaha..." Li Youyue chuckled awkwardly. "Definitely next time, definitely next time..."
But in the very next moment, Li Youyue's expression froze.
A murderous aura erupted from Li Youyue, like whispers from the abyss, the roar of a demon.
Columbia flinched, sensing something was wrong. "Lord Youyue, what's wrong? Did Columbia anger you?"
"If so, I apologize... I'm sorry..."
Without time for explanations, Li Youyue swept Columbia into his arms and soared into the sky, flying toward Sumeru City.
Nabu was trapped in a long, haunting dream.
A dream that terrified her, the very vision she most dreaded.
From the moment they are born, Immortal Spirits bear a curse.
Unable to love another.
Since the dawn of Teyvat, humanoid Immortal Spirits had been exceedingly rare. The Flower God, Nabu, was one of the few.
Thus, she naturally became the mistress of flowers and the queen of Immortal Spirits.
Yet she remained burdened by a curse.
The curse's ultimate end was death.
The Flower God Nabu walked the world, left behind by the Scarlet King, and created the Desert Garden. Finally, she asked the Great Lord Rukkhadevata three questions.
Having received her answers, she forged an alliance with the Great Lord Rukkhadevata and met Li Youyue, a seemingly ordinary human.
He became the greatest hope, the deepest regret, and the most beloved person of her life.
The world was collapsing, and countless Immortal Spirits were being devoured by the Abyss.
"No..."
"Why..."
"Why must it be like this..."
Nabu reached out toward the gaping maw of the Abyss, but her hand found nothing.
*Why must we bear such a curse?*
The scene shifted.
The once-beautiful Sumeru lay devastated by fiery meteors. Countless black hands erupted from the fissures, dragging living beings into the depths.
Nabu watched helplessly as Buer was impaled and collapsed before her eyes, and the Scarlet King was torn limb from limb by the black hands.
"No, no, no..."
"Abu..."
"Amon..."
Nabu lay sprawled on the ground, weakly reaching forward with one arm.
Suddenly, she felt a warmth behind her and was lifted into someone's arms.
She looked back and recognized the person.
"Youyue..."
Nabu smiled up at him. "It's alright... at least you're here with me..."
Li Youyue glared down at her with disdain. "You couldn't even protect a child? You're utterly useless as a mother..."
"Nabu... let's break up!"
Nabu's heart jolted, her entire body trembling.
"No, that's not true..."
"Youyue, let me explain—"
Before she could finish, Li Youyue shoved her over the edge of the cliff.
Nabu felt herself plummeting, falling endlessly downward, dragging her shattered heart with her.
*Yes...*
*This is how I'll die...*
*It's for the best...*
***
Pure Goodness Palace.
Li Youyue rushed back at top speed.
Bursting inside, his mind aflame with urgency, he hastily set down Columbia in his arms and sprinted toward Nabu's chambers.
Still reeling from the suddenness of it all, Columbia silently followed behind.
"Nabu!"
Li Youyue burst into the room, his eyes immediately locking onto the group of women gathered around the bed where Nabu lay motionless.
"Nabu..."
He murmured her name, quickly weaving through the women to reach the bed and cradle her in his arms.
He pressed his fingers to her nose, feeling only a faint, shallow breath.
His heart clenched with icy dread.
"Husband... Nabu, she..."
Buer struggled to find the words, but Li Youyue's grim expression spoke volumes.
"We did everything we could to protect her vital functions... But for the rest... we were powerless..."
"Youyue... it's Nilou's fault... If only I were stronger..." Nilou's eyes welled with tears, her voice trembling with self-blame. "It's my fault... I couldn't protect Sister Nabu..."
"Nilou, don't blame yourself. You did everything you could," Nahida reassured her gently. "If anyone should feel guilty, it's me. As the god of Sumeru, I failed to protect her... I'm the one at fault..."
"Don't rush to blame yourselves," Venus said, unable to bear their distress. "She's still alive, after all... Besides, it's not really your fault."
Without a second thought, Li Youyue bit the tip of his tongue, pressed his lips to Nabu's, and transferred the blood from his tongue to her mouth.
Five centuries ago, Li Youyue had first saved Nabu using his tongue-tip blood—his *jingxue*, a vital essence so precious that each drop was worth decades of his lifespan.
When he learned from the System that his *jingxue* could sustain Nabu's life, he had unhesitatingly drawn it to save her, continuing to supply her with a drop each month to this day.
Five centuries had passed, and he had lost count of how many drops he had given her, or how many years of his own life he had sacrificed.
Li Youyue's constitution was inherently extraordinary, far beyond that of ordinary people. He himself didn't fully understand it, and the System had never explained it, only stating that his blood could save lives. Moreover, the years of lifespan he had lost left no visible traces on his body—perhaps they were simply undetectable for now.
As time passed, Li Youyue released Nabu's lips.
Watching her pale jade cheeks and lips gradually regain their color, Li Youyue let out a sigh of relief.
*His own blood was truly miraculous, capable of healing anything.*
*But it came at a cost—it drained his life force.*
*Li Youyue had no idea how many years he had left. He might suddenly drop dead any day.*
*Just as Buer had said: he was literally risking his life to win a girl.*
After confirming Nabu was safe, Li Youyue turned his gaze to Buer and the others.
"Who did this?!" he demanded loudly, his anger and frustration palpable.
*Has the world gone mad?* he thought. *Who dared to inflict such grievous injuries on her, especially here in Sumeru, on my own territory? Do they not know she's the Flower God?!*
"We..." The women exchanged glances. They had only just discovered what had happened themselves and had no idea who was responsible.
Buer spoke up first: "We only found out just now. I was chatting with Venus when Nilou suddenly ran over and told us Nabu had been injured. That's how we found out."
"Youyue... while Sister Nahida and I were training earlier, we saw Sister Nabu collapse at the doorway. After helping her onto the bed, I went to find Sister Buer," Nilou added.
"Ever since I found Sister Nabu, she's been unconscious, not waking up even once until you rushed back, dear," Nahida added.
Li Youyue was stunned.
*Well, there's nothing for it now. If none of them know what happened, we'll just have to wait for Nabu to wake up.*
He gazed at the peacefully sleeping Nabu in his arms, his heart aching with tenderness.
*It's all my fault for not protecting her properly. Letting her go out alone for so long was careless of me.*
*Just as I suspected, Sumeru still harbors some reckless fools. They can't appreciate their peaceful lives and instead come knocking on death's door.*
*It infuriates me.*
*If I had come back even a little later today, Nabu might not have made it.*
*I owe Buer and the others my gratitude. Without them, Nabu might have been lost for good.*
Li Youyue had always cherished Nabu deeply. If anything happened to her, he would lose his mind.
"Darling, how is Nabu... right now?" Buer couldn't help but ask, her voice trembling with worry.
After all, only Li Youyue truly knew her current condition.
........
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(End of Chapter)