All at once, everything in sight shattered.
A terrifying pain surged from the depths of his soul, as though the nerves in his brain were being ripped out by the roots...
The black-robed swordsman's eyes flew open. Crimson flames roared around him; he was at the center of a sea of fire.
A golden figure held out a hand toward him, laughing wildly as he sent spear after spear through the black-robed swordsman's body.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! An endless stream of spears pierced the black-robed swordsman.
Boom! The flames burned even fiercer.
An acrid smell filled the air.
He had no idea how long he had been subjected to this execution...
Elsewhere.
Tribbie opened her eyes groggily and found Tine, Phainon, Dan Heng, and Feng Jin looking at her with concern.
"Tine, Xiao Bai... Where's Trianne? Has she come back...?"
Phainon shook his head.
"When we arrived, we only found you two."
They were in the secret refuge within the temple.
A fire burned brightly, bringing Tribbie a little warmth.
"A secret art has been placed on this room. As long as the door is shut, the monsters outside can't sense anyone in here," Feng Jin said, reporting what had been found.
"Then... how did you find us?" Tribbie asked, puzzled.
"Teacher Tining," Phainon said, looking at Tribbie. "She heard footsteps outside. After checking several times, she brought us in."
"As for Teacher Tian..." Phainon trailed off.
Feng Jin sighed.
"Dan Bao and I searched nearby too... but we couldn't find any trace of Lord Tian."
"Damn it!" Phainon fumed. "That black-robed bastard wasn't going to disappear so easily after all."
"We were still a step too late. Oloronis's Core Flame... I'm afraid something has happened to it."
Feng Jin pressed her lips together. "Then Lord Tian..."
Tribbie