Shadow in the Seal

Inside the dimensional seal, Xiao Lin stood in the middle of the void, surrounded by shadows of himself—**Xue**, the cruel version of himself he had once sacrificed. The Jiuyinlong in Xue's hand was contaminated, its blade covered in black cracks that gave off a dark aura.

"You think you can escape yourself?" Xue taunted, her voice echoing like the echoes of hell. "You are me, and I am you. We cannot be separated."

Xiao Lin stared at his hands, which were starting to become transparent. "I am no longer Xue. I have chosen a different path."

Xue laughed. "A different path? You are simply replacing one prison with another. Look!"

With a swift movement, Xue drew the Jiuyinlong, creating a small portal that revealed the outside world. Luo Yan and Li Feng were battling the **crystal flower** that had grown from Xiao Lin's blood. Inside the flower, the shadow of a small Primordial Dragon laughed.

"Look! They are suffering because of your choice," Xue whispered. "You can stop this. Undo the seal, and we will be one again. We will have the power to change everything."

Xiao Lin looked at his reflection, then at the Jiuyinlong still glowing in his hand. "I know what you want. But I will not fall again."

With a swift movement, he thrust the Jiuyinlong into the ground. Cosmic energy erupted, creating a **wall of light** that separated him from Xue.

"You can't lock me up forever!" Xue shouted, her voice growing weaker.

"I'm not the one locking you up," Xiao Lin replied. "You are."

---

**Outside World: Crystal Flower and a New Threat**

Luo Yan and Li Feng stood in front of a giant crystal flower that was growing steadily. Within it, the shadow of a small Ancient Dragon was beginning to take on a physical form.

"We must destroy it before it's too late," Li Feng said, raising his sword.

But before they could act, the remaining **Ancient Dragon Worshippers** emerged from the mist. They carried the **contaminated Yinglong**, its blade riddled with the same black cracks as Xue's Jiuyinlong.

"You're too late," their leader said. "This flower is the key to the true awakening of the Ancient Dragon. And this time, no one can stop it."

Luo Yan held the crystal pendant. Xiao Lin's purple blood inside it pulsed weakly, as if trying to communicate. "Xiao Lin... what should I do?"

Suddenly, Xiao Lin's voice echoed from the pendant: *"Break the flower... and I will find my way home."*

---

Luo Yan and Li Feng prepared to attack the crystal flower, but the Ancient Dragon Worshipper lifted Yinglong. Black energy erupted, creating a **wall of darkness** that blocked them.

Inside the seal, Xiao Lin faced the increasingly powerful Xue. "You can't win!" Xue roared.

But Xiao Lin smiled. "I don't need to win. I just need to make sure you never get out."

With a final move, he stabbed the Jiuyinlong into his own chest. Her purple blood flooded the seal, creating an explosion of light that shattered Xue's shadow.

In the outside world, the crystal flower cracked. The shadow of the small Primordial Dragon screamed, its body beginning to disintegrate.

But before the seal could completely close, a black hand reached out, grabbing the Jiuyinlong.

"Do you think this is over?" Xue's voice echoed from within the seal. "We're not done yet, Xiao Lin... we're not done yet."