Chapter 25: The Fall of Wu Jian
🔹 The Battlefield in Flames
The once-proud army of Wu Jian was crumbling.
The Seventh Division's warriors pressed forward, cutting down enemy soldiers as the Blood Core enhancements faded.
Mei Xue was dead.
Without her dark Qi amplifying their strength, Wu Jian's forces were vulnerable.
But there was still one man standing.
Wu Jian.
And he was waiting for me.
🔹 The Final Confrontation
He stood atop a pile of corpses, his black war robes stained with blood.
His sword dripped with fresh kills, and his cold eyes locked onto me.
I approached slowly, my Hidden Blade still drawn.
"Your army is gone," I said. "Surrender."
Wu Jian laughed.
A low, chilling sound.
"You think this is over?"
Dark Qi swirled around him, the air trembling under his power.
I clenched my fists.
He was stronger than ever.
Because he had nothing left to lose.
🔹 The Duel Begins
BOOM!
Wu Jian vanished.
I barely had time to react before his sword crashed down toward my skull.
CLANG!
I blocked, but the force sent me skidding backward.
Before I could recover, he was already attacking again.
I dodged left—his blade sliced the air inches from my throat.
I countered with a quick thrust, aiming for his ribs—
But he twisted mid-air, avoiding the strike with unnatural precision.
Damn it.
He was fighting like a cornered beast.
And cornered beasts were the most dangerous.
🔹 Pushing Past the Limit
I activated Martial Overdrive.
A surge of power coursed through me.
For the next 30 seconds, my speed and reflexes doubled.
I attacked. Faster. Sharper. Relentless.
CLASH! CLANG! BOOM!
Steel clashed against steel in a blur of motion.
Each strike sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
But Wu Jian didn't slow down.
If anything—he was getting faster.
His body shouldn't be able to keep up.
Yet—he moved as if he had no limits.
And that's when I realized—
Something was wrong.
🔹 The Hidden Master's Influence
Wu Jian's Qi wasn't his own.
It was tainted. Twisted.
And then—I saw it.
A faint black sigil glowing on his left palm.
The mark of the Hidden Master.
My blood ran cold.
He had already been corrupted.
🔹 Breaking the Chains
Wu Jian attacked again, his strikes wild yet impossibly precise.
But now, I understood.
He wasn't in control of his own body.
I dodged, sidestepping his next attack, and whispered—
"You're being used."
Wu Jian froze for half a second.
And in that moment—I struck.
I twisted low, my blade slicing across his palm, cutting through the Hidden Master's sigil.
BOOM!
A shockwave of black energy exploded outward.
Wu Jian staggered, clutching his hand in pain.
His breathing was ragged. His eyes flickered—full of rage, full of confusion.
He looked at me.
And for the first time—I saw fear.
🔹 The Death of Wu Jian
"You…" he whispered.
The corrupt Qi around him began to fade.
I stepped forward, raising my blade.
"This ends now."
Wu Jian laughed bitterly.
Then—he charged one last time.
I met him head-on.
SLASH!
My blade pierced his chest.
Wu Jian staggered, his sword falling from his grasp.
He looked down at the wound, then back at me.
"Funny," he muttered, coughing up blood. "I always thought…I would be the one to kill you."
He smirked—then collapsed.
Wu Jian was dead.
And with him—the war for the Seventh Division was over.
Or so I thought.
🔹 The Hidden Master's Next Move
The battlefield fell silent.
The Seventh Division's warriors cheered as the last of Wu Jian's forces surrendered.
I exhaled, gripping my sword tightly.
It was finally over.
And then—
Darkness swallowed the sky.
A massive shockwave of Qi erupted from the horizon, shaking the ground beneath us.
A deep, unnatural voice whispered through the air—
đź“ś "Well done, Ye Qing. You've eliminated my pawn."
My stomach twisted.
It wasn't over.
This—had all been part of the Hidden Master's plan.
🔹 The Arrival of the Blood Core Army
The air grew heavy, suffocating.
I turned toward the cliffs—
And my breath caught.
Figures stood on the ridgeline, silhouetted against the dark sky.
Their armor glowed crimson. Their eyes burned with unnatural light.
The Blood Core Army had arrived.
I clenched my fists.
This wasn't a victory.
It was just the beginning of a much deadlier war.
🔹 The Final Stand Begins
Xiao Rin limped toward me, her face pale. "Ye Qing… what now?"
I exhaled.
"We prepare."
Lan Yue wiped the blood from her blade. "For what?"
I looked toward the Blood Core warriors, their leader stepping forward.
His black robes rippled in the wind, and his eyes pierced through me.
đź“ś "For the real battle."
The Seventh Division had survived Wu Jian.
But now, we faced something far worse.
The war wasn't over.
It was only just beginning.
🔹 End of Chapter 25