Ren Jiao knelt beside what remained of his brother, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.
His fingers clawed into the blood-soaked earth, trembling as if he could still grasp Ren Shi's fading presence.
His shoulders shook, his grief manifesting in silent, uncontrollable tremors.
Then, he screamed.
The sound ripped through the battlefield, raw and unfiltered, carrying with it the weight of his loss.
A crimson mist seeped from his pores, wrapping around his form like a suffocating shroud.
His muscles bulged unnaturally, veins darkening and pulsing beneath his skin as his Qi surged, unchecked, through his body.
Juwon staggered beside Yuxian, his own body screaming in exhaustion. "What… what is happening to him?"
Yuxian's grip on his sword tightened, his expression dark. "This is why I despise the demonic cults. They allow this madness."
The Heavenly Demon Cult cultivated two distinct types of Qi.
Demonic Qi, refined over generations, was controlled and structured, wielded by those who trained with discipline.
The other was Blood Qi, but this Qi was different. Forged through horrific sacrifices, bloodshed, and unholy rituals, Blood Qi was not simply cultivated—it was taken from the suffering of others.
It forcefully strengthened the body, allowing its wielder to surpass natural limits, but at an unspeakable price.
The power was immense, yet fragile.
It was unstable, chaotic, and corrupting.
For most, one misstep or moment of weakness meant an inevitable death by Qi deviation—the body collapsing under its own uncontrollable energy.
But for a rare few, those with unnatural talent and resilience, the outcome was something far worse.
Instead of dying, their very essence twisted, reshaping them into something beyond human—a beast of carnage, a demon fuelled by endless bloodlust..
This is why most blood qi cultivators cultivated a mind-calming technique to supplement this side effect such as Heart sutra.
However, Ren Jiao had now crossed a line with no going back.
His form twisted, his bones cracking audibly as his transformation reached completion.
Once sharp and calculating, his eyes were now pure, unfiltered rage.
There was no reasoning left. Only the hunt.
He charged.
The ground exploded beneath him as he shot forward like a demon unleashed.
Juwon barely managed to sidestep, but even the displaced wind from Ren Jiao's sheer momentum knocked him off balance.
Yuxian intercepted, his sword clashing against clawed fingers that had hardened into something unnatural.
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the battlefield.
The battle descended into chaos.
Ren Jiao's movements were erratic but devastating.
His attacks weren't measured or tactical—they were pure destruction.
Each swipe of his claws carved deep trenches into the earth.
Juwon dodged on instinct, but his body felt like it was moving through molasses.
Every fiber of his being screamed in exhaustion.
Yuxian pivoted, adjusting his stance.
Cloud-Stepping Steps.
His movement became weightless, allowing him to reposition faster than the eye could follow. His sword lashed out, striking Ren Jiao across the back.
Yin-Yang Reversal Slash.
The force redirected Ren Jiao's motion, sending him staggering sideways.
But it wasn't enough.
Juwon gritted his teeth.
Every fight today had pushed him beyond his limits.
Every enemy was stronger than the last. Every battle demanded more.
Ren Jiao's clawed hand came down, and Juwon barely twisted out of the way.
He countered with a desperate spinning back kick, slamming his heel into Ren Jiao's ribs.
The impact was solid—but ineffective. Ren Jiao barely acknowledged it, his eyes still locked on Juwon.
Juwon's heart pounded.
He's not even reacting. He's too far gone.
Yuxian lunged forward, aiming for Ren Jiao's exposed side, but the berserker moved unpredictably, lashing out with a devastating palm strike.
Yuxian barely managed to block, but the force sent him tumbling backward.
"Juwon! We need to fall back!" Yuxian's voice was strained.
Juwon tried to move, but his limbs felt like lead. He could barely gather enough Qi to keep standing.
Then—his left eye went dark. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his skull, and suddenly, the world tilted.
His balance wavered, the battlefield becoming a disorienting mess of blurred motion.
He tried to refocus, but his depth perception was gone—his body was betraying him.
A cold wave of dread filled his chest. He staggered, instincts screaming at him. Too slow.
A surge of killing intent exploded behind him.
Ren Jiao's clawed hand tore into Juwon's shoulder.
The pain was instant and overwhelming. Juwon gasped, blood bursting from his mouth.
His knees buckled, his body barely holding together.
Too weak.
Ren Jiao let out an animalistic snarl, his other claw rising.
This time, he wouldn't miss the heart.
Yuxian lunged, sword flashing, but he wasn't going to make it in time.
The air cracked.
A figure moved faster than sight, a blade flashing between Juwon and death.
The impact sent Ren Jiao flying backward, his monstrous form slamming into the rubble.
Before him stood a figure, his silhouette calm and unmoving amidst the chaos.
His presence alone seemed to command the battlefield, his stance effortless yet absolute.
Juwon barely registered the new presence, "Who?" a shadow amidst the battlefield, his sword gleaming with a quiet authority.
Even in his fading consciousness, he could tell—this was not a normal swordsman.
A voice filled the air. "Ah, Yuxian, you really can't go five minutes without getting into trouble, can you? What would you do without your big brother watching over you?"
Yuxian groaned.
"Perfect timing, as always." His tone carried a familiar ease—one that spoke of long-standing trust.
"It's not my fault you keep finding trouble you can't handle." The figure rolled his shoulders, flashing a grin. "You know me, always happy to lend a hand—especially when it makes me look good."
Yuxian tilted his head with a sigh "Yeah Yeah, less talking more fighting"
He straightened, with a smile. "Guess we'll save the heartfelt reunion for later, huh? Try not to die on me before I get to gloat properly."
Juwon's body finally gave out.
The battlefield blurred, his consciousness slipping.
Everything went black.