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The silence hung over the Silver Winged Family's ravaged courtyard, the smell of blood mingling with the scorched ground.
Sikong Yi'w silver-feathered wings trembel faintly behind his back, as he stared at the jade vial resting in Nie Li's hand.
The pulsing emerald liquid cast an eerie glow.
Deep within his soul realm, he felt a yearning as if the glowing elixir whispered promises of salvation to his dying body.
His wings twitched in an involuntary spasm. Overhead, drawn by the devastation and the intoxicating medicinal scent drifting into the sky, a flock of massive Thunderbirds circled in the gloom, their piercing cries echoing through the night.
Realization crashed over Sikong Yi, this was no common potion. It was the key to unshackling his clan from their generational curse.
He swallowed hard, his throat parched and dry. The rage and humiliation that had consumed him moments earlier dissolved into a feverish infatuation.
"What… what bet?" Sikong Yi rasped, he looked into Nie Li's freezing blue eyes. "I want no games, boy! The Silver Winged Family does not spawn cowards, we will fight to the death if we must!"
Nie Li's expression remained mocking, slowly shaking his head as if watching a child throw a tantrum.
"I don't give a damn about your life," Nie Li said, "Only Duan Jian does and the bet isn't with me, it's with him."
With a casual flick of his wrist, Nie Li tossed the jade vial through the air. The bottle traced a luminous arc across the dark sky like a falling green star.
Sikong Yi lunged forward, his wings snapping wide as he snatched the vial out of the air. He pulled it against his chest, clutching it with trembling fingers as though it was the most precious thing in this world.
His sunken eyes gleamed with awe, quickly changed to suspicion as he searched Nie Li's face for any sign of deceit.
"What do you mean by this?" the Patriarch demanded.
Nie Li said, "Three months from now, you and your Silver Winged Family will face Duan Jian in a formal blood feud match. It ends only with the death of either him or your chosen champion. Every member of your clan can nominate themselves… hell, all of them can step forward and fight if they dare. But once they enter that ring, they fight to the bitter end, no matter the cost. If any try to flee or refuse, I will cut them down myself."
He paused, letting the crushing gravity of the ultimatum settle over the Silver Winged Clan.
"If Duan Jian wins, your family's fate falls entirely into his hands. If your side wins, I will personally provide this cure for every single member of your clan, no matter the cost to me. On top of that, I will secure a prosperous domain for your people in the surface world."
Sikong Yi's breath hitched in his throat. His thoughts raced furiously as suspicion warred against the promise of salvation.
The terms were staggering. It offered cure for his dying lineage, offering them an escape from this prison into the bountiful world above. Yet he was no fool; Nie Li's terrifying strength and bottomless knowledge made every promise feel like a trap.
He shifted his gaze toward Duan Jian. The youth who had recently been a chained, battered 3-Star Gold Rank was now radiating dense spiritual pressure of a Peak Black Gold Rank expert.
A menacing aura rolled off the young dragon warrior, setting Sikong Yi instincts on high alert.
Three months. What terrifying miracles could Nie Li work with this boy in three months? Advanced elixirs, legendary weapons, inscriptions, supreme martial techniques, the endless possibilities gnawed at the Sikong Yi's mind.
'This bastard cannot be allowed to live,' Sikong Yi calculated silently, his thoughts turning ruthless. 'I will use the forbidden technique of the Silver Wing bloodline. This elixir will purge my bodily decay and restore me to my prime. Once my peak condition is reclaimed, combined with the sacrifice of the forbidden art, I can obliterate this brat even if he steps into the Legend Rank!'
'If I do not kill him now and instead allow him to grow unchecked, three months from now my family will not even have the right to stand as his opponents!'
A resolve hardened in Sikong Yi's mind. The price of that ancestral technique was horrifying, it required the sacrifice of his own life force. He had hesitated to ever consider it, but if burning his own soul guaranteed the eradication of this youth and secured the salvation of his lineage, then laying down his life was a price he would pay.
Standing behind Xiao Ning'er, Duan Jian stared at Sikong Yi with pure hatred. Both of his eyes were bloodshot, burning with the hunger of a wounded beast.
In this moment, the memories of his childhood flashed across his mind, the carefree days when he lived without fear or sorrow, sheltered beneath the loving embrace of his parents.
Until the day the Silver Winged Family dragged them into the dirt, butchering his father and mother before his eyes and stealing everything he had ever loved.
From that bloody day forth, he had lived solely for vengeance.
The thousands of barbed lashes, the endless days and freezing nights of torture, and the cruel chains binding his flesh had not broken him, they had tempered his will into unyielding steel.
Sikong Yi had reached his resolution, yet outwardly he continued to hesitate.
Nie Li caught the reluctance and let out a sneer, "That elixir will fully restore your strength, and I am certain you possess some desperate secret method to push beyond your limits," Nie Li said, his tone dripping with disdain. "You are supposed to be a true Legend Rank expert. Are you genuinely trembling in fear even now? And you still have the gall to claim your clan breeds no cowards?"
Sikong Yi let out a low snarl, his silver wings snapping taut as white-hot fury flared in his chest.
"You dare!" he hissed, "You grind our faces into the dirt and mock us again and again! I am no coward, but neither am I an idiot! Gambling the survival of my entire bloodline is not a game I play lightly!"
"Coward," Nie Li repeated, his voice laced with venomous scorn. "Fine. Consider this: in honor of the Silver Winged Family's ancient service during the Age of Darkness, your ancestors' bloody sacrifices against the demon beast hordes, and your historical loyalty to the Woodland Empire of old, I will grant you a shred of mercy. Win or lose, a fragment of your lineage will be permitted to survive. But they will swear eternal servitude to me, your proud clan will become my obedient dogs."
The words struck like a barbed whip across the patriarch's face, stoking a blaze of humiliation in his gut yet he could not afford to reject.
Sikong Yi glanced back at Hongyue. His daughter stood petrified, her eyes wide with fear and helplessness.
He desperately wished for the counsel of his elders, but Sikong Yan and Sikong Wei were already cold corpses soaking the stones with their blood, and the third elder remained stationed miles away at the trading town.
There was only his daughter, and she was far too shaken to offer strategic counsel.
Letting out a heavy breath, Sikong Yi finally bowed his head in acceptance. "You will honor this agreement. Swear it."
Nie Li's eyes narrowed into arrogant slits. "I have no need to scheme against a petty mountain clan. You are mere ants beneath my boots; do not delude yourself into thinking we stand as equals. If my goal was your extermination, your compound would already be a sea of ash. Duan Jian will fight; his victory will dictate your clan's punishment. Even if he chose to show mercy, the surrounding families you've oppressed would tear you apart the moment my back was turned. My word stands absolute. Unlike your clan, my honor is not cheap enough to be discarded on a whim. You simply are not worth the effort of a lie."
Sikong Yi's jaw clamped shut, and his fingers tightened around the jade vial.
"I know what you are thinking," Nie Li added, his tone entirely flat. "No alchemist in this entire realm has the ability to analyze or replicate that recipe. Now, hand over the Stones of Light. I know you have hoarded every one you could find. We will return in three months' time, and your fate will be sealed. Do not attempt anything foolish, I have eyes everywhere."
Nie Li took a slow step forward, "One more condition: in this death match, the mainline of the clan and the direct bloodlines of the three elders must step into the ring. Every single person who had a hand in Duan Jian's torment will stand before him. If any of them attempt to hide, I will personally hunt them down and tear their heads from their shoulders. This blood feud ends on that day, no lingering grudges, no hidden vendettas. When the dust settles, the survivors will bow their heads and serve me. Understood?"
Duan Jian stepped up, his dark eyes glowing with a blaze. "I agree with Master's terms," he continued, "Not every soul in this territory deserves death, only the butchers who ripped my world apart. Master has granted me the path to justice, and I will not waste it."
Sikong Yi lowered his gaze, his broad shoulders sagging under the weight of an unavoidable execution.
"Understood," he muttered, his hollow voice carrying the bitterness of a condemned man.
The duel loomed before him like a guillotine. They could not flee, and they could not hide; they had no choice but to face this dragon in three months, even if it marked their end.
Nie Li's gaze softened slightly as he turned back to Duan Jian. "Come. We are leaving," he instructed. "Your moment will arrive soon enough."
Duan Jian cast one last venomous glare across the trembling ranks of the Silver Winged warriors, his fists slowly unclenching as he stepped back in obedience to his master.
"Three months," he whispered, "I will be ready."
Nie Li turned his head, casting a look at the defeated patriarch, "You cannot begin to fathom the true depths of the outside world. The apex clans of the continent could crush your entire mountain settlement without breaking a sweat. You are nothing to them. Obedience is your only avenue of survival, and preserving a seed of your lineage is a divine gift. Learn gratitude, because treachery will earn you nothing but extinction. I do not grant second chances to traitors, and certainly not to enemies of my people."
Reluctantly, Sikong Yi reached into his spatial ring and retrieved a bundle of shimmering stones, handing them over.
The twenty-three Stones of Light hummed with spatial energy.
"Duan Jian," Nie Li said quietly as the group turned their backs on the ruined estate, "your current foundation is still insufficient to defeat that old dog. These upcoming three months will be your test. Do not lose sight of what lies ahead."
Duan Jian met his master's eyes, his resolve unwavering. "Yes, Master. I will not fail you. I swear it upon my life."
Nie Li had deliberately chosen not to intervene directly in the clan's slaughter. The hatred in Duan Jian's heart was a deep-seated blood feud; if the youth did not sever those chains with his own hands, an demon would take root within his soul realm, forming an insurmountable mental barrier that would cripple his future martial path.
The companions strode out of the compound, their boots crunching against the scattered debris as they took the winding mountain trail leading toward the ancient teleportation clearing.
Behind them, the Silver Winged Family descended into disarray, desperately attempting to reinforce their perimeter while under the predatory scrutiny of the surrounding clans.
Nie Li had locked them inside a prison: three months of paranoia, knowing their secrets were laid bare and their lives remained forfeit.
As they marched through the dense wilderness, the quiet forest was filled with guttural snarls of demon beasts.
From the shadowed brush emerged a pack of sleek, wolf-like predators, their silver pelts bristling and their crimson eyes gleaming with hunger.
Their spiritual fluctuations varied from 5-Star Silver Rank to the early stages of the Gold Rank.
Nie Li came to a halt, just as Cao Wang was about to step forward Nie Li waved his hand, and a mischievous smile touched his lips as he glanced back at Lu Piao and Du Ze.
"You two have officially stepped into the Gold Rank," Nie Li remarked casually. "You didn't have the opportunity to stretch your limbs back in the courtyard. Why not test your newfound strength on these beasts?"
Lu Piao's eyes lit up with joy. A wide grin split his face as he cracked his knuckles eagerly. "Finally, some real action!" he cheered, his voice brimming with pent-up frustration. "I've been itching to tear something apart all day!"
Du Ze gave a nod, his expression unable to mask the competitive fire in his eyes. "Let us see how much our strength has grown."
Lu Piao took the lead, merging with his Phantom Shadow Wolf. A swirl of dark, spectral mist engulfed his body, causing his silhouette to blur and stretch.
When the shadow condensed, his form had become leaner, faster, and cloaked in ethereal twilight, his hands elongated into ghostly, razor-sharp claws while his eyes were like twin pale moons.
Right beside him, Du Ze summoned the Crimson Thunder Beast. A blinding flash of scarlet light detonated from his core, his muscles expanding as thick, crimson-scaled armor enveloped his torso and limbs.
Curved, brutal horns grew from his brow, and a heavy, armored tail whipped through the air, trailing crackling arcs of red electricity.
The wolf-like demon beasts snarled, lunging forward with bared fangs, but the two youths met the charge head-on.
Lu Piao moved like an phantom, dancing effortlessly through their blind spots and leaving trails of severed throats in his wake, while Du Ze stood like an immovable fortress, his electrified fists pulverizing beast skulls with bone-shattering force.
Boisterous laughter, fierce battle shouts, and dying whines echoed across the dark plateau as the two friends vented their days of stifled tension, turning the skirmish into a glorious display of their martial advancement.
Nie Li watched the slaughter with an approving smile. Life-and-death combat was the greatest whetstone, an indispensable trial to temper them.
Hours later, the party finally reached the hidden glade housing the ancient teleportation formation.
The weathered, moss-covered monoliths stood tall beneath the gray sky.
Nie Li stepped into the center of the formation, retrieving the twenty-three Stones of Light from his ring and setting them carefully into the designated sockets carved across the stone pillars.
As the final stone clicked into place, the runes flared with a brilliant glow. A torrent of spatial energy surged through the matrix.
"We are finally going home," Lu Piao said happily, throwing his arms behind his head and stretching his sore muscles. "This gloomy, godforsaken place gives me the absolute creeps. I am thoroughly done with it!"
With a relieved grin, he stepped into the glowing circle, his body shimmering and dissolving into the light.
Xiao Xue walked in directly behind him, letting out a soft, heartfelt sigh. "Good riddance," she murmured before her figure faded into the spatial stream.
Cao Wang and Du Ze stepped into the formation next, offering nods of gratitude to Nie Li before the light swept them away.
Duan Jian lingered on the edge of the stone platform. He face turned toward the dark, overcast sky of the realm, a turbulent storm of emotions warring within his chest.
Memories of his childhood home, the warm smiles of his murdered parents, and the agonizing years of torture washed over him, balanced against the truth that his tormentors were living on borrowed time.
Xiao Ning'er stepped up beside him, her warm, eyes observing him with empathy.
"It will all be over soon, Duan Jian," she said softly.
Duan Jian turned and bowed low before her, his voice was hoarse. "From the day my parents were slaughtered, this blood feud was the only reason I lived. Master has granted me a second life, and with it, the power to claim vengeance. My life belongs entirely to him; I will follow his footsteps until the day I die."
Straightening his back, Duan Jian stepped into the array, also vanishing into the brilliance.
Nie Li turned toward Xiao Ning'er, his usual harsh voice melting into tender warmth. "Ning'er, it is time for us to return as well."
Xiao Ning'er reached out, her slender fingers gently intertwining with his own.
"This truly was quite an adventure," she murmured, a smile blossoming across her face as she cast one final look back at the shadowed mountain ranges.
"Yes," Nie Li replied, "An adventure, but exceedingly dangerous as well."
"It doesn't matter," Ning'er whispered, tightening her fingers around his hand as her eyes met his. "As long as I am standing by your side, everything will always be alright."
Nie Li's grip tightened gently around her hand. Pulling her slightly closer, he leaned in, his warm breath brushing softly against her cheek.
Xiao Ning'er's eyelids fluttered shut, her heart fluttering like a captive bird as their lips met in a sweet, lingering kiss.
In that tender embrace, the violence, treachery, and bloodshed of the dark realm faded into dust, leaving only the sacred warmth of their shared bond.
When they finally parted, a breathtaking smile lingered on their lips.
Hand in hand, they stepped together into the heart of the pillar of light, their silhouettes enveloped in blinding radiance as the ancient array carried them back toward the Glory City.