Liu Qing's voice, heavy with guilt, reached Liu Long's ears and made his entire body freeze.
The one who had stabbed him… was his own elder sister.
The moment the blade pierced through him, the teleportation formation shattered into fragments of fading light, and with it, all hope vanished in an instant.
All his power flickered out. Liu Long forced his mouth open, struggling to speak.
"You… you… who are you…"
His voice was so faint it was almost inaudible.
At that moment, Liu Qing's eyes began to blur, her consciousness slipping away once more.
A strange sound echoed through the air, a voice that could not be identified as belonging to any living creature. It sounded like layers of whispers overlapping one another.
Though the sound itself was unclear, the meaning behind it was strangely unmistakable.
"Do you want her to live…"
Liu Long's consciousness was fading. The entire world felt as if it were sinking into darkness.
He forced his lips to move.
"If it helps the young lady survive… take whatever you want… just let her be safe…"
The voice continued.
"I am the leader of the men in black outside. Do you still wish to hear my offer?"
Liu Long answered without hesitation. He had no choice, no power to bargain. In his mind, there was only one thought. Guo Ning must live.
"I agree…"
The voice fell silent for a moment before speaking again, cold and detached.
"But from this moment on, your life will belong to me."
Liu Long replied at once.
"I agree…"
The voice spoke again, as if testing him.
"To let her live… I have seen your abilities… I rather admire you… so come work for me."
Liu Long barely had the strength to breathe, yet his answer remained clear.
"I agree…"
The voice fell silent instantly as a single drop of clear liquid floated out from Liu Qing's body and shot into Liu Long's head.
He felt an icy chill spreading through him, like a current of water flowing through every vein. Something was being embedded within his body, not in a single place but throughout his entire being, from every organ to the smallest fragment of his inner world.
Then the sensation faded. He could no longer tell where it was within him.
From beginning to end, he did not resist in the slightest.
Suddenly, pale flames ignited from within his body as Liu Qing pulled the blade free.
Boom!
A mysterious fire enveloped Liu Long. His wounds began to close rapidly, blood stopped flowing, and shattered bones knit back together.
The effects of the poison within his body began to fade. His breathing slowly returned to normal.
Everything fell into silence.
Liu Long floated within the rising flames, his eyes closed, as if something within him had changed forever.
Beside him, Liu Qing's body collapsed to the ground, unconscious once more, her face pale like that of someone without a soul.
…..
On the other side, Heavenly Sword City now looked like a hell with no escape.
The sky was dark and oppressive. Ashen rain fell without any sign of stopping, like a curtain sealing the entire world away from hope. The whole city was swallowed by darkness and fear.
Citizens lay motionless along the streets, alleys, and in front of their homes. Their bodies were stiff from the poison devouring their meridians, leaving them unable to move. Many pairs of eyes were filled with terror, as if they were on the verge of shattering.
Countless voices rose beneath the rain.
Some gritted their teeth, their eyes bloodshot with hatred.
"Wang Qiang, you piece of filth! I hope you die a miserable death!"
"I curse you for every life you will ever live!"
"May your entire life be filled with nothing but suffering!"
Their curses carried hatred drawn from the deepest parts of their souls.
Others wept instead, tears streaming down their faces.
"Please… don't kill me…"
"Take whatever you want, I beg you… I don't want to die yet…"
"Please let us go, we've never had any grudge with you!"
Their trembling pleas mixed with endless sobbing.
But those voices were swallowed by the curtain of rain, fading until only those nearby could hear.
Despair spread across the entire city. Many began to abandon hope and accept their fate.
And yet…
Within the boundless darkness where no light or hope should remain, a small flame that should have already gone out was ignited once more.
In the middle of an open square lay Kang Hao's body, which should have been lifeless, surrounded by rubble and blood.
His fingers twitched slightly. His faint breathing began to return as something awakened from deep within his body.
His lips moved slowly, murmuring in a voice as soft as a whisper from another world.
"Life… death… life… death…"
Suddenly—
Boommmmmmmmm!!!
Kang Hao's aura erupted violently. An immense pressure surged toward the sky in an instant.
His Saint Fourth Level power burst forth at full force before breaking past its limit without pause.
Fifth Level…
Sixth…
Seventh…
Eighth…
Ninth…
Waves of power spread outward in a wide circle. The ground trembled, and the surrounding buildings shook.
Then his strength surged into the Saint King realm without any sign of slowing.
A black and white law began to condense around him. Fragments of a small world formed above his head, slowly rotating as they radiated the laws of life and death.
Boom!
His cultivation surged once more with terrifying momentum.
Saint King First Level…
Second…
Third…
Fourth…
Fifth…
Sixth…
Seventh…
At last, all of his power stabilized at Saint King Seventh Level.
An immense pressure spread across the entire area.
The citizens lying nearby widened their eyes in shock.
"What… what's happening to the City Lord…"
"I… I don't know…"
Another muttered with a trembling voice.
"Could it be… the heavens are helping us…"
At that moment, a middle-aged man spoke with a firm tone.
"I know… this is what they call enlightenment."
The surrounding voices fell silent for a moment before exclamations burst out all at once.
"What… enlightenment?!"
Someone else spoke in disbelief.
"Isn't that just an old legend…"
Another voice asked in confusion.
"What exactly is enlightenment…"
Suddenly—
Boommmmm!
Black and white power surged violently into the sky. Two streams of light twisted together like a spinning yin and yang.
The clouds overhead were torn apart. The darkness that had long covered the city was pushed away.
The rain stopped in an instant. Light poured down through the opening in the sky, bathing the entire city.
Warmth spread into the hearts of the people.
Like hope that had already gone out… being pulled back once more.
Within that light, Kang Hao slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze shone with deep black and white brilliance, as if he could see the entire cycle of life and death within the world.
All the citizens lifted their heads, unable to look away from Kang Hao's figure. The power radiating from him was so clear that even ordinary people could sense he had stepped beyond his previous limits.
His body floated in midair, his hair and robes drifting in the slow currents of black and white energy swirling around him, as if the laws of two worlds revolved at his side.
The faces of the people were filled with countless emotions. Hope. Joy. Shock. Excitement.
The small flame that had once flickered weakly within their hearts seemed to find new fuel, blazing brighter and brighter, as if the darkness that had shrouded the city for so long was finally being burned away.