One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Chapter 284 Liberation. Explosion.

The black-robed envoy's momentum was thwarted. His dark red energy claws swung wildly, tearing apart chains, but more chains wrapped around him, and for a short time, he was actually temporarily trapped in place!

"Damn it! Break!" The black-robed envoy roared angrily. Dark red energy erupted like a volcano, frantically impacting the bindings of the Qimen chains. The chains kept breaking and regenerating. Wang Ye's face turned deathly pale at a visible speed, and the veins on his forehead bulged, clearly indicating that he was struggling to hold on.

These precious few seconds!

Nie Lingfeng had already rushed to the "Seraph" who was clutching her head and howling, her breathing disordered! He could clearly see the intense struggle in her eyes—crimson chaos alternating with a faint golden-red clarity! He could feel the fierce conflict between the two completely different powers within her!

"I'm sorry! I hope... you can hear me!"

Nie Lingfeng gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes. He suddenly reached out, not to attack, but to grab the "Seraph's" wrist—a wrist covered in scales, yet still faintly revealing its original slenderness! At the same time, with his other hand, he unhesitatingly tore open the front of his shirt, pressing the fragment of the "Nirvana Feather" jade pendant, which was intensely glowing, burning hot, and even slightly vibrating, hard against the spot of flickering, struggling golden-red light on the "Seraph's" chest!

"No matter who you were...no matter what you've been through...wake up! With the last bit of pride and clarity in your blood! Wake up—!!!"

As Nie Lingfeng roared and pressed the jade pendant against the other person's chest, a strange change occurred!

"Buzz—!!!!"

This time, it was no longer a faint hum. A clear, high-pitched phoenix cry, seemingly capable of cleansing all filth and piercing the soul, suddenly rang out simultaneously from the "Seraph's" chest and from the fragment of the jade pendant in Nie Lingfeng's hand! Two warm, pure, ancient, and noble golden-red lights erupted and intertwined, enveloping both Nie Lingfeng and the "Seraph" at the same time!

The Seraph trembled violently! She let out a shriek that was both more painful and seemed to contain a sense of relief! Under the pure golden-red light, the dark red scales on her body began to hiss and emit black smoke, their color fading, and in some places, even peeling off in pieces! The crimson madness in her eyes receded rapidly like a tide, replaced by an increasing amount of clear, yet endlessly sorrowful and painful golden-red light! The tattered fleshy wings on her back also began to flap violently and unconsciously, the filthy marks on them rapidly dissolving in the light!

"No—!!!" Seeing this, the black-robed envoy let out a desperate and frantic roar. He no longer cared about anything, and his dark red energy exploded completely, instantly shattering most of the Qimen chains around him! Wang Ye spat out a mouthful of blood, his body swaying backward, and the light of the Qimen formation dimmed considerably.

But it was too late.

In the golden-red light, the "Seraph," or rather, the soul imprisoned within the twisted monster's body, slowly and laboriously... raised its head.

The crimson in her eyes had completely faded, leaving only a clear, beautiful golden-red, like a burning flame. Those golden-red eyes were no longer filled with madness and destruction, but with endless sorrow, pain, confusion... and a faint, weak clarity that had finally broken free from some kind of constraint.

She looked at Nie Lingfeng, who was so close to her, holding her wrist and pressing the jade pendant against her chest.

She slowly turned her head and looked at Chen Duo, who was not far away, pale and swaying from exhaustion, but whose eyes were also filled with shock, confusion and a glimmer of hope.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but only managed some hoarse, unintelligible breaths. Tears, mixed with dark red filth, slid down her once beautiful golden-red eyes in large drops.

Then, with all her might, she grabbed Nie Lingfeng's wrist with her other hand (her hand, though still covered in scales, was no longer cold and evil, but instead carried a faint warmth). Her gaze was fixed on the black-robed envoy who was frantically breaking through the blockade, his aura extremely violent.

Her lips opened and closed a few times, laboriously and silently.

Nie Lingfeng understood her lip movements.

She said—

"Kill him... to be free... I... "

Immediately afterwards, the golden-red light in her eyes suddenly became incredibly bright and resolute! She released Nie Lingfeng's hand, turned abruptly, and faced the black-robed envoy who was about to be completely freed!

The two originally chaotic and conflicting forces within her, guided by the fragment of the jade pendant on her chest and the residual power of Chen Duo's flames, and driven by her own awakened and weak will, actually began to forcibly merge and burn in a way that was almost self-destructive!

A terrifying energy surge, even more violent than before, yet carrying a hint of tragedy and purification at its core, erupted from her body!

"roar--!!!"

This roar was no longer filled with madness, but rather with endless anger, sorrow, and... a resolute determination to perish together!

She, this pathetic experimental subject who had just broken free from a few constraints and regained a semblance of herself, actually took the initiative to burn her last bit of life and soul towards the black-robed "messenger" who created her, tormented her, and turned her into this state, and rushed towards him without hesitation!

She wants revenge! She wants liberation! She wants to use this newly awakened, fleeting clarity and sense of self to create... a final chance for these "strangers" who have entered her hell and brought her a sliver of warmth!

"No—!! You failed, flawed creation! How dare you defy your creator!!" The black-robed envoy was both shocked and enraged; he hadn't expected things to escalate to this point! He frantically channeled his dark red energy, condensing it into a thick energy shield in front of him, while shouting fiercely, "Stop her! Kill them!"

The remaining dozen or so experimental subjects, under the command of the black-robed envoy, roared again and pounced on Nie Lingfeng and his two companions, as well as "her" who was burning and charging forward.

In the laboratory, the situation instantly reversed again, becoming even more chaotic, more tragic, and... more heroic.

Nie Lingfeng held the still-hot jade pendant in his hand, and as he looked at the figure burning with flames of intertwined gold and dark red, resolutely rushing towards the black-robed envoy, his eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

"Old Wang! Chen Duo! Let's fight! Avenge her! Destroy this hellhole!"

He let out a roar like a wounded beast, and dark golden flames shot into the sky once more, without restraint, rushing towards the charging experimental subjects! This time, his attack was even more ferocious and insane!

Wang Ye wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his lazy demeanor gone, replaced by a chilling killing intent and resolute determination: "Damn it, I've really lost out today! Qimen Open! Eight Gates Movement! Move it for me!"

Chen Duo, barely managing to stay upright, stared with her emerald eyes at the tragic figure rushing towards the black-robed envoy, tears blurring her vision. She gritted her teeth, forcefully gathering all the remaining strength within her. A faint, yet incredibly resolute, golden-red flame stubbornly ignited in her palm…

"No--!!!"

The black-robed messenger let out a shrill, ear-piercing scream. His hoarse, synthesized voice was distorted and filled with shock, anger, fear, and disbelief. He watched helplessly as his most prized "creation," the "Seraphim" he had painstakingly activated and controlled with countless resources, broke free of its restraints at the last moment. It even turned against him, burning with two completely opposite yet strangely fused powers, crashing headlong into him like a humanoid meteor!

He could sense how unstable and terrifying the energy erupting from that body was! It was an uncontrollable explosion caused by the forcibly corrupted divine bloodline and the injected twisted holy blood crystal energy, stimulated by the pure flames of the same origin externally and guided by the faint awakening will within! Its power far exceeded that of an ordinary S-rank self-destruction! Even more terrifying was that the purifying properties contained in those flames had a fatal restraint on an existence like him that was deeply dependent on corrupted energy!

"Damn it! Damn experimental subjects! Damn intruders!" The black-robed messenger cursed wildly in his mind, no longer caring about his image or his previous composure of controlling everything. He abruptly crossed his arms in front of his chest, his black robes fluttering wildly, and dense, almost tangible, dark red energy erupted forth, instantly condensing in front of him into a massive, several-foot-thick dark red energy shield etched with countless twisted, painful faces! On the surface of the shield, those faces howled silently, radiating an aura of despair and resentment, trying to withstand the devastating impact.

At the same time, he retreated rapidly, trying to create distance, shouting sharply, "Stop her! At all costs!"

The remaining dozen or so test subjects, under their master's command, instinctively turned around and roared as they lunged at the burning figure, trying to block it with their bodies.

However, it was all too late.

The burning figure moved at incredible speed, carrying an indomitable and suicidal aura, instantly bridging the mere tens of meters between itself and the black-robed envoy!

The experimental subjects that rushed towards her were easily torn apart, vaporized, and annihilated by the violent and raging energy field that intertwined gold and dark red as soon as they got within ten meters of her! They couldn't even offer the slightest resistance!

"No--!!!"

Under the desperate gaze of the black-robed messenger, the burning figure crashed heavily into the thick, dark red energy shield!

"boom--!!!!!!!!!"

A terrifying explosion, indescribable in its horror, erupted with a deafening roar!

That was no longer a simple flash of fire or energy impact. First came a pure, dazzling, golden-red halo, so pure it was blinding, that spread out from the point of impact like a supernova explosion! Wherever the halo passed, the laboratory's sophisticated instruments, cold metal, stark white walls, residual slime and filth… all inanimate matter, silently transformed into the finest dust, then was completely purified and vanished! Not even a wisp of smoke remained!

Immediately following was a terrifying surge of energy, a chaotic mix of golden-red, dark red, and pitch-black hues, like a tsunami, engulfing the halo with even greater ferocity and destructive power, sweeping in all directions, tearing, and annihilating everything in its path! The sturdy special alloy walls twisted, melted, and crumbled like paper! The ceiling collapsed with a deafening roar, revealing the black rock layers above, which were then also shredded by the energy surge! The earth groaned, trembled, and cracked! The entire massive underground laboratory began a complete and irreversible collapse in this cataclysmic explosion!

At the epicenter of the explosion, a brief energy vacuum and an absolute zone of destruction were created! The dark red energy shield, upon contact with the golden-red aura, melted rapidly like ice and snow under the sun! The distorted faces on the shield emitted silent, final screams before vanishing completely. The shield shattered in less than half a second!

The black-robed messenger was the first to be attacked!

"puff--!!!"

The moment the golden-red halo swept over him, his black robe turned to ashes like burning paper, revealing a gaunt body beneath, covered in eerie dark red patterns, as if drained of all moisture, not resembling a living person! The metal mask on his face was also covered in cracks, but it seemed to be a special protective artifact, as it did not shatter immediately. Instead, dark red light burst forth from the cracks, as if desperately resisting the purifying light.

However, the energy surge that follows cannot be completely blocked by the mask.

"ah--!!!"

The black-robed messenger let out a piercing scream, inhuman in its shrillness! His emaciated body was violently flung through the raging energy tide, like a kite with a broken string, crashing through the collapsing metal wall behind him. He flew into an unknown corner deep within the laboratory, leaving behind only a series of muffled thuds of shattering bones and a trail of dark red, foul-smelling blood! His life force instantly waned to its lowest point, like a candle flickering in the wind, his fate uncertain.