Zuo Qia's jaw tightened.
A violent tremor ran through her body.
"Cough—!"
Another mouthful of blackened blood spilled from her lips.
The moment her severed arm disappeared into Lizarius' stomach—
the poison erupted once again.
The medicinal pills she had swallowed only moments earlier...
Could no longer suppress it.
The dark veins that had slowed beneath her skin suddenly spread with terrifying speed.
They surged outward from the stump of her severed shoulder.
Like countless black serpents racing through her meridians.
Her remaining hand instinctively pressed against the wound.
Only to find her spiritual qi growing increasingly sluggish.
"...So..."
"...It spread through there as well..."
Her breathing became noticeably heavier.
Every circulation of spiritual qi sent another wave of searing pain coursing throughout her body.
She immediately stopped.
She could no longer afford to force it.
Not now.
Her thoughts raced.
*The poison...*
*It's accelerating again.*
*The pills only delayed the inevitable.*
She could feel it with perfect clarity.
The poison had already reached her Golden Core.
Its dark roots coiled around it.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Relentlessly.
Every passing heartbeat drew her one step closer to death.
A bitter smile quietly appeared upon her bloodstained face.
*...So this is the end.*
Her eyes slowly lifted.
Meeting the crimson-gold gaze of the white-scaled dragon.
He remained perfectly still.
Dragon Blood Fury continued burning throughout his body.
Crimson lightning crackled endlessly around his scales.
A blood-red aura poured from him like an unending inferno.
Yet—
his expression never changed.
No arrogance.
No excitement.
No hatred.
Only cold calculation.
Her thoughts gradually settled.
*...To think...*
*A Core Formation beast...*
*Would push me into such a state.*
She slowly shook her head.
Blood continued dripping from the corners of her lips.
*...No.*
*Calling it a Core Formation beast...*
*Would be an insult to every Core Formation cultivator beneath the heavens.*
Her gaze remained locked onto Lizarius.
*Concealment beyond the perception of a Nascent Soul cultivator.*
*Soul attacks.*
*Gravity.*
*Wind.*
*Lightning.*
*Poison.*
*Spatial techniques.*
*Shadow clones.*
*Battle instincts surpassing countless cultivators.*
*And...*
*It even concealed this final trump card until the very end.*
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Dragon Blood Fury still blazed around him.
She could clearly sense it.
His blood essence...
Was being consumed.
Not recklessly.
Not wastefully.
Only for a single purpose.
*To kill me.*
A quiet laugh escaped her lips.
"...Hah..."
"...You've truly..."
"...Left me without a path."
Silence.
The mountain range remained deathly still.
Only distant thunder rolled through the clouds.
Her thoughts gradually calmed.
There was no fear.
No panic.
Only acceptance.
*There is no escape.*
*The poison will kill me.*
*Even if I flee...*
*I'll die before reaching the sect.*
*And my spatial talisman...*
Her gaze briefly fell upon Lizarius' slightly swollen throat.
*...Is already gone.*
*There won't be another opportunity to activate one.*
*Nor do I need one.*
She slowly raised her remaining sword.
The blade trembled faintly.
Not from fear.
But because even her spiritual qi had begun to lose stability.
Even so—
an overwhelming sword intent erupted from her body.
It ignored her weakening condition.
Ignored the poison.
Ignored the pain.
The heavens trembled.
Behind her—
the colossal Soul Manifestation slowly rose once more.
Its ancient white blade shone brighter than ever before.
Its aura no longer remained stable.
Instead—
it burned.
Like a dying star.
Like the final sunrise before eternal night.
Zuo Qia quietly closed her eyes.
*If that's your choice...*
*Then mine is no different.*
Within her dantian—
her Nascent Soul slowly opened its eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation—
it began to burn.
Not her spiritual qi.
Not her lifespan.
Its very origin.
Her Nascent Soul Essence ignited.
An incomparably terrifying aura erupted from her body.
The surrounding heavens shook violently.
The clouds split apart.
The mountains below cracked.
Even the poison spreading through her body slowed for a brief instant beneath the overwhelming surge of power.
Her eyes opened once more.
The calmness within them had vanished.
Only absolute resolve remained.
She pointed her sword directly toward Lizarius.
"...Since..."
"...There is no road left to retreat..."
A faint smile appeared upon her lips.
"...Then..."
"...I'll exchange my life..."
"...For yours."
Boom!
Her burning Nascent Soul released another violent surge of power.
The colossal Soul Manifestation behind her expanded instantly.
Its ancient blade blazed with incomparably radiant light.
Even the surrounding space began collapsing beneath its pressure.
The heavens themselves seemed unable to bear its existence.
Across the battlefield—
Lizarius silently watched.
His crimson-gold eyes remained fixed upon the burning Nascent Soul aura.
His expression never changed.
Yet deep within those calm eyes—
for the first time since the battle had begun—
a trace of solemnity quietly surfaced.
Shadow aura erupted from Lizarius' body.
Darkness spread across the heavens.
One shadow became three.
Three became ten.
Then—
the sky was filled with them.
Dozens of shadow clones appeared throughout the battlefield.
Each possessed the same aura.
The same presence.
Ink-black bodies.
Crimson-gold eyes.
At the same time—
the remaining storm clouds churned violently.
Hurricane-force winds roared across the mountain range.
Entire cliffs collapsed beneath their passage.
The air itself became unbearably heavy.
Gravity distorted.
An invisible crushing force descended upon Zuo Qia from every direction.
Even her breathing slowed beneath the overwhelming pressure.
Lightning flashed.
The true Lizarius charged.
Every shadow clone moved with him.
Like a hunting pack descending upon wounded prey.
The storm answered his call.
Clouds twisted together.
Massive serpents formed from wind, lightning, and black storm clouds.
One.
Three.
Five.
Then dozens.
Enormous serpents coiled through the heavens.
Their colossal bodies crackled with crimson lightning as they lunged toward Zuo Qia from every direction.
Boom!
The Soul Manifestation descended.
The colossal white sword ignored every obstruction.
It pierced directly toward Lizarius.
Without hesitation—
his body dissolved into shadow.
The true body instantly exchanged places with one of the distant clones.
The Soul Manifestation never slowed.
Its target shifted immediately.
Once again—
it pursued the real Lizarius.
Shing—
Zuo Qia swung.
There was no elaborate technique.
No brilliant display.
Only a single sword strike.
Yet—
that single strike seemed capable of severing heaven and earth.
The storm serpents shattered.
The shadow clones exploded into darkness.
The hurricane-force winds were split apart.
Even the lingering storm clouds were cleaved in two.
For a single fleeting moment—
the heavens became completely clear.
Only Lizarius remained.
Far in the distance.
Still fleeing.
Still drawing the relentless pursuit of the Soul Manifestation.
Zuo Qia's breathing became increasingly ragged.
"Cough—!"
Another mouthful of dark blood spilled from her lips.
The black veins beneath her skin spread farther with every passing heartbeat.
Her vision blurred for an instant before gradually stabilizing once more.
*...Only a few moments.*
She no longer needed to estimate.
She could feel it.
The poison had nearly reached the center of her Golden Core.
The medicinal pills had long since lost their effect.
Her burning Nascent Soul was the only thing delaying the inevitable.
*I don't have time.*
*Every breath...*
*Brings me closer to death.*
Her unwavering gaze remained fixed upon the white-scaled dragon racing across the heavens.
*Then...*
*Before the poison consumes me...*
*This battle...*
*Must end.*