Battle of Brothers

On the east gate wall of Qingyun City, Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger stood side-by-side, looking down at the dense enemy army outside the city. More than three thousand black-robed figures formed neat formations. The front ranks held black banners emblazoned with blood-red pupils, fluttering in the wind.

"There are more than I expected," Su Linger gripped her sword hilt, her knuckles white. "And they're well-trained, not ordinary cultists."

Ning Xiaochuan activated his Sacred Source Vision and noticed a faint red light on each black-robed figure's chest—the corrosive mark of the Eye of the Deep Sea! Although not as strong as the one on Ning Yuan, it was enough to control their minds.

"They're completely controlled, with almost no self-awareness," Ning Xiaochuan said gravely. "Be careful not to get surrounded. The Black Tide excels at formation-based attacks."

On the city wall, Ning family guards and temporarily conscripted warriors were nervously setting up defenses. Ning Zhantian, ignoring his injuries, personally oversaw the command. The wound on his arm was simply bandaged, and his face was pale from blood loss.

"Father, you should rest," Ning Xiaochuan said, concerned.

Ning Zhantian shook his head. "The city stands, the people stand. The Ning family has guarded Qingyun City for three hundred years; it cannot fall under my watch."

He pointed to a special banner in the center of the enemy army. "Look there."

Beneath the banner, Ning Yuan, clad in black and gold armor, was issuing orders to several leaders. Unlike the numb black-robed figures around him, his expression was arrogant, and a morbid excitement flickered in his eyes.

"Second Brother still retains his self-awareness..." Ning Xiaochuan mused. "Perhaps the Eye of the Deep Sea grants him more freedom, making it easier to control others."

Su Linger checked her arrows. "Is there any way to purify them?"

"Sacred Source Power can, but the range is too large," Ning Xiaochuan estimated. "Unless we can get close to Ning Yuan. He's the control core."

As they spoke, a piercing horn blast suddenly sounded from within the enemy ranks. The black-robed figures parted like a tide, revealing over a dozen strangely shaped siege engines—catapults made of black metal and bone, loaded not with stones, but with masses of writhing black matter!

"What is that?" a guard asked in terror.

Ning Xiaochuan's heart tightened. "Soul Devouring Bombs! Don't let them touch the city wall!"

But the warning was too late. The catapults groaned, and the black spheres whizzed through the air! Most were blocked by the city wall, but a few breached the defenses and exploded within the city!

Black mist instantly spread, and those it touched immediately collapsed, convulsing, with spiderweb-like red patterns appearing on their skin!

"Close the inner city gates! Stop the spread of the black mist!" Ning Zhantian commanded sternly. "All warriors at the Source Warrior level and above, man the city walls to repel the enemy!"

Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger exchanged a glance and split up with tacit understanding. Su Linger remained on the city wall to direct the defense, while Ning Xiaochuan leaped off the wall with the Sacred Spirit Dragon, heading straight for the enemy's core!

"Little guy, maximum power!" Ning Xiaochuan commanded.

The Sacred Spirit Dragon roared in response, its body swelling to thirty feet long. The ice-blue patterns on its scales shimmered with golden light. It spread its wings and carried Ning Xiaochuan in low-altitude flight, its dragon breath sweeping across the ground, felling the black-robed figures like wheat!

"Ning Xiaochuan!" Ning Yuan roared from within the ranks. "Come to die?"

Ning Xiaochuan didn't answer. Sacred Source Power condensed into a golden spear in his palm, which he hurled at Ning Yuan! The spear streaked across the sky like a meteor but was blocked by a blood-red barrier ten paces from Ning Yuan.

"Useless!" Ning Yuan laughed maniacally. "The Eye of the Deep Sea grants me invincible defense!"

He waved his hand violently, and dozens of elite black-robed figures charged from the formation, each holding a pitch-black chain—a Soul Devouring Chain! The chains shot out like venomous snakes towards the Sacred Spirit Dragon in the air. The little guy dodged nimbly but was still entangled by a few chains around its hind legs.

"Ah!" The Sacred Spirit Dragon let out a pained roar, its scales corroding and emitting black smoke.

Ning Xiaochuan immediately leaped off the dragon's back, his Sacred Source Power transforming into a light blade that severed the chains. But in that brief delay, they were already surrounded!

"Surrender, little brother," Ning Yuan walked over slowly, red light flashing in his eyes. "Join the Black Tide, and we'll rule this world together!"

Ning Xiaochuan sneered. "Being a puppet for the Eye of the Deep Sea, and you call that ruling?"

"What do you know!" Ning Yuan suddenly roared. "In the Ning family, I always lived in your shadow! Father knew you weren't his biological son, yet he still favored you!"

Ning Xiaochuan's heart trembled—so his second brother's resentment ran this deep.

"Father loves you just as much," he tried to reason. "Remember when I was bullied as a child, and you brought the guards to teach those thugs a lesson..."

"Shut up!" Ning Yuan interrupted him. "That's the thing I regret most in my life! I should have let them beat you to death!"

He violently ripped open his chest armor, revealing a chest completely covered by a red eye-shaped mark. "The Eye of the Deep Sea has given me power! Today, either you die, or I die!"

Ning Yuan formed hand seals, and the ground suddenly cracked open, with countless black tentacles erupting from the earth! The tentacles were covered in suckers and spikes, and each one emitted a nauseating stench.

"World Devouring Tentacles!" Ning Xiaochuan's heart tightened. "You actually summoned something like this!"

The Sacred Spirit Dragon spat dragon breath, burning away a few tentacles, but more surged from all directions. Ning Xiaochuan activated his Sacred Source Shield while searching for an opening.

"A futile struggle!" Ning Yuan cackled, controlling the tentacles to attack. "In the face of absolute power, what is your meager Sacred Source Power?"

Ning Xiaochuan suddenly realized something—although Ning Yuan was corrupted, the power he wielded wasn't purely dark Source Qi, but a mixture of the Ning family's ancestral Qingyun Art! This meant his origin had not been completely eroded!

"Second Brother, do you still remember Mother?" Ning Xiaochuan suddenly asked, quietly guiding his Sacred Source Power to seep into the ground.

Ning Yuan froze. "That bitch? What's there to talk about that slut who abandoned her husband and child!"

"No, I'm talking about your biological mother," Ning Xiaochuan's voice softened. "Do you remember her holding your hand on her deathbed, saying, 'Ah Yuan, take care of your little brother'?"

Ning Yuan's expression flickered with a trace of daze, and the attack of the tentacles also faltered. In that split second, Ning Xiaochuan detonated the Sacred Source Power buried underground!

Golden pillars of light shot up from multiple points, forming a massive purification array! All the tentacles turned into black smoke in the light, and the black-robed figures screamed and collapsed, their chest marks flashing violently!

"Ah!" Ning Yuan clutched his chest in pain. "What... what did you do?!"

"Helping you break free from control!" Ning Xiaochuan leaped forward and pressed a palm onto Ning Yuan's forehead. "Sacred Source Purification!"

Golden light flowed into Ning Yuan's body like water, fiercely clashing with the red light. Ning Yuan let out a inhuman scream, his body convulsing violently, black blood seeping from his seven orifices.

"Hold on, Second Brother!" Ning Xiaochuan gritted his teeth and increased the output. "Think of Father, think of Qingyun City!"

Ning Yuan's struggles gradually weakened, the red light in his eyes flickering. Just as the purification was about to complete, he suddenly revealed a sinister smile. "You thought... that was it?"

He grabbed Ning Xiaochuan's wrist abruptly. "Let's go to hell together!"

The eye-shaped mark on Ning Yuan's chest suddenly exploded, and an unprecedented dark energy surged out! Ning Xiaochuan was caught off guard, sent flying dozens of feet by the shockwave, and crashed heavily onto the ground!

"Hahahaha!" Ning Yuan floated in mid-air, his body beginning to twist and deform. "Eye of the Deep Sea, grant me my ultimate form!"

His limbs elongated, his skin turned dark red, bat-like wings sprouted from his back, and a third eye split open on his forehead—he had completely transformed into a monster!

"Ning Yuan... no..." Ning Xiaochuan struggled to get up, his heart aching far more than his body.

The Sacred Spirit Dragon flew to his side, also covered in wounds. On the distant city walls, Su Linger saw this and was about to jump down to help, but Ning Xiaochuan stopped her with a look—she had to stay on the walls and command the defense!

"Now, let's end this." Monster Ning Yuan's voice had become hoarse and unrecognizable. He swooped down, his claws aiming straight for Ning Xiaochuan's throat!

At the critical moment, a blue figure suddenly intervened between the two! Ning Zhantian, holding his family's heirloom sword, blocked the attack head-on!

"Father?!" Ning Xiaochuan and Ning Yuan exclaimed simultaneously.

Blood trickled from Ning Zhantian's mouth, but he stood his ground. "Yuan, wake up! This isn't you!"

"Old man!" Monster Ning Yuan roared. "You want to stop me too?"

He swiped a claw at Ning Zhantian's chest. The shield Ning Xiaochuan had hastily erected shattered instantly! Ning Zhantian was sent flying, his sword snapping in two!

"Father!" Ning Xiaochuan rushed over, catching the falling Ning Zhantian.

"Xiaochuan..." Ning Zhantian gasped weakly. "Save your second brother... he's not inherently evil..."

Ning Xiaochuan injected a surge of Sacred Source Power into his father's body to stabilize his injuries, then turned to face the fully monstrous Ning Yuan. Anger and sorrow burned in his chest, but he knew anger wouldn't solve anything.

"Little guy, the Primal Covenant." Ning Xiaochuan said softly.

The Sacred Spirit Dragon immediately understood, flew to his head, and unleashed a stream of golden dragon's breath to envelop him. At the same time, Su Linger on the city wall activated the soul link, and the phantom image of the Mysterious Ice Phoenix crossed space to arrive!

The three forces intertwined in the air, forming a perfect triangular light array that trapped Monster Ning Yuan in the center!

"It's useless!" Ning Yuan roared as he charged at the light array, but each impact caused him to smoke and burn.

Ning Xiaochuan clasped his hands together, channeling his Sacred Source Power to the fullest. "Second brother, I know you can hear me. Do you remember when we were ten, and you secretly took me to see the lantern festival, but I got lost, and you searched all night..."

Ning Yuan's movements suddenly paused for a moment.

"And when we were twelve, you took that blow for me and were bedridden for half a month..." Ning Xiaochuan continued, his voice choked with emotion. "You're not my biological brother, but you're closer than one!"

Monster Ning Yuan let out a pained howl, his body contorting violently as humanity and beastliness clashed within him.

"Now, let me help you!" Ning Xiaochuan suddenly charged forward, embracing the monster despite the danger. "Sacred Source Purification!"

Golden light erupted like the sun, illuminating the entire battlefield! Ning Yuan let out a heart-wrenching scream as his monstrous shell cracked inch by inch, revealing the human form within...

When the light faded, Ning Yuan had returned to his human form, collapsing weakly in Ning Xiaochuan's arms. The eye-shaped mark on his chest was gone, leaving only a hideous scar.

"Xia... ochuan..." Ning Yuan spoke with difficulty, clarity returning to his eyes. "What... did I do..."

"It's alright now, second brother." Ning Xiaochuan held him tightly. "It's all over."

Seeing their commander fall outside the city, the black-robed figures descended into chaos. Su Linger seized the opportunity, leading the defenders out of the city in pursuit, quickly routing the enemy forces.

As the sun set, the battlefield gradually returned to peace. Ning Xiaochuan carried the unconscious Ning Yuan on his back and returned to the city with Su Linger. Although Ning Zhantian's injuries were severe, he was no longer in mortal danger thanks to the treatment of Sacred Source Power.

In the City Lord's mansion, Ning Yuan was placed in a specially prepared room and attended by several physicians. Ning Xiaochuan used Sacred Source Power to stabilize his injuries, but the purification of the Eye of the Deep Sea's corruption had consumed too much energy, and he could not wake up for the time being.

"He will recover." Ning Xiaochuan said to the worried Ning Zhantian. "The Sacred Source Power has cleared all the dark energy; the rest is just a matter of time."

Ning Zhantian's eyes welled up with tears. "Thank you... thank you for saving him."

Late into the night, Ning Xiaochuan stood alone on the city wall, gazing at the lingering black mist in the distance. The Sacred Spirit Dragon rested wearily on his shoulder, occasionally exhaling a small puff of purifying energy.

"It's not over yet." Su Linger walked up to him, handing him a cup of hot tea. "Scouts report that more Black Tide forces are gathering in the north."

Ning Xiaochuan took the teacup, the warmth transmitting through the porcelain to his palm. "Dark Star won't give up easily. He lost an important pawn in Ning Yuan and will definitely make a move himself."

"What do we do next?"

Ning Xiaochuan looked to the north. "We take the initiative. Find him before Dark Star fully recovers and eliminate this threat once and for all."

Su Linger nodded. "The allied forces of the Tianyuan Sect and the Fire Tribe are already on their way."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon suddenly perked up its head, looking alertly towards the northeast. Ning Xiaochuan also sensed it—a familiar dark fluctuation emanated from there, but it vanished in an instant.

"He's here." Ning Xiaochuan said softly. "Sooner than expected."

The night wind blew across the city wall, carrying the scent of gunpowder and blood. The three stood in silence, knowing a greater storm was coming.