Chapter 72: The Abyssal Warlord’s Gambit

Blades clashed with the fury of a tempest as Jin Long and Mo Tian exchanged blow after blow. Sparks erupted from each strike, their auras colliding and sending shockwaves through the chamber. The dark soldiers and the abyssal mist swirled around them, drawn to the overwhelming power radiating from both combatants.

Yue Lan stood at the edge of the battlefield, her breath heavy as she watched Jin Long fight. Mo Tian was relentless, his attacks precise and calculated, his dark blade slicing through the air like a serpent striking its prey.

But Jin Long was holding his ground. The Genesis Core pulsed within him, each heartbeat flooding him with a surge of power. With each clash of their blades, he felt himself growing more attuned to the Core, more in sync with its immense, untamed energy.

Mo Tian smirked beneath his mask. "Impressive. You've grown stronger since our last encounter. But power without control is a double-edged sword."

He stepped back, raising his hand. The abyssal mist coiled around his arm, condensing into a spear of dark energy. He hurled it toward Jin Long with lethal speed.

Jin Long's eyes flashed. The Core's power flared, and with a swift motion, he raised his sword and slashed through the spear, shattering it into fragments of dark energy.

"You'll have to do better than that," Jin Long said, his voice steady.

Mo Tian's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Oh, I intend to."

Before Jin Long could react, Mo Tian vanished, reappearing behind him in a blur of dark mist. Jin Long spun around, but it was too late—Mo Tian's fist struck him in the gut, sending him crashing against the chamber wall.

Yue Lan's eyes widened. "Jin Long!"

She lunged forward, her whip crackling with lightning as she aimed for Mo Tian's neck. But Mo Tian caught the whip effortlessly, his grip crushing it with abyssal energy.

"Pathetic," he sneered, yanking her forward. Yue Lan stumbled, but before Mo Tian could strike, Jin Long's sword slashed through the air, forcing him to release her.

Jin Long's eyes blazed with fury. "Stay away from her."

Mo Tian chuckled, his aura intensifying. "Touching. But you still don't understand, do you? The Core's power is not yours to command. It's ours."

He raised his arms, and the abyssal mist converged, forming a colossal dragon of shadow and void energy. The dragon's eyes glowed with crimson malice as it roared, its voice echoing through the entire labyrinth.

Yue Lan staggered back, her eyes wide. "What… what is that?"

Mo Tian's grin widened. "This is the true power of the Abyss—the Abyssal Dragon. And now, it will devour you both."

The dragon lunged forward, its massive jaws snapping at Jin Long and Yue Lan. Jin Long raised his sword, channeling the Genesis Core's power, but the dragon's sheer size and strength were overwhelming.

Its claws swiped at him, sending him flying across the chamber. Jin Long slammed into the ground, coughing up blood as pain radiated through his body.

Yue Lan rushed to his side, her hands trembling. "Jin Long! Are you alright?"

Jin Long gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. "We… we can't let it win."

The Abyssal Dragon loomed over them, its dark maw opening wide, abyssal flames gathering within its throat.

Mo Tian raised his hand, his eyes glowing with abyssal power. "Now, Core Vessel, watch as everything you care about burns."

The dragon's flames surged forward like a tidal wave of darkness, roaring toward Jin Long and Yue Lan with unstoppable force.

Jin Long's eyes narrowed, and in that moment, he felt it—a pull deep within the Core. A surge of power unlike anything he had ever felt before. A memory of the words Elder Han had once told him echoed in his mind:

"The Core is not just a weapon. It's a bridge—a gateway to the true essence of the universe."

Jin Long clenched his fist, his determination hardening. "Yue Lan, get behind me!"

Yue Lan hesitated but nodded, retreating as Jin Long stood his ground, his sword raised high.

The Genesis Core pulsed, and the air around Jin Long crackled with energy. Light erupted from his body, forming a radiant barrier that clashed against the abyssal flames, pushing them back.

Mo Tian's eyes widened. "Impossible!"

Jin Long stepped forward, each step resonating with the power of the Core. The dragon roared, its flames intensifying, but Jin Long's aura surged, shattering the abyssal fire with a single, decisive strike.

Mo Tian staggered back, his jaw clenched. "You… you're stronger than before."

Jin Long's eyes blazed with determination. "I'm done running from the Abyss. If you want the Core, come and take it!"

Mo Tian's expression darkened. "Very well."

He raised his hand, and the Abyssal Dragon lunged once more, its massive jaws aimed directly at Jin Long.

Jin Long took a deep breath, centering himself. The Core's power pulsed, and in that moment, he felt the world slow. The dragon's jaws closed in, but Jin Long moved like a streak of light, his sword slashing through the dragon's throat with a strike so powerful that the entire chamber shook.

The Abyssal Dragon howled, its form shattering into shards of abyssal mist. Mo Tian's eyes blazed with fury as Jin Long appeared before him, his sword pressed against Mo Tian's throat.

"This is over," Jin Long said, his voice icy.

Mo Tian's lips curled into a smirk. "Over? Oh, Jin Long, this was just the beginning."

Before Jin Long could react, Mo Tian's body disintegrated into a cloud of dark mist, his laughter echoing through the chamber as his form dissipated.

Jin Long lowered his sword, his breathing heavy. The Core's power dimmed, the light within him receding as exhaustion finally caught up to him.

Yue Lan rushed to his side, her hands shaking as she held him up. "Jin Long… are you okay?"

Jin Long nodded weakly, his vision blurring. "We… we stopped him."

Yue Lan's eyes darkened. "No. He escaped. And he knows about the Celestial Key."

Jin Long's heart sank. "Then he's going to keep coming."

Yue Lan nodded, her jaw clenched. "And next time, he'll be even stronger."

Jin Long closed his eyes, the weight of what had just transpired pressing down on him. Mo Tian was not just an ordinary foe—he was a harbinger of the Abyss, and his power was growing.

But so was Jin Long's. And if he was to protect the Core, the Celestial Keys, and the people he cared about, he would need to master the Genesis Core's power fully.

And fast.