[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-sky-fell":3,"chapter-after-the-sky-fell-after-the-sky-fell-chapter-116":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Sky Fell",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2280972,4462,"Chapter 116: 116. A Painful Experience","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-116",116,"\u003Cp>116. Chapter 116: A Painful Experience\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing Zhao Qian, who flung herself upon him, weeping uncontrollably, Li Yi was momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected Zhao Qian’s emotions to run so wild—she couldn’t control herself even on the perilous Ghost Street, bursting into tears the moment she saw him, and her demeanor clearly wasn’t joy at reunion, but a deep, soul-crushing grief, as if her heart had died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had happened during this time to make Zhao Qian so heartbroken?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi wanted to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he quickly noticed that her outburst had drawn the attention of nearby yin entities; many chilling gazes turned toward them, and several figures were slowly creeping closer. Fortunately, both had disguised themselves, masking most of their living essence—otherwise, the trouble would have been far worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Zhao, this isn’t a place to talk. Leave quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi’s intuition warned him of approaching danger; he grabbed Zhao Qian, still weeping, and sprinted swiftly into the depths of the alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Avoiding most of the figures on Ghost Street, the danger diminished considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Li Yi stopped at a quiet corner of the alley, confirmed nothing was following, and whispered: “Miss Zhao, last night I dreamed of you. Someone interpreted the dream and said you were contacting me through the Dream-Transmission Technique, so I came straight to Ghost Street. But why are you so heartbroken the moment we meet? What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, calm down. Don’t be afraid. I’m here for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He comforted Zhao Qian, helping her steady her emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian’s eyes were red from crying; she wiped her tears: “Big Brother Yi, Father… Father is in trouble. Many people are hunting us. My junior brothers and sisters have died in droves—the road was littered with corpses. We had nowhere to run. In the end, Father chose to send me back into Ghost Street to seek out Big Brother Yi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, tears spilled down again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master is in trouble? How could this happen? When we last met, he was perfectly fine. Don’t rush—tell me slowly.” Li Yi’s face darkened; only now did he grasp the gravity of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian wiped her tears again, steadied her emotions slightly, then recounted everything: “After parting from Big Brother Yi on Ghost Street, Father and I returned to Xingzhou with the Coffin Lingzhi, back to our martial arts school. Everything went smoothly—until my junior brothers and I accidentally leaked word while preparing medicine for Father, revealing his soul injury and weakened cultivation. Then that vile beast betrayed Father and stole the Coffin Lingzhi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, she clenched her teeth, hatred blazing in her eyes—she longed to carve the traitor into a thousand pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without the Coffin Lingzhi, Father’s wound couldn’t heal, so we searched the entire city for the traitor. But somehow, soon after, many in the city turned on us. Senior brothers were ambushed and killed on the streets. Junior brothers had their heads cut off at night. Senior sisters were dragged into cowsheds and tortured to death. Everyone seemed to be targeting us—they wanted to wipe out the Zhao Family Martial Arts School.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the tragic deaths of her senior sisters and junior brothers, Zhao Qian wept again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi clenched his fists at these words; from her brief account, he felt the raw fury and despair of that time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened after?” He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian continued, her eyes filled with sorrow: “Father, powerless to fight back, fled the city with only a few remaining junior brothers and sisters—including me. We planned to leave Xingzhou and find another path. But the hunters came in waves—several junior brothers died, two senior sisters fell. In the end, only Senior Sister Rongniang and Junior Brother Skinny Monkey remained. Even Father was gravely wounded, unconscious multiple times. When he finally regained consciousness for the last time, he chose to take Rongniang and Skinny Monkey as bait to draw away the pursuers, and sent me to a village to find a shamaness so I could use the Dream-Transmission Technique to find you on Ghost Street.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s how it was.” Li Yi’s eyes burned with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t imagined that during this time, his Master and Zhao Qian had endured such horror—betrayal by their own, a city-wide massacre, desperate flight—until the once-mighty Zhao Family Martial Arts School was reduced to ashes, with only Zhao Qian escaping into Ghost Street barely alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he hadn’t come to Ghost Street to meet her, Zhao Qian would have died too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either she’d perish in Ghost Street, or on the road fleeing Xingzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just what kind of place was Xingzhou, across the Eight Provinces? His Master had merely been injured—and the entire city turned on him, slaughtering his disciples like sharks scenting blood, tearing the martial school apart piece by piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi, raised in the old district of Tianchang City, had lived hard, but at least order was maintained, and basic survival was guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in Xingzhou, it seemed a true world of cannibals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strong devoured the weak—no logic, no mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Li Yi had never experienced Xingzhou’s customs firsthand, he could feel its cruelty and darkness from Zhao Qian’s fragmented words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait—you said Master distracted the pursuers. When exactly did that happen?” Suddenly, Li Yi realized something and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Last night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian looked at Li Yi with swollen eyes, but the hood blocked her view of his face—she could only see the dark openings, where a pair of sharp, gleaming eyes stared back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From last night to tonight—only one day has passed. That means Master may still be alive. If we hurry, we might still save him.” Li Yi spoke seriously: “Since you came back to Ghost Street, it means I can go to Xingzhou too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, Zhao Qian’s dull eyes lit up with sudden hope: “Is… is this really possible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then she quickly shook her head: “No—I can’t drag Big Brother Yi into this. So many senior brothers and junior sisters are already dead. If you die too, Father would never rest in peace. I can’t defy his wishes. He said if I could find you on Ghost Street, I should live with you, so at least the Zhao bloodline and the Zhao Family Martial Arts legacy won’t vanish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t just surviving—she carried burdens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was this pressure that kept her alive; otherwise, she would have chosen to die alongside her father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi immediately said: “Don’t think like that. Master may still be fleeing. If we hurry now, there’s still a chance. If we do nothing, Master and your senior sisters and junior brothers are certain to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian’s expression wavered—she desperately wanted to save her father, yet feared dragging Li Yi into disaster. If they went and failed, both would die—and that would be utter despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, the pursuers are too strong. Big Brother Yi, how long have you trained in fist arts? You’re no match for them. Going won’t help. I know you care for Father and want to save him—but I can’t be so selfish. I can’t let your sacrifice undo Father’s final effort.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She bit her lip, grief flashing in her eyes: “And Father may already be dead…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This ordeal had matured Zhao Qian. She was no longer naive; burdened with responsibility, she now thought of the bigger picture and knew when to let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi fell silent for a moment, then said: “I have a yin horse. If you drip blood on it, it will carry you to the side of a loved one. If Master is still alive, the yin horse will lead us to him. If he’s dead, it will shift its target and take you to another relative—even if we go to Xingzhou, it won’t lead us into danger—worst case, we just waste a trip.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And don’t worry about my strength—I carry weapons that can handle some situations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He patted the sniper rifle slung on his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thing could kill transcendent beings—he didn’t believe any flesh-and-blood martial artist could survive a bullet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhao Qian was swayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She desperately wanted to save her father—but she couldn’t bear the cost of failure. Li Yi’s words removed her fears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worst case, they’d just waste a trip—and if things went wrong, she could always return to Ghost Street with Big Brother Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if… what if Father was still alive, and they could save him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… I don’t know what to do. I leave it to Big Brother Yi. Whatever you decide, I won’t object.” Zhao Qian whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi nodded immediately: “Then it’s settled. I’ll take you to save Master. Time is short—let’s move now. But first, I must do one more thing on Ghost Street. No more talking—follow me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He left the alley and stepped back onto Ghost Street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian, now with a guiding force, no longer felt lost. She kept close behind Li Yi, terrified of losing this last remaining relative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi’s sole purpose in coming to Ghost Street now was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Find the old vendor and buy another mud horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last one had shattered when he returned to the danger zone—it was likely a single-use item. If he used it to follow Zhao Qian to Xingzhou, he’d have none left for his next visit to Ghost Street. He needed a spare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Li Yi’s determination to go to Xingzhou wasn’t only to save his Master—he had another goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Heavenfall Event was imminent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cross-worlders were scrambling to escape Earth, seeking new worlds to survive. Many would be abandoned, doomed to perish with the crumbling world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi had never had contact with cross-worlders before. Now that such an opportunity had appeared, he wouldn’t let it slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Master’s world was habitable, after the Heavenfall, he could find a way to relocate his relatives, friends, and acquaintances there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it meant leaving home, it was better than death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Yi would go ahead—explore, learn what Master’s world was truly like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though risky, he believed it was worth it—for the survival of everyone close to him.\u003C\u002Fp>",1687,"2026-06-20T01:26:56.586Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","dc1a4bfc60bb44595cbda96618ba870530c242f975ddc0abf6089fd6bc1ae916","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-117","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-115",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-sky-fell-cover.jpg"]