The chamber plunged into total darkness.
Jiang Feng barely had time to react before an invisible force slammed into him, sending him crashing against the stone wall. The impact rattled his bones, but he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to his feet. His sword flashed out, its blade gleaming faintly in the suffocating shadows.
Li Xue stirred on the bed, still weakened. Her brows furrowed, sensing the disturbance.
The figure in black robes stepped forward, his presence sending a chill through the air.
"You should not have interfered," the stranger said, his voice eerily smooth, as if layered with multiple tones.
Jiang Feng wiped the blood from his lip. "And you should have left while you had the chance."
The figure chuckled, unfazed. "Bold words. But do you truly understand what you're up against?"
Jiang Feng didn't care. No one touched his wife.
With a burst of speed, he lunged forward, his sword slashing through the darkness. But—
The blade hit nothing.
The figure vanished, dissolving into shadows, reappearing behind him.
Jiang Feng barely twisted in time to block a clawed hand aimed at his throat. Sparks flew as steel met darkness, and a surge of black energy raced up Jiang Feng's arm, numbing his fingers.
Before he could counter, the figure whispered, "Enough."
And then—
The shadows exploded.
A black force surged outward, engulfing the room. Jiang Feng felt himself being dragged down, as if drowning in an abyss. The room around him distorted—no, it was being erased.
This wasn't just some assassin.
—
Li Xue sat up, her golden eyes glowing in the darkness.
Jiang Feng exhaled in relief.
But then he realized—this wasn't the same Li Xue as before.
A new presence radiated from her, divine and overwhelming.
Li Xue slowly stood, and as she did, the golden lotus mark on her forehead burned like a star. Her voice was calm, yet absolute.
"You should not be here."
The figure in black took a step back. His shadows trembled.
"So," he muttered. "You have already begun to awaken the forgotten will."
Jiang Feng tightened his grip on his sword. "What the hell is he talking about?"
Li Xue's golden gaze remained locked on the intruder. "He is not from this world."
Jiang Feng's stomach clenched.
He had fought powerful cultivators before. He had battled demons, rogue sects, even so-called immortals.
But this?
The figure in black sighed. "You have delayed the inevitable, Celestial Maiden. But we will meet again."
And then—
The shadows collapsed inward, and he vanished as if he had never been there.
The room fell into silence.
Jiang Feng kept his sword drawn, waiting, his heart still pounding.
But Li Xue slowly turned to him and collapsed into his arms.
—
"Li Xue!"
Jiang Feng caught her just in time, feeling how cold her body was. Her divine presence flickered, unstable. She clutched his robes, her breathing ragged.
"It's fine," she whispered, her voice weak. "I… just used too much power."
Jiang Feng scowled. "Like hell you did."
She smiled. "I'm still me."
But for the first time, Jiang Feng wasn't so sure.
—
As dawn broke over the temple, Jiang Feng found himself standing at the edge of the courtyard, deep in thought.
Something wasn't right.
That intruder—his power felt wrong, like something from outside the natural laws of the world.
And now this talk of Li Xue losing her humanity?
Jiang Feng exhaled sharply, gripping his sword.
He needed answers.
A voice spoke behind him. "You will not find peace this way, young warrior."
Jiang Feng turned to see the elder monk approaching, his robes fluttering slightly in the morning wind.
"You knew something like this would happen," Jiang Feng said bluntly.
The elder's expression was unreadable. "We knew the celestial maiden's path would be difficult. But even we did not expect such an encounter so soon."
Jiang Feng frowned. "That man—what was he?"
The elder sighed. "Not a man."
Jiang Feng's eyes narrowed.
The elder continued, his tone grim.
"There are forces that do not belong to this world. Forgotten entities that linger beyond the veil of reality, watching, waiting."
He turned to face Jiang Feng.
"They are the ones who seek to claim the celestial maiden as their own."
Jiang Feng's grip on his sword tightened.
"And you think I'll let that happen?"
The elder gave him a knowing look. "That depends, swordsman. How far are you willing to go?"
Jiang Feng met his gaze, his resolve unshakable.
"As far as it takes."
—