Betrayal in Desperate Circumstances

Cold despair, like the frigid currents at the deepest point of the Gui Xu Sea Eye, instantly submerged Nightmare.

Void Refining Stage! Two Late-Stage Transformation Spirit! Plus an unfathomable Azure Glass, holding a bizarre precious mirror!

This was simply a meticulously planned, unwinnable trap! From the moment he stepped into the Lost Village, or perhaps even earlier, from the moment he obtained the Azure Qi and Blood, he had likely already fallen into the calculations of the Sky Patrol Alliance!

All the "Opportunity", all the "guidance", perhaps were just chess pieces pushing him toward this final trap!

"Sky Patrol Alliance... The Fisherman... What a brilliant strategy!" Nightmare's voice was hoarse, but his eyes were cold to the extreme, all emotions compressed into the purest killing intent and resolution.

The Void Refining Stage Cultivator in a straw cloak and hat let out a low laugh, as if enjoying the shock and despair of his prey: "For this moment, the Alliance has plotted for ten thousand years, infiltrated this Realm, and even spared no cost to assist your growth... You were able to gather the three keys and open this gate, which is indeed impressive. Unfortunately, everything is merely wedding clothes for our Alliance."

A Late-Stage Transformation Spirit Cultivator beside him stepped forward and grinned cruelly: "Kid, surrender obediently, and perhaps we can leave your corpse intact and refine you into a decent battle puppet!"

Another person also chimed in sinisterly: "And hand over those three keys and the Cang Clan Legacy you possess!"

Terrifying pressure, like a tangible mountain, squeezed Nightmare from all directions, attempting to suppress him completely!

However, at the very moment this suffocating pressure reached his body—

The three-colored rune in Nightmare's palm suddenly erupted with unprecedented, brilliant light!

Hum!

The Chaos Qi overflowing from the crack of the first gate, which had not yet fully opened, seemed to be summoned, rushing madly into his body! At the same time, the second gate and the Third Observation Post, far away in the endless Void Realm, also vibrated simultaneously, projecting weak yet firm power across the endless space!

The power of the three gates descended upon him!

Although weak, the status was extremely high!

Nightmare's aura surged violently, and he actually managed to temporarily withstand the pressure of the Void Refining Stage! In his eyes, life on the left and death on the right, the meaning of Reincarnation circulated. He suddenly looked up at the Void Refining expert, his eyes devoid of any fear, filled only with wild Battle Intent!

"Want it? Come take it yourself!"

He struck first! His target was not the unfathomable Void Refining expert, but the Late-Stage Transformation Spirit Cultivator who had threatened him!

The Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique, augmented by the Chaos Qi and the power of the three gates, reached an unimaginable Realm. His figure seemed to have completely merged into the Void Realm, appearing instantly in front of the Late-Stage Transformation Spirit Cultivator!

The Azure Nether Life and Death Dao was pushed to its limit. A wheel of life and death appeared out of thin air, no longer for defense, but transformed into a grinding disk of death that annihilated everything, slamming down overhead! At the same time, the Annihilation Gui Xu Finger was primed and ready, aiming straight for the opponent's Dantian and Nascent Soul!

Capture the ringleader first! He wanted to cut off one of their arms first!

"Seeking death!" The Late-Stage Transformation Spirit Cultivator was both shocked and angry, not expecting his opponent to dare to attack him! He roared, and a giant axe burning with black flames appeared in his hand, fiercely hacking at the wheel of life and death!

Boom!

A loud noise shook this space! Energy raged wildly!

The Late-Stage Transformation Spirit Cultivator's body shook violently. The black fire on the giant axe was mostly extinguished by the wheel of life and death. He staggered backward, horror written on his face! The opponent's power could actually shake him?

But he was, after all, a Late-Stage Transformation Spirit. His reaction was extremely fast. He forcibly steadied his form and was about to counterattack!

However, Nightmare's killer move was merely a feint! His true target was never a head-on collision!

At the moment their energy collided and exploded, Nightmare used the rebound force to twist his body like a ghost, charging straight toward—Azure Glass!

This traitor! Even if he died, he would kill her first!

His speed was extreme! A finger containing Nightmare's monstrous rage and killing will pointed at the center of Azure Glass's brow!

Azure Glass seemed not to have expected Nightmare to suddenly turn and attack her. A flicker of extremely complex emotion flashed in her cold eyes—shock, a trace of panic, and even... a trace of imperceptible pain?

The ancient mirror in her hand was raised subconsciously, blocking in front of her.

Puff!

The Annihilation Gui Xu Finger hit the ancient mirror hard!

The mirror surface trembled violently, letting out a wail, and a tiny crack actually appeared on the surface! A backlash force followed the ancient mirror into Azure Glass's body. She groaned, a trace of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, and her complexion instantly turned pale.

But she had, after all, blocked this blow.

And in this fleeting moment of entanglement—

"Enough."

The Void Refining Stage man in the straw cloak finally moved. He seemed to have lost his patience, calmly spitting out two words, and then extended a finger.

Just a single finger, gently pointing forward.

There was no earth-shattering momentum, no fancy light.

But the space around Nightmare seemed to be completely frozen instantly!

The augmentation of the power of the three gates was forcibly cut off, the surging Chaos Qi was suppressed, the wheel of life and death shattered instantly. His whole body, like a bug frozen in amber, stiffened in mid-air, unable to move even a finger!

Absolute Realm suppression! The chasm between the Void Refining Stage and the Soul Transformation Stage was vividly displayed at this moment!

Nightmare finally showed a trace of powerlessness in his eyes. In the face of absolute power, any scheme and struggle were futile.

"Mayfly shaking a tree." The Void Refining expert commented indifferently, his fingers slightly curved, about to completely imprison and capture Nightmare.

The other two Late-Stage Transformation Spirit Cultivators also revealed cruel smiles and surrounded him.

Azure Glass wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes returning to cold emptiness, standing silently on the side.

Just as Nightmare was about to fall into an irrecoverable situation—

Suddenly!

Another unexpected change!

Behind Nightmare, the first gate, which had originally been steadily opened halfway, suddenly vibrated violently!

The star patterns on the gate flashed crazily, as if stimulated by something huge! The Chaos Qi overflowing from the gate became incomparably violent!

An old, exhausted, yet filled with endless resolution and anger voice, as if crossing the ages of time, boomed from the depths of the gate:

"Running dogs of the Sky Patrol! Don't even think about touching the pure land of our clan!"

Witch Grandfather's voice!

Immediately after, an indescribable, terrifying power that burned life and Soul Origin, briefly surpassing the Void Refining level, suddenly erupted from within the first gate!

This power did not attack the Void Refining expert, but transformed into a huge, aged energy palm, grabbed the imprisoned Nightmare, and then fiercely... threw him into the Spatial Turbulence formed after the starlight passage, which hadn't fully closed, collapsed!

At the same time, Witch Grandfather's final shout of burning his life resounded in Nightmare's mind like thunder:

"Go!!! Remember all of this! Live! You are... the last... Kindling!"

"No—!" The Void Refining expert hadn't expected this dying old guy to have such a resolute backup plan. His face changed drastically for the first time. He wanted to stop it, but it was too late!

That throw, burning his life, was so powerful and fast, far beyond imagination!

Nightmare only felt an irresistible force wrapping around him, instantly tearing through the Void Refining expert's brief spatial imprisonment, and falling into the violent Spatial Turbulence like a meteor!

At the very last moment before being completely swallowed by the turbulence, what he last saw was the Void Refining expert's face filled with shock and anger, the stunned expressions of the two Late-Stage Transformation Spirit Cultivators, and...

And Azure Glass.

She stood there, still expressionless, but beneath that cold mask, he seemed to see a crystal tear slide quietly from the corner of her eye, instantly evaporated by the violent energy.

Deep in those light purple eyes, something seemed to have broken.

The next moment, the world spun, and space completely collapsed, twisted, and was destroyed!

The terrifying spatial storm tore at Nightmare's body. Even with the protection of the remaining power of the three gates, it instantly caused him to be seriously injured and pass out!

At the last moment before he completely lost consciousness, he only had time to instinctively activate the three-colored rune in his palm, sending out a vague teleportation command pointing to an unknown distance...

...

In front of the first gate.

The Spatial Turbulence slowly calmed down, but Nightmare had long since disappeared without a trace.

"Trash!" The Void Refining expert's face was terrifyingly gloomy. The terrifying aura made the two Late-Stage Transformation Spirit Cultivators tremble, not daring to speak.

His cold gaze swept over the first gate, which had completely closed, returned to dead silence, and whose surface runes had completely dimmed, and then swept over Azure Glass, who was bowing her head to the side.

"Hmph, you think you can escape like this?" He snorted coldly and pinched his fingers to calculate, "The power of the three gates has been triggered; he is like a torch in the dark night, nowhere to hide! Pass down the order to initiate the 'Heaven's Net' plan. Even if we have to search every heaven and earth, find him for me!"

"Yes!" The two Cultivators quickly received the order.

The Void Refining expert looked at Azure Glass again, his tone indifferent: "In this mission, although you have merit, you failed to complete it, and you have the responsibility of oversight. Considering your past contributions, I will not punish you for now. Continue to lurk and wait for further instructions."

Azure Glass knelt on one knee, her voice without ripples: "I will obey the Alliance Master's decree."

The Void Refining expert said no more. With a flicker, he took the two Cultivators, merged into the Void Realm, and disappeared.

Only Azure Glass remained, still kneeling in front of the cold, dead first gate.

After a long time, she slowly stood up.

She walked to the first gate, stretched out a trembling hand, and gently stroked the cold, heavy gate body.

On the gate body, the heat of the old man's final burning of his life vaguely remained.

One drop, two drops... warm liquid finally could not be suppressed and slid from the corner of her eye, dripping into the dust.

She slowly raised her hand, looking at the ancient mirror in her hand that had a crack. In the mirror, her face, pear-blossom with tears but full of pain and struggle, was reflected.

"Grandfather..." She let out an imperceptible, blood-weeping whisper.

"I'm sorry..."

The wind blew, taking away the whispers, leaving only a piece of dead, silent betrayal and sadness.

And in the deep, unknown Spatial Turbulence.

Nightmare's body was wrapped in a faint three-colored light, drifting with the waves, falling toward an unknown world...

A new escape, and also a new beginning. The true revenge and journey, at this moment, had just begun.