Chapter 73: The Betrayal

The air was thick with tension as Li Feng and his allies stood their ground. Across the battlefield, Shen Longwei emerged from the shifting shadows of the Abyss, his form illuminated by the eerie glow of the celestial alignment above. But something was different. His aura was darker, twisted—his very presence sent a ripple of unease through the already fractured ground.

"Do you feel it, Li Feng?" Shen Longwei's voice was deeper, resonating with something beyond human. "The Abyss stirs. The heavens align. Everything we have fought for comes to this moment."

Li Feng tightened his grip on his sword, his pulse pounding. He could see it—Shen Longwei's body was no longer entirely his own. The monstrous aura that surrounded him pulsed in time with the cracking sky. He had tapped into something beyond mortal power.

Yan Shun took a step forward, his face unreadable. "Is this what you wanted, Longwei?" he asked. His voice carried none of its usual sharpness—only uncertainty.

"Wanted?" Shen Longwei chuckled darkly. "This is destiny."

Mei Lian moved beside Li Feng, whispering, "He's stalling. We need to move before—"

A blur of motion. The battlefield exploded into chaos.

Shen Longwei's warriors charged, their movements unnaturally fast, enhanced by the Abyss' influence. Li Feng and Mei Lian barely had time to react as they clashed with the oncoming onslaught. Swords met, sparks flying as battle cries filled the air.

Yan Shun held back.

Li Feng's eyes darted toward him. "Yan Shun!" he shouted, blocking a blade aimed for his throat. "What are you doing? Fight!"

But Yan Shun didn't move. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his expression torn between duty and something far more personal. The vision he had seen—the one where he and Yan Zhi stood together under Shen Longwei's banner—flashed through his mind. Was that a warning? Or was it truth?

"Yan Shun!" Mei Lian yelled, desperation creeping into her tone as she struck down an enemy. "We need you!"

Still, he hesitated.

Shen Longwei's smirk deepened. "Ah, so you finally see it, don't you?" His eyes flickered toward Yan Shun. "Your place was never with them."

Yan Shun's breath caught. A part of him—the part that had always struggled with regret—wanted to believe those words. He wanted to believe that there was a path where he could make things right. But was this it?

Before he could answer, the battlefield shifted again.

Zheng Wei collapsed to his knees, coughing violently. His body was giving out. The trials had drained him, and now, in the middle of battle, he could no longer keep up. Mei Lian rushed to his side, deflecting a strike meant for him.

Li Feng growled in frustration. "Yan Shun, if you don't fight, we're going to lose!"

Yan Shun finally looked up. But instead of answering, he stepped back.

Time seemed to slow as Li Feng processed what was happening. Mei Lian's sharp intake of breath confirmed his worst fear.

Yan Shun wasn't going to fight.

He wasn't going to stop Shen Longwei.

He was stepping aside.

Shen Longwei's forces surged forward, their assault gaining momentum. With Yan Shun refusing to move, their enemies gained the upper hand. Mei Lian barely had time to pull Zheng Wei back before another warrior lunged toward them.

Li Feng's heart pounded. He knew Yan Shun's hesitation had nothing to do with fear—it was doubt. Doubt in himself, in his path, in everything he thought he knew.

But now wasn't the time for doubt.

Above them, the sky trembled. The celestial alignment was reaching its peak, and the Abyss responded. Jagged cracks formed in the air itself, reality distorting as an otherworldly energy surged through the battlefield.

Shen Longwei lifted his gaze toward the heavens. "Finally," he murmured, a twisted smile forming. "It begins."

Li Feng's grip tightened on his sword as dread settled deep in his bones.

This wasn't just a battle anymore.

This was the beginning of the end.

The sky above the Abyss begins to crack, revealing a glimpse of the celestial alignment's full power. Shen Longwei looks up and smiles—he has been waiting for this moment.