21 - The Eldest Martial Sister Gave Up Treatment

### Chapter 7: I Want to See Her Smile! For Yōu Guǐ, this journey felt unprecedentedly arduous. It wasn’t because the path was long, nor because his body threatened to collapse at any moment. To put it simply, he was navigating a terrible game. In a typical game, you progress through levels with guidance, facing boss after boss, strategizing with character after character. Every time the progress bar reached 100%, it signified a new advancement within the game. The burst of achievement at that moment could easily dispel the monotony of the journey. But this particular "game" was different. Now, his eyes refused to open. His consciousness couldn't extend beyond himself. And the only constant sound by his ears was the howling northern wind. As Yōu Guǐ dragged his broken body across the icy plain, he received almost no feedback. He climbed over ice hills, crawled out from snow valleys with difficulty, and twice fell into the depths of icy pits. Even after overcoming these obstacles, he found no joy. For what lay before him was still an endless darkness! He didn’t know where he had reached. Nor if he was even on the right path. Least of all, whether he could truly reach Haitang Spring Garden before death claimed him. The darkness loomed like a vast abyss, threatening to swallow him completely at the slightest misstep. Don’t imagine that mouth to be warm, moist, and inviting. That place... It was hell! A hell where fear and despair intertwined! Just a glance into its depths made Yōu Guǐ feel his very soul being torn apart. As he traveled, a girl's voice echoed in his mind repeatedly. "You don't need to fight anymore." "Stop now. Promises don't matter—I won't blame you." "Isn't it nice to just stay here with me?" Perhaps, indeed, finding a place to lie down and waiting for the last warmth to leave his body would be better than staying in fear and despair. At that moment, he sat down on a thick sheet of ice. As soon as his tense muscles relaxed, he felt enveloped in a wave of warmth. What a comforting experience that was! Although still unable to open his eyes, through the darkness, Yōu Guǐ glimpsed the splendor of spring. Before him... The ice plain was no longer an ice plain. The snow mountains were no longer snow mountains. Green willows swayed gently by a warm stream. Children chased and played. Barely three feet away, a girl clad in simple, elegant gauze stood gracefully. She looked the same as before. Her soft purple hair exuded a refreshing fragrance. The girl said nothing, nor did Yōu Guǐ. He slowly closed his eyes. In the final moments of his life, he wanted to etch this scene deep into his soul. Yet, amidst this spring breeze, a hand gently tapped his shoulder. "It's not time to sleep yet." "Hmm?" "It's not time to sleep yet." The same phrase, once more. Yōu Guǐ's spine gradually straightened. Had he really been about to fall asleep? Yōu Guǐ "opened" his eyes again. The spring light was gone, so was the girl. He was still in darkness, with the fierce northern wind roaring in his ears. But one...