Chapter 54: Deathly Exchange

In the quiet aftermath of their deadly exchange, Dao Wei stood atop the peak, his golden robe now stained with the crimson hue of his own blood. His breath came in slow, ragged gasps, and his vision blurred as he felt life slowly ebbing away. The piercing wound in his chest throbbed with every heartbeat, reminding him of the grim reality—death was closing in. Yet, in the face of his impending demise, Dao Wei remained calm. Death, after all, was not a stranger to him. He had embraced it once before, and the experience had left him with an eerie sense of familiarity. The only regret that lingered in his heart was the thought of failing the trial, of falling short of his potential.

Just as the darkness began to encroach upon his mind, a sudden, strange sensation rippled through him. It was as if a dormant power, long buried within, had awakened at the brink of death. The Sky Splitting Origin Dragon's spirit, which had been a silent companion until now, surged forward, merging seamlessly with Dao Wei's being and the Celestial sword in his hand. The boundaries between man and sword blurred; they became one, an inseparable entity of steel and soul.

"This is our last time, my young friend," the Sky Splitting Origin Dragon's voice echoed faintly in Dao Wei's mind, a somber note underlying its words. "From this moment onwards, everything will depend on you."

As the dragon's essence fused with his own, a torrent of pure Heaven and Earth Qi descended from the skies, flooding Dao Wei's Sea of Qi. The energy was intoxicating, a perfect harmony that resonated with the deepest corners of his soul. He could feel his spirit expanding, growing stronger with each passing second. His consciousness stretched beyond the limits of his body, reaching out to the vast mountains and valleys surrounding him. Every detail within a five-thousand-meter radius came into sharp focus in his mind—every blade of grass, every fluttering leaf, even the tiniest insect was laid bare before his heightened senses.

In that critical moment, Dao Wei had unlocked the second seal on his bloodline.

The Celestial sword in his hand trembled with newfound power, a power that was no longer bound by mortal constraints. It moved on its own, as if guided by an unseen force, and shot forward like a bolt of lightning. The speed was unimaginable, far surpassing the limits of human perception. By the time Dugu Yenchen, the First Elder of Death Zen, realized what was happening, it was too late. The Celestial sword, infused with Dao Wei's soul and the might of the Sky Splitting Origin Dragon, struck with unerring precision, piercing through Dugu Yenchen's forehead in an instant.

A fierce, black mist erupted from the sword's hilt, swirling around the elder's form before the weapon returned to Dao Wei's grasp. The scene was surreal, almost otherworldly—a fist-sized hole had appeared in Dugu Yenchen's glabella, the result of the sword's unparalleled power. The blade had expanded as it pierced through his skull, creating a wound far larger than its slender form should have been capable of.

Dugu Yenchen's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the Celestial sword, the light in his gaze flickering as the reality of his defeat set in. His lips parted as if to speak, but no words came. His martial soul, once a beacon of his strength, had been shattered, leaving him hollow. His body began to disintegrate, the very essence of his being unraveling into nothingness, leaving no trace of the once-mighty elder.

The Death Zen Sect's inner sanctum was now a scene of devastation, the bodies of the two Supreme Saints Headmasters lying in pools of blood. The once grand room was filled with an eerie silence, the echoes of battle fading away.

Dao Wei stood amidst the wreckage, his chest heaving with exhaustion. He had won, but the toll of the battle weighed heavily on him. 

Outside, Liu Mingxia and Xuner waited anxiously on the hill. They had watched the battle from a distance, their hearts pounding with fear and hope. When they saw Dao Wei emerge from the clouds, their relief was palpable.

Dao Wei stood silently, his hand clasped around the hilt of the Celestial sword. He looked down at the spot where Dugu Yenchen had once stood, the remnants of the elder's existence vanishing into the wind. A part of him wanted to sigh in relief, but the gravity of his situation weighed heavily on him. Despite the breakthrough, despite the power that had surged within him, he was still teetering on the brink of death. His body was failing, the wound in his chest too grievous to ignore.

With a final surge of will, Dao Wei summoned the last of his strength and performed the Dimensional Step. His form blurred as he vanished from the peak, reappearing moments later beside Liu Mingxia and Xuner. His once proud and unyielding figure was now drenched in blood, his vitality draining with every second. Without a word, he enveloped Liu Mingxia and Xuner in his divine aura and disappeared once more, pushing his broken body to its limits.

The trio reappeared miles away from the battleground, near the ominous mountains where the Demon Sect resided. Dao Wei's instincts guided him to a hidden cave, a place of refuge where he could finally rest. As they entered the cave, the last remnants of his strength left him. Dao Wei collapsed onto the cold, hard ground, his breath slowing to a near standstill. His face was as pale as death itself, the blood loss threatening to pull him into the eternal sleep.

In the dim light of the cave, Liu Mingxia and Xuner watched in horror as Dao Wei's life force ebbed away. His once vibrant aura was now a mere flicker, his chest barely rising and falling. The golden robes that had once symbolized his strength and pride were now drenched in the blood of his enemies and his own.

Dao Wei's mind drifted between the realms of consciousness and oblivion. The Sky Splitting Origin Dragon's voice had faded into silence, leaving him alone with his thoughts. As he hovered on the edge of life and death, he couldn't help but wonder if this was truly the end. He had broken the second seal, had harnessed a power beyond his wildest imagination, yet here he was, teetering on the precipice of the abyss.

But even as the darkness loomed closer, Dao Wei refused to succumb. There was still something within him, a stubborn spark of life that refused to be extinguished. He had come too far, endured too much, to let it all end here. 

In the stillness of the cave, with death hovering just a breath away, Dao Wei's spirit remained unbroken. The battle was far from over, and as long as there was life in him, even the smallest flicker, he would fight. For his past, for his future, and for the destiny that awaited him, Dao Wei would not fall. Not here. Not now.