My Clones Can Cultivate

Chapter 40: Let’s Head Back

Chapter 40

BACK TO THE PRESENT...

Li Yuexin dodged another spike strike, but it was followed by multiple other spikes that came for her. Many of them pierced her body, but she made sure that none of them struck her vital points.

Instead of crying out in pain as searing agony rushed through her nerves and more blood pooled beneath her feet, she only let out a small smile. That smile was almost harmless, yet the three-spiked gorilla she was fighting felt chills crawl up his spine.

He was starting to regret his life choices, especially the one concerning fighting this human girl. In his defense, how was he supposed to know that this girl would be far from normal? Even calling her abnormal felt like an insult to how freakish she was becoming with every passing moment.

If it were any other human who had suffered as many injuries as she had and lost as much blood as she had, then forget about continuing to fight.. they would have been dead long ago. But her? She didn’t even seem to notice it.

No, she noticed it; the problem was that instead of causing her to collapse, she seemed to be enjoying it.

Li Yuexin twisted her body and used Surging Impact to slice off all the spikes impaling her. The spikes shattered apart, causing waves of pain to strike the three-spiked gorilla, who reeled ever so slightly from the surge of agony.

Li Yuexin immediately capitalized on that opening. Using Stream Mirage and Flowing Current, she delivered as many strikes as she could manage. Soon the two separated once again. Li Yuexin looked far worse now.

Several wounds marred her once pristine skin. Every inch of her body apart from her face was dyed red. Even her face was covered in both her own blood and her opponent’s blood.

The three-spiked gorilla was not much better off. Instead, he was also in a dreadful state.

Dark red blood gushed from countless wounds across his massive body. The places where his spikes had been cut off were especially gruesome to behold. The three-spiked gorilla and Li Yuexin were both gasping for breath, their faces pale from exhaustion.

Li Yuexin felt another wave of pain hit her, and she groaned slightly. Unlike what anybody else might think upon seeing her smile while fighting in such a condition, it was not that she didn’t feel pain.

Actually, it was the complete opposite. She felt the pain deeply. Instead of crying out, she focused all of it into her body and physique, using the pain itself to fuel the boost she was receiving.

The three-spiked gorilla stood straight once more, his once imposing figure seeming far worse than before. He growled loudly as he forced a few human words out of his mouth. "Human... leave... or die."

He gestured toward the direction from which the group had come. He was giving them a chance to leave this place alive even after they had slaughtered all of the two-spiked gorillas. Clearly, the three-spiked gorilla no longer wanted to continue fighting.

And he believed the same was true for the human female. After all, she looked even worse than he did. Surely she would jump at this opportunity and flee with the others. At least, that was what he expected.

But Li Yuexin didn’t do as he expected. Instead of turning tail, she bent her back slightly and held the three swords once more. One in her mouth. One in each hand. Seeing her stance, the gaze of the three-spiked gorilla turned ugly. Really ugly.

This human was simply too much. Li Yuexin’s voice remained soft despite her current appearance. "Sorry, but I have to decline. I need to find someone really important. And since you’re standing in my way, I have to kill you first and then find him."

The three-spiked gorilla heard those words and became furious. Absolutely furious. A thunderous growl erupted from his throat before a few more words escaped his mouth. "Damn... humans... Die!"

"As you wish."

Li Yuexin’s face betrayed no anxiety. She charged forward. Moving directly toward the three-spiked gorilla. The gorilla also charged forward in rage. The next round of their deadly clash began. The battle became more and more brutal.

Both sides suffered gruesome injuries while dealing devastating damage in return. The battle appeared evenly matched. It seemed as though the two would simply kill each other at this point.

No one could tell who would win. The answer soon revealed itself. The battlefield fell silent. In the middle of the clearing stood two figures. A young human girl. And a terrifying three-spiked gorilla.

The gorilla’s spiked fist had pierced through the young woman’s neck. Blood dripped from her mouth. Yet despite what seemed like an inevitable end, the young woman only looked at the gorilla and smiled faintly. "See... I told you... You lose."

The moment those words left her mouth, the head of the gorilla slid from its neck. A fountain of blood erupted into the air. The massive body remained standing for a brief second before collapsing.

Blood splashed across Li Yuexin’s beautiful face. She slowly wiped some of it away with her tongue. Then she removed the beast’s hand that was buried deep within her neck. Blood immediately gushed out.

Only after confirming that she had won did relief flood her veins. She had done it. At the very end, she had defeated an opponent who far surpassed her. But relief was quickly followed by pain. So much pain.

Her entire being trembled violently. Throughout the battle, she had continuously redirected the agony into focus and strength. Now that the fight was over, all of that pain came crashing back. It ravaged her body. Her soul. Her spirit.

She felt unbearable agony. So much that she groaned and let out a small cry of pain. But soon after came numbness. A strange numbness that spread through her entire being. Her vision began to dim. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Her strength left her body. Before she knew it, she was falling. The world darkened around her. Still, despite everything, only one thought remained in her mind. She was close. Very close. To finding Li Yu.

"Sister Yuexin, stay with us!" "Please don’t die, or else I’ll get into big trouble!" "Little Sister Yuexin, come on! Hold on a little while longer!"

The voices became more and more distant. Yet Li Yuexin could still tell who they belonged to. The first belonged to Jie. The second belonged to his younger brother, Xie. And the final one the one that sounded the most concerned... belonged to Li Feng.

I won’t die... Li Yuexin thought weakly. She still needed to find him. She would find him. Brother Yu... I’m coming... With that final thought, she lost consciousness completely and descended into nothing but endless darkness.

------

Pain... Mind-numbing pain. That was the first thing Yuexin felt as her dizziness slowly faded away. As she opened her eyes, she discovered that she was inside some kind of cave.

Not too far away, Li Jie and the others were sitting around a fire while cooking something, probably food that had been stored inside Li Jie’s storage ring. They all seemed to be in a much better state now.

They must have already consumed the healing elixirs that the group had on hand. Now that she thought about it, wasn’t she feeling better as well? Far better than someone who should have been on the verge of death.

She lowered her gaze and looked at her body. There were still a few wounds here and there, but she was in a much better condition than she had expected. Most of her injuries had already been treated and carefully wrapped up.

It seemed that Li Feng and the others had stepped in and saved her. Sensing Yuexin’s gaze on him, Li Feng turned and gave her a small smile. He scooped some of the food into a bowl before walking toward her. "Sister Yuexin, how are you feeling? Any better?" he asked.

Yuexin only gave a small nod. "I feel far better... thanks," she added after a few seconds. Li Feng shook his head. "No need to thank me or the others, really.

If anything, you’re the one we ought to thank. If you hadn’t shouldered the brunt of the battle yourself, none of us would have survived if we had gone against that three-spiked gorilla."

Yuexin only nodded before turning her attention toward the bowl he was carrying. It was one of her favorites. A rich boiled broth filled with meat, vegetables, and fragrant spices. The aroma drifted into her nose, and she couldn’t help but swallow.

"You must be hungry after all that fighting and all the energy it took for your body to recover. Here." Li Feng handed her the bowl. Of course, Yuexin didn’t refuse. She accepted it immediately and began eating.

Li Feng sat beside her while quietly watching her stuff herself with food. He couldn’t help but feel that she looked kind of cute right now. When she wasn’t covered in blood and didn’t have that terrifying maniac-like smile plastered across her face, she actually looked rather harmless.

Li Feng could still vividly remember her battle against the three-spiked gorilla. Her speed. Her strength. Her agility. Her brutal yet efficient fighting style. Everything about it inspired fear, awe, and dread within him.

He respected her greatly. But at the same time, he felt a deep sense of fear whenever he imagined himself standing on the opposite side of her sword.

A cold shiver ran down his spine every time that thought crossed his mind. She was kind of scary. And really cute. At the same time.

Li Yuexin spoke between mouthfuls of food.

"Brother Feng, is there something on my face?" She asked without even looking up, her full attention still focused on eating. Li Feng coughed awkwardly. His face turned a faint shade of red as he quickly shook his head.

"No, not that." He paused before continuing. "I was just thinking... you lost so much blood back there while fighting the three-spiked gorilla. No normal human should have been able to survive that long and still remain alive after losing that much blood.

" Yuexin’s expression became slightly solemn for a brief moment before she continued eating. "Maybe I’m not a normal human then." Her words came out slightly muffled due to the food in her mouth. Li Feng only let out a small chuckle.

A few moments later, however, his expression became serious. His tone lowered considerably. "In order to heal ourselves and treat your injuries, we’ve used up the last of the healing potions we brought on this trip."

His voice grew quieter and quieter. He knew very well that what he was about to say would likely anger Yuexin. But he had no choice. If he didn’t speak up now and they continued deeper into the forest only to encounter another beast like that three-spiked gorilla, then it would truly be the end of them.

Li Feng took a deep breath before continuing. "We’ve already gone too deep into this forest, and there is still no sign of Li Yu anywhere." His gaze became solemn. "I think we should go back."

He waited. Expecting Yuexin to react immediately. Perhaps she would shout. Perhaps she would become angry. Perhaps she would coldly reject him.

After all, whenever matters concerning Li Yu were involved, she often lost much of her usual calm composure. But surprisingly, none of that happened. Her expression remained calm. Completely calm.

She continued eating her food without showing the slightest sign of hostility. After a while, she finally finished the entire bowl. She placed it down beside her and drank some water. Only then did she speak.

Her tone was calm. Yet strangely confident. "He is still alive." Li Feng froze slightly. Yuexin slowly lifted her gaze toward the bright moon illuminating the night sky outside the cave. Its silver light reflected within her blue eyes.

Then she continued. "I can feel it." Her voice remained soft but firm. "He is close by." A faint certainty shone within her eyes. "I can feel it. And I believe..." She paused briefly before finishing her sentence. "...that I will find him soon."

Li Feng cut her off, his tone sounding slightly offended. "We no longer have any healing potions with us. If we are to encounter any other big trouble, it would be over," he said, trying to sound persuasive.

But Li Yuexin only shook her head slightly before speaking. "I told you guys from the beginning that you didn’t have to follow me. You have your free will, and you have the right to turn back and leave. I wouldn’t hold it against you."

She paused briefly before continuing. "But if you think I will give up until I find him, then you are deeply wrong, Brother Feng. I will find him." Li Feng wanted to speak, but seeing her gaze, he closed his mouth.

She was wearing that gaze again. The gaze that spoke only one thing. She had already made up her mind. And once Li Yuexin made up her mind, no one could change it. Li Feng frowned deeply and, without saying another word, left her side, his thoughts complicated and conflicted.

Li Yuexin could see all of that, of course. But she couldn’t stop. She would find Li Yu, just as he had always found her. Her hand moved toward the carved doll hanging at her side, her expression becoming distant, as though she were looking into a faraway past.

------

Several years ago... Little Yuexin sat alone as she watched her peers roaming around and having fun, playing all sorts of childish games. Her gaze was blank as she looked at them. She wanted to join them.

She wanted to laugh and play with them. After all, she had missed playing with other children as well. But then she shook that thought away. She wasn’t like the other children. The scars of what had happened to her several months ago still haunted her.

And she didn’t believe that she would ever be able to live like a normal child again. Besides, looking at them, they didn’t seem to care about her one bit anyway. Just then, a voice reached her ears.

"Hey there." She turned her listless gaze to the side and spotted another child walking toward her. He wore a small, gentle smile on his face. The boy stopped right in front of her and looked at her blank expression with childish curiosity.

Then he extended his hand for a handshake.

"My name is Li Yu," he said with a bright smile. "What is yours?"

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Hey everyone, it’s your gentle author Ultra here!

There will only be one Chapter today because I got caught up in some rather troublesome situations. Don’t worry, I’m currently wrestling with them, and hopefully they’ll be defeated soon.

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Ultra