### Chapter 80: Call Me Ziyan
The Mengxuan demon, Zhan, shriveled into a mummy, mirroring Huo Bin.
Zhang Ziyan and Yan Shizong's artifacts hurtled toward him, seconds from detonation. Zhan slashed the dagger wildly, its power colliding with the blasts. *Boom!*
The explosion jolted the cavern. Lin Yi's *Purple Demon Gourd* wobbled, its mist momentarily scattered.
"Fall back to the cave!" Lin Yi shouted. He'd noticed Huo Bin's wariness of the dark pit—*their only chance*.
The others fought while inching toward it. Huo Bin screamed, "Stop them!" but the gourd's mist corroded their defenses. Chu and Wei struggled to shield Huo Bin and Zhan, while fending off Xiao Liang, Peng, Zhang, and Yan.
The dagger was their last hope, but using it drained life force. Chu hesitated—lose another ally, and they'd be overwhelmed.
Yet the pit was forbidden by the Yin Demon Lord. Chu's resolve hardened. He channeled every drop of demonic energy into the dagger, his body shrinking into a husk.
"Jump!" Lin Yi roared, shoving Peng toward the pit.
"Be safe!" Peng yelled, leaping in.
Yan followed, sniffling. "Whether you're Xu Lin or Lin Yi—I'll burn incense for you!"
"Idiot! I'm not dying!" Lin Yi snapped, but relief flickered as Yan vanished.
Only Xiao Liang and Zhang Ziyan remained.
"Senior Brother Xiao—go!"
Xiao Liang's jaw tightened. "I owe you my life." He jumped, leaving Lin Yi and Zhang.
"Ziyan, hurry!" Lin Yi urged.
She stared at Chu, loathing burning in her eyes. "He's activating the dagger. You can't stop it. If I leave…"
"*Go!*" Lin Yi shouted. "I'll follow!"
"It's too late." She nodded at Chu, now a mummy, the dagger trembling with power.
"Then we fight together." Lin Yi sighed. "Be careful."
"Call me Ziyan." She spoke softly, not meeting his gaze, but a faint flush colored her cheeks.
Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat. *Ziyan*—intimate, a name for someone close.
The dagger shot toward them, a blur of darkness. Zhang Ziyan raised her sword, a top-grade artifact, and drove it into the ground. *"Detonate!"*
Lin Yi channeled the last of his strength into the gourd. Mist billowed, clashing with the dagger's aura.
*Crack!*
The sword exploded, slowing the dagger. The gourd's mist surged, buying a breath.
"Now!" Lin Yi grabbed Zhang's hand, diving into the pit.
Wind howled as they fell, the dagger's scream fading above. Lin Yi clung to her, whispering, "Hold on, Ziyan."
She buried her face in his chest, a smile touching her lips.
For a moment, fear vanished—only the sound of their hearts, beating as one.