Damien Gray was about to approach Morgan Shangguan when suddenly a voice, laced with inner strength, shouted, "Useless!" The words struck like a hammer to the heart, making one's blood surge uncontrollably.
Damien Gray's expression was grim, but he showed no sign of weakness. He remained vigilant, his attention partly fixed on Morgan Shangguan. Morgan's face was equally grave; with such power, there was no doubt it was the Blood Wraith. If she and Damien joined forces, there might be a chance, but now...
Maxwell Jing and Ethan Gu struggled under the oppressive force, tasting blood at the back of their throats. Ethan forced himself to suppress the turmoil in his chest, while Maxwell Jing quickly tapped twice on Ethan's body and slipped a pill into his mouth.
After swallowing the pill, Ethan Gu felt a wave of relief. He frowned at Maxwell Jing, asking suspiciously, "How do you have medicine like this?" Such a pill was surely rare!
Maxwell Jing had no strength to answer. Ethan Gu pulled him close, sighing softly, "Why are you always so foolish?" He lowered his head and pressed his lips to Maxwell's, passing the remaining half of the pill into his mouth, as if he'd anticipated this and saved it on purpose.
Ethan Gu didn’t pursue the pill’s origin any further and pulled Maxwell Jing back. They were well aware that even if they approached, they couldn’t help at all—going forward would mean certain death. Right now, Damien Gray had no way to protect them.
With a cold snort, a mass of black mist surged toward Damien Gray, shrouding him. No one could see what was happening inside that darkness. Morgan Shangguan clenched her fists, a cold, mocking smile on her lips. Seeing her expression, Jin Locke was startled and shouted, "Don’t do anything reckless!"
Although he didn’t fully understand the formation, Jin Locke knew that if Morgan Shangguan forced her way in, she could truly lose her life. He couldn’t bear to watch her die again!
Jin Locke struggled to stand but collapsed again, coughing violently. Damien Gray hadn’t held back—his injuries were severe!
Because of Jin Locke’s shout, Damien Gray was distracted and glanced at Morgan Shangguan, giving the Blood Wraith an opening to strike him away. Rage burned in Morgan’s eyes as she glared at Jin Locke. "You deserve to die!"
In a battle between masters, even a moment's distraction could mean death. Damien Gray was already worried about her, and Jin Locke’s shouting was practically a death sentence for him!
Jin Locke couldn’t help but smile bitterly. He really did deserve to die—everything had been orchestrated by him. But if he didn’t act now, the Blood Wraith would do it personally, and then she’d surely die. He hadn’t expected the Blood Wraith to come in person!
Damien Gray wasn’t as disheveled as Jin Locke; he still stood tall, though the blood at the corner of his mouth was striking.
The black mist finally dispersed, revealing a gaunt, white-haired old man. His limbs seemed crippled, and he sat motionless in a reclining chair. Dressed in red, he exuded a bloody aura; his bulging eyes glinted coldly as he stared at Damien Gray. His lips, dark and bruised, parted as he sneered, "Your abilities aren’t weak, but you’re blinded by love. Since you bear such a fate, you should fulfill your duty. How dare you try to defy destiny..." His voice dragged on, chilling and strange. Then his gaze shifted to Morgan Shangguan. "Would you only walk your destined path if she died?"
Yet the person he threatened seemed not to hear. Morgan Shangguan looked at Damien Gray, who gave her a reassuring glance, signaling that he was fine. But inside, he was uncertain—after all, the Blood Wraith was many times older and far more powerful. Even without Jin Locke’s interruption, he wouldn’t last long!
Damien Gray didn’t speak, silently calculating his odds of victory. Jin Locke, however, cried out emotionally, "Father, you promised me you wouldn’t harm her!"
The Blood Wraith’s cold gaze fell on Jin Locke, tinged with anger. "You dare speak? I only promised you that if you managed to capture her, I’d spare her life for now. But you failed! Besides, though she seems useless, with a fate like hers, death is the safest outcome."
He saw only the confrontation between Damien Gray and Jin Locke, while Morgan Shangguan stood quietly aside. He never realized she wasn’t as powerless as he thought, even with a corpse lying at her feet.
Originally, he should have sensed Morgan Shangguan’s spiritual power, but after the Phoenix Pendant merged with her, her aura became nearly undetectable. Unless she acted, even someone as powerful as the Blood Wraith couldn’t perceive her abilities.
The Blood Wraith trusted his own instincts and judgment. His preconceived notions, coupled with arrogance, kept him from seeing Morgan Shangguan as a threat.
Jin Locke hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. He wanted to say more, but the Blood Wraith had no patience left to listen.
At that moment, Morgan Shangguan suddenly spoke, "I’ll go with you!"
"Mo’er!" Although he knew Morgan surely had her reasons, Damien Gray couldn’t accept her decision!
Morgan ignored Damien Gray. The Soul Stabilizing Pill she’d retrieved from King Yama—Damien had only taken one. Now, facing the Blood Wraith, defeat might mean more than death; it could mean utter annihilation. She couldn’t afford such consequences. She knew the Blood Wraith wanted Damien to plunge the world into chaos, but Quentin Hua’s words and the madness in Blood Wraith’s eyes proved he was truly insane. Who knew if he’d accidentally kill Damien?
She couldn’t risk it!
"Go with me? Ha…" The Blood Wraith murmured, "Do you think you have a choice?" His voice was always tinged with chilling strangeness, sending shivers down one’s spine.
Morgan smiled faintly, as if her life wasn’t in anyone else’s hands. She said, "If I die, do you think he’d still have the heart to wreak havoc on the world? Isn’t it better for you if I stay alive?"
Jin Locke quickly seized the opportunity to interject, "Father, if Morgan Shangguan dies, Damien Gray will never survive. But if she’s in our hands, he’ll do whatever you ask!" Right now, he couldn’t worry about anything else—he just had to keep Morgan alive!