Chen Yu lay on the ground, his chest pierced, breaths shallow and ragged. Poison had spread through his veins, darkening his skin with a purplish-black hue. Every movement was agony. The battlefield around him continued to roar, but his collapse cast a grim silence over Wang Yan, Liu Ming, and Zhao Qing.
Xu Yuan, the Bloodscale Patriarch, saw his chance. One of the two Soul Saint flanked him, and together they retreated, vanishing into the distance. The Patriarch was exhausted, his injuries severe, yet survival demanded cunning. Four Soul Emperors and the second Soul Saints remained to hold the battlefield, buying him time.
Rage ignited in the hearts of the three friends.
"Chen Yu!" Wang Yan's roar cut through the dust and chaos.
Liu Ming's eyes flared crimson. "They will pay for this—every last one of them!"
On the battlefield, two Bloodscale Clan Soul Emperors surged toward Liu Ming, and two Soul Emperors plus the remaining Soul Saint faced Wang Yan.
Without hesitation, Wang Yan and Liu Ming struck. Their attacks were precise and merciless. Liu Ming's spear pierced the first Soul Emperor attacking him, sending him crashing to the ground. Wang Yan's Demon Roaring Sword cleaved through the Soul Saint guarding the Patriarch's escape route. Strike after strike, they eliminated the next Soul Emperor, and then the fourth. The battlefield was littered with the fallen, silent victims of their fury.
The Patriarch, Xu Yuan, had already escaped with the help of Soul Saint. The battlefield was cleared, but at a terrible cost.
Wang Yan and Liu Ming immediately rushed to Chen Yu's side. Zhao Qing, staggering and injured, dragged himself forward to join them.
Wang Yan knelt beside Chen Yu.
Chen Yu's body lay motionless against the cracked earth, his chest pierced where Xu Yuan's brutal strike had torn through him. Dark poison had already begun spreading beneath his skin, crawling through his veins like living shadows. His once steady breathing had become faint and irregular.
Liu Ming stood close beside them, his spear planted in the ground for support. His body trembled slightly, not only from exhaustion but from something deeper—something he did not want to accept.
Zhao Qing arrived last.
Every step toward Chen Yu felt heavier than the last. His injuries were severe, his body drained from battle and blood loss. Even standing upright required tremendous effort. Yet he forced himself forward, refusing to collapse before reaching his friend.
When he finally arrived, he dropped heavily to one knee beside them.
For a moment, none of them spoke. The silence was unbearable.
Wang Yan slowly raised his hand. A dark crimson aura began to spread outward from his body.
The Slaughter Sword Domain appeared once again. The oppressive crimson field settled gently around them, suppressing the poison and slowing its spread through Chen Yu's body, attempting to stabilize his friend's condition.
Yet even as the domain spread, Wang Yan could feel it. The poison was too deep.
Xu Yuan's strike had not only pierced Chen Yu's chest—it had carried the Bloodscale Clan's most vicious toxin. The venom had already invaded his blood, his organs, his very life force.
The Slaughter Sword Domain could suppress it. But it could not reverse it.
Wang Yan's fingers trembled slightly. "Hold on…" he said quietly.
Liu Ming crouched down beside them, his usual calm composure shattered. His jaw clenched tightly as he watched Chen Yu's condition deteriorate.
"Chen Yu… don't sleep," Liu Ming muttered, his voice hoarse. "You've survived worse than this."
But even as he spoke, he knew the truth. Chen Yu's breathing had become weaker. Slower.
Zhao Qing stared silently at Chen Yu's face. His hands rested on his knees, but his fingers had already curled into fists. His chest rose and fell heavily as he tried to control his emotions.
They had fought together for more than two decades.
From children to warriors. And now— Now they were watching him slip away.
Chen Yu's eyelids trembled slightly. Very slowly, he opened his eyes. The world before him was blurry, dim. The sky above looked distant, as though he were already drifting away from it. But he could still see them.
A faint smile appeared on Chen Yu's pale lips.
"…Looks like…" he murmured weakly.
His voice was barely more than a whisper.
"…this is where I rest."
Wang Yan's eyes widened slightly.
"Don't talk like that...you ," he said immediately, his voice low but firm.
But Chen Yu only smiled faintly.
He slowly turned his head, his gaze passing from one face to another.
"…We've come… a long way…" Chen Yu whispered.
Liu Ming lowered his head slightly.
He knew what Chen Yu meant. Their memories began to rise in his mind without control.
The first day they met.
They had been only six years old.
Small, inexperienced children entering the Junior Soul Master Academy, filled with dreams they barely understood. Training, endless sparring matches. Established Iron Guard. Their missions together, extreme battles.
Years passed. They grew stronger. From six years old…to thirty-one. Twenty-five years...Twenty-five years of brotherhood.
And now—
Chen Yu lay dying in front of them. "…Don't make those faces," Chen Yu whispered weakly.
His breathing was becoming uneven now. "…you..all stay happy..."
Zhao Qing suddenly turned his head away. His shoulders trembled. He did not want Chen Yu to see his face.
Wang Yan remained perfectly still. But his eyes had already become red.
Chen Yu tried to lift his hand.It moved only slightly before falling back against the ground. Silence fell again.
Chen Yu opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more. His lips moved. But no words came out. His chest rose once… then slowly fell.
The next breath never came.
For a long moment— No one moved.
The Slaughter Sword Domain flickered around them before slowly fading away.
Wang Yan lowered his head. Liu Ming closed his eyes tightly. Zhao Qing remained motionless, staring at the ground.
"Chen Yu!"
Liu Ming's voice broke through the heavy silence. The name echoed once and faded into the wind.
Zhao Qing stared at Chen Yu's face. He did not blink.
The image before him felt unreal, as if his mind refused to accept what his eyes were seeing. Just a short while ago, Chen Yu had still been standing beside them, fighting as he always had. And now—
"…Chen Yu…"
The name slipped quietly from Zhao Qing's lips.
Beside him, Wang Yan remained kneeling in silence, his hand resting on Chen Yu's shoulder. His breathing was heavy after the battle, his body bearing several wounds, but he seemed unaware of them.
The weight in the air grew heavier with every passing second.
Then Zhao Qing lowered his head. His fingers slowly curled into the dirt beneath him. "…This happened because of me."
Liu Ming immediately turned toward him. "What are you talking about?"
Zhao Qing didn't lift his head. His voice came out rough, as though every word scraped against his throat. "…Yun Fei."
The name hung in the air between them, that name had carried warmth in Zhao Qing's heart. Now it felt like a blade.
"I trusted her…loved her."," Zhao Qing murmured.His shoulders trembled faintly.
"Because I loved her, I never once doubted her words." His eyes remained fixed on the ground.
"When she asked me to come here… I didn't hesitate." Instead, she had led them straight into the Bloodscale Clan's trap.
Zhao Qing's fingers pressed harder into the soil.
"If it wasn't for me to come here…" he continued slowly, "…we wouldn't have walked into that ambush." His gaze shifted toward Chen Yu's still form. "…Chen Yu wouldn't be lying here."
Liu Ming frowned deeply. "Zhao Qing, that's not—"
"Isn't it?" Zhao Qing finally lifted his eyes. There was no anger in them—only guilt. "I was the one who believed her."
For a moment Liu Ming didn't know how to answer. The truth was cruelly simple. Zhao Qing had loved Yun Fei and love blinds.
Silence fell again. The wind brushed across the battlefield, carrying away the last traces of battle.
Wang Yan finally spoke."Zhao Qing… listen to me."
His voice was low but steady. Zhao Qing turned toward him.
"Chen Yu knew what kind of fight this would be when he came here. None of us walked into this battle blindly." He paused briefly before continuing. "We've lived together for years… fought side by side for years. You think Chen Yu didn't understand the risks?"
Zhao Qing lowered his head, but Wang Yan's voice remained calm.
"So don't carry all of this on your shoulders. If Chen Yu could see you blaming yourself like this… he would only feel sad."
For a moment, no one spoke. Then Wang Yan continued, his voice softer. "What we should do now… is give him the farewell he deserves."
He fell silent for a few seconds. When he spoke again, the calmness in his tone had changed. A cold determination slowly appeared in his eyes.
"The Bloodscale Patriarch… and his entire clan…" His voice grew harder. "They will pay for Chen Yu's death."
Wang Yan's gaze lifted toward the distant horizon where their enemies had escaped. "I swear it. I will make them pay."
The words were calm, but they carried weight.
Liu Ming also nodded quietly.
Zhao Qing didn't respond. But the tightness in his chest eased slightly.
Wang Yan looked down at Chen Yu once more. For a moment, his expression softened. Then he carefully lifted Chen Yu's body into his arms. Neither Liu Ming nor Zhao Qing spoke.
The movement alone said enough. After a long silence, Liu Ming exhaled quietly.
"…We should go.…Back to Tiandou City."
Zhao Qing nodded faintly.
Wang Yan adjusted his hold on Chen Yu and rose to his feet. Liu Ming helped Zhao Qing stand beside him. Without another word, the three men began the long road toward Tiandou City.
End of chapter.