"Breaking your vow will rebound upon you, leaving you grievously injured!"
"Since you've struck first, Daoist Tianhuo, don't blame me for being ruthless. Mingyue, today will be your end!"
With a sinister smile, Tianhuo Zi crushed the blood bead in his hand. A burst of fiery light enveloped his figure as he shot forward like a streak of lightning. His finger, glowing crimson, aimed directly for Mingyue Zhenjun's brow.
The shattered blood bead caused Mingyue Zhenjun's face to pale instantly. She let out a muffled groan, and her aura noticeably weakened. It was in this moment of vulnerability that Tianhuo launched his assault.
"Exploding Flame Finger—Burn the heavens, boil the seas, destroy all!"
His shout reverberated with cruel intent, as if he could already see Mingyue's form consumed by flames, her body and soul obliterated.
But just as the devastating strike was about to land, Mingyue Zhenjun's aura underwent a dramatic transformation. A towering, overwhelming presence erupted from her body—a force as vast as the ocean and as unyielding as a mountain. This was no ordinary power; it was several magnitudes beyond what Tianhuo could muster.
"Haha, daring to strike at me? Tianhuo Zi, today I'll send you to your grave!"
Mingyue Zhenjun's voice, now deep and resonant, carried a chilling undertone. With a casual wave of her hand, she struck at Tianhuo with an effortless yet devastating motion.
"Late Nascent Soul stage! You're not Mingyue!"
Tianhuo's face twisted in utter terror as the realization struck. His charge faltered, and he scrambled to retreat. But it was too late.
With a booming roar, the figure in front of him unleashed a massive, jet-black seal tinged with streaks of blood-red. The seal, spanning a full ten feet in diameter, descended with the weight of a collapsing mountain.
Tianhuo's face turned ashen. He hastily pulled a dark-red shield artifact from his storage pouch. Activated with his spiritual energy, the shield flared with a fiery glow, radiating intense heat. Judging by its aura, it was a top-grade defensive artifact.
Boom!
The massive seal crashed down, and the shield let out an anguished hum. The blazing flames adorning it dimmed drastically before the shield itself flew back into Tianhuo's arms, now cracked and lifeless. As it was his natal artifact, tied to his very soul, its destruction caused Tianhuo to cough up a mouthful of blood. His body was hurled backward dozens of feet.
"The Blood Prison Seal... You're the Blood Prison Ancestor!"
Tianhuo Zi's voice trembled with disbelief as he shouted the name of his adversary. His face was pale, drained of both blood and courage.
"Haha, your knowledge isn't half-bad for a mere whelp. Recognizing my signature technique so quickly."
As he spoke, "Mingyue Zhenjun" let out a sinister chuckle. Her body twisted unnaturally, and with a series of bone-cracking sounds, she transformed. The withered, elderly visage was replaced by that of a strikingly handsome man in his thirties. His complexion was eerily pale, his lips a vivid blood-red, and his narrow, enchanting eyes exuded a predatory charm.
"Impossible! The Blood Prison Ancestor perished thirty years ago, his lifespan exhausted. How can you still be alive?"
Tianhuo's voice was hoarse, his disbelief palpable.
"Hmph! Did you truly believe that a trivial sect like yours could uncover the secrets of my Yellow Spring Sect? My so-called death was nothing more than a fabrication, deliberately fed to mislead you fools."
The Blood Prison Ancestor sneered, his tone dripping with scorn.
"Today, I owe you a debt of gratitude, Tianhuo Zi. Without your meddling, capturing this delicate beauty would have taken far more effort. But thanks to you, everything has become much simpler."
As his gaze shifted toward Ziyan Fairy, it burned with unrestrained greed and desire.
"Once I claim her primal yin, my cultivation will soar to the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, perhaps even reaching the Perfected Nascent Soul realm. From there, stepping into the Heaven-Man Stage and achieving immortality will no longer be a dream!"
The Blood Prison Ancestor's face was alight with maniacal fervor, his fixation on Ziyan Fairy bordering on obsession. His words drained all color from her already pale face.
Tianhuo Zi, meanwhile, sat slumped on the ground. His once-youthful visage had aged decades in an instant. His body was hunched, his vitality drained, and his expression filled with bitter regret.
"Ziyan was right. I was a fool, blinded by greed, to involve myself with the Yellow Spring Sect."
Guilt and anguish clawed at his heart as he muttered inwardly.
"But as long as I live, I will not allow harm to come to her. If I die here, then in my next life, I'll atone for the mistakes I made today."
Rising unsteadily to his feet, Tianhuo's gaze locked onto the Blood Prison Ancestor. Though his aura was chaotic and his body battered, his eyes burned with unrelenting determination.
"As long as I, Tianhuo Zi, draw breath, no one will harm Ziyan."
The quiet conviction in his words radiated a will to fight, born from a willingness to die. Such resolve was rare, and it even caused the Blood Prison Ancestor to frown momentarily. A lifetime of battles had taught him to recognize the terrifying power of one who no longer feared death.
"Daoist Tianhuo, I offer you one final chance," the Blood Prison Ancestor said, his tone cold but measured. "Step aside, and I will swear an oath upon my Nascent Soul to leave you unharmed. I will even invite you into the Yellow Spring Sect, granting you protection against the six righteous sects. Refuse, and you'll leave me no choice but to kill you."
Tianhuo's response was immediate, his voice sharp and unyielding.
"Silence! Even if it costs me my life, I will not abandon Ziyan to you!"
The Blood Prison Ancestor's expression darkened. "So be it. Since you've chosen death, I'll oblige."
Raising his hand, the Blood Prison Ancestor summoned the Yellow Spring Seal, Extinguishing Life. Blood-red energy swirled violently as a massive, bone-white seal materialized, inscribed with the ominous characters for "Extinguish Life."
As the deadly artifact descended, Tianhuo took a bold step forward. His aura surged, and crimson flames erupted around him, their intensity so fierce that traces of black flickered within.
"Heavenly Fire, Exploding Arrow!"
With a roar, the flames coalesced into a fiery arrow. It shot forward like a comet, colliding with the massive seal. The impact shook the heavens, the two forces locked in a deadly stalemate.
Despite his success in halting the attack, Tianhuo coughed up blood, his already wan complexion growing paler. Still, he stood firm, his eyes blazing with defiance.
"Even if I must die today," Tianhuo roared, "I'll ensure you follow me to hell!"
The battle between life and death raged on, the outcome uncertain.