Legend of the Divine Archer

She turned to Yan Li, her voice trembling with a sickening blend of hatred and sorrow. "I am conscious of my evil," she said, her tone calm but filled with deadly resolve. "But I will drag you to hell with me, Yan Li. I will make you apologize to our son for what you've done."

The air around her began to shift, becoming heavy with a malevolent force. From behind her, a dark shadow formed, rising like a specter from the depths of her soul. It took shape—an enormous poison viper, its body writhing with unnatural fluidity. The serpent's eyes glowed a sickly green, its forked tongue flickering in and out as it tasted the fear in the room.

The third consort's aura grew oppressive, reeking of death and decay as if the very essence of life was being drained from the air around her.

The blood that dripped from her self-inflicted wounds began to move unnaturally, pooling at her feet before slowly crawling up her body. It gathered in a single point at her chest, coalescing into a dark, pulsating orb of blood that throbbed with power.

Her aura intensified, the scent of death thickening in the air as the blood orb hovered above her chest, growing in size and radiating a sinister energy.

"Blood sacrifice!" someone cried from the crowd, their voice laced with terror. Panic swept through the hall like wildfire. Nobles and citizens alike scrambled to escape, their once solemn and respectful presence shattered by the horrifying display before them. People shoved and trampled each other in their desperate attempt to flee the impending disaster.

The third consort's eyes never left Yan Li, and with a final, guttural cry, she launched her attack. The blood orb shot forward, guided by the viper's shadow. The atmosphere crackled with malevolent energy as the deadly attack barreled toward Yan Li, a force of death and vengeance that he could not stop.

Yan Li's face twisted in horror. For all his power and influence, he was paralyzed in the face of this dreadful assault. His body felt heavy, drained by the overwhelming pressure of the blood sacrifice. He raised his arms, attempting to block the attack, but it was futile. The viper's shadow wrapped around him like a vice, constricting him and drawing the life from his very core.

As the orb of blood was about to make contact with Yan Li, it exploded into a crimson mist, enveloping him completely. His screams echoed through the hall as the mist seeped into his skin, tearing through him from the inside. His body convulsed, wracked with unimaginable pain as the blood magic took its toll, and his strength drained away like water from a broken vessel.

As the deadly blood orb surged toward Yan Li, he let out a feral roar, tapping into the deepest reserves of his bloodline. His veins pulsed with a fierce red glow as his body surged with power. The energy of his bloodline, ancient and potent, manifested in the form of crimson scales that began to spread across his skin, crackling with raw force.

His eyes burned with the intensity of a thousand suns, his hands raised in an attempt to shield himself from the attack.

With a great effort, Yan Li unleashed his bloodline power. A protective barrier of blood energy formed around him, shimmering and pulsating with every heartbeat. The dark mist of the blood sacrifice slammed into the shield, and for a brief moment, it seemed as though Yan Li had successfully resisted.

His muscles strained as he held the barrier, teeth gritted, fighting with everything he had to keep the dark magic at bay. The air was filled with the sound of his agonized grunts as the pressure mounted.

But the third consort, Fu Xi, was not finished. Her madness drove her to push forward, channeling even more of her life force into a second, even deadlier attack. The blood orb reformed in her hands, now larger and darker, vibrating with lethal intent. Her voice, filled with both sorrow and malice, echoed through the hall. "You will not escape, Yan Li! You will feel the pain you've caused!"

As she prepared to launch her final strike, a blur of movement cut through the chaos. Fu Miao, Fu Xi's younger sister, rushed forward, throwing herself between her sister and Yan Li. "Sister, no!" she cried out, her voice cracking with desperation. In a moment of sheer tragedy, Fu Miao's body absorbed the brunt of the attack, the blood orb shattering against her frail form.

Fu Xi's face twisted in utter disbelief as she saw her sister collapse to the floor, blood pouring from her wounds. "Why, Miao?" she sobbed, her hands trembling. "Why would you betray me for him? For *him*, of all people?"

Fu Miao's lips quivered as she coughed up blood, her once delicate form now ravaged by her sister's assault. Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at Fu Xi, her eyes filled with both love and regret. "I had no choice, sister," she whispered, her voice weak and broken. "I... I loved him too."

The room fell silent. The weight of Fu Miao's confession hung heavy in the air, more suffocating than the scent of blood and death that filled the hall. Fu Xi's eyes widened in horror as the realization set in. "No..." she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "No... how could you?"

Fu Miao wept bitterly, her voice barely a whisper. "He... he promised me everything, sister. He promised me love, power... he even promised me a future. I didn't want to betray you, but I couldn't resist him.

And now..." She touched her swollen belly, stained with her own blood. "Now I carry his child."

Fu Xi's despair deepened as the reality of the situation settled in. The man she had loved, the man she had given everything to, had been playing them both. The tragic irony of the situation tore through her heart like a knife. "You were always the kind one," Fu Xi cried, collapsing to her knees beside her dying sister. "You were the innocent one, the pure one. And he...

he has destroyed us both."

Fu Miao smiled weakly, her breath shallow. "I didn't mean for this to happen, Xi. I just... I loved him too much." Her voice trailed off as her life began to slip away, her hand falling limply from her belly.

Fu Xi sobbed uncontrollably, cradling her sister's lifeless body in her arms. "I never wanted this, Miao. I never wanted to lose you." Her tears fell onto Fu Miao's bloodied skin, mixing with the blood that stained the floor. The sight was heartbreaking—a once-beautiful bond between sisters now torn apart by deceit, lust, and greed.

Yan Li, still standing, staggered forward, his face showing no remorse. The bloodline shield around him flickered and faded, but he remained unscathed. He glanced at the lifeless Fu Miao, then at the broken Fu Xi, with nothing but cold indifference in his eyes. "She made her choice," he muttered callously, as if the tragedy unfolding before him was of no consequence.

Fu Xi's despair turned to fury. "You monster!" she screamed, her voice hoarse with grief. "You've destroyed us! You've destroyed everything! I gave you my life, and you took everything from me! From *us*!"

Yan Li remained silent, his gaze unfazed by her accusations. The damage had already been done, and in his twisted mind, there was no use in regret.

As Fu Xi wept over her sister's body, the hall slowly began to empty. Those who had not already fled now departed quietly, shaken by the tragic spectacle they had witnessed. The once-solemn funeral had become a horrific display of betrayal and death, leaving nothing but broken lives in its wake.

With that, the final threads of her life slipped away. The third consort's body crumpled to the floor, her sacrifice complete, but her final act had failed.