Out of the twelve martial sovereigns, only four remained on the side of the evil spirit families.

On the other hand, although both Hueng Long and Feng Dao were severely weakened, the spirit families still held an overwhelming advantage — eight martial sovereigns stood firm even without them.

The outcome… was inevitable. Tian Shin knew it better than anyone.

If the battle continued to escalate, it would lead to nothing but total annihilation.

"Hueng Long," Tian Shin said, his voice low but steady. "We never intended to drag this fight any further. He was the one who provoked it." He pointed directly at Logan.

"Be the wiser one. End this madness now… or countless lives will be lost for no reason."

Despite everything, a faint hope still lingered in his heart — a chance to walk away alive.

After all, Logan had just killed three martial sovereigns in the blink of an eye. If it came down to facing him one-on-one… none of them stood a chance. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Hmph!" Hueng Long scoffed coldly. "Now that defeat is staring you in the face, you want to negotiate?"

He stepped forward, his killing intent surging.

"No chance, Tian Shin. Your existence is like a festering wound in the body — poisonous and unbearable. Only by eradicating you can we finally breathe in peace." Without another word, Hueng Long led the charge.

Seeing there was no way out, Tian Shin's expression twisted. He clenched his teeth… and bit into his own flesh. Blood filled his mouth. He swallowed it.

Behind him, the remaining members of the evil spirit families did the same.

Then...

They charged.

BOOM!

Both sides collided like two raging storms crashing into each other. Shockwaves tore through the battlefield.

Clang! Clang!

Schlk! Schlk!

Steel clashed. Flesh split. Bodies fell one after another, littering the ground. The number of members of the evil spirit families dwindled rapidly.

Time passed. Seconds turned into minutes.

And before long…

Only Tian Shin remained.

Standing alone. Every single one of the evil spirit family members … dead.

He dropped to his knees, gasping for breath.

"How… How did it come to this?" Tian Shin whispered, his voice trembling. "If only..."

Regret flickered in his eyes. "If only I had opposed Min Chong… If only we hadn't abandoned our ethics… hadn't severed ties with the spirit families… none of this would have happened." His voice grew faint, almost hollow.

Then....

His gaze shifted. It fell on Logan, who stood at a distance, still recovering from his injuries.

A twisted resolve surfaced in Tian Shin's eyes. "If I cannot ascend to the Upper Heavens…" he muttered, his voice turning cold, "then no one else will."

He slowly closed his eyes. His fingers interlocked, forming a strange, ominous seal.

"Demon's Wrath… Unleash." He whispered. The moment the words left his mouth...

Something changed. Crimson wisps of energy began seeping out of his body, curling into the air like living smoke. Then, as if drawn by an unseen force, they surged in a single direction.

Logan felt it. That eerie presence. That foul, suffocating stench. Yet… it felt familiar. As if he had encountered it before.

"Stop him. Immediately!" Logan's voice echoed across the battlefield.

Hueng turned toward Logan for a brief moment, then shifted his gaze back to Tian Shin. He didn't understand what Logan had sensed....

But he didn't hesitate.

With a sharp motion, Hueng unsheathed a sword and dashed forward.

But it was too late.

Before he could reach him, Tian Shin's hand seal spread wide. His body began to dissolve.

Not into dust… But into crimson wisps. Faster. Denser. More violent.

Hueng Long swung. His blade cut through the space where Tian Shin had been...

But it met nothing. Only air.

The last trace of crimson energy faded into the distance. Gone.

Hueng Long stood frozen, his brows furrowed. "What… just happened?" he muttered. "Did he sacrifice himself… just to avoid being killed by someone else?"

Logan saw it all but didn't say anything. He didn't move. For some reason...

Every instinct within him was screaming.

Danger.

And then...

The ground began to tremble.

Deep within the spirit mountain… inside a hidden cavern...

Three towering statues stood in silence. Each one rose nearly three meters tall. They had the form of humans — shaved heads, broad shoulders, and solid, imposing physiques. But they were not human. From the sides of their heads, curved horns protruded — twisted, unnatural. Even in stillness, they exuded a suffocating dread.

Then...

One of them moved. Slowly at first…

Then faster.

Crack! A thin fracture appeared across its chest as it continued to tremble.

Crack! Crack!

More fissures spread rapidly, crawling across its entire body like a web.

At the same time...

Crimson wisps of energy began flowing into it. The same energy that had escaped Tian Shin's body. They surged forward relentlessly. Wave after wave.

Until the final trace of crimson energy vanished into the statue.

The cracking stopped.

For a moment...

Everything went still.

Then…

BOOM!

The outer shell shattered. Debris exploded outward as fragments of its stone-like body scattered across the cavern.

What remained beneath was no longer stone. It was flesh. Dark. Raw. And soaked in a deep, blood-like crimson.

Snap! Its eyes opened.

Its black pupils shifted — darting left and right. "Hmph…? Where is this?" A hoarse, rasping voice escaped its throat, dry and unfamiliar. "Wasn't I… facing the Demon Slayer?"

A pause.

Confusion flickered in its eyes. "How did I end up here…?"

Its gaze slowly moved... And fell upon the other two statues. "What…?" Recognition struck instantly.

"Luca… Azarel…" Its voice dropped, darker now. "They were turned into statues…?" A chilling realization dawned upon it. "Then that means…" Its expression twisted. "I was as well."

Silence. Heavy. Oppressive.

Then...

Its face contorted with fury. "That bastard…"

A low growl rumbled from its chest. "I will make him pay." The air trembled. "I will make every human pay."

ROAR!

The entire cave shook violently under the force of its rage, dust and debris raining from above.