"Wait!"
Xiao Ziyan still wanted to try to stop Yi Tian, but the Nether King Domain had already fully formed. Nothing she said would make a difference now.
Xiao Ziyan opened her mouth, but no words came out.
She could only turn toward the Vermilion Bird, an intensely complicated look in her eyes.
"Vermilion Bird..."
"Don't you want to live?"
Chilling gray mist brushed past the Vermilion Bird's crimson feathers. The surrounding demon energy churned as before, not diminishing in the slightest after the Azure Dragon was dragged into the domain.
Throughout their journey, the Vermilion Bird had grown visibly weaker, the Turbid Heart Seal lurking within her constantly eating away at her life.
Now, a chance to save the Vermilion Bird was right before them, yet she had abandoned it herself.
Xiao Ziyan was certain that Yi Tian had hesitated after she spoke, but the Vermilion Bird's words had made him resolve to strike.
The Vermilion Bird replied calmly, "I just don't want to cling to life at any cost."
"If saving me requires the Azure Dragon's Wood Law, then we'd have to spare his life... I can't accept letting that traitor to the divine beasts go because of me!"
The Vermilion Bird's crimson-gold eyes settled on the woman beside her.
"Ziyan... you should understand me."
Xiao Ziyan fell silent for a second, then finally sighed helplessly. "All right."
"I thought we could keep you alive this time..."
Wind swept up the sand as the Azure-Feather Giant Eagle landed nearby. Wan Xiong jumped down and approached Xiao Ziyan, pointing at the black domain in midair in astonishment.
"Ziyan, is this guy out of his mind?"
"He's going to fight the Azure Dragon after its complete abyss transformation, one-on-one, man-to-man?!"
After all, the latter could wield power approaching the True