Chapter 66
Back in the chamber, Zhuo Yichen was no longer afraid.
He was furious.
Absolutely furious.
The medicine bowl beside him shattered against the wall.
“Li Lun!”
Yichen’s eyes were blazing.
“He was a pawn too!”
Silence.
“You keep talking about your suffering.”
“You keep talking about betrayal.”
“But what about Zhao Yuanzhou?”
Li Lun’s expression darkened.
Yichen didn’t stop.
“He cared about everyone.”
“Humans.”
“Demons.”
“Friends.”
“Strangers.”
“Even you.”
The last words hit harder than a blade.
Li Lun laughed coldly.
“Care?”
“Is that what you call it?”
Yichen pointed at him.
“When they found you with Ran Yi…”
His voice softened slightly.
“Do you know what Zhao Yuanzhou said?”
“He said you weren’t evil.”
The room became silent.
“He said you were angry.”
“He defended you.”
“Again.”
“And again.”
“And again.”
Even when nobody else would.
Li Lun looked away.
For the first time, his expression cracked.
Just slightly.
But Yichen saw it.
“You thought he abandoned you.”
“But he never stopped believing there was something worth saving inside you.”
The silence became unbearable.
Then Li Lun laughed.
A hollow laugh.
One filled with pain.
“You’re naive….too naive.”
Yichen immediately stood.
Ignoring the pain in his body.
“No.”
His voice was icy.
“I’m going to kill you….just wait and watch.”
Ao Yin nearly choked.
Li Lun actually blinked.
Yichen pointed directly at him.
“You don’t deserve sympathy.”
“You don’t deserve forgiveness.”
“You’ve never shown remorse.”
“You hurt innocent people.”
“You ruined lives.”
His voice trembled with anger.
“And you still think you’re the victim.”
The words struck deeply.
Li Lun’s smile slowly disappeared.
“Send me back.”
“No.”
“Send me back to Zhao Yuanzhou.”
“No.”
Yichen’s demonic aura surged.
“I’ll kill you and leave myself.”
The room shook.
For a moment it seemed another fight would begin.
Then-
A sudden pain tore through Yichen’s abdomen.
His face instantly paled.
His hand flew downward.
The child.
The poison.
The movement had aggravated it again.
Li Lun was beside him immediately.
“Sit down.”
“Don’t touch me.”
Before either could continue-
Ao Yin suddenly appeared.
Looking alarmed.
“Master.”
Li Lun frowned.
“What?”
Ao Yin swallowed.
Then pointed outside.
“He’s here.”
The room fell silent.
Li Lun already knew.
He had sensed it moments ago.
A familiar aura.
One he would recognize anywhere.
Outside the hidden barrier-
stood Zhao Yuanzhou.
Alone.
Li Lun closed his eyes briefly.
Then laughed.
A tired laugh.
“So he found us.”
Yichen immediately tried standing.
Li Lun blocked him.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Li Lun.”
The demon looked at him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Li Lun smiled.
A very sad smile.
“Say goodbye to him.”
Yichen froze.
The words felt wrong.
Dangerously wrong.
“What?”
Li Lun turned toward the door.
His voice became distant.
“I’ll eliminate him.”
The room instantly erupted with killing intent.
Yichen’s eyes widened.
“Li Lun!”
But the locust tree demon had already begun walking away.
His robes swayed behind him.
For a moment-
he looked lonely.
Very lonely.
“I never thought…”
He stopped.
“…that one day I’d stand opposite him.”
His voice was barely audible.
Then he vanished.
The battle began.
The sky split apart.
Dark clouds gathered.
The wilderness trembled.
For what felt like hours, the two ancient demons fought.
Power collided with power.
The earth cracked.
Mountains shook.
The heavens roared.
Yet the result was obvious.
Zhao Yuanzhou was weakening.
Rapidly.
Without his inner core.
Without the Undying Wood.
Without the power he once possessed.
He could no longer match Li Lun.
A devastating strike sent him crashing into the ground.
Blood spilled from his lips.
His breathing became ragged.
Li Lun stood above him.
Dark energy gathering around his hands.
For a brief moment-
hesitation appeared in his eyes.
Then he hardened his resolve.
The chessboard between them overturned.
Pieces scattering across the ground.
Li Lun unleashed everything.
His full power.
The killing blow descended.
And then-
“STOP!”
A figure rushed between them.
Zhuo Yichen.
Ignoring the agony in his body.
Ignoring the child.
Ignoring everything.
He threw himself in front of Zhao Yuanzhou.
The attack struck his protective barrier.
The shockwave sent him staggering.
“YICHEN!”
Zhao Yuanzhou’s voice cracked.
Wen Xiao and the others arrived moments later.
Rushing to shield him.
Yichen knelt beside Zhao Yuanzhou.
His hands trembling.
Only then did he truly see him.
How pale he looked.
How weak.
How exhausted.
And suddenly-
everything made sense.
The repaired Cloudlight Sword.
The restored power.
The impossible miracle.
His heart stopped.
“No…”
His voice shook.
“No.”
Zhao Yuanzhou immediately looked away.
A terrible sign.
Yichen grabbed his collar.
“NO.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“What did you do?”
Silence.
“What did you do?!”
The great demon smiled weakly.
Yichen’s entire body trembled.
“You used it.”
The realization hit him like lightning.
“Your inner core.”
His scream echoed across the wilderness.
“You used your inner core to repair the sword?!”
Silence.
Terrible silence.
“You promised me.”
His voice broke.
Again.
“You promised.”
The great demon reached up.
Slowly.
Gently.
Touching Yichen’s face.
“I did it for Bai Jiu too.”
Yichen froze.
Zhao Yuanzhou smiled sadly.
“That child…”
His voice was weak.
“He trusted us.”
“He deserved a chance….and baize must be restored too.”
Tears streamed down Yichen’s face.
Because that was exactly who Zhao Yuanzhou was.
Even now.
Even after losing everything.
Even while standing at death’s door.
He was still thinking about someone else.
And that hurt far more than any wound.