I was killed by my relatives, and I am reborn to be ruthless.

Ying Qi's voice was choked with sobs. He stretched out his hands and tried to touch Si Yao's cheek to give him a little comfort and strength.

But his fingers passed through Si Yao's body unhindered as if passing through the air, leaving behind only endless emptiness and helplessness.

This scene made Ying Qi feel heartbroken.

The corners of Si Yao's bloodstained mouth outlined an unyielding arc, and every scar was like a silent accusation, deeply hurting Ying Qi's heart.

Ying Qi's heart felt like it was being crushed by a heavy object. It hurt so much that he could hardly breathe. His eyes were red and tears were welling up in them, but he forced himself not to let them fall.

"Si Yao...you...you must hold on, I will never let anything happen to you. I will go find my senior brother right away, he will definitely find a way to save you..."

Ying Qi's voice was choked, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his throat with difficulty, filled with endless pleading and determination.

He stretched out his hand to touch Si Yao, but he knew it was a futile effort and could only hang helplessly in the air.

And even though Si Yao was soaked, his clothes were torn, and his face was covered in mud and blood, his eyes still sparkled with an unyielding light.

He barely raised his head, and squeezed out the cold and resolute words from between his teeth with all his strength: "Get lost!"

This word, like a sharp blade in the cold wind, directly pierced the guard's arrogance.

The guard seemed to be shocked by the sudden momentum, but soon returned to his sneer, as if he didn't care about Si Yao's anger and contempt at all.

"Haha, Si Yao, ah Si Yao, do you think you are still the powerful spiritual master who can call the wind and rain? Look at you now, you are just a lamb to be slaughtered! Don't even tell me to get out, even if the king of heaven comes, he can't save you!" His words were full of pride and cruelty.

As he spoke, the guard strode towards the stove beside him, where a red-hot iron was inserted, emitting suffocating heat and a pungent burnt smell.

He picked up the branding iron without hesitation and spit on it rudely. In an instant, a hissing sound was heard, accompanied by a wisp of green smoke and flying ashes, and a disgusting burnt smell filled the air.

With a twisted smile on his face, he approached Si Yao step by step. The branding iron was like the scythe of the god of death, flashing a chilling red light in the dim light.

"Today, I have received an order from above. In order to avoid exposing our Mingxiu Pavilion, I have no choice but to end your life with my own hands. I have guarded you for hundreds of years. These long years have been like a prison. Now, it is time for me to be freed and for you to end."

The guard's words were cold and resolute, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, with an unquestionable fierceness.

In his eyes, the bloodthirsty light flickered like a wild beast, as if at this moment, he was no longer a human guard, but a killing machine.

As the guard finished speaking, the entire space seemed to be frozen by an invisible force; even the air felt so heavy that it was suffocating.

The atmosphere of tension and despair intertwined together, like an airtight net, tightly wrapping this small space, leaving people nowhere to escape.

Seeing this, Ying Qi felt heartbroken. He rushed forward, stood in front of Si Yao with his arms outstretched, trying to use his own flesh and blood to prevent this tragedy from happening.

"No! You can't hurt him, stop!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice full of helplessness and despair.

However, his efforts were in vain. The guard seemed not to have noticed his existence at all. He passed straight through his body and continued to approach Si Yao.

At this moment, the branding iron in the guard's hand was like the scythe of the god of death, pressing mercilessly on Si Yao's chest.

At that moment, the air was instantly filled with a sickening smell of roasted flesh, which was the mournful cry of the fire of life being ruthlessly extinguished.

"Ah!" Si Yao let out a heart-wrenching scream. The painful sound penetrated everyone's eardrums and struck deep into their hearts.

His body was shaking violently, and the expression on his face was distorted to the extreme, showing the fear and unwillingness of the impending end of life.

However, even so, he still did not give up. There was still an unyielding light in his eyes, as if he was declaring war on fate and issuing a final roar to this cruel world.

"Si Yao——!" Ying Qi screamed suddenly and jumped up from the bed, his heart beating like a drum and his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat.

He breathed rapidly, his eyes searching around the dim room, as if trying to find the suffocating scene in his dream in reality.

However, everything around was so familiar and peaceful, no blood, no guards, and no Si Yao's painful figure.

This sudden action not only woke himself up, but also attracted the attention of his fellow disciples.

Zou Mubai, as the eldest senior brother, rushed to Ying Qi's bedside immediately, his face full of concern and confusion.

"Ying Qi, what's wrong with you? Did you have a nightmare? You're sweating all over." He said as he gently wiped the sweat from Ying Qi's forehead with his sleeve.

Ying Qi's eyes gradually focused. He looked around and confirmed that he was now in a familiar room, not the dream full of despair and blood.

But the anxiety and uneasiness did not dissipate, but became more intense.

"No, Big Brother, that was not a dream. I...I really felt Si Yao's danger. He is in danger right now. We must save him!"

Ying Qi held Zou Mubai's hand tightly, his tone filled with unquestionable firmness.

Zou Mubai frowned when he heard this. He knew Ying Qi's character very well. If this was not true, he would never lose his composure like this.

"Si Yao? Where is he now? Why is he in danger?" he asked hurriedly.

At this time, Xu Chong was also attracted by Ying Qi's exclamation, and hurried over, standing aside with a concerned look on his face.

He Ronger, who had just stepped into the door, was confused by this sudden change, but she quickly adjusted her mood and asked softly: "Brother Ying Qi, what happened? Do you need our help?"

Ying Qi took a deep breath, tried to calm himself, and told everyone everything about his dream and his concerns about Si Yao.

Although he knew that this might sound ridiculous, his intuition told him that it was all true and Si Yao really needed their help.

"Big Brother, we must act as soon as possible, otherwise it will be too late!" Ying Qi emphasized again, with unquestionable determination flashing in his eyes.

Seeing this, Zou Mubai frowned and said, "But where can we find Si Yao?"

"I know where he is. Come with me!" Ying Qi got off the bed and ran out without even bothering to put on his shoes.