3:Broken Ties

The moment the dagger pierced Ling Yue's shoulder, time seemed to freeze. As droplets of blood drifted through the air, there was only one thing in Yan Xi's eyes—fear.

"Ling Yue!"

Without hesitation, Yan Xi lunged forward. But before he could take even a single step, the dark figure's treacherous smile stopped him in his tracks.

"You're too late."

The figure pulled the dagger out, and Ling Yue's delicate body wavered as if she were falling into emptiness. Her once-white robes now looked like fabric woven with crimson flowers.

A storm of fury rose within Yan Xi. His eyes burned with a crimson blaze, his sword gleaming like lightning.

"You…" The word caught in his throat as he locked eyes with his grinning foe.

Ling Yue struggled to breathe, her gaze meeting his. Within her eyes, echoes of the past flickered—memories of the time they had shared, the promises they had made… everything.

"Don't… lose yourself to revenge…" she whispered.

But for Yan Xi, nothing else mattered anymore. With the force of a raging storm, he launched himself at his enemy.

As the night echoed with screams, the battlefield was once again consumed by betrayal, fury, and blood.