Her head hit against the pool of blood, and she blinked her hazy vision at the man who was about to finish her off with another swing of his blade. Before the metal could take her life, Prince Zhanying flashed in front of her, his sword delving deep into the man's stomach. Blood gurgled out from the man's lips as he fell onto the hard ground in an instant.

The Prince glared at her with fury in his eyes. Although not a single cut scathed his skin, he swayed as if he were in pain and crouched by her side. His shaking fingers reached for her and lingered by her forehead as if he feared a touch would break her.

Several men, who witnessed the scene and deemed it as an opportunity, hurled themselves toward them. Prince Zhanying's eyes were blank, but with a wave of his hand, the men tumbled to their feet and bellowed out in pain. With another wave, a barrier was formed around her and the Prince, shielding them from those who dared to attack.

Prince Zhanying's eyes wavered, even though his face remained cold. "Why do you never listen to me?" He ran his thumb across her cheek, wiping her tear stains. "Why are you so stupid, Bao Bao?"

The pain of her wound drained her complexion ashen, and she bit her lips hard so they could regain their colour. "I'm fine, Prince . . . Please go save Senior, please go save my senior—"

"Shut up." The crescendo in his voice held a tremble. "I do not care about saving anyone else."

Before she could protest, he ran his hand over her forehead and cast a light filled with his millennia worth of cultivation.

Jingrui shook her head. Her bloody hands tried to hold onto his, but her strength failed her and her limbs dropped to her side.

She knew well that if he transferred his cultivation to her, he would be weakened amongst the battlefield, and her heart grew heavy. No matter how much she wanted to live on, she would never want him to waste his cultivation on her.

Her breathing began stabilising, and her flow of Qi was replenished. Her head grew light, and her eyes fluttered open as she glared up at him with tears running down her cheeks. "If I take your cultivation like this, how am I ever going to repay you?"

He flashed her a dark gaze. "You have your whole life to do so." Taking a deep breath, he stood up. "You do a lot for your senior, don't you?"

Jingrui diverted her gaze from him, and a small chuckle left her. "I would do the same for you, Your Highness."

He went stiff, and his expression turned sombre. "If ever there is a day I end up near dead, I don't wish for you to die for me." With that, he turned away and walked back into the swarm of Yihuai's army, leaving her to lie lifeless against the ground.

Jingrui watched as he resumed to battle and assisted her struggling senior. She didn't know how long she stayed within the protection of the Prince's barrier, watching those around her fall one after another. The pain of her wound was still throbbing even though her inner energy was stabilised. Darkness began creeping over her vision, and soon, she drifted off into oblivion.

When she regained her consciousness again, the disciples wearing jade were almost deserted from the training ground. Jingrui glanced up at the Phantom Lord who had flown to the top of the bell tower. His body shook and his pupils quivered as his disciples disintegrated into ashes one after the other. Creases of pain took over his complexion, and his fists clenched as he watched the hundreds of Yihuai's army still stand tall. "Stop," his weak words tumbled out of him, filled with long years of suppressed pain.

The army didn't cease their butchering.

"Stop."

The slashing and clanking played like an unstoppable rhythm.

The Phantom Lord tilted his head towards the crimson sky, and suddenly, his eyes flared like the colour of the horizon. Like a demon had gone demented, wrath exploded from him. "Stop!"

His voice roared like a furious beast, and everyone within the field froze on the spot. The air was filled with stillness momentarily before a black fire ignited from the Phantom Lord's form. The earth rumbled and lightning flashed across the sky. The immortal form of the Phantom Lord turned into a creature with obsidian scales and gleaming fangs.

A five-clawed dragon.

Jingrui's heart raced as the black dragon soared into the sky, roaring with the fierce wind. The five-clawed dragon was a symbol of the highest heaven, and for the Phantom Lord to take the form could only mean. . .

Jingrui gasped. "The Phantom Lord is the Son of Heaven?"

Yihuai's army grew agitated, and all their swords dropped from their palms as they fell onto their knees. "Bless us!"

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