He dared not imagine, yet he could not close his eyes and look away. He watched as Damien Gray gently kissed Morgan Shangguan's forehead, laid her down carefully, and whispered, "Wait for me a moment."
After glancing at Morgan Shangguan once more, Damien Gray slowly rose to his feet, turned to face the Blood Wraith, his eyes reddening, fists clenching tight. A crimson glow flickered at his brow, forming a blood-red teardrop that shone with a piercing light. The glow faded, but that drop of scarlet remained, evoking terror—just a glance at it made the whole world feel drenched in blood, the air thick with its metallic scent.
"Ha ha..." Though gravely wounded, the Blood Wraith had managed to suppress the turmoil within his body during this brief respite. Watching Damien Gray's transformation, he burst into laughter. "Is this the true power of the demon seed? Then let me witness it for myself!"
In the distance, Maxwell Jing clutched Ethan Gu's hand, his face full of sorrow. "The Princess Consort will be all right, won't she?"
Ethan Gu pressed his lips together in silence, watching the transformation of the Ghost King. How could he deceive himself now?
Maxwell Jing knew well that Damien Gray would never become so terrifying unless something happened to Morgan Shangguan. Even at such a distance, he could feel that violent, bloody aura. Gritting his teeth, he turned and asked, "Why has that old madman lasted so long?"
Ethan Gu frowned. "I have no idea if the poison will work on him! Before we came, I gave Quentin Hua the antidote, and both Morgan Shangguan and Damien Gray are immune to all poisons."
Even though he had used the most vicious poison, he had no way of knowing whether the Blood Wraith was immune as well. The Blood Wraith could control people with curses and was surely a master of poisons, so Ethan Gu had no confidence—he was merely trying his luck. He knew that, given his and Maxwell Jing's abilities, this was the only way they could help.
He had wanted to persuade Quentin Hua not to fight head-on. Although the Ghost King seemed cold, he truly cared for those close to him. If Quentin Hua were to die at the Blood Wraith's hands, the Ghost King would surely feel guilty, even if he never admitted it.
But Quentin Hua had revealed his strength—his profound inner power was no less than the Ghost King's. That changed Ethan Gu's mind; after all, one more ally meant one more chance at victory!
Ethan Gu glanced at the figures in the distance. Even if the poison failed, it was clear the Blood Wraith would not win; the Ghost King was truly enraged this time, unleashing hidden powers.
He had no idea where this power came from, but the Ghost King was a demon seed, never an ordinary man—there was nothing strange about it!
At that moment, a stunning beauty in midair was losing her temper. "Bloodshade, that bastard! He failed to protect my precious disciple. I'm going to kill him!"
Xuan Tian pulled the furious beauty back, sighing helplessly. "They must face this tribulation themselves!" They had agreed not to interfere in future matters, but Eve Yan simply couldn't rest easy.
"Ahhh..." Normally so charming, the beauty now looked terrifying in her rage. She grabbed Xuan Tian's collar and shouted, "Xuan Tian, you bastard! You just stand by and do nothing. Is it because she's not your disciple that you don't care?" Suddenly, her eyes widened in realization, and she gripped his collar tighter, snarling, "I forgot—the madman is your disciple too! That's why you're letting him watch my precious disciple die, aren't you?"
Xuan Tian's handsome face twitched ever so slightly. Before he could respond, Eve Yan plopped herself down—not on the ground, but on a cloud—slapping the cloud and wailing, "I don't want to live! My precious disciple, you've died so tragically! It's all Master's fault, I shouldn't have overslept, I trusted Xuan Tian too much, and now you've died because of me, boo hoo..."
Xuan Tian didn't know whether to laugh or be angry. He scooped her into his arms and said helplessly, "I promise she won't die, all right?"
Eve Yan opened one eye, eyeing him suspiciously. "Really?" If Xuan Tian didn't nod, she looked ready to burst into tears again.
"Really!" Seeing her instantly break into a smile, Xuan Tian felt a pang of annoyance—was he more important, or was her precious disciple?
In truth, when he sent Celeste Yun into reincarnation, it wasn't just so she and his beloved disciple could reunite and escape the heavenly laws—it was also selfishness. He wanted Eve Yan all to himself. But she ran off to Yama's Hall in a fit of anger and stubbornly refused to return to the heavens, giving him endless headaches. So, to bring her back to his side, he descended to the mortal realm to help those star-crossed lovers reunite as soon as possible.
Of course, he would never admit that he, too, cared deeply for his precious disciple.
With Xuan Tian's promise, Eve Yan regained her dignified, regal bearing as an immortal. Now that Bloodshade had awakened, she had no doubt he could defeat that old madman. Bloodshade had once been feared by all in the heavens—if he couldn't defeat such a lunatic, he ought to be ashamed and descend to the deepest hell for some serious training!
Damien Gray advanced step by step toward the Blood Wraith, his overwhelming aura suffocating those nearby. Anyone else would have trembled in fear, but the Blood Wraith was different—he trembled from excitement.
Sorcery is inherently evil. Originally, Locke Luo harbored no ill intent, and so nothing happened. But after his wife was murdered, his son fell into a coma, and he himself became a cripple, hatred for Grand Astrologer Simon led him astray; he lost his humanity long ago. Even when facing his once-beloved son, he felt nothing.
For someone so deranged, Damien Gray's awakening only fueled his excitement. "Ha ha..." The Blood Wraith laughed maniacally. "You are the demon seed! I must kill you. Only then will I be ridding the world of evil! Ha ha... From this day forth, sorcery is the true power of justice—the Simon Family are the real demons!"
Damien Gray's lips curled into a cold, cruel smile, the blood-red mark on his brow making him look all the more savage. Where once the Ghost King's aura was merely chilling and spectral, now it carried a deadly allure. He asked in a low, haunting voice, "You're not afraid of death, are you?"