Jin Long's eyes fluttered open. The world around him was a void—a boundless abyss of swirling black mist. There was no ground beneath him, no sky above, only the oppressive darkness pressing against him like a suffocating shroud.
He tried to move but found his limbs heavy, as if weighed down by invisible chains. Panic surged through him. Where was Yue Lan?
"Yue Lan!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the void.
There was no response. Only silence.
A chilling laugh echoed around him, reverberating through the abyss. Jin Long's fists clenched as the laughter grew louder, surrounding him from every direction.
"Lost, are we?"
Zhan Wuhen's voice cut through the darkness, smooth and mocking. His figure emerged from the shadows, eyes glowing with crimson malice. He walked forward, each step rippling the void as if it were a liquid.
"Where is Yue Lan?" Jin Long demanded, forcing himself to stand despite the crushing pressure. "What did you do to her?"
Zhan Wuhen's smile widened. "Oh, she's right here."
He snapped his fingers, and the darkness parted like a curtain. Jin Long's heart stopped.
Yue Lan was suspended in the air, wrapped in dark tendrils of shadow that writhed and pulsed as if they were alive. Her eyes were closed, her face contorted in pain. The tendrils tightened, and a soft whimper escaped her lips.
"No!" Jin Long roared, lunging forward. But the abyss pushed back, forcing him to his knees. It was as if the darkness itself was a living entity, fighting to hold him in place.
"Pathetic," Zhan Wuhen sneered. "You wield the Genesis Core, yet you can't even protect the one you care about."
Jin Long gritted his teeth, the Core within him pulsing weakly. Its energy was still there, but it was distant, as if buried beneath layers of darkness.
"You want her?" Zhan Wuhen taunted, reaching toward Yue Lan. He cupped her chin, lifting her face toward him. "You're too weak to save her. And soon, the Genesis Core will be mine."
Rage surged through Jin Long. The Core flared within him, sending a wave of light that pushed back the darkness. He forced himself to his feet, his eyes blazing.
"I won't let you take her," Jin Long snarled, his voice echoing with a power that resonated through the abyss.
Zhan Wuhen's smile faltered. "Oh? Are you finally going to fight back?"
Before Jin Long could respond, the shadows converged, forming monstrous figures—hulking beasts with eyes of burning embers and claws like black steel. They roared, their voices a deafening chorus of malice.
"Come, Jin Long," Zhan Wuhen said, stepping back into the shadows. "Show me the power of the Core… if you can."
The shadow beasts lunged forward, their claws slashing through the air. Jin Long dodged the first strike, rolling to the side as another beast swung at him. The darkness was oppressive, and the weight of the abyss dragged at his every move.
"Focus," Jin Long muttered, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, reaching inward to the Core.
The light of the Core flared within him, cutting through the darkness like a beacon. The shadow beasts recoiled, hissing as the light seared their forms.
Jin Long opened his eyes, his blade gleaming with the Core's radiant power. He lunged forward, striking the first beast with a decisive slash. The light cleaved through the darkness, and the beast dissolved into mist with a wailing screech.
More beasts surged forward, their eyes filled with unrelenting fury. Jin Long moved like a tempest, his blade dancing through the air as he cut them down one by one. Each strike released a burst of light, illuminating the abyss and pushing back the shadows.
But the beasts kept coming. For every one he destroyed, two more rose from the darkness, their forms even more twisted and monstrous. Jin Long's breaths came in ragged gasps, the Core's power waning as exhaustion set in.
Zhan Wuhen's laughter echoed around him, a sinister, mocking sound. "Is that all, Jin Long? Is this the extent of your power?"
Jin Long gritted his teeth, his legs trembling. His arms felt like lead, his vision blurring. The Core pulsed weakly, its light flickering like a dying flame.
"Yue Lan…" he gasped, turning toward her. The tendrils around her had tightened, and her face was twisted in agony.
"Jin Long…" Yue Lan's voice was weak, but it reached him, cutting through the abyss. "Don't… give up…"
Something snapped within Jin Long. A surge of energy flared through his veins, and the Core roared to life, its light blinding and fierce.
"Zhan Wuhen!" Jin Long bellowed, the Core's power surging through him like a tidal wave. "You will not take her from me!"
The abyss trembled, the darkness recoiling as the light of the Core expanded, enveloping Jin Long in a brilliant, radiant aura. The shadow beasts screamed as the light seared through them, burning them to ash.
Zhan Wuhen's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening. "So, you're finally awakening the true power of the Core…"
Jin Long's aura flared brighter, his eyes blazing with resolve. "This ends now!"
With a single, powerful leap, Jin Long shot toward Zhan Wuhen, his sword raised high. The abyss shook violently, the darkness fracturing as the two forces collided—light and shadow clashing in a battle that echoed through the void.