Not long after, they arrived at Xinjing City. The sky above Xinjing Valley had turned pitch black, welcoming dusk with an unusual gloom. The wind swept the dust into spirals, carrying whispers of death that echoed in the hearts of anyone who heard them. A small force from the Sect Alliance, led by Lu Zhou, had reached a strategic point to ambush the remnants of the Dark Blood Movement—at least, that was what they believed.
Lu Zhou stood at the front. He gazed into the stillness of the valley, his eyes vacant—as if seeing something no one else could touch. The wind battered his robes, but his body stood firm and unshaken, like a stone statue burdened with millennia of sorrow.
Da Zhong stepped forward, standing beside his old friend.
"Lu Zhou, you haven't said a word since we arrived. Are you alright?"
Lu Zhou didn't answer. In his mind, the echoes of the past screamed—cries, flames, and a small voice he could never forget.
> "Father… I want to live in a peaceful world…"
It was the voice of Lu Tian—his son.
Chen Tiamo moved forward. His eyes scanned the eerily quiet valley.
"Are you sure your intel is accurate? This place is too open. Too quiet…"
"Trust me," Lu Zhou finally replied. His voice was flat, as if only his body stood there—while his soul was trapped in the past. "They are here."
As if answering his words, two figures emerged from behind a large rock. Mu Whon and Kim Jheon Mo—their faces calm, cold, and all too familiar. Jet-black robes cloaked their bodies, marked with a deep red symbol that pulsed faintly like blood refusing to freeze.
Pen Aiyu instinctively drew her sword.
"What are you doing here?! Weren't you—"
A blast of black energy cut her off. On top of the rock, Ci Jheon appeared in the shadows, a silhouette of death's angel. Beside him stood Lee Heyeon, wearing a terrifying smile—a smile filled with slaughter.
"I've been waiting for this moment," Lee Heyeon said calmly. "Let the show… begin."
Da Zhong raised his sword swiftly.
"Lu Zhou! It's a trap! We need to retreat—!"
But Lu Zhou's voice cut through him. Low… yet echoing.
"It's too late…"
All eyes turned to him now. Chen Tiamo stared, filled with suspicion.
"What do you mean…?"
Lu Zhou closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, a dark aura enveloped his body. Energy surged slowly, but it was heavy… enough to shake the conviction of the entire force.
A single tear rolled down from the corner of his eye.
> "Forgive me…" he whispered. "I've lost everything… My son died calling my name… and I could not save him. The world you defend… never saved him. So I chose… the world that could."
"Traitor…!" Da Zhong roared, his eyes red with fury.
"No," Mu Whon replied coldly. "We simply opened our eyes. This world… is full of lies."
"And from its corpse," Kim Jheon Mo added, blood dripping from his fingers, "we will rebuild—with our own truth."
Then the battle erupted.
Ci Jheon dashed like lightning, slicing through Pen Aiyu before her sword could even rise. Blood sprayed high, her body dropped silently, soaking the rocks of the valley.
Chen Tiamo fought with all his might, struggling against the deadly duet of Mu Whon and Lee Heyeon. Their strikes were like a symphony of death—elegant, precise, and merciless.
Da Zhong clashed blades with Lu Zhou in a fierce one-on-one duel. The sound of swords clashing filled the air. Da Zhong managed to wound Lu Zhou's shoulder, but a single Void Crescent Slash struck his chest, destroying his dantian.
"You… you once swore beneath Mount Tianjian…" Da Zhong murmured, breath heavy, blood dripping from his lips. "Was all of that… just a lie?"
Lu Zhou stepped closer. There was no hatred on his face. Only pain… that had never healed. He knelt before his old friend.
> "It wasn't a lie… But the world forced me to break that oath. I… was just a father who failed."
One final thrust ended it all.
---
Meanwhile, at Tianyin Pavilion, Cheon Ji sat in silence, gazing into the still pond. A soft breeze blew by. Suddenly, the bowl of water in his hand slipped, fell, and shattered into pieces.
"What omen is this…" he whispered. But his heart was already tense.