Body crashing onto cold ruins. Every broken bone, every torn meridian screamed in pain. Tang Xiaoqi lay among the rubble, vision blurred by blood and dizziness, barely able to see that tall, demonic aura figure stepping through empty air toward him.
That was his father, Xu Zhan.
The father in memory, reliable as a mountain, who would lift him high, who would rub his slightly bearded face against his forehead. Now became a death-dealing demonic puppet, empty eyes holding only cold killing intent.
Cough... cough... Xiao Qi tried to prop himself up, but the moment his arms pushed, stabbing pain exploded from his chest, making him cough more blood, mixed with dark red clots. That previous space-cleaving demonic fist not only severely damaged his flesh body, the pure demonic energy was like a bone-burrowing maggot, madly corroding his just-fused, not-yet-stabilized purification power, trying to collapse him from within.
The platinum-white flames had long dissipated. The Red Flame Sword lay slanted in the distance, spiritual light dim. His current state was worse than any previous time.
Xiao Qi! Run! Third Senior Sister Liu Yun's clear voice carried unprecedented anxiety. She and Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng had rushed regardless of danger, both blocking between Xu Zhan and Xiao Qi. Sword light flared, earth-yellow spiritual light bloomed, trying to block the demonic puppet's footsteps.
However, Xu Zhan did not even glance at them. He casually waved his hand. A wave of vast demonic essence like an invisible giant wave crashed out!
Boom! Boom!
Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister were struck heavily, protective spiritual light instantly shattering. Both vomited blood and flew backward, crashing hard in the distance, struggling but unable to rise for the moment.
Golden Core level power was by no means something Foundation Establishment cultivators could resist, even if just a demonic energy-driven shell.
Xu Zhan's gaze, from start to finish, only locked onto the figure gasping with difficulty in the ruins. He stepped closer step by step. Demonic energy condensed into pitch-black steps beneath his feet. Death's shadow thoroughly enveloped Xiao Qi.
Xiao Qi watched those approaching eyes, black as abyss. His heart was clutched by an invisible ice-cold hand, painful beyond breathing. He saw his father's familiar contours, saw those tightly-pressed lips that once taught him a man must be resolute, but now all covered in death's gray pallor and demonic energy's grimness.
Fa...ther... He hoarsely called, voice weak as a mosquito, mixed with blood foam.
Xu Zhan's footsteps stopped a few feet before Xiao Qi. He slowly raised his right hand covered in demonic armor, five fingers spreading. Black demonic essence condensed in his palm, transforming into a constantly twisting, screaming sword of demonic energy. The sword tip pointed directly at Xiao Qi's brow.
No hesitation, no pause. That demonic sword with piercing destructive aura ruthlessly stabbed down!
Speed was not fast, yet carried a law-like lock, making it impossible for Xiao Qi to dodge!
Dying? Being killed by... his father's hand?
A huge wave of sadness and absurdity surged in his heart. He closed his eyes. Not from resignation, but unable to bear looking at those eyes, polluted by demonic energy, belonging to his father.
However, the anticipated penetrating agony did not come.
At that final moment before the demonic sword touched his brow, Xiao Qi suddenly opened his eyes!
He saw!
At that critical moment, within the deepest part of Xu Zhan's pitch-black, demonic abyss-like eyes, extremely briefly, a flash of indescribable struggling-past-drowning-man-like... pain and struggle! That was by no means the look a puppet should have! That was a enslaved soul, when destroying flesh and blood kin, instinctively erupting extreme resistance!
Though just a flash, instantly drowned again by denser blackness, Xiao Qi was certain he saw it!
Father... his consciousness remains! He's struggling!
This discovery was like lightning in darkness, instantly illuminating his heart nearly devoured by despair!
Can't die! Absolutely can't die!
He turned his head aside sharply. The demonic sword missed his temple, stabbing into the ground, instantly corroding several strands of hair beside his ear into ash, leaving a bottomless smoking hole in the earth.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qi used his last strength to roll sideways, barely avoiding the fatal strike.
Xu Zhan let out a dissatisfied growl, apparently angry at the prey's escape. His wrist flicked. The demonic sword swept toward Xiao Qi's waist! Sword wind was fierce, demonic energy soared!
Xiao Qi had just steadied himself. Upon seeing this, his pupils contracted. His body was empty, even raising his arm was difficult, how to block?
No, can't block head-on!
This thought flashed through his mind instantly. Father's soul was still struggling. He absolutely could not use power that might completely harm or even destroy his father's possessed shell! And in his current state, he could not block anyway!
Evade!
He forcibly twisted his nearly-disassembled body, in an extremely disheveled, can-even-say rolling-crawling posture, barely evaded the sweeping sword edge again. The wind from the demonic sword scraped his face painfully, clothes torn.
Xiao Qi! Counterattack! Senior Brother far away anxiously shouted.
Third Senior Sister also gritted her silver teeth, trying to rush over again.
Don't come! Xiao Qi shouted hoarsely, his gaze staring fixedly at Xu Zhan raising his sword again, eyes complex beyond measure, He... he still has consciousness! He's struggling!
His words made Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister pause.
Xu Zhan seemed stimulated by Xiao Qi's words, attack becoming more frantic! The demonic sword transformed into countless shadows, like a black storm and rain, descending toward Xiao Qi! Every sword ruthless and vicious, targeting vital points!
Xiao Qi fell into extreme danger.
He could not fully counterattack, afraid of harming his father's demonic-energy-bound fragile soul and body. He could only rely on stubborn will to survive and trust in that trace of father's struggle, desperately dodging and rolling in this deadly sword net.
His movements were clumsy and slow from serious injury. Many times, the demonic sword grazed his skin, leaving deep wounds visible to the bone, quickly corroded by demonic energy. Blood continuously dripped, making the ruins beneath him even darker red.
He was like a battered boat in a storm, about to be torn apart at any moment.
Life hung by a thread! Moments from death!
He time and again escaped death, gaze never leaving his father's pitch-black eyes. He searched, waited, for that struggling light to flash again, for even the slightest chance... to awaken his father.
This was undoubtedly an ordeal, an extreme test of will and body. On one side was his controlled father killing, on another was his unwillingness to harm that bond, on yet another was his own near-collapse state.
Father and son forced to kill, swords drew blood, every step terrifying. This was the cruelest tragedy in the world, silently and tragically playing out on this mountain of corpses and sea of blood.