His eyes, fixed on Xiaochen, held a dawning horror that dwarfed any fear Xiaochen had ever seen. His Qi core, once a sun in his chest, was now a flickering ember, struggling against the encroaching cold.
"No," the Sect Leader whispered, his voice broken, devoid of all power. "This is not possible. Our Qi... it is the gift of the Heavens! It is pure! It cannot be extinguished!"
"Your 'gift' is a lie," Xiaochen stated, his voice ringing with absolute certainty, echoing with Ye Cangtian's ancient fury. "Your purity is a chain. And I am here to break it."
He advanced, the Pedang Neraka glowing with a terrifying, crimson light. Tendrils of black energy, like hungry shadows, snaked out from the blade, wrapping around the Sect Leader.
"What are you doing to me?" the Sect Leader gasped, his bo
