As the barrage of fireballs rained down, Yi Chen was ready to intercept them with his own shield, where the fire crashed harmlessly. Zhu Yan stood behind him, proud of his lover, even though he had yet to show his true strength, and was certain that he would fascinate him and make him fear for his life at the same time, with whatever he had planned to end their curse.
Yi Chen countered the fire with a wave of his own power over water and ice, sending it back at Wen Zongyu to stop his fireballs, freezing them as their powers collided, sending them hurtling downwards like harmless volcanic rocks. However, as they crashed against the hard surface of the bridge they were standing on, red smoke emerged, and Zhu Yan knew it was nothing good, probably some kind of poison, and turned to warn Yi Chen not to inhale it. But it was too late, as his beloved was already staggering, and he caught him before he could touch the snowy ground.
"Yi Chen! Yi Chen! Wake up!" Zhu Yan shouted, shaking him a little to see if he would respond to the stimulus, but his beloved was unconscious, immersed in whatever that monster had sent his mind into.
"There's no use calling him, because no one can wake him from the Dream of Indulgence, and unlike the dream created by Ran Yi, if you die in this dream, you die for real." Wen Zongyu said, enjoying the despair the great demon had experienced just at the beginning of their fight. He had to admit that it was thrilling to see the supposedly strongest demon in the Wilderness on his knees, hugging his useless lover and unable to help him.
However, despite what Wen Zongyu believed, Zhu Yan was not helpless when it came to helping his beloved dragon, for they were united in body and soul, and he only needed an moment to awaken Yi Chen's consciousness with their spiritual bond. Thus, he let Yi Chen remain on his knees and summoned his umbrella to fight Wen Zongyu until he could bring him back.
He might not have been at his peak yet, but he was strong enough to put up a good fight against that demon. With his piercing gaze fixed on Zhu Yan, Wen Zongyu unleashed bursts of flame that shot across the bridge like fiery serpents, colliding with Zhu Yan's umbrella, charged with his malicious energy. The clashing waves of demonic energy exploded around the bridge, causing it to shake from the force of the impact.
"You are better than I expected, as a shell of your former self, but since your lover is trapped in dreams, you're growing desperate." Wen Zongyu mocked in a soft yet malicious voice and Zhu Yan's heart raced at those words, as the image of Yi Chen flickered in his mind, his sweet smile, his beautiful blue eyes that now saw nothing but illusions.
"He won't be trapped in your dream for long, he is stronger than what you take him for." He said defiantly, channeling his power into his umbrella as he unleashed a wave of shadowy tendrils aimed straight for Wen Zongyu. The dark tendrils coiled through the air, but were met with a wall of flame. A violent explosion erupted between them, enveloping the bridge in swirling smoke and sparks. Zhu Yan cast a shield with his one-word spell in front of him, so Yi Chen will not be hurt by the vicious counterattack that scorched the stone where he stood with Yi Chen just behind him.
"Whatever you said, but your time is running out." Wen Zongyu taunted, his voice smooth but laced with venom as he stepped forward. Flames coiled around him in response to his words, each step igniting sparks upon the ancient stones beneath him.
Zhu Yan gritted his teeth, feeling the weight of despair weighing on his shoulders. He only needed a minute to reach Yi Chen, who was still trapped in a relentless dream, but defending him distracted him from reaching his soul. Then, defiantly, Zhu Yan raised his umbrella as dark energy gushed forth like an unleashed tempest. In that moment of confrontation, Zhu Yan's mind raced not only for himself but also for Yi Chen, who unexpectedly raised his sword to place it at his neck. He knew the reason why Yi Chen would do such a thing. Yi Chen had realized that he was trapped in a dream and was about to break free from it like he had with Ran Yi. But that wouldn't free him; instead, it would kill him with his own hands.
"NOOOO! YI CHEN, STOP!" Zhu Yan shouted as he turned and swooped down to prevent his beloved from accidentally committing suicide, but Wen Zongyu wasn't going to let such a heavenly opportunity pass him by without making the most of it.
As Zhu Yan hold the sword to prevent it from slicing into Yi Chen's neck, Zongyu launched a sneak attack at both of them with his flames. Zhu Yan, now with his hand occupied holding the sword blade, was unable to stop the oncoming attack as his umbrella was unable to contain it. He could only try to shield Yi Chen with his own body, praying that the blow wouldn't kill him instantly, so that Yi Chen could at least survive it.
Zhu Yan braced for the impact, but two things happened at once. First, the baby dragon that was previously so lovingly mending his core abandoned it, with his essence transforming once again, and instead of coiling around his core, the now human-sized blue dragon coiled around them both protectively, breathing out a torrent of icy water laced with rainbow energy at the oncoming flames. Second, a whirlwind of leaves also surrounded them, giving them an extra layer of protecting, making Zhu Yan smiled, not only because Yi Chen's dragon had fully manifested and saved them both, but also because someone else had come to their aid when they least expected it.
"Li Lun..." Zhu Yan whispered as the dragon protecting them exhaled smoke through its nostrils, rebuking the man who had started it all. However, the great demon was grateful for having appeared when they needed help.
"It seems having a dragon as a partner has its advantages. Perhaps you didn't need me to interfere after all, Zhu Yan." Li Lun said as he looked back once he materialized in his human form.
"He's such a cute dragon, isn't he?" Zhu Yan asked, as the dragon nuzzled him, making him laugh.
"Good heavens! Is this the kind of situation where you should be toying with your lover's dragon spirit?" Li Lun asked annoyingly.
"How long did you cultivate inside the sundial?" Zhu Yan asked, ignoring his previous remark.
"Five hundred years, so my cultivation is not in danger. If you really need my help... I am willing to give it to you... I owe it to you and to him as well anyways." Li Lun said as he looked at him for a few seconds before looking back at Wen Zongyu.
"Thank you, Li Lun... I mean it."
"Yes, you've always had that air of nobility around you, which is why you're such a good fit for him, you're both too forgiving. What do you need? You already have a protective dragon hugging you as if its life depended on it. Well, maybe it does. If Zhuo Yi Chen dies, you two will too."
"I just need a minute to snap Yi Chen out of the poisonous dream he's having."
"Interesting... He sacrifices himself even in his dreams?" Li Lun chuckled.
"Of course. Can you handle Wen Zongyu? He had turned into a phoenix demon, and with the Ever-Burning fire to boot."
"You're joking, right? Didn't that fire kill me once?" Li Lun asked incredulously, watching Wen Zongyu smirk at his hesitation.
"I'm sorry for that, but yes... that is precisely the fire he can control at will now." Zhu Yan said, ignoring the pain in his hand cut by Yi Chen's Cloud Light Sword.
"Li Lun... you couldn't defeat me before or now, not even after cultivating for another ten thousand years. Aren't you afraid of being reduced to ashes again?" Wen Zongyu mocked mercilessly as he summoned his fire, just to show him he wasn't joking. Li Lun used his Truth Eye to closely observe the monster the man had become, and he gasped for a second at what he saw.
"It's a phoenix alright. Just as Zhuo Yi Chen's dragon spirit protected you, he also had that fire bird protecting him too. How did you expect to defeat it with your current condition and a barely awakened young dragon?" Li Lun asked, though he already knew the answer even before Zhu Yan said it.
"Because someone has to do it, and Yi Chen isn't just a newly awakened dragon... give me a minute and you'll see for yourself."
"Zhu Yan, that fire will indeed burn me to ashes..."
"Are you backing out?"
"Of course not! Even if it kills me, I need to redeem myself for being tricked by that monster. I promised to protect the Wilderness with you, but I can't promise that any of us will survive this fight." Li Lun said as he was about to summon his power, but just then, the blue dragon protecting Zhu Yan and Yi Chen opened its mouth again to breathe its power into Li Lun, covering him with the rainbow energy it had used before, the power of Ying Long. Li Lun looked back at the dragon, who seemed to be looking at him amused.
"What was that for?" He asked Zhu Yan, who smiled.
"Divine protection... you're willing to die for us, and that makes you his best friend, at least until this fight ends. He also had a very tender heart."
"It's not a real dragon, just a small part of your lover's essence."
"Be grateful, Li Lun... this dragon spirit just blessed you with a shield against that fire."
"Oh? Is that so? Well... Let's put it to the test! Hurry and bring Zhuo Yi Chen back, because if this doesn't work, we're all goners." Li Lun said as he threw a wall of roots as wide as the bridge to contain the fire Wen Zongyu had unleashed on them again.
Trusting that Li Lun would do his part this time, under the watchful eye of the once baby dragon, now a young dragon, he closed his eyes and focused on his spiritual bond with Yi Chen, softly calling his name, telling him that his dream was not like Ran Yi's, but something more, a poison that he could dispel with his own purifying sword. The Cloud Light Sword was already bathed in his blood, so Zhu Yan only tapped it with his finger to make it resonate with their bond.
In his dream, Zhuo Yi Chen suffered many losses, from Wen Xiao, Pei Si Jing and Ying Lei, to Zhu Yan, and even Bai Jiu. The latter made him realize that the absence of the bell in his hair made that nightmare just that, a devastating and heartbreaking dream from where he could wake up. However, as he tried to escape, something seemed to stop him.
Then he heard Zhu Yan's soft voice calling, the pull on his soul, and the vibration of the Cloud Light Sword calling him to wake up. So, he dropped the sword and sat in the lotus position, taking the pill Bai Jiu had given him before they part ways, for such an emergency and swallow it. Right after, he gathered the power of Ying Long to purify himself, along with the effect of the pill containing Bai Jiu's own blood. Soon, he awoke to the real world, where he and Zhu Yan were enveloped by an azure dragon... the same one Zhu Yan had called cute so many times.
"Welcome back, Xiao Zhuo..." Zhu Yan whispered to him when he saw him open his eyes, which shone with a mixture of blue and green.
"Zhu Yan, sorry to keep you waiting... little dragon, make sure to keep him safe no matter what happens next, the rest is up to me, but rest assure. I will end this madness once and for all." Yi Chen said and Li Lun wondered what the hell he could do when he was weaker than that phoenix demon.
"Zhuo Yi Chen, he's a phoenix demon you can't defeat. Stay back and let me handle it. I know you don't trust me, but I don't mean you any harm, I swear... your little dragon spirit can also vouch to that." Li Lun explained.
"You came..."
"Did you expect me to show up?"
"In a way, yes. You're always lurking around Zhu Yan, whether he want to or not."
"Do I detect jealousy?" Li Lun asked mockingly, holding back the endless barrage of karmic fire with his root wall and the energy-repelling shield protecting him.
"There's no such thing with a soul bond. Step back... I'll take care of him."
"Can you? He should be stronger than you."
"In the past he was, not so much now, not here."
"Then let me give you a gift... It should be yours anyway, since you're so tied up now. I don't want you chasing me to the ends of the earth to get it back."
"What do you mean...?"
"What once belonged to him, the Truth Eye..." Li Lun said as he walked towards Yi Chen. After standing behind him and performing the necessary hand seal over Zhuo Yi Chen's eyes, he transferred the power to him, allowing him to see Wen Zongyu as he really was.
"There, now he is all yours... now go do what you must. I will take care him along with your dragon spirit."
"Thank you... but this will not make up for the damage you did, to us, to him, to Bai Jiu and the many lives you manipulated and twisted." Yi Chen said as he stared at him, but Li Lun simply chuckle.
"So righteous to your core... don't worry. I will atone for my sins as you see fit." He whisper.
"Is not me who will decide your fate, only Wen Xiao and Zhu Yan, as current guardians of the Wilderness, selected by the Baize token have that right."
"Xiao Zhuo... you are a guardian of the Wilderness too. You make the promise under the Baize spirit watch, you are part of this as much as Wen Xiao and me."
"He is still your friend, is fair for you to you to decide his punishment."
"Please, no matter who decides, there's a fire monster right there who needs punishment more than I do right now, and he's so confident that he's given us so much time for this nonsense while he waits patiently." Li Lun pointed, and everyone looked at Wen Zongyu, who grinned even wider.
"I'm glad you noticed me again. Shall we finish this fight? I'm getting bored, and I have plenty to rejoice about, after I'm done with you all. I have an army of demonized humans to take care of once their core awakens." The man said, and this time Yi Chen laughed.
"I'm sorry, but you don't have that army. We discovered your plan and your demon cores the very moment we realized you were causing a plague so we could cure them. It took Bai Jiu a while to get around your predetermined solution, but like the genius he is, he found a way to not only to bypass your fruit-camouflaged cores, but also detoxify Wen Xiao. In a way, you've already lost, demon." Yi Chen taunted at the man, and well deservedly so, but that information infuriated Wen Zongyu to the boiling point.
"Lie! I'm sure he gave them the Paralysis Fruit! It was the only way Bai Jiu could stop the spread of the plague!" Wen Zongyu shouted furiously, as flames began to engulf him, mimicking his fury.
"Oh no, that wasn't the only thing he could use. As you should know... he has divine blood too..." Yi Chen explained.
"He's just a child! He hasn't awakened!"
"Yet, apparently, for most of us with ancestral blood running through our veins, it's not necessary to be fully awakened to use it. Let me show you, Wen Zongyu, the true form of my ancestor Bing Yi and the terrifying power he possesses, along with that of his companion, Ying Long..."
"Wait, Yi Chen..." Zhu Yan was instantly alarmed, but Yi Chen looked at Li Lun, who understood what he meant and grabbed his arm.
"Just trust him..." Li Lun whispers to the great demon and they both watch Zhuo Yi Chen surrounded by a cloud of unknown power, his skin starting to change into bright blue scales, his hair turning white with a soft blue shine and in a flash of blinding light they have to cover their eyes with their hands, Yi Chen's human form fades away to give way to a beautiful serpentine azure dragon that soared into the clear sky with a mighty growl that seems to reach for the heavens.
In Zhu Yan's eyes, Yi Chen's dragon form was hypnotically ethereal, otherworldly, and overwhelmingly beautiful, and his heart skipped a beat at the majesty of his dragon in its true form. Its scales shone light blue in the sunlight, its small horns were covered in soft white fur, its eyes were electric cerulean, and its chest and belly were smooth white, with its strong short legs tipped with sharp claws.
"Yi Chen..." He blurted out his name as if in a trance and Li Lun was tempted to close his dropped jaw in annoyance with his own hand. Yes, the young dragon was undoubtedly a magnificent sight, just as he was in his human form, but beauty was useless against the evil of the demon he was set to defeat.
For his part, Wen Zongyu felt the powerful demonic energy of the transformed dragon and knew that with his human form, he would lose, so he too let the fire of his phoenix consume his body and transformed into an equally enormous fire bird, with strong wings that with each movement sent warm waves of heat into the cold mountains. And so the battle of the titans began.
Atop the mountain's jagged summit, two formidable beings faced each other. Zhuo Yi Chen, the blue dragon demon, glimmered like a shard of ice against the fiery backdrop. His scales shimmered with an ethereal sheen, catching the light of his massive form, which was tipped with frost. Opposite him stood Wen Zongyu, the phoenix demon, resplendent in vibrant reds and golds that seemed to flicker like living flames. His wings radiated with karmic fire, crackling with energy that danced playfully in the air around him.
The tension between them crackled with demonic energy, they were enemies embodying elemental forces, water and ice versus fire and rebirth. As they circled one another in the air above Mount Kunlun temple, their eyes locked in a fierce contest of wills.
Wen Zongyu struck first, unleashing a torrent of blazing fire that spiraled toward Zhuo Yi Chen like a serpent seeking its prey.
"You will not survive against me!" His voice roared, echoing off the cliffs like thunder. Zhuo Yi Chen responded with a swift movement, summoning a wall of ice that erupted from the ground before him. The icy barrier absorbed his flames effortlessly before shattering into glittering shards that fell like frozen rain onto the battlefield below.
"This is where creation reigns supreme." Yichen declared confidently, his breath forming misty clouds in the crisp air.
As their powers clashed, a dance of fire and ice, the atmosphere thickened with palpable energy. Snow began to swirl around them as Zhuo Yi Chen commanded water from hidden springs beneath Mount Kunlun to rise and crash down upon his adversary. Each drop sparkled as if infused with starlight, encasing Wen Zongyu momentarily in an intricate prison of glistening ice.
But Wen Zongyu was not so easy to defeat and he summoned his demonic energy to dissolve the icy bonds surrounding him. With a fierce cry, he spread his wings wide and unleashed waves of poisonous flames that twisted through the air like serpents seeking their mark.
"From ashes I rise!" He proclaimed defiantly. With every blow exchanged, rocks crumbled underfoot and molten earth bubbled up from fissures as nature itself seemed to respond to their battle, a reflection of their struggle for supremacy over the other.
Zhuo Yi Chen, however had no fear to be defeated in those sacred mountains, thus he called upon his power of creation once more. He summoned forth torrents of frigid water that spiraled into an immense vortex above them, freezing solid mid-air into an enormous spear made entirely of ice mixed with the reflection of stars, the power of the constellation the gods had left behind, a magnificent sight to witness by Zhu Yan and Li Lun, that were hopelessly watching their fight, but unable to help in such titanic battle.
With an earth-shaking roar that echoed throughout Mount Kunlun's valleys and picks, he hurled it towards Wen Zongyu. Caught off guard by his sheer force and determination, Wen Zongyu attempted to dodge but was ultimately ensnared by its icy grip as it shattered around him in an explosion of frost and flame. The overwhelming power coursing through Zhuo Yi Chen surged forth one last time, a wave of crystal-clear water crashing down over the demon burning form.
The purity of it, mixed with the equally eternal energy of creation, penetrated every inch of the phoenix's body, purifying it from the inside out, without giving way to another circle of rebirth, for Ying Long had granted him with more than just purification, he had granted him the spells that could create stars and kill even the gods themselves, let alone a phoenix demon who resorted to dirty tricks to keep himself powerful and alive.
With a piercing cry, the phoenix's inner core, located in one of its wings, was shattered by the purifying energy of the second dragon power, causing the phoenix to explode into millions of shimmering particles like a rainy, clear, and cold shower, charged with the power of life, of the beginning, of the stars and the moon, of the celestial constellations and the sun.
No evil power could withstand it, and so, somewhere within Chongwu Camp, the phoenix ashes that ensured Wen Zhongyu's rebirth exploded in on themselves, like if a river of purifying power had come down over its ashes until nothing remained and they were gone with the wind.
This scene was witnessed by Pei Si Jing, who had stayed behind to fight Zhen Mei. He had attempted to use his dream scales against her, but as she had swallowed one of Bai Jiu's pills infused with his blood before they infiltrate into the Chongwu Camp, they had no effect on her, and she was able to fight back and defeat Zhen Mei. Just as Zhen Mei dissolved into a cloud of glittering particles, the water within the dungeon glowed a deep blue, turning it crystal clear before it shot straight towards Wen Zongyu's altar in a torrent of purifying force, infused with Yi Chen's power of creation. Upon contact, they exploded and dissolved into the divine water, before settling back in place.
As silence settled over the mountain top like falling snowflakes after a storm's fury had passed, Zhuo Yi Chen stood victorious amid remnants of steam rising from both fire and ice meeting underfoot. With the sun rays fully shining behind him now casting golden light across Mount Kunlun's majestic heights, he allowed himself a moment to admire the view before his final task. Then gathering all his strength, he cast the spell Ying Long had show teach him before, the remnants of the five colored stone that had been hide inside his robes before the fight, came out of his dragon body, surrounding him a cloud of rainbow dust shining in the light of the sun.
As cold rain began to descend in heavy sheets, each drop bore a weight of creation and purification, a testament to Yi Chen's victory. He stood amidst the aftermath, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he transformed back into his human form. Though his physical appearance had reverted, traces of his dragon heritage remained. His skin shimmered subtly in places, small blue scales catching the last light of day like scattered sapphires across a canvas of porcelain.
Before him, bathed in his rain, lay Zhu Yan, the great demon he loved, still vulnerable and weakened. Their souls intertwined in a bond deeper than mere love and Yi Chen's heart raced at the sight of Zhu Yan's pallid face marred by shadows of dark energy swirling around him like malevolent smoke. With determination hardening his resolve, Yi Chen approached. The rain poured relentlessly, drenching them both as he stop in front of Zhu Yan.
"Hold on, it's almost over." He whispered, voice steady despite the tumult around them. He reached out with trembling hands, placing them gently against Zhu Yan's chest, over where he sensed that dark energy coiled like a serpent.
Gathering what remained of his power, the very essence that could create life and cleanse evil, Yi Chen focused intently. Streams of cerulean light began to emanate from his palms, intertwining with strands of shadow that clung to Zhu Yan like a shroud.
"I will free you, my Xiao Yan." He murmured fiercely as he poured every ounce of strength into expelling the darkness, internally keeping his pray, his focus into summoning the one who could end it all with all his might, with Bing Yi's blood, with Ying Long's power.
Zhu Yan's eyes fluttered open briefly, deep pools reflecting both fear and trust as they met Yi Chen's determined gaze. For a moment, their souls resonated together into the highest level, a harmony echoing through the cold of the mountains.
Then Yi Chen felt it, an overwhelming force coming from above, as the sky seems to part in golden thunders and the figure of a beautiful woman descended from the heavens themselves. Her presence regal and powerful, draped in flowing robes of shimmering with rainbow energy and pristine whites, that seem to flutter as if alive. Her long hair flows like a waterfall of silk down her back, adorned with delicate ornaments that sparkle against her radiant skin.
Nuwa holds aloft five colored stones, each a vibrant hue of red, blue, green, yellow, and white, forming a perfect pentagon around her outstretched hands. Her eyes gently resting on the two men intertwined in red strings with a faint gold surrounding it, yet not powerful enough to cast away their curse. Then, she used the stones that pulse with an inner light, absorbing the darkness swirling around from the young dragon's effort to expel it from the great demon Zhu Yan, his soul bond lover.
Bing Yi's very blood called to her from the depths of the boy's soul. She owed him to free him from the Chaos curse, owed Ying Long for his sacrifice in driving the darkness out of the Wilderness and taking on the endless cycle of reincarnations that had wounded his soul time and time again.
The stones glow brighter, illuminating her surroundings and casting kaleidoscopic reflections on the icy surfaces around her. The winds shift, the rain stooping as they rise dramatically as if responding to her call. They gather around Nuwa and swirl fiercely in a cyclone of colors. Suddenly, from within the depths below rises a dark mist, the essence of Zhu Yan's malicious energy seeking to escape, although there was none this time.
Nuwa's brow furrows in concentration as she channels all her divine strength into absorbing this chaos into the stones. The ground beneath her quakes slightly as if resonating with their confrontation, the mountains standing witness to this epic battle between good and evil.
With a final surge of power and focus, Nuwa brings the stones closer together until they collide softly yet firmly, a brilliant flash erupts from their union as they create a radiant barrier against the chaos darkness. The malice begins to dissipate like smoke caught in sunlight, trapped forever within these sacred stones. The malicious energy was now gone and chaos trapped inside the five colored stones, the endless cycle of vessels finally over.
"Nuwa… please his core..." Yi Chen whispered weakly, too exhausted to hold on much longer. And she breathed into Zhu Yan with her divine energy, creating a protection around the great demon's core, mending it and filling it with the power he once have, Ying Long's power of creation, the power to renew the Wilderness that had been left in the dark for so long. Both Zhu Yan and Li Lun were stunned to see the goddess descend from the heavens to answer the divine dragon's spell prayer, not to mention to be in her presence and be healed by her.
"My child, you have done your part well. This world is blessed with you pure heart and kindness. Rest now." She said and then Yi Chen's vision blurred, fatigue dragged him under like an anchor to the depths below. He felt himself slipping away, a soft sigh escaping his lips before darkness enveloped him and Zhu Yan hugged him as tears of happiness fell from his face. His beloved had succeeded, freed him from his curse, and now they could have a future that wasn't set in stone.
AN: I guess this is the end? Maybe an epilogue to show how things progressed after they win and break their curse? Well, at least everyone survives, no one dies and they will have their happy ending. The combination of Bing Yi's blood, Ying Long power of creation and Yi Chen's pure heart make it possible for him to summon Nuwa trough her five colored stone.