Compared to its past generosity and solemnity, what emerged now was but a meager thread of light. Yet, it burned with utmost persistence, never extinguishing even as the dragon flame swept through.

Virtue knows no difference between grandeur and insignificance, nor between multitude and solitude.

Even if it cannot change the painful and desperate reality, it can still reflect where hope resides.

Its mere existence was enough to illuminate the long path ahead.

Here, the arrival of Dawn was proclaimed.

Huai Shi roared, swinging down his Sword Blade.

"The vast, long night ends here!"

Compared to the once earth-shattering torrent, Huai Shi now held merely a sliver of lingering light. Yet, even this frail glimmer burst forth with a cry that tore through the Dragon Roar as the Sword Blade struck down.

The light that cleaved through darkness vanished in a flash.

Yet, the endless dragon fire split to either side beneath the Sword Blade's cleave, like a dividing flood.

The raging ocean was parted by the solemn and mighty Sword Blade.

Parting the Sea.

Huai Shi pressed forward, unstoppable!

The Demon Dragon roared in fury, bellowing at Huai Shi. But the White Horse reared, trampling upon its face and crushing its black scales.

Disregarding the pursuing flames, the White Horse shattered the Demon Dragon's Phantom, forcefully breaking into the endless, deep darkness. Huai Shi once again raised his Sword Blade, launching an irrevocable charge toward the oncoming carriage.

Above his head, the Crown of Paradise emerged. Its radiance tore through the writhing darkness, piercing the eye reflecting from the distant expanse of time and space.

Announcing the arrival of the Prince.

The darkness shrieked, colliding with the last remnant of light.

A grating cry erupted.

A rain of blood splattered in all directions. It spread with the advancing glimmer of light—advancing, advancing further—piercing into the heart of darkness amid Huai Shi's roar.

"I've come to save you, Luo Xian!"

Atop the burning White Horse, the Mountain Ghost screamed, exerting all his Power. He broke through the final barrier, thrusting his Sword Blade toward Luo Xian in the heart of darkness.

The lone Princess, Your Highness, lifted her gaze, her eyes fierce and bloodshot.

The next moment, the White Horse and the chariot swept past each other.

In the deathly silence, only a mournful sound of disintegration remained.

The outcome was decided.

As blood rained down once more, like tears upon the earth, the speeding chariot lurched to a halt.

"What a pity, Huai Shi."

From the carriage, the Princess in the darkness looked back, her voice tinged with loss, "You failed to save anyone."

From the Sword Blade in her hand, a trickle of blood dripped.

On the silent street, the galloping White Horse suddenly staggered. It took two more difficult steps before weakly collapsing, raising a cloud of dust.

Blood spread from its body.

Struggling to look back, it gently licked the Prince's shattered face, a look of approval and pity in its eyes.

Do not blame yourself, Lord Prince, at least you fought until the very last moment.

Its figure gradually grew faint, silently dissipating.

Huai Shi collapsed into the dust. Blood pooled beneath him. A cacophony of shattering sounds rose from deep within his body, heralding the arrival of death.

He had lost.

Is this... how it ends?

Luo Xian gazed silently at his back for a long, long time, until the last glimmer of hope in her downcast eyes faded.

Her Soul, pushed to its limit, made a cracking sound.

Endless darkness surged, finally tearing open a fissure leading somewhere.

Those indistinct calls sounded once again, whispering by her ear as if murmuring softly, yet so clearly.

In the surging darkness, vague phantoms emerged one by one. They prostrated respectfully on the ground, silently awaiting her return.

"Have you... come to fetch me?" Luo Xian asked softly.

Then, a slender figure rose from the void within the fissure. Its cold and tyrannical majesty revealed a glimpse from the distant Abyss. It reached out its hand to her, offering salvation and Blessing from the Abyss, awaiting her response.

To guide her to the true Paradise that was hers alone.

This was the reunion after a long separation, the return after twenty-four years.

"Wait a moment..."

An untimely voice rang out, jarringly disrupting the warm reunion from the Abyss, a true spoiler of the mood.

"It's not over yet."

The battered youth lying in a pool of blood spoke.

Reaching out to Luo Xian with difficulty, he told her, "I... am still alive..."

Luo Xian turned back. She saw him stiffly prop himself up, only to fall again. He rose once more, crawling forward like a dog, inching closer to her.

Still not dead?

She murmured softly, then fell into confusion.

No, he should have... died, shouldn't he?

She couldn't hear the rhythm of his steps, nor the faint thud of a heartbeat.

Yet, as those empty eyes lifted, the shattered body propped itself up on its arms, somehow, impossibly, rising from the ground once more.

She had never doubted her own Ability. Huai Shi should have died the instant they passed each other.

But what was it that remained there?

A stubborn obsession? An undissipated consciousness? Or a shattered Soul?

Whatever it was, it was utterly repulsive.

Like sticky candy, clinging on, refusing to let go even after so many rejections and setbacks... How could he be so shameless?

"Wait a moment..."

Huai Shi murmured hollowly, "I'm coming... I'll be there soon..."

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