The velocity of the descent combined with the perfect angle for a surprise attack. Liu Feiyang gripped the poisoned dagger tightly, the whistling wind howling in his ears failing to disrupt his composure, which remained as still as a mirrored lake. The tip of his blade plunged accurately toward Prince Edward's jugular vein from above.
Yet, the golden eyes of his opponent betrayed no panic whatsoever.
*CLANG!*
The screech of colliding metal echoed violently through the subterranean hall. In that split second of crisis, Edward did not dodge; instead, he swung his colossal longsword upward, incredibly parrying the midair assault. The immense kinetic feedback from the 50% physical attack buff surged through the blade and into Feiyang's wrist, leaving it entirely numb. The poisoned dagger slipped from his grip, clattering onto the stone floor below.
**[ Warning: Ambush Failed ]**
**[ You have sustained recoil damage. Life Points decreased by 5 points. Remaining: 63 points. ]**
Feiyang crashed onto the stone floor merely a few paces away from the altar. He executed a swift roll to absorb the impact, and despite the agonizing pain wracking his frame, his eyes remained locked on his adversary.
"An impressive kamikaze tactic..." Edward advanced slowly, the tip of his longsword dragging against the stone floor, kicking up violet-black sparks. "But it is a pity that mere insects can never shake the royal throne. Surrender and offer me your head willingly, Liu Feiyang."
At that exact moment on the stone balcony above, Zhang Liyin did not let the opportunity Feiyang bought with his life go to waste. She instantly hurled a magical smoke bomb down into the abyss. A thick, gray haze erupted, completely blinding the subterranean hall in a heartbeat. She then turned on her heel, sprinting with everything she had along the system's navigation path to regroup with the remaining player.
"Do you honestly think a shallow trick like this can buy you time?" Edward's powerful voice cut through the fog. A wave of violet sword aura slashed outward in all directions, forcibly dispersing the shroud of smoke.
However, beneath the darkness and the swirling haze, Feiyang did not choose to run or hide.
He was standing right before the brass altar... and reaching out with his own blood-soaked hand, he pressed it firmly onto the pitch-black magic circle that was actively devouring the light.
**[ Special Condition Detected: Head of the Liu Family uses fresh blood to activate 'Reversal Ritual' ]**
**[ Warning: The system is altering the flow of the demonic energy... ]**
The corner of Feiyang's mouth curved into a chilling smile. His sharp eyes pierced through the fading smoke, locking onto the silhouette of Prince Edward, who had frozen in sheer astonishment as he felt the ancient bloodline energy violently backfiring upon him.
"I told you..." Feiyang whispered softly amidst the crimson glare of the system screen flashing its countdown to a brand-new chaos. "The sacred anchor wasn't made to surrender."
"What have you done?!" Edward's previously composed voice turned into a furious roar. The veins on his face bulged as he attempted to step toward Feiyang, but the pitch-black magic circle on the floor turned a molten, lava-red, binding the prince in place with invisible chains of energy.
**[ Reversal Ritual 30% Complete ]**
**[ Ritual Conductor's Life Points are continuously decreasing ]**
**[ The sealing power of the Liu family bloodline has begun to corrode the demonic energy core ]**
The agonizing pain of the energy backfiring inside his body forced Edward down onto one knee. He slammed his colossal longsword into the stone floor to prop himself up, his golden eyes burning with absolute malice as he glared at Feiyang. Feiyang stubbornly kept his blood-soaked palm pressed against the magic circle, refusing to let go even as the searing heat of the energy began to burn the skin of his hand, sending up a faint trail of smoke.
"I told you... the rules of this game have changed," Feiyang said, his voice raspy yet perfectly steady.
Right then, a new notification window popped up on his system interface. It was a signal from Zhang Liyin's end.
**[ Notification from Player Zhang Liyin: Player No. 4 located. Commencing disengagement of the outer castle gate mechanism. ]**
**[ Time required to unlock the gate: 5 minutes ]**
"Five minutes..." Feiyang muttered to himself, his eyes flicking to the clock in the corner of his system screen. It was 05:55 AM. Exactly five minutes remained until six o'clock—the dawn of the system and the absolute deadline for this mission.
"Do you honestly think... you can hold me back?!" Edward bellowed. He suddenly unleashed a violent surge of deep violet aura from his body, causing the red energy chains to crack and fracture. The resulting blast of energy slammed into Feiyang, sending him staggering back several paces and forcing his palm away from the ritual circle.
**[ You have sustained energy wave damage. Life Points decreased by 10 points. ]**
**[ Your remaining Life Points: 53 points. ]**
Without the suppression from the Liu family bloodline, the magic circle on the floor began reverting to pitch-black. Edward slowly forced himself back to his feet. Though his body was damaged by the backlash, his murderous aura had doubled in intensity, fueled by sheer, unbridled rage.
"Your time is up, Liu Feiyang." The young prince leveled the tip of his longsword, now dripping with a lethal aura, directly at him. "No more magic smoke, no escape route, and no one left to save you."
Feiyang pulled himself up to stand perfectly straight, the tattered sleeves of his red dress fluttering violently against the howling wind whipping through the hall. He showed no fear in the face of imminent death. Instead, his right hand reached into his inventory to pull out the final item he had intentionally pocketed while searching the prince's bedchambers earlier.
It was a weathered envelope bearing the orange wax seal of the royal family—the crucial piece of evidence documenting the conspiracy between the previous king and the subterranean demons.
"I might die here, Edward," Feiyang said, holding the envelope aloft as his sharp gaze locked onto the prince's face. "But the royal secret you are trying so desperately to bury will be instantly transferred to the players outside the moment I confirm this item's transmission through the system... Let's see what you have left to rule over once your bloodline loses its legitimacy."