Chapter 18 — From Ruins to the Dharma Lord's Throne

The next morning, the group continued their journey, moving closer to the central border of the Dark Alliance's territory. The terrain gradually became harsher, black cliffs replaced green forests, and the air was so thick with the smell of evil that even the most experienced commandos felt uncomfortable.

At noon, when the group crossed a narrow pass leading to a large valley right in front of the towering Blood Moon Tower in the distance, an earth-shattering roar rang out, causing the ground under their feet to shake violently.

From the middle of the valley, a giant creature arose - its body was as long as a dragon but covered with shiny black scales mixed with crimson blood vessels flowing along its body like small rivers, its eyes were red like two hellish furnaces, and from its mouth came a thick black gas that smelled of death.

"Blood Hell Demon Dragon." The commando commander whispered, his voice filled with fear. "I've heard reports about this monster, but never imagined it could be so scary."

Dịch Phàm looked at the monster, and immediately, a familiar, painful feeling rose in his chest — a feeling similar to when he touched the jade piece or memory crystal, but this time much stronger and more painful. "I can feel... a familiar part of my blood inside it," he whispered, his voice trembling. "It was nourished by the blood of my parents."

The monster roared once more, its giant membranous wings stretched out, covering the entire sky, then rushed straight towards the group of people at a speed disproportionate to its massive size.

"Form up defense now!" Vũ Khanh shouted, his voice urgent but still maintaining the calmness necessary for coordination. "Bạt Sơn, set up maximum earth shields! Nhược Đông, support ice reinforcement! Commandos, spread out to the flanks, avoid being surrounded in a narrow area!"

The whole group quickly got into position, but the Blood Prison Demon Dragon's first charge was so strong that it penetrated both Bạt Sơn and Nhược Đông's solid earth shields, knocking them both dozens of meters away. Three commando warriors standing nearby were also swept away by the death aura the monster exhaled, collapsing to the ground, their bodies starting to turn gray as if life was being gradually drained away.

"Bạt Sơn! Nhược Đông!" Tịch Dao screamed in panic and quickly ran to check the condition of the two people.

"They're still breathing, but seriously injured!" Tuyết Nhi shouted after a quick check, then quickly summoned spiritual energy to temporarily stabilize both of their wounds. "Those three commando warriors are being eaten away by evil spirits! If we don't take care of them immediately, they won't last more than a few minutes!"

Dịch Phàm looked at the three warriors writhing in pain, their bodies gradually turning gray as stone, a feeling of panic mixed with strong determination welled up in his heart. This is the moment that all the training over the past several months has been leading to.

"I will deal with the evil energy in their bodies!" He shouted, rushing towards the three injured warriors, placing his hands on each of them, pouring all his purifying spiritual energy into their bodies. A stream of five-colored light burst from his hand, penetrating the layer of evil energy corroding the three warriors' bodies, gradually pushing it out.

But at that moment, the Blood Prison Demon Dragon turned around and rushed straight towards Dịch Phàm, who was in a defenseless position because he had to focus all his spiritual energy on the cure. In just a split second, the monster was close, its mouth opened wide, preparing to spit out a stream of death gas aimed straight at him.

"Dịch Phàm, be careful!" Tuyết Nhi shouted, rushing to block in front of him, summoning the densest ice wall she had ever created in her life. The impact caused the ice wall to shatter in an instant, but it was enough to slow down the death aura, giving Dịch Phàm a few precious seconds to complete the treatment of the three warriors.

As soon as he finished, Dịch Phàm turned around and faced the oncoming Blood Prison Demon Dragon directly, the distance was only a few meters. With no time left to dodge or calculate, he poured all his remaining spiritual energy, all five streams of energy resonating into a brilliant sphere of five-colored light, shooting straight into the monster's gaping mouth.

The impact created an explosion of blinding light, causing the entire valley to shake. The Blood Prison Demon Dragon howled in horrifying pain, its body writhed, the black scales where the iridescent light touched it began to turn light gray, gradually disintegrating like ash.

But the monster has not yet completely fallen. It writhed in pain, its tail whipped hard at Dịch Phàm, sending him flying dozens of meters away, crashing hard into a large rock.

"Dịch Phàm!" The whole group shouted at the same time and ran to him in panic.

Dịch Phàm forced himself to stand up, his body ached everywhere, blood flowed from a wound on his forehead, but his eyes still shone with unwavering determination. He looked at the monster growling in pain in the distance, remembering his mother's warning in the letter — don't let pity slow you down, because this monster is fed on his parents' blood.

That thought made his heart ache, but also strengthened his resolve. If this monster truly carries a part of his parents' blood, then freeing it from the evil control of the Black Flame, no matter how, is an act of necessity, not cruelty.

"Tuyết Nhi, Tịch Dao, cover me!" He shouted, stood up, and walked towards the writhing monster. "I will end this right now!"

Tuyết Nhi and Tịch Dao immediately coordinated, one person summoned sharp ice arrows, the other created powerful fireballs, targeting the weak points on the monster's body that Dịch Phàm had previously weakened with purifying energy. With support, Dịch Phàm approached, focused all his remaining spiritual energy into one final attack, placing both hands on the Blood Prison Demon Dragon's head.

The five-colored light poured into the monster's body, not to destroy it, but to completely purify the evil energy controlling it. The monster let out a final howl, its body convulsed violently, then gradually became motionless, the black scales covering its entire body slowly peeling off, revealing underneath a layer of pale white skin, almost human, before the entire body dissolved into a white smoke that gently rose into the sky, like a soul finally freed from cruel imprisonment and deformation.

The whole valley fell silent after the monster completely disappeared. Dịch Phàm collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted, but his heart was filled with a strange feeling of relief, as if he had just accomplished something more meaningful than winning a battle.

"Are you okay?" Tịch Dao ran over and helped him up, his voice full of worry.

"I'm fine," Dịch Phàm replied, panting. "It doesn't hurt anymore. That's the most important thing."

Tuyết Nhi and the group quickly checked the condition of Bạt Sơn, Nhược Đông and three injured commandos. Fortunately, thanks to timely intervention, all were out of danger, although they needed time to rest to fully recover.

The commando commander stood silently watching the entire development, his eyes filled with surprise and respect. "In my twenty years of serving the White Wing Alliance, I have never seen anyone able to deal with such a high-level monster without the ultimate weapon or a powerful army. You truly deserve your widespread reputation, Dịch Phàm."

Bạt Sơn and Nhược Đông, although still weak after being cured, still tried to stand up, both of their eyes filled with gratitude and admiration for Dịch Phàm. "You saved our lives," Bạt Sơn said, his voice was still weak but sincere. "I owe you my life, Dịch Phàm."

"Don't say that." Dịch Phàm shook his head, helping his friend stand more firmly. "We are a team. Debt does not exist between people who are willing to sacrifice for each other."

"We have passed the final test," Vũ Khanh said, his voice still shaking from tension but also shining with hope. "Ahead there are only Blood Moon Tower and Black Flame."

Dịch Phàm stood up and looked towards the towering black tower in the distance, where his parents had been waiting for seventeen long years. "Then, it's time to end it all."

The whole group spent another hour bandaging their wounds, stabilizing their spirits, and checking all their equipment before continuing forward. Tuyết Nhi stood next to Dịch Phàm, holding his hand, her eyes could not hide her worry even though her voice remained steadfast. "From here on, every step could be the last. Are you ready?"

"I've been waiting for this moment my whole life," Dịch Phàm replied, squeezing her hand. "No matter what the cost, I will not back down anymore."