The End of White Blade [9]

A soft, almost delicate sound filled the air as Linhua's katana pierced her chest with precision. Blood welled up in her mouth, spilling out in a steady trickle.

SPLAT!

The droplets hit the ground, but instead of pooling, they evaporated into smoke upon contact.

"No!" Lei Tianzi roared, his voice filled with a mix of fury and desperation. He surged forward, his lightning-infused form moving with a speed that blurred the edges of reality. But it was too late—far too late.

Linhua's dimming eyes suddenly flared to life, glowing with an unnatural energy. The transformation had begun.

Blackflame erupted from her body, consuming her flesh with a terrifying ferocity. Her skin blackened and charred, turning to ash as the flames spread. The places where her limbs had been severed were no longer empty—flames took their place, forming new limbs of burning, living fire.

Her clothes disintegrated in the inferno, replaced by a cloak of Blackflame that wrapped around her, undulating like a living entity. Her eyes, once expressive, were now hollowed out, filled only with the unending swirl of Blackflame that burned where her pupils had once been.

The skeletal figure that Linhua had become, now a twisted monstrosity draped in Blackflame, locked its gaze on Lei Tianzi. A terrifying roar erupted from her, the sound reverberating through the air like the wail of the damned.

GRAAAAAAAUUUUUHHHHHH!!!

The sheer force of the roar jolted Lei Tianzi back to reality, his resolve hardening as he launched himself forward with renewed determination. Lightning crackled around him as he summoned his next attack—a bolt of Lightning, condensing into a spear in his hand.

Lightning Spear - Tianzi Lei Zhen Qiang!

He struck without hesitation, his movements sharp and precise, the spear slicing through the air with a resounding thunderclap as it connected with Linhua.

BOOM!

"Did it hit?" Ling Xuan muttered, his voice barely audible.

"Of course not," Ling Feng responded, his eyes narrowing as he observed the battle. "It's going to take more than that to bring her down now. A lot more." Without wasting a moment, he shot forward, closing in on Lei Tianzi and Linhua.

Lei Tianzi gritted his teeth, pouring all his strength into holding the spear lodged within Linhua. Yet, despite his efforts, Linhua's newfound form proved formidable. Another roar burst from her skeletal maw, the sheer force pushing Lei Tianzi back, even as he struggled to keep his grip on the spear.

GRAAAAAAAUUUUUHHHHHH!!!

With a swift motion, Linhua's charred hands reached for the katana embedded in her chest.

SLICK!

The blade slid free, its metal now twisted into a sinister greenish-black. A haunting voice echoed in her mind, urging her on,

"Use it."

The sky darkened as rain began to fall—a soft pitter-patter that quickly grew heavier. Water droplets coalesced, forming a shimmering mirror in the air. Linhua's gaze shifted upwards, and for a brief moment, she saw her reflection—a skeletal visage, burning with Blackflame. The sight left her stunned, frozen in horror at the grotesque image before her.

"No…" A hoarse whisper escaped her lips as she stared at her own reflection, her mind reeling.

Seizing the moment of vulnerability, Ling Feng appeared beside Lei Tianzi, his form now fully transformed into that of a dragon. The two exchanged a brief glance—no words needed to be spoken. They both understood what needed to be done.

BOOM!

The ground shook as they launched their assault, moving in perfect synchronisation. Lei Tianzi struck with his spear, while Ling Feng's staff glowed with a blinding light, his technique unleashing its full power.

Downfall of The Myriad Hollows!

BANG!

Ling Feng's staff slammed into Linhua, shaking her from her trance, but the attack didn't end there. Lei Tianzi followed up with another strike, his spear crackling with energy as it connected with her burning form.

Linhua, though shaken, was far from defeated. With a swift motion, she swung her katana, the blade slicing through the very fabric of space. The attack shot towards Ling Feng, who narrowly evaded the strike, retaliating with a powerful blow.

BANG!

His staff struck Linhua once more, but this time, the Blackflame reacted violently. Tendrils of fire lashed out from her body, attacking both Lei Tianzi and Ling Feng with relentless fury.

Despite the onslaught, Lei Tianzi remained undeterred. He took a few steps back, transforming his spear into a new weapon—

Lightning Hammer - Tianlei Chui!

A massive hammer of pure lightning formed in his hands, crackling with energy as he swung it towards the Blackflames.

BOOM!

The hammer collided with the flames, both forces equal.

Linhua roared again, her skeletal form twisting as she switched to the offensive, her Blackflame tendrils lashing out in all directions.

Ling Feng's strike shattered Linhua's back, exposing a weakness that Lei Tianzi capitalized on immediately.

HUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Linhua roared in pain, her skeletal form faltering under the relentless assault. Seizing the moment, Lei Tianzi swung his weapon with all his might.

BOOM!

The impact obliterated Linhua's skull, leaving no trace of it behind as her skeletal body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

"Do it now!" Ling Feng commanded, his voice sharp and urgent.

Without hesitation, Lei Tianzi transformed his weapon into pure lightning, unleashing a devastating storm upon the remains of Linhua.

BOOM!

The ground trembled, and as the dust settled, all that remained was the katana—silent and motionless.

"Be careful," Ling Feng warned, his eyes never leaving the weapon.

Suddenly, Blackflames erupted once more from the katana, coalescing into a humanoid figure cloaked in darkness, a mask depicting fire obscuring its face. The entity clutched the katana tightly, swiftly retreating to create distance between itself and its opponents.

"How!?" Lei Tianzi gasped, disbelief etched across his features.

"No need to be surprised," Ling Feng replied, his voice calm yet tinged with understanding. "I figured this would happen. After all, Xia Longwei wouldn't leave his daughter unprotected. Isn't that right?" He directed his words toward Linhua, whose figure flickered at the mention of her father's name.

"Dare not to mention his name. I am of his, no longer," the entity responded, its voice cold and detached. Blackflame enveloped the katana, causing the blade to melt away, leaving only the hilt in its grasp.

"Why do you do it?" The voice questioned within Linhua's mind.

"Because you're my curse," Linhua whispered in her thoughts.

"Very well," a cold reply echoed within Linhua's mind.

She stared at the hilt in her hands as a stream of Blackflame emerged from it.

"Prepare," Linhua warned, her voice steady as she took her stance.

True GrandMaster - Linhua - Blackflame Master!

Seeing this, both Ling Feng and Lei Tianzi readied themselves for the impending battle. Yet, before they could engage—

Crimson Thunder Void Obliteration!

Out of nowhere, Ling Xuan appeared and delivered a crushing fist directly to Linhua's mask.

BANG!

The mask shattered with only a brief moment of resistance, sending Linhua hurtling backward.

"Huh!" Both Ling Feng and Lei Tianzi exclaimed, shocked by how easily Ling Xuan had landed his attack.

"Come on! It looks like she's weakened!" Ling Xuan shouted, urging the duo to strike.

Without wasting a second, they jumped into action.

Thunder Piercer - Tianzi Lei Zhen!

A needle-like weapon formed in Lei Tianzi's hand, which he used to pierce Linhua's heart.

Pillar of The World - Tian Zhu Zhang!

Ling Feng's staff grew bulkier, crashing down upon Linhua's head. The two attacks hit simultaneously.

BOOM!

"Nooooooo!" Linhua screamed, her voice filled with agony as the overwhelming power of the attacks began to destroy her very soul. The Master of Blackflame struggled, but it was futile. Another attack came from Ling Xuan.

Void Obliteration!

The force of their combined assaults was so immense that time itself seemed to slow down, each moment stretching out as Linhua's soul was shattered.

In her final moments, she felt a presence, something—or someone—grasping at her soul. She knew exactly who it was.

"Curse you, my father. Curse you," she thought, and in an act of defiance, she detonated her own soul, choosing death over salvation by him.

—----------------------------------------------------------------

"That was unexpected," Lei Tianzi remarked, surveying the remnants of the battlefield where Linhua once stood. There was nothing left—no flesh, no bone, not even the black cloth. Only an empty crater remained.

"How'd you know she was weakened?" Lei Tianzi asked, still processing the outcome.

"I didn't. I just attacked. Heck, I thought she would've been stronger. I merely joined in to add to the numbers," Ling Xuan replied with a shrug.

Ling Feng, who had been silent, finally spoke up. "I think I know why."

Both Ling Xuan and Lei Tianzi turned to him, curiosity piqued.

"You see, Linhua was the child of Xia Longwei," Ling Feng revealed, stunning them both. "Linhua's mother, Xia Longwei's wife, was the daughter of the former White Blade Sect Leader. Their marriage was arranged by the Dragon Emperor. After Xia Longwei went mad, her mother sent Linhua to the White Blade Sect for protection. She then committed suicide to escape Xia Longwei."

Ling Feng paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing. "It seems Xia Longwei eventually found his daughter and gave her the Mythical Weapon: Myriad Blades. According to old records, it was forged by a past Dragon Emperor using the remains of several Mythical Beasts."

He sighed, his tone sombre. "However, that Blackflame—that wasn't part of the original blade. I suspect Xia Longwei imbued the weapon with both the power of Blackflame and something else she refused to use. Even in death, it seems she rejected him."

Lei Tianzi took a deep breath. "Let's go back. The destruction here will surely attract attention, and I don't want to start the war early."

"Agreed," Ling Xuan nodded.

With that, all three disappeared from the ruins of the White Blade Sect.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moments after they disappeared from the ruins of the White Blade Sect, footsteps echoed through the desolate land as Xia Longwei appeared. His gaze didn't waver as he surveyed the destruction; his focus was solely on one spot—his daughter's final resting place.

"Pathetic," he muttered, raising his hand toward the crater.

"Come, Blackflame, arrive at your creator," Xia Longwei commanded. Sparks of Blackflame appeared within the crater, slowly floating toward him and resting on his open palm.

"You have completed your duty for existence," he stated, his voice cold and unyielding as he closed his palm.

"Disperse," he whispered, and with that, the Blackflame extinguished, vanishing into nothingness.

Xia Longwei then turned his gaze to a distant horizon. "Let it begin," he declared, picking up a small piece of rock. With a flick of his wrist, he threw it far away.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following day, reports spread like wildfire throughout the entire Empire: The Grey Whisper City, and The Purple Soul City had been utterly destroyed.

The war had officially begun.