Chen Wuya knelt on the ground, his fingers digging into the cracks between the stones. He wanted to stand, but his meridians felt as though they had been scorched by fire; even the slightest movement made him tremble with pain. Bai Zhi stood several steps away, gripping her sword hilt so tightly her knuckles had turned white. She looked at her shattered jade pendant. The lock of hair was already gone.
Blood Without Trace's remnant soul writhed in the air, black mist coiling into a shape. It stared at Chen Wuya, its mouth splitting into a grin. "You can't save anyone."
The altar began to shake, and deeper fissures split open across the ground. The runes on the crystal egg flickered wildly as streams of azure, gold, and black light flowed backward into the blood grooves. The chains screeched against one another as if they were about to snap.
The Dragon God's voice rang out. "The seal is about to collapse. You must make a choice."
Chen Wuya bit through his lip, the taste of blood spreading through his mouth. He raised a hand, trying to gather force, only to find himself hollow within. He could not muster even a thread of misaligned force. That last strike had drained every bit of his true qi; now, he could barely remain standing.
Blood Without Trace moved. It transformed into a black shadow and lunged straight at Bai Zhi.
Bai Zhi swung her sword, its light carving a half-arc through the air. But her wrist was still shaking, and the strike failed to land solidly. The shadow brushed past her shoulder and closed in again.
Chen Wuya suddenly threw himself forward, knocking Bai Zhi aside with his body. They crashed to the ground, and he landed on top of her, his back