Chapter 42

The moment Xu Han and Kairo stepped further into the depths of the Shattered Veil, the world around them became more chaotic. The ground shifted beneath their feet, at times cracking open to reveal swirling vortices of dark energy. The sky above constantly shifted between day and night, with stars and suns flickering in and out of existence. Time felt distorted, the air thick with instability.

Xu Han could feel the fragment of the Nexus Key resonating nearby, but the cult's presence was growing stronger. They were close—too close.

"We must move carefully," Kairo warned, his eyes scanning the constantly shifting landscape. "The deeper we go, the more unstable this realm becomes."

Xu Han nodded, his senses on high alert. He could feel the subtle pulse of the void's influence here, mingling with the realm's natural chaos. It made the Shattered Veil unpredictable, and that unpredictability was something even Xu Han couldn't entirely control.

But there was no time for hesitation. They pressed on, their path winding through a maze of distorted space and broken time. Xu Han led the way, his aura flaring as he stabilized the ground beneath them with the Dao of Spatial Harmony, preventing the land from collapsing under their feet.

The cultists had ventured into this realm with their dark magic, but Xu Han's power over the Great Daos gave him a deeper connection to the multiverse itself. It allowed him to bend the instability to his will, at least for now.

As they ventured deeper, the environment around them changed once more. The dark voids and shifting skies gave way to a massive chasm, where a bridge of floating stones stretched out into the horizon. The stones seemed to float on their own, constantly rearranging, never stable for more than a moment.

Xu Han paused, his gaze narrowing as he sensed something—or someone—waiting for them on the other side.

"We're being watched," Xu Han said, his voice calm but focused.

Kairo drew his blade, his stance ready for anything. "The cult?"

"Not quite," Xu Han replied.

They continued across the unstable bridge, Xu Han manipulating the space around them to keep the stones from collapsing underfoot. As they neared the center of the chasm, a figure emerged from the shadows on the far side—a figure cloaked in black, but different from the cultists they had faced before.

The figure's aura was dark but controlled, not chaotic like the others. This being was not from the Cult of the Void. Xu Han could feel that immediately. Yet, there was something familiar about the energy radiating from the figure—something dangerous.

"Xu Han," the figure spoke, its voice echoing across the chasm, "you've come far."

Xu Han stepped forward, his expression calm but unyielding. "Who are you?"

The figure pulled back its hood, revealing a pale face with glowing violet eyes. "I am Nihira, a servant of the Endless Void. I've been sent here to offer you a choice."

"A choice?" Xu Han's tone remained cold. "I'm not interested in games."

Nihira's lips curled into a faint smile. "This is no game. The Void Sovereign is rising, and the multiverse will fall. You can fight it, but you will fail. Or… you can join us. Embrace the void. With your power, Xu Han, you could rule the remnants of this broken multiverse."

Kairo tensed, his grip on his blade tightening. "You're wasting your breath. Xu Han would never align himself with the Void."

But Nihira's gaze remained locked on Xu Han, ignoring Kairo's words. "Consider it, Xu Han. You've fought so long, traveled through countless realms, but for what? Peace is fleeting. Balance is a myth. The Void is inevitable."

For a brief moment, there was silence. The chaos of the Shattered Veil seemed to still around them as Nihira's words hung in the air.

Xu Han's expression didn't change, his resolve unwavering. "I've heard enough."

In an instant, Xu Han raised his hand and unleashed the Dao of Eternal Light, sending a beam of radiant energy across the chasm. Nihira's smile faded as she moved with incredible speed, dodging the attack and vanishing into the shadows.

"This isn't over, Xu Han," Nihira's voice echoed from the darkness. "You can't stop the inevitable."

The shadows faded, and the path ahead was clear once more. But Xu Han knew that Nihira was not the last servant of the Void they would face.

Kairo sheathed his blade, his expression grim. "We'll see more of them, won't we?"

Xu Han nodded. "The Void Sovereign's influence is spreading. Nihira is just the beginning."

With Nihira gone, Xu Han and Kairo continued their journey across the chasm. The instability of the realm grew more intense with every step, but Xu Han's mastery over the Great Daos allowed them to navigate the chaos.

Finally, they reached the far side of the chasm, where the source of the fragment's energy pulsed with increasing intensity. A massive stone structure stood before them, half-submerged in the swirling void, its ancient walls covered in strange runes that glowed faintly in the dark.

"This is it," Kairo said, stepping forward cautiously. "The fragment is here."

As they approached the entrance of the structure, Xu Han could feel the fragment's energy resonating within him, connecting to the pieces they had already gathered. But there was something else—a presence guarding the fragment, one that was unlike anything they had encountered before.

The structure's door slowly opened, revealing a massive chamber within. At the center of the chamber floated the third fragment of the Nexus Key, glowing with a soft, golden light. But surrounding the fragment was a barrier of swirling energy—an energy that bent time and space, making it impossible to approach.

Kairo frowned. "A temporal barrier… This will be difficult."

Xu Han stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the barrier. The energy was ancient, but familiar. The cult had not placed it here—this was a natural defense, something created long ago to protect the fragment from any who sought it.

"I'll handle the barrier," Xu Han said calmly, raising his hand.

He summoned the Dao of Temporal Severance, a technique that allowed him to manipulate the flow of time. The air around him shimmered as he carefully unraveled the threads of the barrier, bypassing the distortion and slowing the chaotic energy. The chamber grew still as the barrier weakened, and after a moment, it collapsed entirely.

The fragment was now exposed, its golden light filling the room.

Kairo watched in awe as Xu Han stepped forward and reached out, his hand closing around the third fragment. The moment he touched it, a surge of power coursed through him, connecting the fragment to the others they had already secured.

"The third piece," Xu Han said quietly, his voice filled with determination. "We're one step closer."

But even as they secured the fragment, Xu Han could feel the subtle shift in the multiverse once more. The Void Sovereign's influence was growing stronger, and Nihira's words echoed in his mind. The servants of the Void were preparing for something—something that would bring them closer to their ultimate goal.

"We need to return to the citadel," Kairo said, his voice tense. "The cult will be aware of what we've done. They won't sit idly by."

Xu Han nodded, his expression calm but focused. "Let them come. We're ready."

With the third fragment secured, Xu Han and Kairo left the Shattered Veil, stepping through the portal and returning to the Celestial Citadel. But even as they emerged from the chaotic realm, Xu Han knew that the battle was far from over.