The Second Bloodline

Yan Jin continued to press forward, each step deeper into the sea of corrupted energy feeling like an eternity. The oppressive darkness around him was absolute, suffocating, and his thoughts felt sluggish, as if they were being pulled apart, thread by thread. His soul force, usually sharp and responsive, was dulled, its once vibrant light now barely a flicker. There was no sense of direction; no north or south, no east or west—only the overwhelming presence of corruption that gnawed at his essence. His confidence was a thin veil over the anxiety that threatened to overwhelm him, a gnawing dread that he hadn't felt in years.