Su Han stood at the cliff's edge, the wind tugging at his bloodstained robes. His hand tightened around a cracked pendant.
"So this is how it ends?" he muttered. "To think, I won't ever return.."
He turned his gaze to the forest behind him.
"Stop hiding. Come out," he said coldly. "If you want the treasure, come take it."
A group of men stepped out, led by Li Xun, his face twisted into a sneer.
"Su Han, hand over the Verdant Heart Crystal. Maybe I'll spare your life."
Su Han snorted. "I'd rather die than hand it over to you."
Li Xun's expression darkened. "Then don't blame me for being ruthless. Men, attack!"
The men charged, blades gleaming. Su Han's sword flashed, cutting them down one by one. The cries of the dying echoed, and the ground was soon littered with bodies.
Li Xun's face turned pale. "You—!"
Before he could finish, another voice interrupted.
"Li Xun, so useless as always," a man in crimson robes said as he stepped forward, flanked by more cultivators.
"Zhou Feng," Li Xun spat. "What took you so long? Look at the men I've lost!"
Zhou Feng sneered. "If you can't handle one man, you don't deserve the treasure." He turned to Su Han.
"Sword King Hanxue, your name carries weight. But this ends here. Hand over the crystal."
Su Han wiped blood from his blade. "Talk to me when you don't need an army to fight one Soul Embodiment cultivator."
Zhou Feng's smile vanished. "Enough! Attack!"
The fight continued, blood splattering the earth. Su Han's strikes were unrelenting, but the endless wave of foes wore him down. He coughed blood, yet his grip never loosened.
When the encirclement tightened, Su Han laughed bitterly.
"You want the crystal?" he said. "Then let's all go to the underworld together."
Li Xun's face twisted in panic. "Are you insane? Self-detonation will leave nothing behind!"
"I'd rather die than kneel," Su Han said, his voice calm.
A brilliant light erupted as his Nascent Soul detonated, shaking the heavens. The shockwave consumed everything, leaving the cliff a barren wasteland.
As the dust roared in the air, the pendant glowed faintly, its light enveloping Su Han's broken body. His consciousness flickered, and darkness took him.