Chapter 340: The Battle (I)
Chapter 340: The Battle (I)
Xiang Ling stared at the vast battlefield that stretched before her. She was standing with her men and the armies from the Heavenly Realm, Celestial Realm, Demon Realm, and Spirit Beast Realm.
From where she stood, she was able to see the huge army of Dark Force, but there was no sign of the Shadow Lord there... yet.
She too remained hidden from plain sight. Her presence was masked as she watched everything from a distance. The tension in the air was palpable as the armies stood poised, waiting for the inevitable clash.
The silence before the storm finally broke when the first wave of attacks began. One moment, everything was peaceful and the very next moment, the battlefield became a place of bloodbath.
Divine energy flashed as warriors from the Four Realms clashed with the Dark force. Swords collided with shields, arrows pierced the sky, and bursts of powerful energy exploded across the battlefield.
The armies of the Spirit Beast Realm charged forward, shifting in the forms of their mighty creatures to lead the assault. With their towering figures and immense power, they tore through the ranks of the Dark Force.
The warriors from the Demon Realm were no different. Their strikes were swift and lethal, their energies pulsing with otherworldly strength. It was a battle unlike any other - one where divine beings and demons alike fought for the survival of the realms.
The only army that didn’t join the battle yet was that of Celestial Realm. They remained in stand-by, ready to join the battle the moment they were ordered to.
Amid all these clashing forces, Xiang Ling remained focused. She had one mission - to face the Shadow Lord and put an end to the battle.
While Li Xian was leafing the front line, Xin Cheng and Dao Ming took over the job of clearing a path for her that would lead her directly to the Shadow Lord. She watched as the two fought like the perfect pair they were.
Since she had never seen any of her men in action, it was a breath-catching sight to witness their strength, power, and grace as they fought their enemies. It didn’t took them too long to clear the path for her.
She moved silently, her form blending into the shadows as she slipped through the chaos unnoticed. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she neared her destination.
The Shadow Lord was close. She was able to feel his presence like a cold chill crawling over her skin. He was finally not hiding, no longer pretending. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, she was there, standing in front of him.
He stood alone amidst the destruction, his figure cloaked in darkness, his hood concealing his face. The power radiating from him was overwhelming, the dark energy threatened to swallow everything in its path. But Xiang Ling was not afraid. She had come too far to turn back now.
"You shouldn’t have come," his voice rang out, calm and cold, yet tinged with regret and pain that he didn’t try to hide from her.
Xiang Ling’s tried to not let emotions overpower her reasoning. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her weapon as she replied, "Neither should you."
A moment of silence passed between them, the sounds of battle fading into the background as they faced each other. Then, he spoke again, his voice softer this time, almost... regretful.
"You could have listened to me and stayed away from the war," he said, his tone carrying an edge of sincerity. "You know that I will never hurt you."
Xiang Ling’s chest tightened at his words, but she didn’t allow herself to falter. "Or you could have stopped this war from happening," she countered, her voice steady despite the emotions swirling inside her.
"And do what?" he asked, his voice growing harder. "You know that even if I decided not to start this war and live a peaceful life, the Immortals would never let me go. Nothing but my death can give those hypocrites a good night’s sleep."
His words echoed in the space between them, and Xiang Ling couldn’t even try to contradict him. She was also an Immortal and she knew her own kind better than anyone.
"Do you really expect me to sit there and wait for my end?" he demanded, his voice rising slightly with frustration.
Her heart clenched painfully at his questions. She couldn’t make herself say that he was wrong for fighting for his survival. She could feel the turmoil within him, the rage and sorrow that had driven him to this point. He wasn’t just a villain seeking destruction - he was someone who had been wronged, someone who believed he had no choice but to fight to stay alive.
But she couldn’t let that cloud her judgment. No matter what, the Shadow Lord had to be stopped.
As if sensing her thoughts, he finally reached up and lowered his hood, causing her breath to catch in her throat as his familiar face came into view.
It was the face of someone she had known for so long, someone she had trusted, someone who always felt like a family. His features were sharp, his eyes dark and filled with a mixture of pain and determination. He looked the same, and yet, there was something different about him now... something colder, more distant.
"Did you find out about my identity the night I tried to stop you?" He asked and she nodded her head in response.
"I never wanted this," he said softly, his gaze locking with hers. "But this is the only path left for me. You know that."
Xiang Ling’s grip on her weapon tightened while her mind raced as conflicting emotions tore through her. She had come here to stop him. To end the war. But now as she stood face-to-face with him and confirmed that she was never wrong about him, she wondered if she could actually make herself kill him.