Chapter 72: The Invisible Cage

The blood-stained wings were chillingly cold, yet at their tips, a raging fire snaked upwards, following the patterns on the feathers, burning with a fierce hiss.

Fueled by the immense demonic energy infused within them, the ignited feathers transformed into flames that swept towards a certain direction, scorching fiercely.

The Bone Dragon had barely registered an unbearable pain when a crimson light exploded before its eyes.

A pain akin to ten thousand ants gnawing at its heart instantly gnawed at its body, mind, and bones, rendering the sensation of agony uncontrollable.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

At the foot of the mountain, the dragon’s massive form thrashed ceaselessly.

Its increasingly fractured claws tore through the ground beneath, sending碎石 and dust flying wildly.

Even the wild beasts that naturally inhabited the area, if any had lingered, had long since fled in terror from that dreadful roar, leaving not a trace.

In this not-so-vast expanse of heaven and earth, only one figure remained unyielding.

Though her body was hunched low from her injuries, her fierce fighting spirit showed no signs of waning.

Her eyes swept around, and a voice filled with cold resolve echoed, influencing this battlefield and rustling the withered leaves in the wind:

“This is the home created by that person. Be it humans or dragons, how dare you act so recklessly here?”

Massive formations of feathers, assembled into a torrent, whistled down, exploding upon impact with the Bone Dragon’s surface.

Continuous blasts, accompanied by the wails of violence, caused the Bone Dragon’s skeletal structure to crack and shatter, sending the colossal dragon reeling backward.

The long-decided outcome of the battle, after an arduous tug-of-war, now showed signs of being overturned.

The Bone Dragon grew increasingly disheveled, and a rare hint of fear emerged in its bloodshot pupils as it stared intently ahead.

There, the girl who had forged yet another miracle could no longer advance a single inch.

Now that her desperate struggle had ended, only endless regret remained.

As the girl lowered her head and sighed, her physical strength truly completely depleted.

Even if she were to burn her life force further, her limbs could not move even a hair’s breadth.

Her pale arms and legs were frozen in place.

The girl still retained consciousness, but her utmost efforts were, regretfully, forced to end here!

The vast sound of swirling wind across the heavens and earth abruptly ceased the moment it was noticed.

The distant shouts of soldiers, which had once filled the air, now finally faded.

In the crimson world before her eyes, the girl could perceive nothing external.

Yet, within her eyes, a faint light continued to burn.

In truth, the girl felt she should have known all along.

Back then, that person was at an age unfamiliar with emotions, so any words they spoke should not have been taken too seriously.

Although even after growing up, that person’s thoughts hadn’t changed, still professing ‘like’ for her.

However, in many instances, those two words spoken by a boy and the meaning understood by a girl were fundamentally different.

The other party had no ulterior motives; it was simply that for all these years, the girl had interpreted that person’s feelings as being in love with her!

There was nothing to be done. Whether demon or human, a girl’s thoughts were, by and large, similar.

Every girl had the right to willfully misinterpret words, as long as they liked the other person…

Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!

The dragon sensed its opponent’s weakness and immediately extended its recently retracted sharp claws, lunging towards its target.

In the blink of an eye, as the brutal force was about to reach her, the girl thought intently:

‘What good is it to be born with the ability to fly?’

‘In the end, throughout these ten years, when have I ever been able to fly away from that person’s side?’

‘There was clearly no cage to restrict my freedom, yet why could I never fly to other places?’

At this moment, she felt as if she somewhat understood the answer…

Whoosh!

The claw slammed down, sending the tiny figure below flying into the air, a crimson ripple arcing upwards.

She had barely returned to the ground when half of her body was pinned by a powerful dragon claw.

Amidst its roars, the Bone Dragon began to exert force. A mouthful of fresh blood surged into the girl’s throat, then trickled from her beautiful lips.

Just before the light of her life was extinguished, she suddenly let out a laugh from her throat.

That smiling face proved she had come to an understanding.

‘The “cage” had always been there; it was woven around me five years ago, on that very day.’

“With just two simple words, you wove an invisible cage around me… but thankfully, I have always been willing to stay inside it!”

That cold heart’s beating, in a moment of inattention, suddenly accelerated even further.

Why was this happening?

The girl felt puzzled, unable to comprehend the reason for this inexplicable warmth, reminiscent of five years ago, in her dying moments.

It seemed something was rapidly approaching. Faint, indistinct footsteps sounded, drawing nearer.

If that wasn’t enough, perhaps that shout could answer her doubts?

A cry, unique in all the world, pierced through the swirling wind, arriving with a sudden thrust, its sound reverberating through the nine heavens:

“Little Eagle!”

The voice followed the shadow, and the shadow arrived with the light. A streak of white light swept across the girl’s vision, then burst open.

Slowly realizing what had happened, the girl found herself retreating several meters backward, her head cradled in a warm embrace.

In the place she couldn’t see, the Bone Dragon still maintained its posture, claws pressed into the ground, but its prey was no longer there.

In an instant, a thin, circular line appeared at the base of the unfurled dragon claw, cutting it cleanly.

As a red mist sprayed forth, that dragon claw was completely severed from its hind limb, perfectly sliced off.

A mournful dragon’s cry echoed through the area, but the person who had rushed to her side, consumed by their worry, didn’t hear it. The girl herself was even less aware.

‘To live’ was the so-called ‘cycle’!

Ten years ago, a young child lay on a soft lap pillow.

Ten years later, a sweat-drenched head rested on the surface of those bent thighs.

This was the second time she had seen someone whose expression remained normal even while crying.

Comparing it to her past memories, the strange person she saw in her eyes now was still that one, still the same person.

“Little Eagle, I’m sorry, I’m late, I’m sorry…”

‘Why apologize?’

As her consciousness faded, the girl was deeply puzzled by Wang’s attitude.

Throughout their time together, she had only been confident in one judgment: that just now, she immediately knew that person was wrong.

Wang was never late, for she had never truly gone far.

Although they hadn’t achieved that kind of relationship, all these years, between their two figures,

—Either I saw you first, or you found me first.

Yes, it had never changed.

The long-waiting eyes finally closed, and the slender eyelashes gently ceased their trembling.

Finally, a small white gem slipped down her cheek, shattering on the ground, brilliant as light.

“Little Eagle? Little Eagle!”

After the girl in her arms closed her eyelids, Wang, disregarding their current situation on the battlefield, immediately lowered her head, pressing an ear against the chest that no longer rose and fell.