Figures flickered in the rear as Guan Fangyi rushed out as well, only to halt at the sight of the standoff before her.
Yun Ji also came rushing out despite her injuries, and stopped when she saw the smiling Yuan Se ahead.
Hearing no response from this side, the others came running over one after another. Yuan Fang cowered at the back, peeking about furtively.
Lü Wushuang, stumbling with uneven steps, was the last to arrive. The scene before her naturally came as a surprise, as did Yuan Se's reaction.
Still feeling somewhat unwell from that strange tiger roar, Silver Child looked around and edged up beside Niu Youdao, reaching out to clutch his sleeve without letting go.
"Cough..." Yuan Se suddenly gave what seemed like a cough.
Then something could no longer hold. A trace of red appeared on his chest, spreading downward in a broad stain.
The red ran all the way down, until drip-drop sounds of falling liquid echoed through the silent space.
Everyone's eyes fixed on the hem of his clothing. Bloody water was streaming down, pouring even more rapidly from beneath his trouser legs and around his feet.
This... Everyone realized something, then turned one after another to Yuan Gang, who stood bent forward with his blade in both hands. Horror gradually filled their eyes, and their faces were full of disbelief.
Yuan Gang's fighting spirit was fierce. He remained in his tiger-pouncing stance, watching Yuan Se with utmost vigilance, ready to spring at any moment.
The stench of blood spread through the air.
Blood soaked into the ground in a great pool. Yuan Se, still rigidly standing in place, turned pale. He seemed unable to control his body any longer, and his figure began to sway slightly.
He seemed unwilling to fall, but as