The Mò: Ivy

"It is I...Ivy," she declared, her voice dripping with an air of superiority.

Grandma Lu's eyes narrowed. "What brings you to the Realm of Void, young one? You shouldn't be here."

Ivy's smile was laced with mischief. "Initially, I sought a prince named Shu Shu, but my interests have shifted. I find myself more intrigued by the three of you."

Feng's annoyance was palpable. "What business do you have with us? We don't even know you."

Ivy's chuckle was low and husky. "You shouldn't be ignorant of my reputation. I am Ivy, one of the most formidable demons across the realms."

Grandma Lu's expression turned stern. "Step aside, child. We don't care about your boasts. Move along."

Ivy's eyes flashed with irritation. "Your magic is feeble. I sensed a weak energy emanating from this place and thought it would be... amusing to investigate. Don't dare order me around, old witch. My power far surpasses anything you can imagine."

Xia's voice was weak but laced with conviction. "You're not the powerful demon I sensed earlier. You're not the one who breached my magical barrier. I don't sense that level of power emanating from you."

Ivy's face contorted in rage. "How dare you imply I'm weak!" She unleashed a massive green magic attack towards Xia, but Grandma Lu swiftly conjured a shield, deflecting the magic. Ivy effortlessly nullified the attack, rendering it harmless.

"You dare to call that magic, old witch?" Ivy sneered, her eyes blazing with malevolence. "Behold, true mastery!"

With a flick of her wrist, a colossal green tornado erupted around her, its fury unleashing a maelstrom of destruction. The temple crumbled, its ancient stones reduced to rubble as the tempest raged on.

"Feng, take Xia and flee!" Grandma Lu cried out, her voice barely audible above the cacophony of the storm.

Feng hesitated, unwilling to abandon her grandmother. "We won't leave you behind, Grandma Lu!" She shouted back.

Ivy's cackle echoed through the chaos as she summoned a massive gust of wind, sending Feng, Xia, and Grandma Lu tumbling through the air. The trio crashed to the ground, dazed and battered.

As they struggled to regain their footing, Ivy transmuted the tornado into a gargantuan sphere of emerald energy. Her eyes gleamed with sadistic pleasure as she hurled the attack towards her helpless foes.

Xia, summoning her last vestiges of strength, conjured a protective barrier. However, Ivy's magic proved too potent, shattering the defense and striking the trio with incredible force. They were sent flying in different directions, their bodies broken and battered.

As Xia coughed up blood, her voice barely above a whisper, Feng stumbled to her feet, her vision blurry and her leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Her gaze fell upon Grandma Lu, who lay motionless on the ground.

Just as Feng was about to rush to her grandmother's side, Ivy appeared before her, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "The three of you will make a delectable offering," she purred, before delivering a crushing blow to Feng's face, sending her crashing to the ground.

Ivy's laughter echoed through the desolate landscape, her eyes aglow with malevolent triumph. "How... fragile," she whispered, her voice dripping with contempt.

With a subtle gesture, Ivy extended her hand, and a shimmering green portal materialized before her. She employed her mystical bindings to entwine Xia and Grandma Lu, rendering them immobile.

As Ivy attempted to ensnare Feng, the young warrior swiftly countered with a precise kick, striking Ivy's face with considerable force. Ivy's visage twisted in surprise, her eyes widening in astonishment.

Feng seized the opportunity to create distance, her hands cradling her injured face. Her nose, now dislocated, poured forth a rivulet of crimson, while her countenance bore the marks of brutal impact.

Ivy's gaze narrowed, her voice laced with curiosity. "I sense no magical aura emanating from you."

Feng stood tall, her eyes flashing with defiance. "Though I may not possess innate magical abilities, I have mastered the ancient art of kung fu."

With a fierce battle cry, Feng launched herself at Ivy, unleashing a flurry of precise punches. Ivy, however, dodged each strike with ease, her movements a testament to her superior mystical prowess.

Feng refused to yield, channeling her rage into a mighty kick that sent Ivy soaring across the chamber. Ivy landed gracefully, her feet touching the ground with barely a whisper. As she touched her nose, her eyes blazed with fury upon discovering the blood.

A cold, mirthless chuckle escaped Ivy's lips, and with a sudden stomp, she unleashed a blast of wind that sent Feng crashing into the half-destroyed temple roof. The sound of shattering ribs echoed through the air, followed by Feng's anguished cry as she plummeted to the ground, coughing up blood.

Ivy bound Feng alongside Xia and Grandma Lu, the trio floating behind her as she approached the portal. For a moment, she paused, and a demon burst forth from the shadows, its jaws wide open in a bid to sever Ivy's head.

Ivy's response was a disdainful scoff, and the demon exploded in a gruesome shower of blood and flesh.

"This realm is truly pathetic, populated by such feeble adversaries," Ivy declared, her voice heavy with contempt, before stepping through the portal. The trio floated behind her, and as they vanished into the emerald gateway, the portal sealed itself, leaving behind an eerie silence.

As the portal sealed itself, an unsettling stillness descended upon the landscape, as if the very air was heavy with anticipation. The silence was short-lived, however, as the temple's ruins came crashing down in a resounding cacophony, sending debris and dust swirling everywhere.

Xuan and the survivors, who had fled in terror, froze in unison, their backs turned towards the devastated temple. Xuan's voice was laced with contemplation as he pondered aloud, "Why did the Mò manifest? Who was it seeking?"

His eyes narrowed, lost in thought, as he grappled with the enigma. "Who is this Shu Shu, and what significance lies behind the heavenly symbol's appearance in the Realm of Void?" The questions hung in the air, shrouded in an aura of mystery and foreboding.