Chapter 83: The Cost of War
The final battle raged on, fiercer than any conflict Xu Tian had ever witnessed. The allied forces pushed forward, striking down Immortal Cultivators whose power had diminished since the Nexus was destroyed. Yet even weakened, their enemies were formidable, and the battlefield was soaked with blood and sweat.
Xu Tian, Lian Feng, and Zhao Wu led the charge, their elemental powers intertwining as they fought side by side. Xu Tian's fire burned through the Immortal ranks, while Lian Feng's water swept like a torrent, cutting down enemies with graceful, lethal precision. Zhao Wu's earth power made him an unmovable force, shielding them from harm.
But the Immortal Cultivators' leaders, their most powerful warriors, still stood. They fought like cornered beasts, desperate and deadly. Xu Tian knew that this would be the final clash, the moment that would decide the fate of the Jianghu.
In the midst of the chaos, Xu Tian's attention was drawn to a new threat—a figure draped in black robes, exuding an aura of raw, dark energy. The Cultivator's eyes glowed with a sickly green light, and as he raised his hand, the sky seemed to darken, the air growing heavy with corruption.
"It's him," Xu Tian muttered, recognizing the man as the true leader of the Immortal Cultivators—the Dark Sovereign, the mastermind behind the corruption that had spread through the Jianghu.
Lian Feng stood beside Xu Tian, her eyes narrowing as she saw the threat. "This is it, Xu Tian. We have to stop him, or everything will be lost."
Xu Tian nodded, his heart pounding. He tightened his grip on his sword, ready for the final battle. "Let's finish this."
Chapter 84: The Dark Sovereign
The Dark Sovereign unleashed a storm of corrupted energy, sending waves of black lightning crashing toward them. Xu Tian and Lian Feng dodged, their movements swift and coordinated. But the Sovereign's power was immense—far greater than any foe they had faced before.
Xu Tian's fire clashed with the dark energy, but it was Lian Feng's water that kept them balanced, flowing around the attacks and shielding them from harm. Together, they fought with a harmony that had been forged through years of battle and love.
But as they fought, Xu Tian noticed something unsettling. The Dark Sovereign's attacks were growing more erratic, more focused on Lian Feng.
"He's targeting her!" Zhao Wu shouted from behind them, fending off the Cultivators that tried to cut off their path.
Xu Tian's chest tightened with fear. He could feel the Sovereign's dark energy locking onto Lian Feng, and despite her skill, it was becoming harder for her to dodge the attacks.
"Stay with me, Lian Feng!" Xu Tian called, moving closer to her. His flames flared up, trying to shield her from the brunt of the assault.
But the Dark Sovereign was relentless. His attacks grew more vicious, more targeted. One strike in particular—black energy laced with corrupted fire—ripped through the battlefield, heading straight for Lian Feng.
Chapter 85: The Fatal Blow
In an instant, time seemed to slow. Xu Tian saw the black fire racing toward Lian Feng, its destructive force aimed directly at her. His heart stopped. He reached out, his mind screaming her name, but it was too late.
The blast hit Lian Feng with full force.
Xu Tian watched, helpless, as the explosion tore through her defenses. Her water aura tried to counter the attack, but the dark energy was too strong, too overwhelming. It swallowed her whole, sending her flying backward.
"Lian Feng!" Xu Tian's voice broke as he sprinted toward her, his entire body consumed with panic. He reached her side just as she fell to the ground, her body broken and bloodied. The light in her eyes flickered as she struggled to breathe.
"No… no, no, no…" Xu Tian knelt beside her, his hands shaking as he held her. "You're going to be okay, Lian Feng. You're going to be fine."
She smiled weakly, her hand reaching up to touch his face. "Xu Tian…" Her voice was barely a whisper.
He could feel her life slipping away, could feel the bond they shared weakening with every passing second. His heart shattered, and tears welled in his eyes as he tried to channel his energy, to heal her, to save her.
"Don't leave me," he begged, his voice breaking. "Please… please don't leave me."
Lian Feng's hand trembled as she caressed his cheek, her touch gentle despite the pain. "We… we fought together, didn't we? We… made a difference."
Tears streamed down Xu Tian's face as he shook his head. "We still have to win this. You can't go. I can't do this without you."
Her breath hitched, and she coughed, blood staining her lips. "You can… you must. The Jianghu… needs you."
He held her tightly, refusing to let go. The world around them seemed to fade, the battle distant and insignificant in that moment. All that mattered was the woman he loved, the woman who had stood by his side through everything.
"I love you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"I love you too," Xu Tian choked out, his voice thick with grief.
With one final breath, Lian Feng's eyes closed, and her body went still in his arms.
Chapter 86: Grief and Fury
For a moment, the world stopped. Xu Tian sat there, cradling Lian Feng's lifeless body, his mind numb with disbelief. His heart, shattered beyond repair, ached in ways he had never thought possible.
Then, slowly, the numbness gave way to something else—rage. A burning, all-consuming fury that surged through him like an inferno. His core formation, already pushed to its limits, flared with energy, and his fire blazed higher than it ever had before.
The Dark Sovereign stood across the battlefield, watching the scene unfold with a cruel, satisfied smile.
Xu Tian's eyes locked onto him, filled with unbridled hatred. He gently laid Lian Feng's body down, his heart breaking with every movement, and rose to his feet. His flames flickered, wild and untamed, responding to the depth of his anguish.
"You'll pay for this," Xu Tian growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I'll destroy you."
The Dark Sovereign merely sneered. "You can try."
Chapter 87: The Wrath of Fire
Xu Tian's fury exploded outward, his fire roaring with a vengeance. He launched himself at the Dark Sovereign, every strike fueled by the pain of losing Lian Feng. His flames were no longer the controlled, precise element he had mastered—they were a storm, a force of nature that sought to consume everything in its path.
The battlefield trembled as Xu Tian unleashed his full power. The air around him burned, and even the Immortal Cultivators recoiled from the heat. The Dark Sovereign, caught off guard by the sheer intensity of Xu Tian's attack, struggled to hold his ground.
"You took everything from me!" Xu Tian roared, his voice filled with anguish and rage. "And I'll make sure you suffer for it!"
The Dark Sovereign's dark energy clashed with Xu Tian's fire, but it was clear that the balance of power had shifted. Xu Tian fought with the strength of a man who had lost everything, his every blow a devastating reminder of the love that had been ripped from him.
The Dark Sovereign faltered, his once impenetrable defenses cracking under the relentless assault. But even as Xu Tian pressed his attack, he could feel the cost. His core formation was burning too fast, his energy dwindling. He knew that he couldn't sustain this level of power for long.
But it didn't matter. All that mattered was vengeance.
Chapter 88: The Final Strike
With one final, earth-shattering blow, Xu Tian's flames engulfed the Dark Sovereign. The corrupted leader screamed as the fire consumed him, his dark energy unraveling in the face of Xu Tian's overwhelming fury.
And then, with a final roar, the Dark Sovereign was gone—reduced to ash by the flames of Xu Tian's wrath.
The battle around them fell silent. The Immortal Cultivators, leaderless and broken, began to retreat, their forces collapsing without the strength of the Dark Sovereign to guide them.
Xu Tian stood alone on the battlefield, the flames around him slowly dying out. The war was over. The Jianghu had been saved.
But Lian Feng was gone.
Chapter 89: A World Without Her
Xu Tian knelt beside Lian Feng's body once more, his hands trembling as he cradled her in his arms. The world around him felt hollow, empty. He had won, but the victory was meaningless without her.
The allied forces began to gather around him, their faces somber as they realized what had happened. Zhao Wu stood nearby, his expression filled with grief.
Xu Tian couldn't hear their words. He couldn't feel anything but the crushing weight of his loss.
The war was over. But Xu Tian's world had ended.
Chapter 90: A Promise in the Ashes
Days later, the allied sects gathered to honor the fallen, including Lian Feng. Xu Tian stood at her graveside, his heart heavy with sorrow. He had saved the Jianghu, but at the greatest cost.
"I will never forget you," Xu Tian whispered, his voice breaking as he placed a single flower on her grave. "And