Chapter 19 — From Ruins to the Dharma Lord's Throne

When Dịch Phàm's group reached the foot of the Blood Moon Tower, an unexpected sight appeared before their eyes — not the loneliness they expected, but thousands of warriors wearing the white winged badge of the White Wing Alliance, arrayed around half of the tower's base, flags fluttering in the cold northern wind.

"This is..." Dịch Phàm was stunned, not believing his eyes.

"Regular forces of the White Wing Alliance." The commando commander said, his voice filled with emotion. "I secretly sent a report of everything we discovered, along with the estimated time of our arrival here. Perhaps they decided not to wait any longer and mobilized all their strength to arrive in time."

A tall general, with shining armor, riding on the back of a winged beast, separated from the formation and approached to greet the group. "Dịch Phàm, son of Tần Hạo Nguyên. I am one of your father's old comrades. The news you sent back spurred the entire alliance to act faster than ever. Today, we will end the threat of the Dark Alliance once and for all."

But as soon as the general finished speaking, from the top of the Blood Moon Tower, a deep, hoarse voice echoed throughout the valley, amplified by an ancient magic, making it clear to every warrior on the battlefield.

"Welcome, Tần Dịch Phàm. I have been waiting for this meeting for a long time."

Black Flame appeared on the highest balcony of the tower, a tall figure covered in jet black armor, her long hair flying in the wind. But what shocked the entire battlefield was not his appearance, but the two figures chained to both sides of him - a man and a woman, thin and emaciated but still with a determined look on their faces, exactly like the image Dịch Phàm had seen in his dream and the recording from the jade piece.

"Parents!" Dịch Phàm shouted, his whole body trembling with extreme emotion when he saw his parents in the flesh for the first time in his life, even in the most heartbreaking circumstances.

Tần Hạo Nguyên and Liễu Thanh Hà raised their heads, their eyes found Dịch Phàm in the sea of people below, and in that moment, all words became redundant as tears rolled down the faces of all three people.

"It's really touching," Hắc Diễm said, his voice full of cold sarcasm, his hand placed on Liễu Thanh Hà's shoulder, a jet black blade pressed against her neck. "But I'm afraid this reunion will have to be postponed unless all of your coalition forces withdraw immediately."

The general commanding the White Wing Alliance clenched his fists, his eyes filled with anger but did not dare to be careless. "Black Flame, release them now! This is a cowardly act of someone who does not dare to confront them directly!"

"Mean?" Hắc Diễm laughed loudly, the laughter echoing throughout the valley filled with contempt. "I'm just using what I have at hand to secure my advantage. You call it cowardice, I call it strategy. If anyone in your coalition takes one step further, I will not hesitate to finish these two off right before your eyes."

The entire battlefield fell into a tense, suffocating silence. Thousands of White Wing Alliance soldiers stood motionless, no one dared to act for fear of endangering the lives of the two prisoners. This was exactly the situation that Black Flame had planned in advance — turning the rescue into a deadlocked confrontation, where all of the alliance's numerical advantages became useless.

"Why?" Dịch Phàm shouted, his voice shaking with anger. "Why are you doing this? My parents have never done anything wrong to you!"

"Wrong or right doesn't matter," Black Flame replied, her cold voice echoed throughout the valley. "I grew up in a mine belonging to a famous family that your parents swore loyally to protect. I saw my people die from exhaustion, from starvation, while people like your parents stood guard over a system that trampled on us. I don't need your sympathy, child. I just need enough strength so that no one can oppress the weak again."

"So you intend to use war and innocent blood to achieve that?" Dịch Phàm growled. "That's not justice, that's just blind revenge!"

"Justice is a luxury that only those at the top are qualified to mention." Hắc Diễm smirked, his eyes scanning the crowd of coalition forces below full of contempt. "But I don't have much time to debate philosophy with a child."

"So what do you want?" Dịch Phàm shouted and stepped forward, despite Tuyết Nhi's attempts to pull him back.

"It's simple." Black Flame looked down at him, her red eyes full of calculation. "You, Dịch Phàm, enter this tower alone. If you do, I promise not to cause further harm to your parents, at least not until we have a more private conversation. But if your coalition forces dare to attack, I will make sure these two die before anyone can reach the base of the tower."

"Don't listen to him!" Tần Hạo Nguyên shouted, even though his voice was weak from years of imprisonment. "Son, don't risk your life for your parents! Let the coalition handle him!"

"Silent," Hắc Diễm shouted, tightening the knife's grip on Thanh Hà's neck, causing a small trail of blood to leak out. Her suppressed scream made the entire battlefield suffocate.

Dịch Phàm clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, his mind reeling from a series of options, none of which was perfect. If he went in alone, he might have to face the Black Flame without any support. But if he refused, his parents' lives would be immediately threatened, and the entire coalition would be stuck in this stalemate indefinitely.

"Dịch Phàm," Tuyết Nhi whispered in his ear, her voice was soft but full of determination. "He's trying to separate you from us. Don't let him manipulate you the way he wants. We need another plan."

Vũ Khanh, standing nearby, leaned close to both of their ears, his voice whispering so quickly and softly that it was barely audible. "I have an idea. Black Flame is standing on the high balcony, thinking that distance is absolutely safe. But if you can create a large enough dispersion, combined with Tuyết Nhi's ability to approach quickly..."

Dịch Phàm listened to Vũ Khanh's hasty but bold plan, feeling a fragile ray of hope flashing through the seemingly hopeless situation. He raised his head to look up at the balcony, where Black Flame was still standing there with a smug smile, completely confident in his upper hand.

"Okay," Dịch Phàm shouted, loud enough for Hắc Diễm to hear. "I will enter the tower alone. But first, let me talk to my parents, even if just one sentence." Hắc Diễm frowned, considered for a moment, then nodded slightly, signaling permission. "Okay, but just one sentence. Don't try any stupid tricks, kid."

Dịch Phàm took a step forward, raised his head to look up at his parents, his voice rang out with emotion but also contained a secret signal that only people in the group could understand. "Father, mother, I have found the guiding light you left behind. Now, I will use it to bring us back together."

The phrase "guiding light" was the signal agreed upon with Tuyết Nhi and Vũ Khanh, signaling that the dispersal plan was about to be activated. This was a big gamble — if Hắc Diễm detects any unusual signs, the lives of both Dịch Phàm and his parents could immediately be in danger. But after months of training and trusting each other, the group had no better choice than to bet everything on this moment. Tần Hạo Nguyên, although he did not know the details of the plan, still recognized his son's unusually determined eyes, and nodded slightly, mentally preparing himself for whatever was about to happen.

Behind, Tuyết Nhi quietly concentrated her spiritual energy, preparing for a decisive blow that would completely change the outcome of this seemingly dead-end confrontation.

The general commanding the Bạch Dực Alliance signaled the entire army to stand still, his face full of tension as he watched Dịch Phàm step by step towards the tower gate. Thousands of coalition eyes turned to the lone teenager, some whispered prayers, some unconsciously grasped their weapons even though they knew they couldn't act.

Bạt Sơn and Nhược Đông, although still weak after the battle with Blood Prison Demon Dragon, still tried to stand in the position arranged by Vũ Khanh, ready for the signal to act. Tịch Dao stood next to them, the fire in her palm smoldering, waiting for the moment to flare up most fiercely.

"Everyone is in position," Vũ Khanh whispered through a small communication talisman hidden in his sleeve. "Just waiting for your signal, Tuyết Nhi."

Tuyết Nhi took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving Dịch Phàm's back as he walked towards the tower gate, where the fate of the entire continent was about to be decided.