Chapter 34: Failure? The Jade Bracelet Shattered

Should I use it or not?

Bian Changxi was fiercely conflicted inside.

If she didn’t use the second-tier green core, she’d run out of energy crystals, and there’d be nothing more she could do for Shadow. She didn’t know if he’d survive, but she had a bad feeling those black specks wouldn’t let her get away unscathed.

But if she did use it, her foundation was too weak. The energy in a second-tier crystal was so abundant and powerful that she couldn’t possibly control it right away. And Shadow wasn’t even an ability user—if she poured that kind of energy into him, it might kill him instantly!

Unless...

*Crack!*

With a soft sound, the fourth crystal finally turned into a dull gray stone and crumbled into powder. Everyone’s face fell. The worst had happened.

It was as if a monster that had been suppressed was suddenly unleashed. At almost the same moment, Gu Xu and Wu Dalang felt Shadow’s condition turn violent and unstable. Bian Changxi, meanwhile, felt those black specks surge straight into her palm!

She hurriedly mustered the last of her powers to fight back, while her other hand flipped over and pulled out the second-tier green core.

The emerald glow was especially striking and beautiful in the darkness. Even a layperson could sense the immense energy contained within.

It was the vibrant, flourishing energy of life itself—full of hope and vitality, yet also hiding unknown dangers.

Gu Xu, having been guided by Bian Changxi before, immediately recognized it as a second-tier crystal.

He looked at Bian Changxi’s face, hazy in the green light, wanting to say something but ultimately holding back. His handsome face was tense. No matter what happened today, he owed Bian Changxi a huge debt.

But Bian Changxi wasn’t so optimistic. She knew that if Shadow died, whether it was Gu Xu or the others, they’d all hold it against her. At this point, moving forward would be a favor, but retreating would make her an enemy. Besides, she didn’t want all her efforts to go to waste, nor did she want to bow to those hateful, unknown black specks.

Gritting her teeth, she clenched the crystal in her palm.

The energy density in the crystal was too high, and there were too many impurities. To put it simply, when an ability user absorbed it for cultivation, they had to refine it inside themselves, purifying and taming it for their own use.

Shadow couldn’t withstand second-tier energy. But if Bian Changxi acted as a filter—refining and smoothing the energy before passing it on—the outcome could be very different.

It was a good idea in theory. But as Bian Changxi held her breath and tried to draw the crystal’s energy into her body, a huge surge of power crashed in without mercy, like a flood bursting through a dam, impossible to stop.

Her mind buzzed, as if she’d been swept away by a blinding white torrent. She couldn’t see a thing, and the pain in her body was magnified to the extreme. If she borrowed the terminology from martial arts novels, she’d say her powers usually flowed through certain meridians, but now the foreign energy was so fierce and overwhelming that it forcibly tore through her channels, expanding and ripping them apart. Bian Changxi felt like she was being shredded to pieces, and she could almost spit blood from the agony.

She was terrified—she’d overestimated herself. If this went on, her powers would be severely damaged, just like in her previous life.

Gu Xu and Wu Dalang saw her whole body convulse violently. The crystal in her right hand blazed with green light, and then, as if conducting electricity, her left hand—pressed to Shadow’s neck—also lit up. Shadow groaned and began to convulse violently.

But that wasn’t all. Something on Bian Changxi’s left wrist began to vibrate, buzzing twice. In an instant, her sleeve tore apart with a ripping sound, and a white circular object spun into the air above her slender wrist.

Gu Xu and Wu Dalang stared in shock. Gu Xu, sensitive to powers, sensed a huge amount of energy pouring into the object, but before he could react, it flared with white light and exploded with a bang.

Bian Changxi was thrown aside, landing heavily. When she opened her eyes, she stared blankly at the shattered jade bracelet, unable to process what had just happened.

In the distance, Lin Rongrong and the others, who had been anxiously waiting, saw the commotion and couldn’t hold back any longer. They grabbed their flashlights and rushed over.

“What happened?”

“What was that? Did something explode?”

“How’s Shadow?”

They all spoke at once. Gu Xu and Wu Dalang didn’t know how to answer. Bian Changxi just stared at a piece of the jade bracelet in her hand, then silently gathered the rest of the fragments, not saying a word—her silence was unsettling.

Lin Rongrong, not knowing what had happened, nervously helped her search for the pieces with her flashlight.

The others focused on Shadow. Seeing that he’d stopped struggling, Qiu Yun exclaimed, “Is Shadow okay?” But as he got closer, his expression changed. He quickly checked Shadow’s neck and cried out in shock, “No pulse!”

“What?!”

Gu Xu rushed over to check, his face instantly turning ashen. The others hurried to try as well, all of them stunned.

“How could this happen? He was just... What exactly happened just now?” Qiu Yun’s eyes reddened as he shouted at Bian Changxi, “What did you do to Shadow?”

Wu Dalang and Qiu Feng quickly turned Shadow over and began emergency resuscitation. Gu Xu stepped back, frozen, his face tight, lips pressed thin, hands clenched so hard they creaked. He couldn’t accept the bad news, but the truth was right in front of them. They were all used to seeing death—there was no way they’d all be mistaken. Shadow was truly, utterly dead. In an instant.

But Gu Xu kept his composure and barked at Qiu Yun, “Qiu Yun, shut up! Miss Bian did everything she could.”

“Did everything she could? He was getting better, and now he’s suddenly dead? This is what you call doing your best?”

Lin Rongrong, still picking up jade fragments, couldn’t stand it anymore. She shoved Qiu Yun. “What’s that supposed to mean? He was half-dead to begin with. If it weren’t for Changxi, he’d have turned into a monster already. Who knows why he suddenly died? You think Changxi wanted this? You think she did it on purpose? If you’re so capable, why didn’t you save him yourself? Changxi already said she wasn’t sure she could do it. If your captain hadn’t begged her, she wouldn’t have gotten involved! If we’d known you’d act like this, we wouldn’t have bothered. You can live with your monster for all I care!”

She usually seemed quiet and refined, but when she opened her mouth, the words flew like firecrackers. She rolled up her sleeves, put her hands on her hips, and with the flashlight shining up from below, she looked every bit the fierce woman.

Qiu Yun glared, chest heaving, veins bulging on his neck. Gu Xu tried to pull him back, but he shook him off hard. Gu Xu, already in a foul mood, lost his temper too and used force. Qiu Yun resisted, butting heads with Lin Rongrong like a mad bull. “I just want to know why this happened. Why are you so defensive? Are you hiding something? You’d better give me an explanation—Shadow can’t just die for no reason!”

Gu Xu suddenly punched him. “What do you mean, ‘no reason’? You think someone deliberately tried to hurt Shadow? I was the one who suggested bringing her here. If you suspect her, you suspect me too!”

Wu Dalang, seeing that Shadow couldn’t be saved, forced down his grief and said heavily, “No one wanted this to happen. We’re all upset, but watch what you say!”

Qiu Yun still wanted to argue, but Qiu Feng suddenly stood up, grabbed him by the collar, and slammed him against the wall. “Enough! Just let Shadow go in peace. Shut up, will you?”

*Thanks to Vajra Warrior No. 4 for the scented sachet! Really appreciate it, thank you! O(∩_∩)O~*

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