The morning mist had barely lifted when Lin Xuan and Li Fengxian resumed their journey, the distant hum of the world around them a stark contrast to the silence between the two travelers. The night's rest had done little to quiet the unrest that stirred within Lin Xuan. The visions he'd seen at the altar, the cryptic warnings, and the lingering feeling that something momentous was coming—these thoughts weighed heavily on him, like an unseen burden he couldn't quite shake off.
Li Fengxian, ever perceptive, noticed the subtle tension in his posture. "You're troubled," she remarked, her voice soft but knowing. "The altar's secrets are haunting you, aren't they?"
Lin Xuan nodded, his eyes fixed ahead, though his mind was elsewhere. "It's more than that. It feels like something is pulling me, calling me toward something I can't see. The energy from the altar…it's like a thread weaving through my fate, but I don't know where it leads."
Li Fengxian's gaze softened with understanding. She had seen many cultivators who were driven by a singular goal, yet the ones who were truly remarkable were those who allowed their paths to evolve, to flow with the unseen currents of destiny. "The path of cultivation is never a straight line," she said, her voice carrying an almost wistful tone. "We are all shaped by forces greater than ourselves. Sometimes, we must walk through the shadows to understand the light."
The two walked in silence for a while longer, the dense forest now thinning out to reveal a rocky valley that stretched out before them. The jagged cliffs on either side seemed to rise like guardians, watching over the land as if to keep some ancient secret buried deep within.
"Stay alert," Li Fengxian said suddenly, her hand drifting to the hilt of her sword. "This place feels…wrong."
Lin Xuan's senses sharpened. The air was thick with tension, and the faint traces of qi that had once felt harmonious now pulsed erratically, as if disturbed by some unseen force.
Without warning, the ground beneath their feet trembled. A low rumble echoed through the valley, growing louder with each passing second, until it felt as though the very earth itself was awakening.
From the shadows of the cliffs, figures began to emerge—strange, hunched creatures, their eyes glowing with an unnatural hue. Their bodies were humanoid, yet twisted, as though corrupted by the very land they inhabited. Their movements were quick and jerky, like marionettes on strings, but their intent was clear: they were hostile.
Lin Xuan drew his sword, his expression cold. "More of these beasts?"
Li Fengxian's eyes narrowed. "These are different. They're not ordinary Beastkin."
The creatures, upon seeing the two travelers, let out a guttural roar, and without further warning, they charged forward, their twisted limbs moving in a blur.
Lin Xuan's sword flashed as he met the first creature head-on, the blade slicing through the air with precision. The creature staggered back, its grotesque form already healing, its wound closing with unnatural speed.
"These creatures regenerate?" Lin Xuan muttered, a sense of unease creeping over him. The beast before him lunged again, but this time, Lin Xuan was ready. He slashed with a fluid motion, his sword imbued with the power of his cultivated qi. The creature was forced back, but it was not defeated.
Li Fengxian moved like a shadow, her sword dancing through the air with deadly elegance. Each strike was calculated, each movement fluid as she cut through the ranks of the beasts, but the creatures kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless.
"They're not just regenerating," Li Fengxian said between strikes, her voice grim. "They're being controlled. Someone is using them as puppets."
Lin Xuan's mind raced. The valley, the strange energy, the corrupted creatures—it was all connected. Whoever was behind this had to be close.
He glanced at Li Fengxian. "Can you feel it? The pull… it's getting stronger."
She paused, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the valley. "I can feel it. It's coming from deeper within the mountains."
The ground trembled again, but this time, it was different—stronger, more deliberate. Something ancient and powerful was awakening.
Suddenly, a figure appeared atop one of the cliffs, standing tall and imposing against the backdrop of the sky. The figure's silhouette was shrouded in darkness, but even from this distance, Lin Xuan could sense the immense power radiating from them.
The creatures hesitated for a moment, as if waiting for a command. Then, the figure raised a hand, and the beasts surged forward once again, more ferocious than before.
Lin Xuan's grip tightened around his sword. "That's the one controlling them."
Li Fengxian nodded. "We need to stop them, or we won't make it out of here."
With a sharp motion, Lin Xuan leaped forward, his sword cutting through the air as he took the fight to the source. The moment his feet touched the rocky ground below the cliffs, the figure spoke, their voice echoing like a whisper carried by the wind.
"You're bold to come this far, but it's futile," the figure said, their voice resonating with an almost otherworldly timbre. "The land has already chosen its master."
Lin Xuan's eyes burned with determination. "I don't care who you are or what you think you control. I will not let you stand in my way."
The figure laughed, a sound that was both chilling and mocking. "You think you can defeat me? You are nothing but a child lost in the currents of fate. The power I wield has been forged through the ages. You are too weak, too insignificant to challenge me."
But Lin Xuan's resolve was unshakable. "We'll see about that."
With a flash of light, he surged forward, his sword slicing through the air with a force that seemed to ripple the very fabric of space around him. The battle had only just begun, and already, Lin Xuan could feel the true weight of the path he had chosen.
The shadows of destiny were closing in on him, and there was no turning back now.