"Pfft—"
Song Wanníng coughed up a mouthful of blood, feeling as if her organs had all shifted out of place.
She struggled to pull herself free from the shattered wall, barely managing to stay upright before Yi'er rushed forward and caught her, keeping her from crashing to the ground.
Xuan Yan's eyes gleamed with wicked amusement as they landed on her. "If you change your mind now, it's still not too late."
The demonic energy around him stirred even more violently, lashing out like wild beasts as it surged toward her again. The black mist twisted into countless monstrous shapes, giving her no chance to breathe.
Song Wanníng's heart sank. With Yi'er's help, she charged forward once more. To keep her trump cards hidden—and to make Xuan Yan drop his suspicions—she had no choice but to meet his attacks head-on, even if it meant hurting herself in the process.
Soon, she was struck again. Her body hit the ground hard, sliding across the cracked stone. A gaping wound torn open by demonic energy oozed blood that shimmered an unnatural, corrupted red under the tainted light. Still, Song Wanníng refused to yield. She gritted her teeth and forced herself up, glaring at him.
"You're nothing but a despicable coward, don't get too full of yourself! If my spiritual power weren't sealed, there's no way you could beat me!"
Her eyes burned red with anger as she spat the words, defiant to the end.
Xuan Yan chuckled softly. "Don't bother trying to provoke me, that trick won't work.
So what if I'm despicable? Good people die young anyway. If being a villain gets results, then I'll gladly be one."
He threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing in the chamber. At the brink of death, who cared about righteousness or morals?
Only someone like Song Wanníng, who'd never truly suffered, would still believe in such childish ideals.
"Song Wanníng, since you've chosen to side with the Heavenly Dao, then your death here is already set in stone. Accept your fate.
Soon, you'll see the truth. The Heavenly Dao doesn't care whether you live or die. You're nothing but a pawn it can throw away whenever it pleases."
Xuan Yan's gaze softened for a fleeting moment. If only she'd chosen to stand with him, she could've escaped this fate. Such talent, wasted—it was a pity.
"Is that so?"
Song Wanníng's lips curled into a faint smile. "Then why don't we find out?"
This was the moment she'd been waiting for.
Just like with Gong Ye, she'd crush Xuan Yan's centuries of faith with her own hands.
The moment he lost control would be her chance to strike.
"Ignorant fool…"
Xuan Yan shook his head and raised his hand, his patience finally gone. He'd given her every chance to turn back. Since she refused to treasure it, she could die with her ideals. His eyes turned cold, and with one swift motion, his clawed hand shot toward her neck.
Song Wanníng didn't dodge. She just stood there, calm and still, watching him approach. Even when his fingers closed around her throat, she showed no fear. Only excitement and a flicker of something dark flashed in her eyes.
That look made Xuan Yan's chest tighten. For the first time, he felt a twinge of dread. But he didn't stop. He tightened his grip. No matter what trick she planned to pull, she had to die here.
Yet the instant his strength surged—
A bolt of lightning came crashing down without warning.
"Boom!"
The thunder struck fast and mercilessly, leaving no time to react. In the blink of an eye, both of them were swallowed by blinding light.
Xuan Yan's eyes widened. The impact slammed him down hard, but even as his body convulsed, he refused to let go of her neck.
Then he froze.
What he saw next shattered everything he believed.
The heavenly thunder tore into him, racking his body with agony. His demonic energy went haywire, his entire form trembling violently. The raw power crawling down his spine made him feel something he hadn't felt in hundreds of thousands of years—fear.
The fear of death.
But Song Wanníng, standing right before him, was untouched. The lightning avoided her completely, wrapping around her like flowing water that refused to harm her. She looked at him and smiled, her eyes full of mocking amusement.
In that instant, he understood everything. No wonder she'd dared to stand so fearlessly before him. The Heavenly Dao really did protect her.
A crimson flash crossed Xuan Yan's pupils, spreading until his eyes turned blood-red. For all those long, bitter years, he'd doubted whether the Heavenly Dao truly ruled everything in the lower realms. If it did, why had it let him suffer while the wicked ascended in peace?
He'd wanted to believe that Heaven merely followed its own laws, unable to intervene in mortal affairs. Even in his hatred, he'd clung to that faint hope—that the Heavenly Dao hadn't completely abandoned him.
But now, all of that shattered. The Heavenly Dao saw everything. It even struck down lightning to protect Song Wanníng, breaking its own rules for her sake.
"Heh… hehehe…"
The thunder tore through his body, scattering his demonic energy. But none of that mattered anymore.
He finally understood.
He'd been abandoned.
Abandoned forever.
Xuan Yan laughed, his voice raw and hollow.
When the thunder finally faded, he staggered to his feet and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. He looked at Song Wanníng, unable to comprehend what made him so inferior.
Why would Heaven abandon him?
Why her?
"I refuse to accept this."
His voice trembled with rage and disbelief. Hundreds of thousands of years of faith and hatred—all of it had become a cruel joke.
Song Wanníng sighed softly. She could understand his despair.
She'd once felt the same when she thought the Heavenly Dao had forsaken her, when she couldn't understand why Ye Chuxue had been chosen instead.
"Xuan Yan, do you really think Heaven cast you aside? You, who's tried to destroy the world again and again, still managed to survive all this time. Do you really think that was just luck?"
She stepped forward and touched her reddened neck.
"You saw it yourself. If Heaven truly abandoned you, you'd already be dead. The Heavenly Dao can't interfere in many things. I'm an exception only because of the burden I carry. It broke its own rules just to keep me alive.
So, within its laws, it gave you a chance. Otherwise, how could a demonic creature like you survive for hundreds of thousands of years?"
Her tone was calm, but the pressure in her words was immense.
She wanted Xuan Yan to face the truth—one he'd been running from all along.