No one doubted his words.
This peculiar Daoist had always followed through on what he said.
—Was this why he spoke so little?
The mother screamed in despair: “I beg you, please spare my child! I’m begging you—save my child!” The last plea was directed at Zhan Zhao, her voice clutching at any strand of hope, no matter how fragile. At that moment, even the faintest chance of salvation was worth more than gold.
Only now did the child in Mo Dao’s grasp hear his mother’s cries. He let out a wailing sob—a sound filled with boundless fear, cracking into hoarse gasps almost instantly.
Zhan Zhao remained rooted in place, his hand still gripping his sword.
Under the sunlight, the surrounding silence was suffocating. Aside from the mother’s heart-wrenching cries and the stifled sobs of the terrified child, the only other sound was the river’s relentless current.
The rushing water seemed heavy and muffled, as though even the river itself had paused to watch.
This was Xi Qiao Crossing. The far bank was the endpoint of escape.
—Just one more step, and he could reach the other side. Once there, neither Mo Dao nor Zhong Xiong could catch him.
Far off to the side, Zhong Xiong sighed. “Your Soaring Phoenix has reached its final strike. If you use this last move, combined with your Cloud Ascension Step, you could cross the river. But that child—he will never live to see the sun rise tomorrow.”
He looked at Zhan Zhao and added, “If you use this move to save the child, you will never set foot on the other side of this crossing today.”
His tone became wistful: “When the strength of Soaring Phoenix is spent, not even I know what consequences this ultimate strike from the Ding family’s legendary skill will bring to its user.”
Finally, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Zhan Zhao’s lips.
Though his face was pale and haggard, under the sunlight, that smile carried a proud defiance.
His voice, however, was calm and devoid of emotion: “I appreciate Zhong Zhaizhu’s concern.”
In that moment, his starry eyes—dark as the night—regained their unshakable resolve.
—If you were in his position, what choice would you make?
Zhong Xiong’s gaze darkened. He already knew what choice had been made.
A sudden heat surged through Mo Dao’s body as an icy blue sword light flared before his eyes, dazzling and radiant.
Zhan Zhao had finally unleashed Blood-Twin Flight!
—The final strike of Soaring Phoenix: Blood-Twin Flight.
Witnessing this strike, Zhong Xiong suddenly found himself unable to breathe. The color drained entirely from his face.
What a move, "Blood-Twin Flight, Soaring Phoenix!" As the strike unfolded, the heavens themselves seemed to darken, losing their brilliance. The once-bright sky was cast in hues of a blood-red dusk.
This strike appeared to absorb all the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars.
This strike seemed to transcend the earthly and celestial realms, encapsulating fleeting moments and the endless passage of time, as if eternity itself were compressed into this fleeting instant.
In that moment, Mo Dao’s vision failed him, and his heart thudded so violently that he could barely draw breath!
The speed of this move defied all human comprehension.
An immense, overwhelming pressure surged like a tidal wave, bearing down not on his body but on his very soul.
—Anyone who witnessed this move, even if they survived, would find their spirit utterly crushed.
Unbidden, Mo Dao’s hand loosened its grip. Under the immense force that enveloped the heavens and earth, the lethal energy of his Five Poisons of Shura dissipated completely. His deadly palm technique failed him entirely!
The pressure was so immense that it felt as though it would grind him to dust.
Yet his seasoned reflexes saved him—without thinking, he leaped back with all his might.
A sharp sound cut through the air, “Shhh!” His chest tightened as a blade struck.
The child in Mo Dao’s hand was now in Zhan Zhao’s grasp!
This instant of electrifying tension seemed to stretch into eternity.
It wasn’t until much later that the terrified mother, overwhelmed with relief, rushed forward to clutch her child tightly. Her sobbing cries broke through the wind, raw and unrestrained.
Mo Dao suddenly began to cough.
0 Comments