Chapter 67
The battlefield had become complete chaos.
Dark energy tore through the sky.
The earth cracked beneath their feet.
And at the center of it all-
Li Lun had completely lost control.
The moment he saw Zhao Yuanzhou protecting everyone despite his weakened state, something inside him shattered.
“WHY?!”
His voice thundered through the wilderness.
“WHY IS IT ALWAYS THEM?!”
The vines around him exploded outward.
Pei Sijing immediately drew her sword.
“Move!”
She charged.
The blade flashed.
But before she could reach him-
a wave of malevolent energy slammed into her.
The impact sent her flying.
“SIJING!”
Wen Xiao cried out.
Pei Sijing crashed into the rocks, blood staining the corner of her lips.
Li Lun didn’t even look at her.
His eyes remained fixed on Zhao Yuanzhou.
Filled with centuries of pain.
Centuries of resentment.
Then-
another figure stepped forward.
Pei Siheng.
His spirit appeared before his sister.
Shielding her.
For a brief moment, Pei Sijing froze.
“Brother…”
Li Lun attacked again.
Pei Siheng intercepted him.
The two forces collided.
But everyone knew the outcome.
Pei Siheng had courage.
He had heart.
But he wasn’t strong enough.
A violent strike landed.
His spirit flickered violently.
The second strike nearly shattered him.
“Brother!”
Pei Sijing screamed.
The same gentle smile he had always worn.
Then he was thrown aside.
Meanwhile-
Zhuo Yichen stepped forward.
The restored Cloudlight Sword glowed brilliantly in his hand.
Dragon light flowed along its blade.
Ancient.
Divine.
Magnificent.
For the first time since its restoration-
its true power appeared.
He and Li Lun clashed.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each collision shook the heavens.
Yet even now-
Yichen could not strike to kill.
Every attack avoided a vital point.
Every opening was left untouched.
Because beneath all the anger…
beneath all the grief…
he still remembered.
Li Lun had once been Zhao Yuanzhou’s friend.
Li Lun had once cared for Bai Jiu.
Li Lun had once been someone worth saving.
And that kindness became hesitation.
A hesitation Li Lun noticed immediately.
“You still can’t do it.”
Li Lun laughed bitterly.
“You still can’t kill.”
Yichen tightened his grip.
“Shut up.”
Far away-
Wen Xiao raised the Bai Ze Order…
Blood already stained her sleeve…
Her face was pale.
Far too pale.
“Stop!”
Yichen’s voice cracked.
He knew what using it meant.
Every use pushed the poison deeper into her body.
“Wen Xiao!”
But she ignored him.
The flute touched her lips.
A mournful melody echoed across the battlefield.
Golden light erupted.
Chains of Bai Ze power wrapped around Li Lun.
For a moment-
he was trapped.
For a moment-
it seemed enough.
Then the darkness exploded.
Li Lun roared.
The restraints shattered.
The backlash struck Wen Xiao directly.
She was thrown across the battlefield.
Blood sprayed from her lips.
“WEN XIAO!”
Yichen abandoned the fight immediately.
Rushing toward her.
He caught her before she hit the ground.
Yet she still managed to smile.
A stubborn smile.
A foolish smile.
Just like always.
“You idiot…”
Yichen’s voice trembled.
“Why would you do that?”
Wen Xiao coughed.
Then looked toward Li Lun.
Toward Bai Jiu’s body.
Toward the boy still trapped inside.
“Stop him…”
Her voice was barely audible.
“If you don’t…”
Another cough.
“…Li Lun and Bai Jiu will both disappear.”
Yichen froze.
The words hit harder than any sword.
Both of them.
Gone.
Forever.
His grip tightened.
And for one brief moment-
he hesitated.
That single moment was enough.
Li Lun attacked again.
Dark energy surged forward.
The killing blow descended.
Then-
someone moved.
Zhao Yuanzhou.
Despite his weakness.
Despite the missing inner core.
Despite barely being able to stand.
He stepped behind Li Lun.
And restrained him.
The battlefield froze.
Even Li Lun seemed shocked.
“Yuanzhou?”
For a moment-
he sounded exactly like the young demon from twenty thousand years ago.
The one who had followed his friend into the human realm.
The one who still believed in impossible things.
Zhao Yuanzhou tightened his hold.
Blood dripped from the corner of his lips.
His voice was soft.
Painfully soft.
“Yichen.”
The commander’s eyes widened.
“Do it.”
“No.”
“Yichen.”
“No!”
His voice broke.
“I won’t! I should somehow return your core …to you.”
Zhao Yuanzhou smiled sadly.
The same smile he always wore when making impossible choices.
The same smile that made everyone want to cry.
“Save Bai Jiu.”
The Cloudlight Sword trembled in his hand.
Li Lun slowly stopped struggling.
His eyes widened.
Then softened.
Completely.
At last.
The hatred disappeared.
The anger disappeared.
The resentment disappeared.
Only exhaustion remained.
And peace.
He looked at Zhao Yuanzhou.
His oldest friend.
His greatest regret.
Then he looked at Zhuo Yichen.
The person he could never hate.
Not truly.
Not completely.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“Dying in your hands…”
His voice was barely a whisper now.
“…isn’t such a bad ending.”
Yichen’s vision blurred.
“No…”
Li Lun laughed softly.
For the first time in centuries-
the sound wasn’t bitter.
It wasn’t angry.
It was simply tired.
“You know…”
His eyes grew distant.
“If things had been different…”
He never finished the sentence.
Because some regrets were too heavy for words.
The Cloudlight Sword trembled.
The wind fell silent.
And everyone understood-
this wasn’t the end of a villain.
It was the end of someone who had been lost for far too long.