Chapter 172: Grand Finale

"Who goes there!"

Qin Sheng's heart skipped a beat. It was already too late to dodge.

Yet Song Qing'an seemed to have no intention of evading at all.

"Young Master?"

Qin Sheng turned around and laid eyes on a familiar face.

"Xiao Nuo?!"

Qin Sheng never expected to encounter Xiao Nuo here in the Listen-Wind Pavilion.

"Elder Sister?"

Xiao Nuo looked at Qin Sheng with equal astonishment, utterly failing to recognize the girl in night-clothed stealth as Qin Sheng herself.

Could it be that she had traveled all the way to this different world?

Xiao Nuo quickly reined in the whirlwind of thoughts racing through his mind.

"Thank goodness, as long as you're safe." Qin Sheng breathed a sigh of relief. Over the past few days, all news regarding Xiao Nuo had been nonexistent; she had specially asked her grandfather to spread the word, and before the news could even return, she had laid eyes on Xiao Nuo in person.

Xiao Nuo pressed his lips together, his expression somewhat tangled and conflicted.

"Why are you in the Listen-Wind Pavilion?" Qin Sheng's brows furrowed slightly as she looked with utmost confusion at Xiao Nuo, who was dressed in the attire of the Listen-Wind Pavilion.

Song Qing'an did not seem surprised in the least. He gently squeezed the palm of Qin Sheng's hand and said, "He is one of the Listen-Wind Pavilion's people."

Qin Sheng's expression froze momentarily, finding it somewhat hard to believe.

"Elder Sister, I am Qin Nuo, and I am also a member of the Listen-Wind Pavilion."

Qin Nuo?!

Qin Sheng felt as though the entire world had turned into a fantasy. She had imagined that Qin Nuo might have been killed by the people of the Listen-Wind Pavilion, but she had never dreamed that he actually belonged to them.

"Could it be that you have surrendered to Song Feng?"

Qin Sheng lightly bit her lower lip, her expression deeply complicated. If Qin Nuo was Song Feng's man, then fundamentally, they stood as enemies.

"He is my man," Song Qing'an remarked out of the blue from the side.

Qin Sheng instantly let out a breath of relief. Fortunately, things had not turned out to be too difficult for her to accept.

"Elder Sister, it turns out I really am your own blood brother." Qin Nuo's expression was filled with excitement; becoming Qin Sheng's biological younger brother was something he had dreamed of, and it had finally come true.

"Xiao Nuo!"

Qin Sheng stepped forward and pulled Qin Nuo tightly into her embrace. This time was entirely different—not only had she found her brother, but she had found her true, biological brother.

Qin Sheng had no idea how Song Qing'an had managed to help her find Qin Nuo, and the gaze she cast toward Song Qing'an carried an extra measure of gratitude.

"I only found out by chance as well," Song Qing'an chuckled softly as he offered an explanation to Qin Sheng.

It did not matter anymore; nothing else mattered. Qin Sheng held Xiao Nuo tightly in her arms, embracing the younger brother she had spent two lifetimes trying to find.

"Elder Sister, you should head back. The night patrols at the Listen-Wind Pavilion are extremely strict. You must be very careful and never act so recklessly again," Qin Nuo instructed Qin Sheng with the utmost solemnity.

Qin Sheng nodded helplessly. She had almost forgotten that Xiao Nuo possessed the protective, big-brother personality radiating a full sense of security; by rashly charging straight into the Listen-Wind Pavilion like this, she was bound to receive a thorough lecture from him.

However, perhaps because Song Qing'an was present, Qin Nuo restrained himself quite a bit today.

"I know, Xiao Nuo. Don't worry."

"Hurry back. Grandfather will certainly worry if he knows you sneaked out."

Qin Sheng looked at Qin Nuo in surprise, and in an instant, everything became crystal clear.

Yet Song Qing'an, the mastermind behind the scenes, acted as though he knew nothing about it at all.

"My mistake. I won't keep things from you from now on."

Noticing Qin Sheng's scrutinizing gaze, Song Qing'an backed down and admitted defeat very quickly.

"It's a deal."

Qin Sheng smiled, once again bringing Song Qing'an into her spatial realm before exiting the Listen-Wind Pavilion.

In the blink of an eye, nearly a month had passed. Qin Sheng had completely adapted to spiritual energy, and her strength had multiplied many times over compared to before.

Jiang Miaomiao and the others had also spent this past month devotedly cultivating their spiritual energy, and now possessed the strength to firmly stand their ground in their respective positions as clan leaders.

Over this past month, a portion of the Listen-Wind Pavilion's forces had already been covertly dismantled by the Five Great Spirit Clans.

The true enemy they had to face was undoubtedly the Master of the Listen-Wind Pavilion, Song Feng.

Song Feng had naturally sensed that the Five Great Spirit Clans were covertly dismantling his forces in recent days, and the superficial veneer of good relations had evidently been torn away.

A major battle was merely hovering on the verge of breaking out.

During this month, Song Qing'an had naturally expanded the forces under his control to an even greater extent. Combined with Qin Nuo acting as an inside man working from within the Listen-Wind Pavilion, the Listen-Wind Pavilion was now nothing more than an empty shell on the surface.

"Song Feng has already absorbed who knows how many people's supernatural abilities. His current strength is bound to be above ours, which is why we must exercise the utmost caution."

Qin Mingming held Qin Sheng's hand with a worried expression and repeatedly cautioned her.

Qin Sheng nodded gently. She had never crossed paths with Song Feng face-to-face, but in her past life, she had witnessed mutants who absorbed others' abilities, so her heart naturally harbored even greater wariness.

"Don't worry, Grandfather. I'll be careful."

Just as the words fell from Qin Sheng's lips, a flurry of commotion erupted outside.

"What's happening?"

Qin Sheng walked out of the house to inquire.

"Clan Leader, word has come that there is unusual movement at the Listen-Wind Pavilion."

Qin Sheng furrowed her brows, a bad premonition rising in her heart. "Go notify Miaomiao and the others. Grandfather, the Listen-Wind Pavilion is stirring again; I'm going to take a look."

"Be careful."

"Alright."

After giving her instructions, Qin Sheng rapidly channeled her supernatural energy and arrived directly beneath the Listen-Wind Pavilion.

To her surprise, Song Qing'an and Lu Shenchen were already there.

"What has happened at the Listen-Wind Pavilion?" Qin Sheng walked up to Song Qing'an and asked.

"Song Feng has undergone a mutation."

Song Qing'an's brows were lightly furrowed as he seemingly continued to observe the situation at the Listen-Wind Pavilion.

A mutation?

Qin Sheng frowned. She had not expected that someone who absorbed others' abilities could also mutate.

Clearly, this was far from good news.

"After the mutation, Song Feng will become even more difficult to deal with," Lu Shenchen added, offering a prompt explanation.

Qin Sheng drew a deep breath, sensing a formidable surge of spiritual energy emanating from the Listen-Wind Pavilion. Fortunately, Song Qing'an channeled his strength to block this formidable wave.

"Sheng-sheng, what's the situation now?"

Jiang Miaomiao, Chu Xingyu, and Lin Xing arrived in a hurry, their expressions exceptionally grave as they looked at the Listen-Wind Pavilion, which was encircled by black mist.

"The Listen-Wind Pavilion is inaccessible; Song Feng has mutated," Qin Sheng explained succinctly.

"Hahahaha, you brats actually harbor delusions of stopping me?!"

A robust, middle-aged male voice resounded from the Listen-Wind Pavilion. Qin Sheng followed the sound and saw Song Feng, shrouded in black mist, ascending into the sky.

The entire sky was instantly weighed down by this black mist, and the daylight grew abruptly dim, as if proclaiming the descent of darkness.

"You are the once-in-a-century clan leaders of the Five Great Spirit Clans? Incompetent fools daring to come and run amok at my Listen-Wind Pavilion!"

The moment Song Feng finished speaking, he raised his hand, and black lightning surged directly toward Qin Sheng and the others.

Everyone instantly summoned their spiritual and supernatural energies, blocking the black onslaught.

"Song Qing'an? My good nephew? Why won't you stand with me?" Song Qing'an caught Song Feng's attention, and the latter asked with sheer disbelief.

Song Qing'an's expression remained as tranquil as ever, though the space between his brows was furrowed, as he couldn't even be bothered to reply to Song Feng.

"Clan leaders of the Five Great Spirit Clans, let me witness your abilities!"

As soon as Song Feng's voice faded, tens of thousands of zombies emerged from the black mist, roaring as they charged straight toward Qin Sheng and the others.

"Prepare for battle!"

The Five Great Spirit Clans consisted of far more than just Qin Sheng and her companions; there were warriors as well.

The great battle was instantly triggered!

Qin Sheng channeled supernatural energy into her left hand while summoning spiritual energy into her right to manipulate the Tang blade as it flashed swiftly among the horde of zombies. Wherever it passed, the heads of the zombies were cleanly severed.

Lu Qingyan led the members of the Metal Spirit Clan into the fray, and the battlefield was filled with the roars and miserable screams of the zombies.

Once Song Qing'an cleared out the zombies in the immediate vicinity, he leaped directly into the air toward Song Feng's location.

A beam of white light radiated from Song Qing'an as he channeled his power—this was the Positive Factor he had spent years searching for!

Qin Sheng hacked and slashed her way through the endless sea of zombies. These were not the ordinary zombies from her original world; the zombies here possessed supernatural abilities, meaning they could only be slain using supernatural or spiritual energy.

Since their spiritual and supernatural reserves were not inexhaustible, injuries were inevitable.

After a bout of intense attacks, Qin Sheng's body was stained with considerable blood, though none of it belonged to her; it all belonged to the zombies.

With her eyes reddened from slaughter, Qin Sheng unleashed her wood-type spiritual energy to its maximum limit. Wherever her spiritual energy reached, the depleted energy of her comrades was instantly replenished.

Seeing this, Jiang Miaomiao, Chu Xingyu, and the others all released their supernatural abilities, and within mere minutes, the zombies summoned by Song Feng were completely slaughtered.

Even so, they inevitably suffered a depletion of their spiritual energy. A layer of fine sweat broke out across Qin Sheng's forehead. When she raised her gaze to look at Song Feng in the sky, she saw that after exchanging several blows with him, Song Qing'an had clearly been forced back a distance.

In the next second, Song Feng reached out and grabbed Song Qing'an by the throat.

Qin Sheng's heart jolted with alarm. She rapidly gathered her strength, flew to Song Qing'an's side, and swung her Tang blade down toward Song Feng.

Dodging the strike, Song Feng simultaneously released his grip on Song Qing'an.

"How are you?"

Meeting Qin Sheng's worried gaze, Song Qing'an shook his head slightly to signal that he was unharmed.

Regaining his balance, Song Qing'an watched as Qin Sheng once again gathered her strength and charged at Song Feng. The two engaged in fierce combat almost immediately, black mist intertwining with Qin Sheng's red supernatural energy and green spiritual energy as both sides fought on equal footing.

"Is that the extent of your abilities?" Song Feng sneered coldly. In the next instant, the black mist violently wrapped around the red and green energies, and a powerful surge of supernatural energy forcefully blasted Qin Sheng backward.

Song Qing'an caught Qin Sheng in the nick of time.

Having been injured by the black mist, Qin Sheng coughed up a large mouthful of fresh blood.

Watching the blood linger at the corners of Qin Sheng's lips, Song Qing'an felt a sharp pang of heartache.

"Your opponent is me."

Song Qing'an's eyes turned hazardous and sharp. Setting Qin Sheng down on the ground, he gathered his power once more and soared back up.

"Sheng-sheng!"

Seeing that Qin Sheng had sustained heavy injuries, Jiang Miaomiao hurried over, channeling her healing abilities to transfuse energy into Qin Sheng.

Only then did the tightly knitted brows of Qin Sheng relax slightly.

"Go and help... Song Qing'an..."

"Alright."

With her wood-type spiritual energy recovering substantially, Qin Sheng prepared to take flight once more, but just as she did, she saw Song Qing'an's entire body enveloped in a blinding white light.

"Oh no, Song Qing'an is going to offer a sacrifice!" Lu Shenchen clenched his fists tightly, repelling the incoming wave of zombies around him while tears welled up and flooded his eyes.

Has it come to this? Does it still require Song Qing'an to sacrifice the Positive Factor in order to achieve victory?

"No!"

Qin Sheng let out a piercing cry, rapidly channeling her energy as she flew toward Song Qing'an.

The exact second before she could touch Song Qing'an, her vision was engulfed by a blinding flare of white light.

"Song Qing'an!"

Like a helpless child who had lost the way home, Qin Sheng wept uncontrollably as tears streamed from her eyes. Braving the unbearable white light, she threw herself forward toward Song Qing'an regardless of the cost.

"I'm going to break my promise once again, Ah Sheng."

"Song Qing'an, no! I'm begging you, please don't leave me..."

Once she could see clearly, Qin Sheng rushed forward and embraced Song Qing'an tightly. Hearing his feeble voice, she felt as though the greater half of her heart had been ripped away.

"No."

"Don't..."

Disregarding everything else, Qin Sheng poured her spiritual energy frantically into Song Qing'an's body.

"I'm a little tired. Will you stay with me?"

Song Qing'an raised his hand with a trembling motion, placing it over the hand Qin Sheng was using to channel spiritual energy into him, thereby stopping her from continuing her futile efforts.

"Song Qing'an, you are forbidden to die! Did you hear me?!" Qin Sheng wept hysterically, holding his entire body as she desperately pumped her spiritual energy into him.

Jiang Miaomiao and the others surrounded Qin Sheng and Song Qing'an, sighing heavily as they had no idea how to comfort her.

Qin Sheng gathered Song Qing'an into her arms and stepped into her spatial realm.

No one else knew where Qin Sheng had taken Song Qing'an.

Resting in Qin Sheng's embrace, Song Qing'an looked around the spatial realm. Gazing at the place so full of life and warmth, he let out a light chuckle. "Is this where you used to hide from me?"

Qin Sheng's voice was hoarse from crying, yet she still nodded in response to Song Qing'an.

"Ah Sheng, I love you. If there is ever another chance, I hope we can live here, carefree, for the rest of our lives."

Unable to speak through her sobs, Qin Sheng nodded vigorously.

"I only wish for your happiness." Song Qing'an slowly closed his eyes, and gradually, he could no longer hear Qin Sheng's weeping.

Song Qing'an, are you willing to leave Qin Sheng all alone in this world?

Song Qing'an, are you willing to leave Qin Sheng all alone in this world?

Knowing that he was already dead, Song Qing'an felt momentarily dazed upon hearing this continuously looping question in his mind.

"I am not willing..."

Even amidst the daze, he answered the question nonetheless.

He was unwilling to leave Qin Sheng alone; he wished to accompany Qin Sheng through aging and death, depending on one another for a lifetime.

Song Qing'an closed his eyes once more, and a beam of white light emerged from the spot right over his heart.

The final fragment of the Positive Factor had actually been resting within Song Qing'an all along.

In the span of a single breath, the fragments of the Positive Factor merged into one. The world, previously blanketed in black mist, was instantly cleared away by this radiant beam of white light.

After the darkness, a clear sky was bound to follow.

In her daze, Qin Sheng beheld Song Qing'an stepping out from within the white light.

The reunited Positive Factor had reshaped Song Qing'an's completely shattered body, and the world had finally shown partiality to Song Qing'an just once.

"Ah Sheng, I have returned to marry you."

"You've come back, Song Qing'an..."

"Will you marry me?"

"I do."

[The End]