The last clash with Demon Empress Zili remained vividly etched in Xue Yu’s mind. That crushing defeat—delivered squarely by a woman—still haunted him. It was his first-ever loss to a female opponent, and the sting of it clung to his soul, unforgettable.

From that prior battle, Xue Yu had gleaned a hint of her tactics. Without hesitation, instinct took over—he swiftly swung the sword on his back behind him.

*Clang! Clang!*

Two blades of visibly mismatched quality clashed edge to edge, golden sparks flashing brightly.

He still remembered that moment—the sudden, suffocating presence of “death” rushing at him from behind. Only his comrade’s sacrifice had shielded him.

Xue Yu would have died. Instead, a brother fell. That memory carved a permanent scar deep within him.

Knowing Demon Empress Zili excelled at ambushes from behind, Xue Yu vowed never to repeat that mistake.

Yet even with anticipation, he failed to block her strike.

The golden sparks dimmed. A black silhouette shot backward, slamming hard into the wall before stopping.

Xue Yu had been launched by the Empress’s “Flash Assault.”

*What if this were…* Despair tightened his chest as he stared at the rusted iron sword in his hand.

Frustration twisted his features. How he longed to hold his signature blade instead.

Its phantom silhouette even flickered before his eyes.

*Without it… I don’t stand a chance.*

During their first duel, Xue Yu had held his ground at a rough 40-60 split.

Now? At best, a cheap shot might graze her. Injured and weakened, he wouldn’t even scrape a 10-90 chance.

He wanted to hurl the useless blade away—but it was all he had left to defend himself.

Facing overwhelming power, escape seemed impossible.

Still, he wouldn’t surrender. Not while even a sliver of hope remained. Not until he avenged his fallen brothers.

Xue Yu immediately shifted his stance, sword raised behind him, ready to draw.

“Still planning to resist… with that broken scrap?” Demon Empress Zili shrugged, utterly bored. “I offered you a choice. Since you refused…”

In an instant, Xue Yu drew. Golden mana erupted from the blade’s tip.

Swinging hard, he unleashed a crescent-shaped energy slash.

She didn’t even glance at it.

To her, Xue Yu was just a gnat squirming in her palm.

“Fine,” she murmured dismissively.

As the golden arc closed in, she lazily swept her hand.

A violet energy blade sliced horizontally.

The golden slash shattered effortlessly. Her expression remained icy.

“The only thing I admire about humans… is your utterly meaningless resistance.”

“But what’s the point? In the end, you still bow to fate.”

Xue Yu knew exactly what she meant—the human spirit that defies absolute power, refusing to kneel.

“Meaningless? They’re not meaningless! They… they’re the ones who truly deserve victory!” he roared back, fury blazing.

Zi Li said nothing.

Then—*whoosh!*—her youthful, graceful form dissolved into faint violet light and vanished.

Her disappearance tightened Xue Yu’s nerves further.

Sensing killing intent closing in, he instinctively swung his sword backward again.

But this time—failure.

She wasn’t foolish enough to repeat the same move.

Pain exploded across his spine, radiating through his body. Dazed, he looked down.

The blade he’d tried to block now protruded from his abdomen.

It had pierced straight through his back.

Strength drained with the blood gushing from the wound.

*Clatter… clatter…*

The rusted sword slipped from his fingers. Xue Yu stared blankly at the blood-streaked blade jutting from his chest.

“Ah… *cough*…” A dry, ragged sound escaped his throat.

His face contorted in agony—twisted beyond recognition.

Every breath felt like a thousand needles shredding his cells.

Hands trembling, he gripped the bloodied blade. His knees buckled. He collapsed to the floor.

Eyes bloodshot, face pale, his entire body shook with each shallow breath.

“Never turn your back on an enemy, little human. You’re still too green,” Zi Li whispered coldly beside his ear.

To most, an intruding insect warrants swift elimination.

But the Succubus Empress was crueller. She didn’t end him.

Instead, she abruptly lifted the blade—denying him even the dignity of kneeling.

“AAAAAGH!” The tearing pain nearly split his consciousness. Xue Yu screamed, raw and broken.

For minutes, she listened to his cries with faint amusement before leaning close again.

“Your human wails… truly delight this Empress.”

Too weak to beg, Xue Yu could only emit guttural, instinctive sobs.

“Enough. Time’s up. Let this Empress compose the final note of your requiem… Hm?”

*Zzzzt…*

Unexpectedly, the blade in Zi Li’s hands glowed with brilliant violet light.

Not her doing. As its wielder, she’d never seen this before. Bewilderment flashed in her eyes.

“What’s happening? Jue Mo? Is this…?” Her gaze snapped to Xue Yu. “This is…”

Amid the swirling violet radiance, intricate patterns erupted from the wound—spreading like roots through soil, weaving across Xue Yu’s entire body.

A new agony surged—not of flesh, but soul-deep.

Consciousness shattered. Darkness swallowed him whole.

…

…

How long had passed? When she opened her eyes, her first thought was: *Am I dead? Is this heaven… or…?*

Vision blurred. Only the ceiling light and a face hovering above were clear.

“You’re awake, child?” Zi Li’s voice was soft, tender, laced with genuine concern.

As sight sharpened, she recognized the woman—the one who had utterly defeated her.

Yet this enemy now gazed at her with overwhelming gentleness. Tears glistened at the corners of Zi Li’s eyes; her breath hitched with emotion.

Slowly, Zi Li reached out. Delicate fingers cradled the girl’s cheek.

“So perfect,” she murmured, admiration glowing in her eyes. “To inherit it so completely… you are the first. From this moment, you are this Empress’s granddaughter. Your name shall be Belanite Zila.”

“Y-you! Don’t come closer!” The little girl on the bed—no older than eight or nine—sobbed and shrieked.

Her voice, sweeter than a nightingale’s dawn song, echoed through the room: pure, melodic, impossibly captivating. One note, and you’d crave another.