Pregnant Cultivator, Doted by Big Boss

Chapter 519: Chapter 517: Why, Why Is It Like This?

Seeing him spit up blood, Nerida’s expression changed, and she quickly grabbed his arm.

"Aeron."

She called his name, her face etched with worry as she asked, "What’s wrong with you? Why are you coughing up blood?"

Aeron looked up, shook his head, and gave a faint smile.

"I’m fine."

As soon as he spoke, fresh blood trickled from the corner of his lips.

Nerida’s pupils constricted. She couldn’t help but ask, "Where are you hurt?"

Suddenly, she seemed to realize something. Her gaze fixed on him as she murmured, "No, something’s wrong... Your life force is draining away." She gripped his hand tightly, her face tense, the earlier smile in her eyes now replaced by sheer panic.

Just as Nerida’s words fell, the Array in this place fully activated.

The activated Array was siphoning Aeron’s Cultivation and life force. She saw a bloody mist seep from his body, devoured by the heart of the Array.

"No..."

Nerida, snapping back to her senses, wanted to stop him from activating the Array, but it was too late.

She quickly pulled him up and away from the sacrificial altar.

Standing at the edge of the altar, Nerida never took her eyes off Aeron. His life force and Cultivation were still draining away ceaselessly, transforming into fine threads of bloody mist that drifted into the air, only to be absorbed and devoured by the heart of the Array.

Seeing this, Nerida’s expression turned grim.

Her gaze swept over the area as she whispered, "How do I shut down the heart of this Array?" As she spoke, she gathered her Cultivation, her fingers forming seals, trying to sever his connection to the Array.

A hand reached out and grabbed hers. Aeron looked at her and shook his head slightly. "Don’t waste your energy," he said. "It’s useless. Once this Array is activated, it can’t be stopped."

He smiled as he said this, his eyes offering her comfort.

Yet his hand tightened on hers, gripping it firmly as if she would vanish from his life the moment he let go. His hand was trembling slightly.

The excruciating pain from the loss of his life force and Cultivation made his voice grow fainter.

His own face was growing pale, his body breaking out in a sweat from the pain, yet he was still trying to comfort her. "Don’t worry, wife. My life isn’t in danger."

"Ages ago, our ancestor Iris Ashworth used a Divine Artifact to hide our Silvanis Clan, fearing that someone might secretly leave and bring disaster upon our people. So, she left a contingency. The ancestral teachings state that to open the Array, one needs the blood of a direct descendant of the Silvanis Clan as a catalyst, supplemented by half of their Cultivation. Only then can the passage to the world outside Silvanis be opened."

He chuckled as he spoke.

"Nerida, you said you really wanted to go home, to see your family. Whatever you want, I’ll make it happen for you."

Looking at the Transfer Passage that had appeared nearby, he said, "The Transfer Passage is open. Go, quickly. I’m sorry, wife. I can’t leave with you. I really did want to go back with you and meet your family." As his words fell, his face paled and he coughed up more blood.

"You... go. Quickly."

"Wife, you must not forget me."

"I’ve never regretted knowing you."

He truly, wholeheartedly loved her.

Some might think he was a fool, an idiot, but this was his choice.

As he spoke, streaks of white began to appear in the jet-black hair that fell over his shoulders. His handsome, fair face seemed to age several years in an instant.

Seeing this, Nerida’s eyes reddened.

Disbelief washed over her face as she murmured to herself, "No... why? Why is this happening?"

Aeron’s body slowly collapsed, and Nerida quickly reached out to catch him. "Why didn’t you tell me? Aeron, why didn’t you tell me? You fool, how could you be so stupid? How could you gamble with your own life? I don’t need you to do this! I especially don’t need you to give up your life for me!"

He reached out a trembling hand.

"Then just let me be a fool! Wife, I truly love you."

She held him tightly.

"I know. I know."

He reached up, cupped her face, and pressed a firm kiss to her lips.

"I love you, Nerida."

"No matter where you go in the future, or who you end up with, you must remember that a man named Aeron once loved you. Loved you very much." As his words faded, he used all his remaining strength to push her into the Transfer Passage.

Nerida’s pupils constricted. He was growing more and more distant.

He was waving at her.

"Goodbye, wife."

The moment her body entered the Transfer Passage, it began to slowly close. She watched as he was about to disappear from her sight.

In that moment, Nerida was terrified.

She was afraid she would never see him again.

Never see him... No...

Just as the Transfer Passage was about to close, her figure flashed, and she shot straight back toward him, wrapping him in a tight embrace.

"I’m not leaving. I’m not leaving!"

"I’ll stay here with you. I’m not going anywhere."

She held him, her voice trembling, her arms around him shaking. "Aeron... I only want you. I won’t love anyone else."

The open Transfer Passage had now closed. The heart of the Array finally severed its connection to his body, but the loss of his life force and Cultivation was real and substantial.

She could feel how weak the man in her arms was, as if he might shatter at any moment.

Nerida had never imagined someone would truly be willing to give up their life for her. ’How could anyone be so foolish?’ At that moment, her heart ached with a bittersweet sorrow, which slowly transformed into a gentle, flowing stream of love.

Aeron remained motionless, letting her hold him.

He had just seen her give up her one chance to leave, rushing back to him instead. In that instant, he felt as though his breath had stopped.

Now, feeling her arms still around him, Aeron froze for a moment before murmuring, "Am I dreaming? You’re still here."

He raised his hand and touched hers.

Nerida tightened her embrace.

"I am. I’m here."

Coming to his senses, Aeron grabbed her hand, his expression agitated. He said urgently, "Why didn’t you go? Don’t you want to go home? I went through so much trouble to open the Array. Why did you come back? Are you crazy? What are we going to do now? The Transfer Passage is closed!"

Seeing that she hadn’t left, he was so distraught that he actually started to cry.

Nerida loosened her hold slightly and reached up to gently caress his face.

"You’re still here. How could I possibly leave?"

Her voice was soft yet resonant, laced with a repressed anguish. ’If I had known he would be hurt like this, I would never have let him do it.’

’Heaven knows, watching his life force and Cultivation drain away, I felt my heart stop in that moment.’

"You can’t always just think about me."

Meeting his eyes, Nerida said through gritted teeth, her voice filled with frustration, "How can you be so stupid, Aeron? You need to understand that *you* are the most important one. Never, ever sacrifice your life for anyone. Not even for me."