The blood-colored setting sun hung at the horizon, dyeing the Watchtower Bastion a bleak, sinister crimson. Demonic energy surged like tides, violently battering the tottering defensive line. The interweaving of clashing metal, exploding spells, and dying wails composed this land's sole melody.
Tang Xiaoqi gripped the Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword, its blade flowing with light, yet it couldn't hide the exhaustion and struggle between his brows. Opposite him stood Xu Zhan—his biological father, now a mighty Demon Marshal—covered in heavy demonic armor with only a pair of hollow eyes exposed. Father and son faced each other on the battlefield; they should have been blood-connected loved ones, yet now only cold killing intent pervaded the space between them.
Xu Zhan moved. The demonic spear "Soul-Splitter" tore through the air with an ear-piercing shriek, thrusting directly toward Xiao Qi's forehead. Before the spear arrived, that condensed, substantial killing intent had already struck Xiao Qi's soul first. Xiao Qi gritted his teeth; the crimson flame sword blocked horizontally. Blazing sword intent violently collided with icy demonic energy, exploding outward a circle of energy ripples mixed with light and darkness. The ground beneath his feet cracked; his form was forcibly knocked back several steps. His throat sweet—blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He wasn't unable to fight; he simply couldn't go all out. Beneath that demonic armor was his father—the one he had sought, the one haunting his dreams! The kind father in memory who would lift him high and rub his face with stubble! The hero who, on that final night at Xuolan Manor, shielded him desperately from behind, fighting through blood! Now, must he swing weapons against this shell?
"Father! Wake up! It's me, Xiao Qi!" Xiao Qi blocked another powerful chopping strike, his voice carrying desperate hoarseness, trying to penetrate that heavy demonic armor and awaken any consciousness that might remain within.
His only response was Xu Zhan's even more berserk attacks. The demonic spear danced like a dragon; countless black spear shadows blocked all directions, forcing Xiao Qi to rely on the "Swimming Dragon Nine Turns" movement technique to dodge, the "World-Purifying Sacred Domain's" white light desperately purifying the eroding demonic energy, yet unable to purify the pain in his heart.
Just as Xiao Qi was in extreme danger, about to be pierced through the shoulder by a spear at the critical moment—
"Xu Zhan—!"
A shrill, voice-breaking female scream, like a mournful cry piercing the battlefield, suddenly rang out!
A silver figure, like a moth flying into flame, disregarding the demonic energy arrows flying everywhere and exploding energy fragments, forcibly broke through the protective light screen laid down by allied spellcasters, stumbling toward those two battling figures.
It was Aunt Su!
She had long since removed the silver mask representing Shadow Serpent Pavilion identity. Now bare-faced, her complexion deathly pale as paper, yet those beautiful eyes burned with near-mad obsession and grief. Her moon-white dress had been corroded by demonic energy into blackened patches. Even her left arm had a deep wound revealing bone that trickled blood, yet she was oblivious to it.
"Brother-in-law! Look at me! I'm Wan'er! It's Wan'er!" Aunt Su's voice, tears mixing with blood on her face flowing in streams. She reached out both hands toward Xu Zhan's direction without any regard for herself, as if wanting to touch family beyond reach.
The demonic spear Xu Zhan had thrust toward Xiao Qi, the instant this cry fell, experienced an almost imperceptible stagnation. That spear tip's demonic light dimmed for a—barely detectable.
But how could such a subtle change escape Xiao Qi's watchful eyes fixed on his father? His heart shook violently; an indescribable and hope interwove, surging up his throat.
Aunt Su, seeing the demonic shadow seem to react, was greatly encouraged, crying out even more desperately, her speech speed rapid as if wanting to pour out centuries of longing and guilt:
"Did you forget Sister? Forget the purple cloud flower sea you planted for her behind Xuolan Manor? You said it resembled the light in Sister's eyes when she smiled!"
"Did you forget the night Xiao Qi was born, when you held him and walked in the courtyard the entire night, saying this boy's cry was powerful, he'd certainly become someone extraordinary! You said you'd teach him swordsmanship, teach him how to be a man, watch him grow into adulthood, marry and have children!"
"Did you forget our last drink together, when you said 'A'Wan, the manor's future, Xiao Qi's future, sometimes also needs guardians like you in the shadows'... Brother-in-law! Where's your protection? Where are your promises?! Look at Xiao Qi! He's grown! He's right before you! Look at him!"
Every word was like a blood-dipped dagger, fiercely stabbing Xiao Qi's heart, yet also seemingly touching the very depths of Xu Zhan's soul, frozen solid by demonic energy.
"ROOOOAR—!"
Xu Zhan suddenly let out an inhuman roar. Within that roar was threaded with an indescribable trace of pain! The demonic energy around him violently churned, like boiling pitch. Within those hollow eyes' depths, an extremely faint light seemed to, like a soul lost in endless darkness finally catching a glimmer from the distant past.
The arm gripping the spear trembled slightly. The spear tip pointing at Xiao Qi slowly, extremely slowly, deviated from its original target.
It worked! Aunt Su's cry worked!
Xiao Qi's eyes erupted with unprecedented light. He could barely contain himself from cheering.
However, just as this flame of hope had barely ignited—
"Worms dare disturb my puppet!"
A cold, vast, infinitely malicious consciousness descended like thunder from the Nine Heavens, crashing onto the battlefield. That was the demonic lord's true will!
Almost simultaneously with that consciousness, the demonic energy around Xu Zhan, originally merely churning, suddenly became berserk! Dense, substantial black fog furiously poured from every seam of his demonic armor, instantly swallowing him and that demonic spear completely. That emerged trace of struggle and pain, like a tiny flame extinguished by storm, vanished instantly.
Replacing it was killing intent even more intense, more pure than before!
"Careful!" Xiao Qi's pupils contracted sharply; he shouted a warning, simultaneously his form leaping backward.
But it was already too late.
The thoroughly enraged demonic lord, through Xu Zhan's puppet body, deployed power far exceeding anything before. The demonic spear "Soul-Splitter" let out an ear-piercing shriek. A black spear light spanning hundreds of zhang, like Death's scythe, not only swept toward Xiao Qi but also engulfed Aunt Su's position nearby!
Wherever the spear light passed, space seemed cut apart, leaving long-persisting black traces. The destructive power contained within made all watching allied cultivators' faces change color.
"No—!"
Xiao Qi's eyes nearly burst from their sockets. The Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword erupted with unprecedented blazing light. He no longer retreated but charged the spear light, attempting to shield Aunt Su from this certainly fatal strike.
Aunt Su gazed at that devouring death spear light. Yet on her face was no fear—only endless regret and sorrow. She glanced one last time at the figure within the demonic energy center, murmuring: "Brother-in-law... Sister and Xiao Qi... are both waiting for you to come home..."
BOOM—!!!
Crimson sword aura and pitch-black spear light collided violently once more. The energy shockwave this time far exceeded anything before. Xiao Qi grunted; his entire person flew backward like a kite with cut string, blood spurting from his mouth drawing a glaring arc in the air.
And that spear light's aftermath still mercilessly swept across Aunt Su's position.
Dust and demonic energy shot skyward together, obscuring that area.
When the dust, a bottomless gully remained at the original spot. Aunt Su's figure had vanished without a trace, only a few blood-stained moon-white cloth fragments drifting helplessly in the violent energy current, soon annihilated...
"Aunt Su—!"
Xiao Qi crashed heavily to the ground. Ignoring the intense pain throughout his body and churning qi and blood, he let out a heartrending cry of grief.
His only response was the Demon Marshal Xu Zhan's even more cold, more hollow eyes—now with not even a trace of ripples. And that spear slowly raised again, pointing at him: the spear of death.
Hope flickered, then shattered. On the battlefield remained only deeper despair, and the youth's grief, whimpering in the wind.