As I stared at my sword, held tightly in Cheonma’s grasp, a single thought took hold of my mind.

‘…To this extent…?’

Was the difference in our power truly so vast?

What could I possibly hope to do against an existence like hers?

Hiss…

A faint, unsettling sound came from where her hand gripped my blade, as if something were burning. It was the purging energy within my sword, trying to purify her dark aura.

This power was the very reason I was known as a beacon of hope for Zhongyuan.

But Cheonma only glanced at her scorched fingers.

Snap!