Lixuan slowly landed on the ground.
The warmth of his breaths could still be felt in the air, but something inside him had changed.
There was no fear left in his eyes — only a deep, restless darkness.
As if he had gotten lost somewhere within himself.
He raised his fingers to his lips and blew a sharp whistle,
a sound that struck directly at the mind,
like a long-forgotten memory being forcefully awakened.
Everyone who was under Yinmoji's control stopped at once.
Their hands froze mid-air, their eyes rolled back,
and one by one they collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
The battlefield froze in an instant.
Even the wind seemed to halt, as if time itself had held its breath.
A flicker of surprise appeared in Mo yan's eyes, then he slowly laughed.
There was no amusement in his laughter, only a strange curiosity.
"Oh… so you're the one who faced Yinmoji's power."
His voice suddenly thundered —
"Go… kill him."
Qingyu's soldiers and Zhi Yan immediately advanced.
Within moments, Lixuan was surrounded from all sides.
The shine of swords reflected on his face, yet his eyelids didn't even flicker.
Suddenly the ground shook violently.
Cracks spread beneath his feet,
and from those cracks black smoke burst out —
this time denser, pushing everyone back.
Qingyu's soldiers charged together.
Swords flashed, spears were hurled toward him —
but the moment they reached Lixuan,
the black smoke wrapped around them and stopped them mid-air.
Lixuan slowly raised his head.
His eyes no longer looked human —
deep, black, and terrifyingly calm.
From within the smoke, a sword emerged.
Its dark blade looked as if it were forged from mist.
It came straight into Lixuan's hand and settled there.
The battlefield fell completely silent for a moment.
Everyone felt it — something terrible was about to happen.
Then Lixuan struck his first blow.
His movement wasn't human — not fast, yet impossible to stop.
Anyone who came near him fell, wrapped in smoke.
No one could understand —
was he wielding the sword…
or was the darkness itself striking?
Qingyu's soldiers fell one after another,
and slowly a dreadful silence spread across the battlefield.
Then Zhiyan stepped forward.
Clear anger burned in his eyes.
"You are the ruin of everyone," he said through clenched teeth.
He raised his sword with all his strength
and struck directly at Lixuan.
This time Lixuan didn't try to block.
The strike landed straight on him.
Blood reached his lips…
but the counterattack he delivered was not human.
Black smoke wrapped around his blade,
as if the darkness itself had come alive.
In a single blow, Zhiyan dropped to his knees.
He tried to stand again,
but there was no mercy in Lixuan's eyes —
only a cold, empty void.
And then… a final strike.
Zhiyan's body fell motionless to the ground.
His sword slipped from his hand and sank halfway into the soil.
The soldiers who were roaring moments ago were now silent.
There was no anger in their eyes… only fear.
And the name of that fear was — Lixuan.
The black smoke still circled around him.
His sword slowly dissolved into the mist,
as if it had never existed.
Then Moyan stepped forward.
He looked at Zhiyan's body… then at Lixuan…
and smiled faintly — a thin, poisonous smile.
"Look," his voice echoed across the battlefield,
"this is his true form."
All the commanders turned toward him.
Moyan raised a finger and pointed at Lixuan.
"He has the third fragment."
Whispers instantly spread across the battlefield.
The third fragment… was with Lixuan.
And he had been hiding it.
Moyan began weaving lies like truth.
"He is using the power of darkness.
No one can withstand Yinmoji's power…
unless they possess the fragment."
Then he paused slightly and said —
"The greatest enemy is not outside… but within."
His gaze fixed directly on Lixuan.
"Your enemy was among you all along."
And with that, he dissolved into the smoke —
gone… as if he had never existed.
Silence spread across the entire forest.
Then a voice came —
"You lied to us."
Another —
"You hid the fragment."
A third —
"We trusted you."
Accusations rained down like arrows.
Every word struck him like a stone.
Lixuan stood silently.
His breaths were heavy, but his eyes remained open.
As if he heard everything… yet had no strength left to react.
Then two figures stepped forward — Zhichen and Mingzhao.
"Stop!" Zhichen shouted.
"You all know Lixuan isn't like this."
Mingzhao stepped forward too, his voice trembling but firm.
"He has always protected us.
When all of you stepped back, he was the one who stood in front."
But the crowd didn't want to listen.
They needed an enemy…
and Moyan had given them one.
Then Fengli stepped forward.
His eyes were red — not from tears, but from burning pain.
"My family died because of you,"
he said in a breaking voice.
The battlefield fell silent again.
Lixuan's eyes shifted slightly.
Fengli's voice trembled —
"If you had told us earlier about the third fragment…
we would have been prepared. They would all be alive."
These words cut deeper than any blade.
Lixuan parted his lips…
but no sound came out.
Suddenly the sky flashed.
With divine power, Chenyu stepped forward.
His gaze locked onto Lixuan —
no recognition, no love… only anger.
"You have disgraced the clan," he shouted.
And without hesitation, he delivered the first strike.
With tremendous force, Lixuan was thrown back and fell to the ground.
The second strike was even faster.
The air sliced with it, like lightning hitting the earth.
With every blow, Lixuan's strength sank deeper.
His body trembled, yet the same silent darkness remained in his eyes —
as if he wasn't fighting the pain… only feeling it.
He tried to stand…
but each time the ground pulled him back down.
Mingzhao ran to stop his father,
but Chenyu simply raised his hand —
and instantly a divine barrier formed around him.
A shining wall stood between him and the world.
He punched the barrier desperately.
"Don't hurt him! He did nothing!"
His voice echoed inside the barrier,
as if even his pain had been imprisoned.
Then Zhichen ran forward to save Lixuan,
but someone grabbed his arm tightly.
Xiangu stopped him.
Her grip was cold and firm.
"This is against orders," she said in a low, stern voice.
Zhichen jerked his arm.
"Let me go!"
But the grip only tightened.
Then Chenyu drew his sword…
the light reflecting off its edge stung the eyes.
He slowly walked toward Lixuan.
Lixuan was on his knees — weak, but silent.
As if he had already fought all his battles.
The sword rose.
At that very moment, Xiangu released Zhichen's hand.
Without thinking, Zhichen ran…
and stepped between the blade.
The edge cut across both their hands.
A thin red line traced through the air.
The wound wasn't deep, but blood flowed.
Two drops of blood rose into the air
and fell onto a small plant nearby.
The plant glowed faintly —
as if an ancient bond had been born,
as if fate itself had tied them together with a thread.
Lixuan's strength was completely gone.
He collapsed, but Zhichen caught him.
Now Lixuan's head rested in Zhichen's lap.
His breaths were growing lighter…
each breath carrying him a step farther from the world.
Zhichen held his face in both hands.
His fingers trembled.
"Don't close your eyes…"
his voice broke.
Lixuan barely opened his eyes.
His gaze fixed directly on Zhichen.
Even through the pain, there was a strange calm in his eyes —
as if he understood everything now.
"Don't believe Moyan…"
he whispered.
Zhichen replied immediately,
"I know. I know you can't lie."
A faint smile appeared on Lixuan's lips.
"I don't have any fragment…"
Zhichen tightened his grip on his hand.
"I know everything, Lixuan… everything."
Lixuan slowly raised his hand
and placed it against his lips.
"Shh… listen to me today…"
Zhichen fell silent.
He had never seen Lixuan this weak…
and this honest.
His voice was barely audible.
"I have a wish…"
"Tell me," Zhichen said immediately.
Tears shimmered in Lixuan's eyes.
"I want…
in the next life, you to be with me again."
That moment froze.
Even the air stopped.
Tears fell from Zhichen's eyes.
"Nothing will happen to you," he said,
"this life won't end… and we won't be separated."
Lixuan just kept looking at him —
as if sealing every word inside his heart,
as if his voice was his last refuge.
Suddenly a harsh hand pulled Lixuan away.
Without a word, Chenyu
tore him from Zhichen's lap.
Zhichen didn't scream…
but the fear in his eyes said everything.
Chenyu didn't stop.
He dragged Lixuan
straight to the edge of the vast river.
The water was black and deep,
as if only darkness lay beneath…
as if it was waiting to swallow everything.
Mingzhao was still struggling inside the barrier.
"Father stop! He is innocent!"
But Chenyu didn't turn back even once.
Without pausing… without thinking…
he pushed Lixuan into the water.
The water swallowed him instantly.
As he sank, Lixuan saw Zhichen and Mingzhao's faces…
then pain on those faces…
then everything blurred.
A faint whisper seemed to say —
"Let go now…
you don't belong to them anymore…"
The water pulled him deeper.
Lixuan's eyes slowly began to close.
The world he had fought for believing it was his own…
in the end, that very world pushed him into darkness.
And above…
only a restless silence remained.