For three days and three nights, the clash between Tie Hongchen and Di Yi shook the land.
The skies above the battlefield were dark, heavy with thunderclouds, as if the heavens themselves bore witness to their struggle.
Tie Hongchen's crimson robes were torn and blood-soaked, yet her sword never wavered. Every strike she unleashed was filled with unyielding determination, but her movements grew heavier with each passing moment. Her body, once radiant with the brilliance of her cultivation, now trembled like a candle in the wind.
Di Yi, in contrast, fought with a calm that was almost mocking. His halberd spun like a vortex of death, his expression relaxed, his scholarly bearing making his cruelty all the more terrifying. To him, Tie Hongchen was no more than prey slowly bleeding out.
Still, she refused to fall.
The onlookers, soldiers from both sides, stood silent. Even they understood they were witnessing more than a duel—it was a war of will, of faith, of love and hatred colliding.
Far away, Tai Jian fought his own battle. Every step he took toward the battlefield was hindered by ambushes. Assassins from the Shadow Guild fell upon him like locusts, yet none could stop him. He cut through them like lightning through dry branches, but the price was time.
Time that Tie Hongchen did not have.
When at last he broke through the final encirclement, Tai Jian was pale and drained. Sweat and blood mingled on his face, his armor cracked in several places, but his eyes—his eyes burned with a desperate fire.
As he stepped onto the battlefield, Tie Hongchen felt him. She turned, her dull eyes brightening for the briefest moment.
Di Yi noticed this subtle change. Following her gaze, he saw the man charging toward them. His lips curved into a cold smile, and a cunning light flickered in his eyes. None noticed it—none, save for Tai Jian himself.
Something was wrong.
"Retreat!" Tai Jian's voice thundered as he hurled himself forward like a streak of lightning.
But fate was merciless.
Di Yi's halberd struck before Tai Jian could reach her. The steel blade pierced forward, its trajectory merciless.
Tie Hongchen tried to lift her sword, but her arms were like lead, her strength all but gone. She could not move, could not resist.
Yet she smiled.
The purple-robed emissary, watching from afar, screamed and rushed forward, but it was already too late.
At that instant, Tie Hongchen's body erupted with a final surge of power. Her dimming life force ignited like a dying star in its last blaze of glory. She poured everything—her rage, her sorrow, her helplessness, her love—into one last sword strike.
The heavens trembled as her blade fell.
Di Yi, caught off guard, barely raised his halberd in time. Even then, the sword carved deep into his body, nearly splitting him apart. Blood sprayed across the ground, his smug expression replaced by disbelief.
It was a strike born not of hope, but of despair.
Tai Jian appeared at her side, his heart sinking as he saw the blood spilling from her chest. He caught her before she collapsed, his hands trembling as he frantically poured mana into her wounds.
"No, no, no… stay with me, Hongchen… stay with me!"
His healing was desperate, rough, more prayer than technique. He knew—it was futile. Her life force was slipping through his fingers like sand.
Tie Hongchen raised her trembling hand, brushing his cheek. Her lips parted, and with agonizing effort, she whispered, "Hu…s…b..a..nd… I…am so…rry… Don't…be…sad… Live…well."
Tears blurred Tai Jian's vision. His heart felt as if a blade had been driven through it, twisting cruelly. He had endured countless battles, faced death unflinching, but now… now he was powerless.
"I will kill you myself," he swore through clenched teeth, glaring at Di Yi with boundless hatred. Then, lifting Tie Hongchen into his arms, he retreated with speed born of desperation.
Back in her tent, he laid her gently upon the bed. Her breaths were shallow, her aura fading.
"No… I won't let you go," Tai Jian muttered. He bit into his wrist, blood spilling freely, and pressed it against hers. He began chanting the forbidden technique—a life-binding ritual meant to tether souls together.
But the runes faltered. The blood rejected the fusion. His energy scattered like broken glass.
"Sorry…" Tie Hongchen whispered faintly. And with that word, her breathing ceased.
Her body went limp. Her eyes closed.
"No… no!" Tai Jian's cry shook the tent. He pulled her into his arms, clutching her tightly as though sheer force could anchor her soul. His roar tore through the night, filled with anguish so raw that all who heard it felt their hearts tremble.
Xue Kai, arriving with his troops, recognized the voice instantly. "Tai Jian…" He tried to enter the tent, but an invisible barrier repelled him. Inside, Tai Jian's grief had become a storm too fierce to approach.
Time lost meaning for him. The world blurred. Only the unbearable truth remained: he was too late.
Then, amidst the silence, a soft white glow filled the tent.
Tie Hongchen's illusory figure appeared. Radiant, gentle, her presence was like a final spring breeze. She knelt beside him, brushing away his tears.
"Why?" Tai Jian asked, his voice hoarse, broken. Did he want to ask why she fought alone, why she chose sacrifice, why fate was so cruel? He did not know. He only knew the question burned within him.
She smiled softly, shaking her head. "You knew the technique was flawed. One of us had to bear the burden. I had fewer years left… so I chose."
"You promised me we'd be together, even in death!" His voice cracked. "I was ready to die with you—not bury you!"
Her illusory hand caressed his face. "I don't want my beloved to die. Tai Jian… forget me. Live well."
"No. Never." His grip tightened on her fading hand. "I'll never forget you, and I'll never pretend to. Tell me, Hongchen… you loved me, didn't you?"
Her smile deepened. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his in one last kiss.
"I love you. I always did. But love… should not bind you in chains. Goodbye."
Her figure faded like mist beneath the sun.
Outside, the purple-robed emissary pounded on the barrier, screaming, "Tai Jian! You bastard! You caused her death! You don't deserve my sister!" Her words were venom, but Tai Jian did not hear them. His world had ended.
When at last he rose, Tie Hongchen's sword in one hand and his own in the other, his eyes were no longer human. They were abyssal, consumed by grief and rage.
"Di Yi must die," he whispered. And then he vanished.
He appeared before Di Yi like death incarnate. One strike crippled him. Another—the sword of Tie Hongchen—cut him down.
But even as Di Yi fell, Tai Jian's wrath did not cool. With both swords, he slaughtered the Shadow Guild's elites, rivers of blood staining the earth. Corpses piled into mountains. Soldiers who survived would forever carry the nightmare of that day.
At last, standing amid the carnage, Tai Jian fell to his knees. He planted both swords into the ground and raised his head to the sky.
"I did everything, but still you took her from me! Why must you be so cruel? Heaven is ruthless! Fate is shackles! The one I love is gone—what meaning does life hold? At the end, I am only a traveler!"
The heavens rumbled in response.
"Hahaha!" A mocking voice echoed across the battlefield. "You are the second one to curse the heavens so boldly. Do you feel this pain? Remember it—never forget it."
A middle-aged man stepped forth from the void, his presence vast and suffocating. His eyes gleamed as he looked upon Tai Jian, as if appraising a rare treasure.