"You want to touch Jian Hong? Have you gotten my permission first?" Those were the first words Jia Lin said when her gaze burned with fury at the war god standing before her.
The two of them floated in the air, exuding a strong aura of hostility toward each other. Her long white hair fluttered in the winds of destruction, as did her purple-black attire.
Without waiting any longer, Jia Lin shot swiftly to Tianqi's back, aiming to stab the man's neck. But Tianqi immediately turned around and dodged, then raised his sword to fight. "Even a mere demon dares to oppose me? Have you no regard for your life anymore?"
Jian Hong, who was still struggling to seal the God's Eye, occasionally glanced at the fight between the two of them. "Jia Lin, go! You shouldn't be here!" he shouted.
"I will leave only after making sure you come with me." At that moment, the girl leapt high, the two daggers in her hands continuously striking at Luo Tianqi in alternating attacks.
Several of Jia Lin's relentless strikes nearly hit Tianqi. She threw both daggers, almost hitting Tianqi's neck and leg, but the man spun away into the air before they could touch him, twisting between the two deathly blades.
Not stopping there, Jia Lin dashed and spun in the air like a dancer. Every movement she made created a wave of energy that gathered in the air, forming the massive silhouette of a black phoenix flapping its wings behind her. "Demonic Phoenix Dance!"
As the bird's wings beat, its energy shook the Human Realm for hundreds of kilometers. Tianqi had no time to prepare and could only throw both his swords to spin and shield his body from the phoenix's assault.
The phoenix soared into the sky, spinning in a dance with its wings, its sharp cry making anyone who heard it feel as if their ears would burst. When it broke through the fifth heaven, it suddenly dove back down at lightning speed, its entire body engulfed in flames.
Just as Tianqi felt relieved that the energy wave had gone, he was shocked to see the phoenix returning—headed straight for him?
Luo Tianqi panicked, swallowing hard several times at the terrifying sight. "Heavens, how is that bird coming back?"
The man had no choice, which made Jia Lin smile where she was. But Tianqi's gaze then fell on Jian Hong, still straining to keep the God's Eye from opening fully. The corner of his lips curved up. He cast a spell toward Jian Hong, intending to stop the man from blocking the awakening of the God's Eye.
"Jian'er!" Jia Lin shouted upon seeing the flash of light shooting toward Jian Hong.
Luckily, Jia Lin's speed outmatched Luo Tianqi's magic. She quickly pulled Jian Hong into her arms, turning her own back to take the hit. As the magic pierced into her, she couldn't stop blood from spilling out into Jian Hong's embrace.
"Jia Lin!" Jian Hong cried out in panic, immediately supporting the girl's weakening body.
Meanwhile, the strike from the Demonic Phoenix Dance had reached Luo Tianqi. Upon hitting its target, the bird exploded with immense force, its shards nearly striking Jia Lin—had Jian Hong not swiftly spun their bodies. Now it was his turn to use his own back as a shield, protecting her from being harmed a second time.
For several seconds, Jian Hong endured the sparks searing into his back. He closed his eyes briefly before sweeping his hand to create a circular shield around them both.
In that position, Jia Lin suddenly shouted, "Jian Hong, the God's Eye!"
Without replying, the man dashed away quickly. "Lin'er, stay there and heal your wound!"
As he neared the God's Eye, Jian Hong summoned the black energy within his body, though little remained. He spat blood as he tried to unleash the dark energy a second time. "No, no matter what happens, I must not let the God's Eye explode now. Not while Jia Lin is still here."
Jian Hong pushed himself to his limits, until his black hair turned white and faint bloodlines marked his face. He truly exhausted all his cultivation. But then he remembered one thing. "At that time, Jia Lin's father taught me a forbidden technique... Is it time to use it? Even if it costs my soul core, right now I can only hope it will hold back the awakening of the God's Eye."
Without further thought, Jian Hong gathered every ounce of energy in his body, focusing intently as his forehead emitted a black light. But before he could do more, Jia Lin suddenly shot forward in front of him, skillfully moving her hands—until a pair of black wings, each nearly three times her body's width, appeared on her back.
"I offer my blood and soul to the Demon God, I give my life and death only to you. Now help me defeat this divine weapon! Help me protect the only man I love! Eternal Demon God Manifestation!" Jia Lin shouted as her hair whipped in the wind, even the crown she always wore flying off.
A fearsome Demon God stood behind her, and with a single hand, it forced the God's Eye shut, calming the sky. But the God's Eye still remained there, waiting for the chance to be awakened again.
The girl's body slowly began to dissolve, losing its physical form. When Jian Hong opened his eyes, he saw the most horrifying sight of his life—Jia Lin's body nearly gone, leaving only a translucent soul.
Jian Hong ignored everything else, his tongue numb, unable to speak a word. As Jia Lin began to fall, having lost her existence in the world, Jian Hong swiftly caught her. The two of them spun in the air with an indescribable feeling.
Only tears could express what Jian Hong felt at that moment. He wanted to stroke Jia Lin's face, but his hand only hovered in the air—she no longer had a body to touch. "Why? Why would you do this to me?"
The girl smiled. Even at the brink of death, Jia Lin never let her sadness or fear be seen by Jian Hong. "I kept my promise to protect you. Right now you should be smiling and proud of me."
Unable to hide his grief anymore, Jian Hong looked away briefly, then nodded. His feelings were tangled—afraid, sorrowful, and furious. "I am proud. Even if you did nothing but scold me, I'd still be proud of you. So you must live, you must always be by my side. Besides promising to protect me, you also promised to stay with me. Do you intend to break one of those promises?"
"Jian'er, in this life, being able to meet you and stand by your side until my last breath—I would have no regrets, even in death."
"You will be fine. You will live. I will make sure of it." Jian Hong cried hysterically, not even certain of his own words.
He looked upward briefly, releasing her from his embrace, then began using his clan's forbidden demon technique again. Sitting cross-legged in the air, he moved his hands skillfully until a Yin-Yang formation enveloped them both. Finally, he dripped his own blood into it, causing the formation to glow and spin slowly.
From the unbearable pain, Jian Hong once again coughed up fresh blood.
In her place, Jia Lin shook her head gently. "It's all in vain, Jian'er. When you win this battle, I will truly be gone."
"No! All this time, whenever I did something, it was always with your permission. So now you're leaving without asking for mine? I will never allow you, never!" Jian Hong intended to remove the spiritual pill from his chest, but before he could, Jia Lin bound him with magic.
Now Jian Hong could not move under Jia Lin's spell. He struggled with all his might to break free. "What are you doing? Jia Lin, I mean it—release me! You cannot treat me like this!"
While he kept resisting, Jia Lin only smiled. Her body, now only golden light, floated close until she was directly before him. "I know right now you're in pain because someone you trusted—Luo Tianqi—betrayed you just like that. But I believe you were born for a great destiny. And that will never come true if you die here today."
"But you cannot trade your life for mine," Jian Hong said, his voice weakening, no longer full of resistance.
"I am willing to trade everything I have for your safety. Not just my life—even if I had the greatest power in the universe, I would still trade it for your life."
They stared at each other for a moment before the girl leaned in. When only a few centimeters remained between them, Jia Lin closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his. Tears slid down her cheeks, and Jian Hong closed his eyes as well.
Silently, Jia Lin smiled, then touched Jian Hong's chest to transfer the last of her demonic energy. The Eternal Demon God Manifestation moved from her into him.
"This is the last thing I can give you, Jian'er. After this, I hope you will live better. Believe me—we will meet again when the time is right." Those were Jia Lin's final words, for afterward, her soul drifted into the sky.
Jian Hong shook his head, mustering all his strength to break free of Jia Lin's binding. "Even until the end of your life, the only thing you think about is me. Lin'er, I will avenge you, and the lives of those who had to be sacrificed in this battle."
After watching Jia Lin rise toward the heavens for a few moments, Jian Hong suddenly noticed the scene worsening again. He shook his head quickly as he saw the God's Eye fully open.
"No, no! Not again, I beg you!" Jian Hong kept struggling until the dark power aided him once more. He broke free and tried to bring Jia Lin back.
But just as he moved closer, her soul instead passed by him in the opposite direction—straight downward. He froze, a bad premonition rising within him.
And he was right. Looking down, Jian Hong saw Luo Tianqi holding a nine-tiered pagoda that was sucking Jia Lin's soul inside. At that moment, he was struck speechless as his beloved was absorbed by Luo Tianqi.
Jian Hong shot forward at lightning speed, reaching for Jia Lin's hand just before she was pulled into the pagoda. "LIN'ER!"