"What the hell is going on? Tell me!"
I rushed to Jade Zeng's side and crouched down in front of her. She clutched her head, shaking it in agony. Sizzling sounds came from her back—as if someone was branding her skin with a hot iron. All I could see were red, burn-like marks appearing on Jade Zeng's spine. She mumbled incoherently.
"You need to go. Go now. It's coming."
"What's coming?"
Watching Jade Zeng babble, I looked around warily. The Bloodbane power within me had calmed, but moments ago it had pierced Black Moon. Yet Black Moon hadn't followed me here. Instead, I’d been led astray by Jade Zeng—or perhaps by something lurking behind her.
Jade Zeng was drenched in sweat and writhing in agony. I had no idea what to do. Her body was splitting open in places, her screams growing louder and more desperate.
Jade Zeng was beautiful, but now her face was twisted, almost monstrous. Her nails scraped the ground as if she were enduring some unspeakable torment. Smoke kept rising from her back, and suddenly, I saw a maze-like sigil of five squares etched into her spine beneath the haze.
"Hell Imprint!"
Jade Zeng's body slowly turned black, her eyes glowing red. Black and white swirled in her gaze. I backed away, already gripping Belle. Jade Zeng matched the description Yuna Ji had given—the one marked by the Hell Imprint.
I still didn't know what was happening, or why things had turned out this way. For now, I had to subdue Jade Zeng and force the truth from her.
Jade Zeng's body kept making cracking noises, as if something inside her was breaking apart. Slowly, she stood up. A power I'd never felt before radiated from her. Red lines extended from the Hell Imprint on her spine, covering her entire body. Her red eyes locked onto me, cold and merciless. I couldn't sense anything human or ghostly from her—she was like a stone, standing there, silently staring.
"What are you?"
I asked, pointing Belle at Jade Zeng. She took a step forward, the cracking sound intensifying. A wave of power surged toward me—the ground shattered like broken glass, shards of mirror flying through the air. The rooftop split open, exposing the hall below.
The sound of explosions echoed as mirrors in the hall below shattered. My palm was slick with sweat.
"Roxie, be careful."
Cecilia's voice rang in my head. I grunted in response. The power emanating from Jade Zeng was unlike anything I'd felt before—like foul, reeking sludge. I knew I couldn't get close; it would be dangerous.
Cracking noises again—Jade Zeng's head twisted toward me, her neck splitting open, but the Imprint quickly stitched it back together.
With a whoosh, I snapped my eyes wide open—blackness flashed before me. My body reacted instantly, raising Belle to block. A thunderous crash, and I started falling. Jade Zeng held a sword, black and twisted like woven vines.
A gust stopped me in midair. Crimson flame wings unfurled from my back—I didn’t hit the ground. The ceiling was gone, Jade Zeng hovered above, gripping her strange sword, staring coldly. Each movement split her body, but the Hell Imprint stitched her back together instantly.
Jade Zeng's movements were awkward and stiff. I glanced at my bleeding right hand—after blocking that blow, my arm was shredded as if by a blade. I straightened up; I couldn't fight Jade Zeng head-on. I wasn't her match. The gap in strength was clear. I sheathed Belle, and my wounds slowly healed.
I gripped my bow and began to float upward. Jade Zeng remained motionless, bits of her body crumbling away, her skin splitting open. I nocked a golden flame arrow and fired.
A deafening boom followed, golden flames erupting as I beat my wings and soared above Jade Zeng.
When the flames cleared, Jade Zeng was gripping the golden arrow. It scorched her skin, but her blackened flesh regenerated instantly. With a crack, she opened her mouth wide and swallowed the flaming arrow whole. I retreated quickly.
But I was too slow. Jade Zeng caught up, thrusting her sword at me. I dodged, but still felt the impact, sent skidding backward through the air. As I steadied myself, her sword lunged again.
Scarlet flames erupted across my body, forming an armor-like shell. The dark red fire crystallized over my skin. With a clang, blood spurted from my mouth as I crashed toward the ground. Jade Zeng chased after me relentlessly.
I quickly drew my bow again, letting loose volley after volley of golden flame arrows. Jade Zeng paused, trying to block with her sword, but every arrow pierced her body. She shrieked, and I smashed through the floor, landing in a room below. I stood up, spat blood, and felt the scarlet flames within me surge.
These arrows, conjured from human power, can't be blocked by mere weapons. Jade Zeng was impaled with golden flame arrows, unable to pull them out. I considered using the more powerful violet flames, but Emperor Yan had warned me—stability in battle is vital. The violet flames drain my strength severely and shouldn't be used unless my life is on the line. For now, my power was still strong.
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Such overwhelming power demands even greater restraint. Jade Zeng clearly lacked it; only the Hell Imprint was holding her back. She wouldn't last much longer.
I beat my wings and rose again. With a thunderous crash, Jade Zeng plummeted into the room I'd just left, obliterating everything around her. She crouched heavily, howling in agony, her body splitting open again and again—only to be forcibly stitched together by the Hell Imprint.
I had no idea what the darkness around the rooftop was, but I had no choice—I flew straight into it. All I could do was avoid Jade Zeng's attacks. Suddenly, I slammed into something hard, like a wall, and stopped.
Much of the building had collapsed. Jade Zeng's roar echoed as she rushed toward me, her sudden explosion of power snuffing out the golden flame arrows embedded in her body.
There was nowhere left to retreat. I drew Belle, gathering flames on my skin to strengthen their quality.
With a deafening crash, Jade Zeng's sword pressed against my throat. I held Belle up with both hands, blocking her blow, but Belle was beginning to crack under the intense force.
Flames danced across my skin as I struggled, gritting my teeth. Jade Zeng's strength kept growing—I felt my body crush the wall behind me, slowly caving in.
Jade Zeng's blackened body seemed to shatter before my eyes, splitting into pieces as I barely held on, power surging endlessly from within me.
Dense red Hell Imprints crawled across Jade Zeng's skin, leaving only narrow gaps. Her fragmented body was stitched back together, and in an instant, she forced her sword aside and flew toward the rooftop. A violent crash sounded behind me. I landed on the edge of the roof and looked back—a massive mirror was exposed behind the black wall, showing a kaleidoscopic city within.
Jade Zeng turned again, charging at me. The flame fragments covering my body were stripped away, destroyed by the force I'd never felt before emanating from her.
"Use my power."
Rachel's Shade spoke in my mind. I nodded, raised a hand, and white light began to glow from my body. Just then, a hand grabbed me from the side.
"Don't act rashly."
I heard an old, weathered voice. Turning, I saw a kindly old man—serene, immortal in bearing, white-haired and rosy-cheeked, smiling gently as he shook his head.
"Let me help you, miss."
As he spoke, the old man dressed in white robes, his Daoist topknot neat, raised one finger. Suddenly, he darted forward—two fingers pressed together, blocking the sword Jade Zeng was about to thrust.
"All things spring from the same source. What a pity!"
With a thunderous boom, Jade Zeng instantly turned to ash. The red Hell Imprints on her body unfurled in the air, stretching out endlessly.
"It's a shame—I haven't died yet. At least here, I'm still alive."
The old man muttered, then drifted over to me.
"My name is Zachary Justice. Miss, you must be Rachel Lan!"