The sun was dipping below the jagged horizon, its dying light casting long shadows across the land. Jin Mu-Won stood atop a rocky outcrop, his sharp eyes tracing the dark outline of the Black Jade Marsh in the distance. A vast expanse of corrupted land, the marsh was a festering wound on the world—a place where even the most skilled Murim warriors tread with hesitation.
Beside him, Yu Fei adjusted her cloak, her gaze fixed on the horizon. Lin Xue tightened the straps on her boots, a rare frown creasing her usually serene face. Bai Yiran cracked her knuckles, eager for the fight to come.
"Once we enter that place," Jin said, voice low but steady, "we won't be the same when we leave."
Yu Fei nodded. "The corruption there is unlike anything I've felt before. It seeps into your bones, twisting your Qi, corrupting your mind."
Lin Xue's eyes darted to the others. "We must be prepared for illusions, traps, and worse."
Jin's hands clenched around the hilt of his spear. "This isn't just a battlefield. It's a test of our souls."
The group set off, descending from the heights and heading into the valley that led to the marsh's edge. The air grew thick and heavy with humidity, the scent turning from pine and earth to rot and decay.
As they approached the marsh, the ground shifted from solid earth to squelching mud. Jin led carefully, stepping where the ground looked firmer. Around them, twisted trees groaned under the weight of tangled vines, their gnarled branches clawing at the sky like desperate hands.
"This place is alive," Bai Yiran muttered. "And it doesn't want us here."
Yu Fei closed her eyes, extending her spiritual senses. A flicker of crimson energy pulsed faintly beneath the surface. "The Red Moon Cult is performing their ritual somewhere deep inside. The energy is drawing us in... but it's also repelling weaker presences."
Jin's gaze hardened. "The ritual must be stopped before the third night—the night when the Red Moon Demon Queen's power will be fully awakened."
Lin Xue sighed softly, then said, "We don't have much time."
The party moved cautiously, every step slower and more deliberate than the last. Jin's memories from his past life flickered—visions of battles lost, comrades fallen, and the spreading darkness that had once swallowed an entire empire.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed from the dense thicket. The group froze as a hulking shadow emerged from the mist—a twisted creature, its eyes glowing with malice, its form shifting between man and beast.
Without hesitation, Bai Yiran lunged forward, twin daggers flashing in the dim light. Jin followed, spear poised. Yu Fei's Qi flared, slicing through the thick air with a razor wind.
The battle was fierce but brief; the creature fell, dissolving into the swamp's darkness.
As silence returned, Jin's mind raced. "There will be more. The marsh won't let us leave easily."
Night fell fully, and the marsh transformed. The mists thickened, and strange lights flickered between the trees. Whispers floated on the breeze, voices filled with sorrow and warning.
Jin looked at his companions. "Rest here. Tomorrow, we push forward."
They made camp in a small clearing, fires crackling against the night's chill. The girls sat close, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames.
Yu Fei broke the silence. "You've been quiet, Mu-Won. What's haunting you?"
Jin met her eyes. "This place... it reminds me of mistakes I made in my past life. Lives I couldn't save. Friends I lost."
Lin Xue placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You're here now. We'll face this darkness together."
Bai Yiran smiled, a fierce spark in her eyes. "No evil stands a chance against the Moonpiercer."
Jin allowed himself a small, grateful smile.
But deep within the marsh, unseen eyes watched them.
The Red Moon Demon Queen's ritual was nearing completion. And the shadows around them were stirring...