Yu Zhong hovered above, eyes sharp with disbelief.
"Are you telling me… this was all to live, huh?"
His words were jagged, laced with something deeper than anger—disappointment.
Below, Ace stood motionless.
He hadn't known.
He truly hadn't known that if a soul bond died, so too would its master, once they shared thoughts.
Once they understood each other.
Had he known, he would never have bound himself to Qiong Qi. No matter how divine.
No matter how powerful.
The beast had never once acted like a proper partner. Even in battle, it had attacked him before anyone else.
It spoke of devouring him with every summoning. It didn't even pretend to be loyal.
Ace said nothing.
Not a word.
And that silence infuriated Yu Zhong.
"I'm not a foe of yours, Xiao Zhi!" he shouted, fists clenched at his sides, soul force flashing for a split second like a burst of thunderclouds. "I came this time not to kill you, but to warn you of your mistake!"
