The heavens screamed.
Lightning gathered into a single spear, its brilliance blinding, its roar deafening. The sky itself bent downward, the storm ready to erase all that defied it.
Disciples across the sect fell to their knees, crying out in terror. Elders raised barriers, but their protective seals shattered like glass under the divine pressure.
"This strike…" the Sect Master muttered, his face ashen. "Even a Nascent Soul master would perish."
---
Below, amidst the broken cell, Li Xian stood trembling, blood running down his body in rivers. His crimson aura surged, defiant but flickering, his breath ragged.
The system blared:
> [Final Tribulation Strike descending.]
[Host lifespan: 8 hours.]
[Survival probability: 1%.]
His lips curved into a bloodied grin. "One percent… better odds than most."
---
Su Yao staggered forward, the storm nearly throwing her back. Her white robes whipped wildly, her hair undone, her jade-like face pale and trembling.
Her heart pounded with the force of a thousand drums.
If I step forward… I betray the sect. I betray Heaven itself.
If I step back… I lose him forever.
Tears welled in her eyes, shimmering against the storm's light.
"Li Xian…" she whispered, voice breaking. "Why must you drag me into this madness?"
His eyes found hers, burning with crimson light. "Because only in madness… can we escape Heaven's cage."
Her breath caught, her soul trembling violently.
---
Mei Ling's laughter rang out, sharp and sultry, unfazed by the destruction around them. She licked a trace of blood from her lip, eyes fixed on Li Xian.
"If you die here, I'll carve your name into my skin. If you live…" Her dagger twirled, glinting in the stormlight. "…I'll carve myself into yours."
The system purred:
> [Target Mei Ling: Devotion confirmed. Loyalty unshakable.]
---
The lightning spear fell.
It tore the sky apart, a pillar of divine wrath crashing straight toward Li Xian. The ground split, the sect's mountains shaking as if the world itself would crumble.
Li Xian braced himself, crimson bloodline flaring, his arms raised to meet the strike. His body screamed, bones fracturing under the pressure even before it landed.
The system howled:
> [Impact imminent.]
[Warning: Fatal threshold reached.]
---
And then—
A flash of white.
Su Yao moved.
Her jade figure blurred, robes billowing as she stepped in front of him, arms spread, spiritual energy erupting in a desperate shield of pure light.
"Then let me share this madness with you!" she cried, voice breaking as lightning engulfed them both.
The heavens exploded.