The village breathed again, but its pulse was labored. Under Li Tian's command, the survivors worked through the night, hauling blackstone salvaged from the Deadbone Wastes to rebuild shattered walls. The air thrummed with tension, every hammer strike and whispered conversation laced with the unspoken truth: the Flame Emperor's retreat was a respite, not a reprieve.
Li Tian stood atop the skeletal frame of the new watchtower, the Primal Core's light bleeding through his tunic like a wound. Below, villagers cast uneasy glances upward, their awe of his power tempered by fear. *Fear of him*, he knew. The corruption had spread past his collarbones now, black veins clawing toward his jawline, his left eye a void that swallowed the dawn light.
"It's time," Old Guo called from the base of the tower, his milky eyes reflecting the Core's glow. "The ley lines are aligned."
Li Tian descended, his movements stiff. The relic chamber beneath the village hummed with renewed purpose, its ancient glyphs reactivated by the Primal Core's energy. Xia and Mei Ling waited at the chamber's heart, where the original Spirit Gathering Array lay in ruins.
"This is reckless," Xia said, her healer's gaze dissecting his trembling hands. "Channeling the Core into the village's bones could kill you."
Mei Ling adjusted the control stone fragments. "Or it could save us all."
Li Tian pressed his palm to the Array's central node. "No more debates."
---
**The Veil's Birth**
The Primal Core ignited. Energy surged through Li Tian's meridians, a scalding river of gold and obsidian. The chamber trembled as tendrils of light spiraled outward, searing glyphs into the walls. Outside, villagers cried out as the ground split, obsidian spires erupting along the perimeter. They curved inward, fusing into a lattice that shimmered like oil on water—the Primal Veil.
A militia recruit touched the barrier and yelped as it repelled his hand with a crackle. "It's alive," he whispered.
Li Tian staggered back from the Array, blood dripping from his nose. The corruption had reached his throat.
"It's done," he rasped.
---
**The First Test**
The Flame Emperor's retaliation came at dusk—a single siege construct, its molten core hurling fireballs at the Veil. The militia tensed, but the barrier absorbed each strike, its lattice glowing brighter with every impact.
"It's feeding on their attacks," Yan Mei realized, her dagger hand twitching.
Li Tian watched from the walls, his vision blurring. "For now."
As the construct retreated, the Veil pulsed, its energy lashing out in a whip-like strike. The machine exploded, showering the wastes with shrapnel. Villagers cheered, but their triumph died as Li Tian collapsed.
---
**The Hollow Star's Gambit**
That night, the Veil's shadow stretched farther than it should. In the Deadbone Wastes, scavengers reported movement—figures cloaked in starlight, drawn to the barrier's resonance.
"They're not Flame Emperor," Bo murmured, his qi-sight tracking the strangers. "Their energy is… older."
Old Guo's staff trembled. "The Primal Core's call reaches beyond mortal sects. The Hollow Star's kin stir."
---
**The Council's Divide**
"Dismantle the Veil!" Elder Wen demanded, his voice echoing through the rebuilt hall. "You've made us a beacon for worse than the Flame Emperor!"
Renshu slammed his hammer onto the table. "Without the Veil, we're sitting ducks!"
Li Tian silenced them with a raised hand. "The Veil stays." His voice echoed unnaturally, the Core's power threading his words. "Prepare for war. The Flame Emperor won't come alone next time."
As the council dispersed, Xia cornered him. "You're losing yourself to that thing."
He flexed his blackened fingers. "I lost myself the moment I touched the Core."
---
**The Gathering Storm**
Far to the east, the Flame Emperor's envoys knelt before the Stormpeak Sect's lightning-wreathed gates.
"Join us," General Krell urged, his scarred face twisted into a semblance of deference. "Crush the upstart, and the Deadbone Wastes are yours."
Above, thunder cracked in agreement.
---