The night trembled with the weight of battle.
Su Vaen stood amidst the wreckage of the secret lab, his sword slick with fresh blood.
The soft glow of torches flickered against the broken cages, casting twisted shadows around the room.
Before him, his father Su Ren and grandfather Su Wei, two Foundation Establishment cultivators—looked him down, their faces impassive.
But he could feel it.
Their silent anger radiating from them.
"You dare murder your own flesh and blood?" Su Wei's voice sliced in, contemptuous.
Su Vaen snorted, wiping the blood off his sword with his sleeve. "I only eliminated those who deserved to die."
Su Ren exhaled, his eyes dull with emotion.
"Vaen. it's not too late to stop this. You're my son. No matter what you've seen, you don't know the weight of the decisions made for the clan's survival."
"Surrival?" Su Vaen scorned, his hand tightening on his sword.
"Is that what you call this? Sacrificing innocents, twisting life into what it was not meant to be? Tell me, Father—"
His voice dripped with venom—"did Mother die for this?"
There was a sudden silence.
Su Ren's jaw tightened. His hand trembled on his sword for an instant before stabilizing. He would not argue. He had made his choice.
So had Su Vaen.
"Enough."
Su Wei's aura blazed, bathing the room in waves of pressure. Origin Qi erupted around him, writhing like serpents of light.
"If you would turn against your own flesh, then you will be brought down by your own flesh."
Su Vaen sighed. "Then come."
And with that, the battle commenced.
A Father's Regret, A Grandfather's Fury.
Su Wei made the first move. His arm flashed outward, and a burst of golden energy flew at Su Vaen. The attack dug a trench in the ground, obliterating all it came into contact with.
Su Vaen was somewhere else already.
Shadow Veilwas activated in an instant, and he was a dark streak, weaving between their blows like a ghost.
He solidified behind Su Ren, his sword infused with Tenebris Energy, arcing toward his father's exposed back.
CLANG!
Su Ren had barely enough time to defend, but the force of the blow caused him to stumble forward.
He coughed as dark energy entered his body, disrupting his Qi flow. Su Vaen was stronger than he had thought.
Su Wei moved second, his hands gleaming with ancient technique. He struck out, his Heaven's Palm Strike aimed at Su Vaen's chest.
But Su Vaen stooped low, rolling to the side before slashing
Slash of Nightfall: First Slash
The shadow crescent blade cut through the air, causing the two men to recoil.
"Tch." Su Wei brushed blood from a fresh gash on his arm.
Su Ren's breath grew heavier. The battle had barely begun, and Su Vaen had already injured them both.
"His speed. it's monstrous," Su Ren muttered.
"It's not just speed," Su Wei gritted his teeth. "His Qi is disrupting our Qi flow. He's using it to immobilize our techniques."
They had to end this as soon as possible.
Su Xian charged forward with a cry, his sword aflame with golden fire. He swung down with every ounce of power—
Su Vaen caught the blade in mid-air in his bare hand, however.
"Impossible—" Su Xian's eyes widened.
Tenebris Energy flailed chaotically around Su Vaen's fingers, nullifying the golden flames. And in one motion—
CRACK.
Su Vaen shattered his father's sword into pieces.
Su Xian staggered backward, blood dripping from his lips. His arm trembled—he had never felt such absolute suppression before.
Su Vaen tilted his head, his tone devoid of emotion. "You're not even a challenge."
Su Wei's expression darkened. He knew—they were going to lose.
"Enough!" The old man roared, concentrating all his remaining Qi into a final technique.
His body blazed with brilliant light, preparing to make a suicidal charge. "If I must give my life to stop you, so be it!"
But before he could strike—
A new figure dropped down onto the battlefield.
And the air itself trembled.
The Arrival of a True Monster.
Su Vaen's instincts screamed.
He had less than a heartbeat to respond before an unstoppable force crashed into him, and he was sent crashing through a stone wall.
His ribs cracked upon impact, his body grinding against the shattered floor.
He coughed up blood.
"That. wasn't them."
He looked up with bleary eyes—
And saw him.
A man clad in flowing silver robes, his hair unkempt and wild, but his eyes burned with terrifying Golden Core-level power.
"A half-step Golden Core master!?" Su Vaen gritted his teeth.
The newcomer sighed, tugging at his sleeves. "You young people always fight so intensely."
Su Wei and Su Ren bowed simultaneously.
"Senior Fan!" Su Wei cried out. "Please, kill this traitor!"
Senior Fan faced Su Vaen, his expression unreadable.
"Kill? Hmm. I believe that would be the easiest solution."
With a flick of his wrist, a whip of Qi lashed out at Su Vaen, sinking deep into his shoulder before could dodge.
Su Vaen stumbled back, stunned. He had pushed his father and grandfather to their limits, but to handle a half-step Golden Core cultivator, this was a whole different level of power.
And the worst part?
Elder Fan hadn't even begun to try.
A slow smile spread across Su Vaen's face.
"This just got interesting."
His grip on his sword tightened. He had no choice—he had to go all out. Even if the price will be higher for him to pay.
The real battle had just begun.