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And if Catherine still had a slim chance of survival at this moment, it was solely due to the nearly limitless infusion of Nine Yin True Energy from Chen Xuanfeng.

The Nine Yin Manual, truly worthy of being the ultimate Taoist text pursued by countless individuals in Chen Xuanfeng's past life, though inferior in sheer destructive power compared to the magic and combat energy of this energy-rich world, outshone all combat energy techniques in refinement. While the Sword Saint's body rejected all healing magic and divine spells, Nine Yin True Energy could effortlessly traverse meridians and blood vessels, achieving the miraculous effect of rewriting destiny.

Chen Xuanfeng's internal and external circulation of true energy, more adaptable than orthodox internal energy alone, now poured out with every ounce of his strength. The energy transformed into countless fine threads, weaving through Catherine's shattered meridians and integrating into her body. It forcibly connected broken organs, nerves, and bones—stimulating blood circulation when her heart ceased beating, driving metabolism when her breath failed. In no time, Chen Xuanfeng had replaced over sixty percent of Catherine's physiological functions with his own true energy, restoring the faintest warmth to his wife's body.

Meanwhile, the "Emperor Martial Overlord Art" combat energy within Catherine's body, revered as the world's foremost combat technique, still managed to circulate and gather on its own, preserving her flesh. Particularly, the forty percent of combat energy Catherine had originally concentrated around her abdomen to protect the fetus now dispersed, surging throughout her body to stabilize her injuries and prevent further deterioration.

Yet Chen Xuanfeng knew all too well that this fragile equilibrium relied entirely on his true energy. It barely prevented further decline but allowed no spontaneous healing. The moment his energy ceased, Catherine's body would collapse instantly, beyond saving by any martial means. Though his internal energy had evolved through multiple transformations, growing astonishingly profound—perhaps even surpassing his past master Huang Yaoshi's by tenfold—and was self-perpetuating, even if he could sustain it for days or months, it was impossible to continue indefinitely. In the end, what could be done?

Below the city walls, the human Dragon Knights and Saint Masters, seeing Chen Xuanfeng's return and the White Dragon transforming into the form of the Demon Dragon King, knew further action was futile and withdrew one after another.

Yet atop the walls, Chen Xuanfeng's heart was consumed by utter desolation.

Heroic Werewolf Scroll, Chapter 90: Beauty to Bones: Heartless Fate?

In the southwest corner of Fontainebleau City, the towering Saint Spirit Mountain Fortress had remained brightly lit for days, its gates heavily guarded by countless beastmen. The city's inhabitants could only watch the massive azure stronghold from afar with anxious eyes, knowing that since the great battle seven days prior, their Snow Wolf Lord had yet to emerge—and had refused all visits from beastman envoys and nobles.

Everything was for the sake of the Lady of the Fortress, Catherine, the world's strongest female Sword Saint, whose fate remained uncertain.

It was said that the Lord had gathered all his archmages, devoting every effort to finding a way to save his wife. Until results emerged, no other actions would be taken.

"O Mighty God of War, please grant Lady Catherine's recovery!" Such prayers rose ceaselessly among the people.

The events of seven days ago and their cascading repercussions had grown so complex as to be overwhelming, their impact on the continent's future destined to become a landmark moment in history.

The assassination of the Beastman King during his coronation as emperor was a devastating blow to the beastmen, not only for the loss of an unparalleled Emperor Martial Sword Saint but also for its ill-timed occurrence. Had it happened earlier, the Beastman King would have remained just that—a king whose death would prompt a new election. Had it happened later, Samantha, having solidified his imperial authority, would have restructured the Beastman Alliance into an empire, with the Riftfang Clan becoming the War God-endorsed royal lineage, and his son inheriting the throne.

Instead, the assassination struck precisely when Samantha had gained the War God's recognition but had yet to declare the empire's formation. The Riftfang Clan insisted they were already royalty, while other major beastman clans acknowledged only Samantha's imperial title, refusing to accept the Beastman Alliance's transformation into an empire. With the War God Temple remaining silent, tensions escalated, pushing the beastman factions to the brink of schism.

In terms of strength, though Samantha had fully controlled the Lion Clan and allied with mid-sized races like tigers, leopards, and cats, the four great clans—Wolf, Ox, Eagle, and Bear—along with their vassal races, had only been suppressed by his might, far from being infiltrated or swayed. Now in opposition, these four clans, equal in prestige to the Lions, collectively boasted military, financial, and influential power nearly triple that of Samantha's faction. Their only hesitation lay in Samantha's lingering prestige and the terrifying beastman-elf chimera forces he had left behind.

Even the mighty War God Temple dared not intervene lightly, fearing it might trigger a full racial split. Meanwhile, the Fontainebleau faction, which the High Priest had hoped would join forces to stabilize the situation, suffered a devastating blow hours after Samantha's death: news arrived of a human assault by multiple Saint Masters, leaving their strongest, Catherine, critically wounded. Soon after, the Snow Wolf Lord, Xuanfeng Blizzard Wolfe, severed all communication, barring both beastman nobles and War God Temple envoys. Had it been otherwise, Fontainebleau and the War God Temple together could have suppressed either side of the conflict. Now, they could only stand aside and await developments.

Meanwhile, the human world was no less tumultuous.

Though the successful assassinations of two beastman Saint Martial Emperors marked an unprecedented victory in human-beastman history, the cost was equally staggering. The death of the "Death Knight" Hades, though anticipated, still left humanity short of a Saint-tier combatant for years to come, despite the recovery of the sacred weapon "Frostmourne," which bore the Saint's sigil. The fall of the "Dragon Saint" was an unforeseen variable. While Catherine and the Dragon Saint leaving both mortally wounded had been expected, the loss of the "Dragon Slayer Sword" in battle dealt humanity a blow as severe as the earlier loss of "Saint Spirit Mountain." Against the beastmen's war Beamon, the elves' phoenixes, and the sea tribes' hydras, humanity had long relied on the Dragon Knights' power. Now, without the "Dragon Slayer Sword," no new Dragon Knight contracts could be forged. Though humanity still retained over a dozen Dragon Knights, including the five Dragon Emperor Knights, once this generation aged or fell in battle, humanity would bid farewell to the dragons forever.