In Jusenkai, the emperor has pushed himself to exhaustion to prevent the majority of the rebels from getting through to the villagers. Finally Long escorts him to the infirmary. The doctor says Fengyu's condition is uncertain, but if he manages to regain consciousness he ought to recover. The emperor is relieved, knowing that Fengyu would never leave him. Long orders the emperor to rest while he takes care of any problems remaining. With Huzhi in charge of the palace troops, he takes Jing and heads for Chijoukai for the final confrontation.

Shenwu sees that Nasha has a great deal more power than before, and he wonders if it's from Lifang's effects or her own growth. He can also tell she's not using her full strength against him. She explains that, unlike the rebels, she doesn't intend to use her abilities to kill. Tuoren finds Lifang, but the brainwashing has made him believe he's always been one of the rebels. He runs back to Yanlang, happy to have performed his role as bait well.

Shenwu has been fighting to prevent Nasha from going on to be caught up in Yanlang's battle, but he can't bear to injure her himself. She interprets his actions as trying to protect Yanlang from her, yet holding back out of guilt from having killed her mate. Furious, she's about to incapacitate him when Lyui shields him as the person who had been nice in setting him free.

Tuoren is amazed by the power of his father's attack, marveling that it was Lifang who enabled him to recover. He uses Lifang's bou as a lure to pull him close and ask him to go back to being his true self. Lifang resists, yet he can't understand why an enemy would gaze at him with such sadness, nor why he feels such pain in his chest to see someone he's only just met.

Hulei does all he can to stop his partner's bleeding. He silently begs Xionglin to return to him. Nasha can't bring herself to hurt someone Lyui is protecting. She demands to know why someone as gentle as he used to be would join the rebel side, knowing that he can't possibly have changed his nature or the panda wouldn't react that way to him. He explains there's a demon in everyone's heart, and he succumbed to his. He reveals that he hated Lujing because of his love for Nasha.

Disappointed at Tuoren's inability to center his emotions and throw his full effort into the battle, Yanlang promises that after Jusenkai is his, he'll kill Lifang. That enrages Tuoren. Lifang is confused by his conflicting feelings of wanting Yanlang to win and suffering whenever Tuoren is hurt. He wishes fervently for Tuoren to surrender before he's killed, wondering what could be worth fighting for so desperately. Suddenly he can hear the voice of Tuoren's heart swearing to rescue him.

As Wang rejoices at seeing the true power of the Jinjuu reborn, Lifang pushes him away and goes running to help Tuoren. He pulls Tuoren out of the water where he had fallen and heals his wounds, surprised at himself for doing so. Nasha feels the power of the battle and is about to go aid Tuoren, but Hong stops her and shields her from Wang's blast. Wang boasts that he, not Shenwu, was the one who really killed Nasha's mate. Shenwu insists that his hands truly are stained with blood and urges Nasha to fight him seriously. She agrees, understanding that he intends for her to win, at last accepting why he's done so much to help her. However, at the instant of her attack she turns and aims for Wang.

Shenwu runs interference for her, knowing she's no match for Wang, until Jing and Long arrive. Long challenges Wang to single combat. Seeing the way Jing cradles Nasha to heal her wound, Shenwu knows he's carried out his duty and there's nothing left for him.

Yanlang wonders when Tuoren gained the ability to allow others into his heart, something he himself could never do. His mother, the emperor's wife, had been afraid of him even before he was born, collapsing at the very thought of the catastrophe she sensed he would bring. For the sake of her recovery, he had been banished from the emperor's presence, until she forgets about him completely. It galls him that a commoner is chosen as the next emperor while no one at the palace even recognizes him. That was when he decided to conquer his father's empire and crush it.

Tuoren awakens and tries to convince Lifang of the truth. Lifang is tormented by the voice inside him ordering him to hate all the emperor's warriors. When Tuoren realizes what he's going through, he apologizes for bringing him nothing but pain. Lifang notices the tears and feels the mist in his head starting to clear. Unfortunately, Yanlang chooses that moment to attack.

End Volume 11