Shadows of Betrayal and Rage
Night settled quietly over the sect.
The celebrations of the morning had long faded, replaced by stillness. Moonlight slipped through the paper windows of Xiao Yan's chamber, painting pale shapes across the wooden floor.
Inside the room, Xiao Yan and Mi-An sat together.
Between them, resting upon a low table, lay the sword.
The God-Destroying Sword.
Its blade glowed faintly even in darkness, as though it carried the weight of a hundred years of waiting.
Xiao Yan reached for Mi-An's hand and held it gently.
"Mi-An," he said softly, "tomorrow… everything will end."
She looked at him immediately.
"What do you mean?" she asked, confusion and worry written plainly across her face.
Xiao Yan glanced toward the sword.
"I have the weapon now," he said quietly. "I will kill the Ansha."
The words felt heavy in the small room.
Mi-An's breath caught.
"Xiao Yan… you…" She hesitated. "When was the last time you saw him?"
"One hundred years ago," Xiao Yan answered. "And he hasn't attacked since."
Mi-An's lips pressed together.
Something troubled her deeply.
Her fingers tightened slightly in his hand as thoughts raced through her mind.
No… not again…
Xiao Yan lifted her hand and placed it against his chest.
"Try to understand me, uhn," he said gently.
The steady rhythm of his heartbeat pulsed beneath her palm.
Mi-An closed her eyes briefly.
When she opened them again, she forced a small sigh.
"Fine," she said quietly. "I will follow your decision."
But the moment the words left her mouth, something inside her shifted.
Resolve hardened.
I cannot let him do this.
Minutes passed.
The room fell silent.
Then—
Mi-An moved.
In her hand was a thin, sharp needle no longer than a finger.
Before Xiao Yan could react, she pressed it into his chest.
His eyes widened in shock.
"Mi—"
The word never finished.
His body weakened instantly, spiritual energy collapsing as the sleeping toxin surged through his meridians.
He slumped forward, unconscious.
Mi-An caught him gently before he could fall.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered, her voice breaking.
She brushed a strand of hair from his face.
"I won't let you make a mistake."
Carefully laying him down, she rose and stepped outside.
The night air greeted her—
And another presence.
Nem stood there, leaning casually against the courtyard gate.
He had clearly been waiting.
"Where are you rushing to?" he asked, a faint smirk on his face.
Mi-An's eyes burned with anger.
"To find you."
Nem chuckled.
"Hahaha… and here I am."
He straightened slowly.
"Did you convince Xiao Yan not to kill the Ansha?" he asked calmly. "About the relationship between the two?"
Mi-An froze for half a second.
Then rage exploded in her eyes.
"So… you knew."
Her voice trembled with fury.
"You bastard!"
She launched forward without hesitation.
Nem stepped aside effortlessly.
With a flick of his hand, he sent her crashing across the courtyard.
Mi-An flipped through the air and landed hard—but she attacked again immediately.
Strike after strike.
Kick after kick.
Spells burst around them as spiritual energy tore through the quiet night.
But Nem moved like a shadow.
Every attack missed.
Every movement was effortless.
Mi-An's anger only grew.
Her aura darkened.
Her hair slowly shifted color, turning black as ink. Her eyes burned crimson.
A terrifying transformation spread through her body.
The Black Fairy awakened.
Her power surged violently, shaking the courtyard.
Yet even then—
Nem remained calm.
He blocked, dodged, and countered with precise ease.
Inside the chamber—
Xiao Yan's eyes fluttered open.
Pain throbbed faintly in his chest.
Then he heard it.
The clash of power outside.
His senses sharpened instantly.
Mi-An!
Outside, Nem suddenly sensed Xiao Yan waking.
His smile widened.
In a flash—
His body changed.
His form reshaped.
Within seconds—
He looked exactly like the Ansha.
With perfect timing, he launched a devastating strike toward Mi-An.
She barely had time to react.
The blow struck her squarely.
Her body flew backward, crashing into the ground as pain exploded through her vision.
Confusion filled her mind.
The… Ansha?
Inside the room—
Xiao Yan burst through the door.
And what he saw ignited his soul.
Mi-An lying wounded.
The Ansha standing above her.
Rage erupted.
His aura exploded violently, shaking the entire courtyard.
His body transformed instantly.
Scales tore through flesh.
Wings spread wide.
A massive dragon roared into the night sky.
With a deafening roar, Xiao Yan lunged forward.
The dragon slammed into the false Ansha, shoving him violently away from Mi-An.
The ground cracked under the impact.
But Nem had already achieved what he wanted.
His body dissolved into shadows.
He vanished.
Leaving silence behind.
The dragon form faded as Xiao Yan rushed to Mi-An's side.
He carefully lifted her into his arms.
She was unconscious, her breathing faint but steady.
Relief washed through him.
Around them, allies began gathering—Saints, cultivators, demons.
Everyone had seen the same thing.
The Ansha had attacked.
At least… that was what they believed.
Xiao Yan tightened his grip on the God-Destroying Sword.
If the Ansha had finally made his move—
Then the time for hesitation was over.
Together, they prepared for the journey to the Celestial Realm.
The final confrontation awaited.
And none of them realized—
They were walking straight into Nem's design.