Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

The black tornado was still approaching, but it had almost uprooted the whole mountain. The Black Totem Snake quickly coiled up.

In order to prevent any harm from befalling Mo Fan and Ye Xinxia, the Black Totem Snake dug his head deeper between his body. He did not have many scales left to defend himself.

"Big guy!" Mo Fan did not feel pleasant after seeing how hard the Black Totem Snake was trying to protect him.

The Black Totem Snake was heavily outnumbered, after all. It was only a matter of time until his defenses were torn apart by such a huge army of Adjudicators and Mages of Faith, and it would soon start to drain away his life force.

"Xinxia, how long until I can fully recover?" Mo Fan asked panickingly.

"Your injuries were too serious, I still need some time!" Xinxia was already trying her best to heal Mo Fan.

Mo Fan had used up too much of his energy overcoming the challenge of the Starry Mountain Path. It was unlikely that he could fully recover in a short period. Most importantly, his energy had depleted!

If he demonized now, he would be a lot weaker than usual. The armed forces of the Parthenon Temple had gathered from the mountain waist to the base. He would struggle against the army of Adjudicators and Mages of Faith, let alone the Golden Sun Knights of the Super Level, and the Holy Court Mages that were even stronger!

Mo Fan was trying his best to recover while the Black Totem Snake was buying him time. The more he recovered, the stronger he would be when he demonized!

However, seeing how the Black Totem Snake was being attacked by thousands of Advanced Mages, Mo Fan was quite worried that the Totem Beast could not hold on for much longer.

"Even if you recovered, you are still an Advanced Mage, any of the Golden Sun Knights could easily take you out," Asha'ruiya said hopelessly.

"Didn't you have a magic Pendant that can help me recover? Quick, use it on me," Mo Fan said.

The Black Totem Snake continued to resist the continuous magic blasts from the army of Mages. Mo Fan sensed the aura of the Black Totem Snake gradually weakening...

The Black Totem Snake could still take on the armed forces of the Parthenon Temple if it wasn't for the magic formation of the sacred mountain. The magic formation had inflicted serious damage on the creature and greatly weakened him.

"Is it going to make a difference? Oh, you have no idea what the Dark Execution is, do you?" Asha'ruiya said with a wry smile.

"Just use it on me, can it replenish three-tenths of my energy?" Mo Fan blurted out.

"If it's only you, my pendant can replenish all your energy," Asha'ruiya said.

She did not understand why Mo Fan still insisted on recovering under the circumstances. Was he seriously not giving up yet? How stubborn and ignorant could he be...

"For real?" Mo Fan grabbed Asha'ruiya in joy.

"I don't know what trump card you have up in your sleeves, but I have to say that the Dark Execution is the strongest power in the world. No one has ever escaped from it. My adoptive father Wen Tai was so close to becoming a Forbidden Mage, but he didn't survive it either. Just give up, if the Black Totem Snake protects you with everything he has, you might be able to escape still, but it's impossible for you to bring Xinxia away..." Asha'ruiya said.

"Just help me recover, quick!" Mo Fan snapped without listening to what Asha'ruiya had to say.

Asha'ruiya let out a sigh. She stepped closer to Mo Fan and took out the Pendant.

"I'll need some time to fully replenish your energy, I'll need you to..." Asha'ruiya was just about to tell what Mo Fan had to do when she saw a few stones glowing with a dark energy appearing out of nowhere in their surroundings.

Mo Fan was startled too. He looked at the black stones in confusion, but he somehow felt they were slightly familiar.

"The...the Stones of Guilt!" Asha'ruiya exclaimed.

The Black Totem Snake had dug his head between his body. It was impossible for anything to reach them without breaking through the Black Totem Snake's body. However, the black stones seemed to possess the mysterious power of the Space Element. An otherworldly, icy energy was leaking out of the stones, like executioners searching for their prey...

The black stones moved closer to Xinxia, as if they had found their prey!

A few more Stones of Guilt appeared out of nowhere and surrounded Xinxia. Mo Fan was worried that the stones would harm Xinxia. He reached out his hand to grab them, yet a strong dark energy burst out of the stones and corroded his hand instantly!

Asha'ruiya reacted quickly. She cast a spell to protect Mo Fan. Otherwise, his hand would have corroded into bones within a few seconds!

"Don't touch them, you will turn into a puddle!" Asha'ruiya warned.

More black stones appeared. Asha'ruiya counted quickly and realized there were ten of them!

There were thirteen Magistrates in total. In other words, ten out of thirteen had voted Xinxia guilty, and their Stones of Guilt were carrying out the Dark Execution!

The ten black stones were incredibly strange. They circled Xinxia like a ring and suddenly emitted a black light. It formed a dark seal imprinted on Xinxia's forehead...

"Brother Mo Fan!" Xinxia felt utterly helpless. She could feel that her body had been isolated. Even though she was only a step away from Mo Fan and Asha'ruiya, it felt like she was in a different world. The black light of the Stones of Guilt shrouded her.

"Xinxia, it's okay, don't be scared!" Mo Fan was in a panic. He could no longer wait until his energy was replenished. His eyes were emitting a crimson-red glow.

It did not matter what the Dark Execution was, Mo Fan was going to tear it into pieces!

The black light flickered vigorously and vanished together with Xinxia right before Mo Fan and Asha'ruiya.

Just like how the black Stones of Guilt had traversed space to reach Xinxia, they had vanished without a single trace, bringing Xinxia with them!

A terrifying aura burst out of Mo Fan's body as soon as Xinxia disappeared. The demon blood rushed in his veins, he was about to unleash the demonic power!

Asha'ruiya was astounded when she sensed the terrifying aura Mo Fan was emitting.

The Black Totem Snake slowly extended his body. He seemed to notice that Xinxia had been brought away by some unknown force. The furious Totem Beast slammed his tail onto the mountain...

The mountainside collapsed after receiving the tremendous blow. A troop of three hundred Mages of Faith died instantly, their blood splattered across the mountain!

"Calm down, calm down both of you! Ye Xinxia isn't dead, she was brought to the Dark Execution Ground. Do you remember the Dark Dueling Ground? It's a place of darkness that a contract establishes. The person that is bound to the contract will be trapped inside. The Stones of Guilt have brought Ye Xinxia to the Dark Execution Ground, a place that is similar to the Dark Dueling Ground. It's at the bottom of the mountain, look!" Asha'ruiya quickly said when she saw Mo Fan and the Black Totem Snake about to lose control of themselves.

The wild energy Mo Fan possessed calmed down slightly. He glanced at the base of the mountain through the smoke produced by the magic blasts and saw a barrier separating a huge area of darkness.

The barrier had encapsulated a spacious area. It indeed resembled a spectacular execution ground from afar...

Mo Fan had seen it before. He remembered the Master of the Shadow Element, Essendale, had been trapped in a similar Dark Execution Ground too, before he was torn into pieces by the mystical beast called Hayla and dragged into the Realm of the Dead!

Mo Fan stared at the intimidating Dark Execution Ground and asked in shock, "Did Wen Tai die inside that?"

"Yeah, the Holy Judgment Court is able to keep their superiority mainly because of the Dark Execution's power. No one can escape the Dark Execution! Mo Fan, they are aiming for the Soul of the Parthenon Temple inside Xinxia's body. The Dark Execution is happening. There's nothing you can do. You should just leave while they are focusing on retrieving the Soul of the Parthenon Temple. If you die here too, how are you going to avenge Ye Xinxia? The Parthenon Temple and the Holy Judgment Court aren't something you can take on with your current strength...besides..." Asha'ruiya said.

Asha'ruiya hesitated slightly, as she was unsure if it was appropriate to tell Mo Fan what she was thinking.

"Besides, there's something you should know. Ye Xinxia might not be Salan, but she's most likely..."

Mo Fan looked at Asha'ruiya with cold eyes.

Asha'ruiya did not dare to say anything further. She could feel a terrifying aura bursting out of Mo Fan's body. It was wild and icy, as if he had turned into a completely different person.

"You don't care, do you?" Asha'ruiya sighed.

Mo Fan remained expressionless.

"If you really want to save her, the only way is to barge into the Dark Execution Ground and retrieve her soul, which is already half a step in the Realm of the Dead. Wen Tai has inflicted serious damage on Hayla. It isn't as strong as it used to be, yet it still killed Essendale, the strongest Shadow Mage quite easily," Asha'ruiya said.

"Try your best to replenish my energy. I will ask the Black Totem Snake to bring you to safety!" Mo Fan's gaze never left the Dark Execution Ground.

"Why do you insist on saving her? Anyone can lose their loved ones, why can't you? Wake up!" Asha'ruiya snapped furiously.

Asha'ruiya truly respected Mo Fan. Even when everyone believed that Xinxia was Salan, Mo Fan never doubted her. He insisted on bringing her away and had broken through the magic formation of the sacred mountain.

Even now, after the Dark Execution had fallen, even when Mo Fan was up against the armed forces of the Parthenon Temple, he did not give up.

But Ye Xinxia was already a dead woman! Even Wen Tai, one of the strongest Mages, had failed to survive the Dark Execution. How could someone as weak as them escape it?

She had to admit that Mo Fan's love for Xinxia was far beyond the authority and the power that the people of the Parthenon Temple were thirsting for...

But that was it!

Mo Fan calmed down slightly after hearing Asha'ruiya's words.

Mo Fan looked at Asha'ruiya, whose eyes had reddened. He could tell that she was yelling at him from the deepest part of her heart, as her only close one, Wen Tai had died to the same conspiracy. Compared to Xinxia, who had never seen Wen Tai before, Wen Tai was Asha'ruiya's true father!

"Asha'ruiya, you are right, anyone can lose their loved ones, it's just how it is..." Mo Fan agreed. He looked into Asha'ruiya's tearful eyes and said, "But when it happens to me one day, I hope that I've used up every bit of my energy and my strength, I hope that every drop of my blood has dried up, and my heart has stopped beating!"