First, take down the Sword Demon, then save Runeterra.

Yun Ana took out a strangely shaped weapon from her own personal space.

It resembles a crescent-shaped blade, with a long handle and a blade that flows with an ominous golden-red luster, exuding a unique and sinister pressure, from which one can vaguely see a imprisoned soul.

“Aatrox!” he said, enunciating each word clearly. “I never imagined that the one providing support behind this Ionian was actually him!”

Ato examined the long sword. Besides Yun Ana, another Darkborn whose background he didn't know had also appeared.

Yun Ana gritted her teeth and threw the Darkin Blade. Just before the bone dragon's impact, the blade successfully pierced Zhao Xin's body, which was being scorched by flames.

"Please, save him!"

In that instant, a fierce wind arose, and the bone dragon seemed to have crashed into a towering mountain range, its forward momentum coming to an abrupt halt, before it fell to the ground with a mournful howl.

Zhao Xin pinched the bone dragon's head with one hand, the flames on his body dissipated, and two red lights suddenly appeared where his eyes were. With his other hand, he gripped the hilt of the knife that was stuck in his body and slowly pulled it out.

Flesh and blood began to reconstruct, and the charred body regained the color of skin, yet it was different from humans, revealing a pale blue undertone. Then facial features appeared, bearing a slight resemblance to Zhao Xin, with eyes full of pity.

Unlike other Darkin, he wore the robes typically worn by priests.

After a series of groans and creaking sounds, Zhao Xin, who was on the verge of death, disappeared, replaced by a Darkin with a rather imposing appearance.

He glanced at the bone dragon struggling violently but unable to move, then casually twisted its head 180 degrees.

The next moment, a golden-red blade of energy pierced through the hall.

There was no loud noise, only a crisp sound of glass shattering. The bone dragon's massive body paused for a moment, then countless dark red cracks spread all over its body before it shattered into countless scattered fragments.

In just five seconds, the enemy that had been giving Shyvana and Xin Zhao a headache was completely annihilated.

The Dark One sheathed his longsword, put his hands behind his back, and approached Yun Ana.

“You shouldn’t have woken me, old friend,” he said in a low voice.

“I know,” Yun Ana said sadly. “We made a promise before that no matter what happens, we can’t wake you up. But I really want to save him…”

Yaheng nodded slightly: "Although the time was short, we have already communicated in the spiritual space. He is a warrior with a firm will and a heart full of justice."

“Uncle?” Jarvan IV approached hesitantly, unsure if this was the same Zhao Xin he remembered.

“He is seriously injured and his consciousness is almost fading away. He won’t wake up anytime soon,” Yaheng said patiently. “Don’t worry, I will eventually return to the sealed state. There’s no point in completely devouring him, and besides, he is a respectable warrior. However, after that, he will no longer be a fully human being.”

Jiawen breathed a sigh of relief and slumped down weakly.

The events of the past few hours felt like a dream. I thought it would be another peaceful day, but the sudden appearance of tombstones, the army of hundreds of thousands of undead, and the bone dragons that attacked Dawnhold changed everything.

The only good news so far is that Zhao Xin still has a chance to be resurrected.

"Shyvana? Shyvana, how are you?" Jarvan saw the crimson dragon unconscious from the fire and immediately rushed forward to check on her.

Yaheng remained silent for a while, his brows furrowing slightly: "I sense a great deal of evil approaching. Now that I have obtained a body, I cannot let that excellent warrior's efforts go to waste. I will help the world eradicate all evil, and then return to the seal, otherwise I will not be able to suppress the destructive desires that come with my fall."

Yun Ana nodded in understanding. Although it wasn't Zhao Xin who returned, the current situation was already the best possible outcome. With this powerful ally, even without the support of the Soul of Ionia, Zhao Xin's wish to protect Demacia could still be fulfilled.

"Hey, Yaheng, long time no see."

Upon hearing this voice, Yaheng's expression changed drastically.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a magic mirror on a broken table not far away.

What was displayed there was the corrupt and decadent figure of the Shurima Grand General.

"The Protoss seal has failed?!" Yaheng rushed to the Magic Mirror, where the mirror was looking at him with a wicked grin. "Aatrox, when did you get out? I advise you to get back into the seal yourself, or I will chase you to the ends of the earth!"

"Hey, how dare you speak to the General like that?" Stellatu squeezed in. "You stinking priest, don't think I'll respect you just because you presided over my ascension ceremony! Show some respect to the General!"

Yaheng was completely baffled by this turn of events. Where did this general's secretary come from? And the other party's reaction was also different from what he had imagined.

"A priest? Presiding over the ascension ceremony?" Ato had already guessed the identity of the unknown Darkborn.

Aatrox laughed heartily: "Finally, it's your turn not to know, little thing. He was once the Empire's Chief Sun Priest, leading countless people on the path to ascension. His status was extraordinary, a being who could stand shoulder to shoulder with a Grand Scholar."

"You should understand how important it is for a person to achieve ascension, and the sun priest who presides over the ceremony, especially the high priest, must be pure of heart, able to resist all temptations, and act fairly. Ultimately, the outcome of the ascension depends entirely on each person's ability."

"But he rarely appeared after the Queen's death. Since then, the position of Sun Priest has become the embodiment of corruption, with too many people trying to bribe them for a chance to ascend. After the fall of the Empire, we went through countless battles, but we never saw him again. Was he sealing away his other brethren in Ionia? Ha, it seems he's kept his rationality intact."

Aatrox coldly replied, "Because I am not like you, who willingly degenerate. With Azir dead, you divided the Empire, enslaved humanity, wreaked havoc on the world, and abandoned all the glory of the Celestial Warriors! Aatrox, I will not let you do as you please anymore!"

“Alright, alright, I’m perfectly sober now.” Aatrox’s smile faded. “The fact that I can talk to you calmly is proof of that.”

"Don't try to fool me." Yaheng naturally wouldn't believe any words. "Don't forget what you've done, how many lives you've slaughtered! Your sins are enough to..."

“I know everything!” Aatrox raised his voice several octaves. “So when it’s all over, I will walk towards ‘true death’ myself. Death, you understand? Only a coward would want to be sealed back! Don’t you understand? A thousand years ago, you and I wouldn’t need to say anything more. We would have drawn our swords and fought, and it would have been a matter of life and death!”

"Die..." Yaheng swallowed back all his words, a hint of hesitation creeping into his mind.

One thing greatly influenced his judgment: the Aatrox of a thousand years ago was indeed irrational, a mad beast who would never sit down and talk to anyone properly.