Their footsteps echoed through the vast stone hall, its walls etched with ancient carvings that pulsed faintly with hidden power. At the center loomed the Altar of Legacy, three towering pillars radiating distinct auras—Light, Darkness, and Destruction.
The air was suffocating, as if the heavens themselves pressed down upon them.
Li Shen clenched his teeth. Within his body, light and darkness clashed violently, tearing through his meridians like raging storms. Pain seared him with every breath, but he stood tall, his gaze unwavering.
Mei Lin's eyes were drawn to the pillar of Light. Its radiance was soft yet commanding, almost like a sacred hymn that resonated with her very soul. But as she stepped closer, the glow flared, searing her skin like holy fire.
"I… am the heir of Light?" she whispered, cold sweat dripping down her face.
Illusions surged around her. A figure of pure radiance appeared—a woman regal and untouchable, her eyes gentle yet filled with unyielding demand.
"Accept it… or be destroyed. Pure Light allows no hesitation."
Mei Lin dropped to her knees, her body trembling violently. The Light invaded her, seeking to burn away every doubt she had ever harbored. Memories of her lonely childhood, of blood she had tried to deny, resurfaced with merciless clarity.
But Mei Lin gripped her sword until her knuckles turned white, tears mixing with the brilliance engulfing her.
"I will not run anymore… I will make this Light my own path!"
Boom!
The Light burst outward, wrapping her entire body before fusing within her. Her hair streamed like silk in the glow, her sword blazing like a star. From her frame radiated a pure aura of Light that slashed through the shadows around her.
Meanwhile, Zhao Wei stood before the pillar of Darkness. But it was no mere Darkness—it was veined with crimson fissures, seeping with the aura of Destruction.
Zhao Wei's lips twisted into a mad grin, his eyes bloodshot.
"Darkness… Destruction… yes, this is my path! With this power, I'll erase everything in my way—especially you, Li Shen!"
The moment his hand touched the pillar, black flames mixed with crimson fury engulfed his body. Writhing like serpents, the fire twisted into the form of a colossal dragon. The altar shook violently, the floor splitting, the very air trembling under the pressure of annihilation.
Li Shen staggered back, his chest crushed by the sheer weight of Zhao Wei's aura. But within him, Light and Darkness surged in response, flaring as though unwilling to yield.
Whummmm!
The Light from Mei Lin and the Darkness-Destruction from Zhao Wei clashed midair, creating a vortex of devastating force. Caught between them, Li Shen's body quaked as voices filled his mind, sharp and commanding.
"Use me! Burn away the Darkness!"
"Let me reign! Crush the Light!"
Li Shen clutched his head, blood spilling from his lips. Yet even as his body screamed, he raised his gaze—toward Mei Lin, who struggled but shone with holy radiance, and toward Zhao Wei, who reveled in his newfound madness.
"No…" his voice tore through the chaos, hoarse but unyielding. "I won't let fate dictate you. If you are Light and Darkness, then I will be the bridge between them!"
His aura erupted. Blinding Light and devouring Darkness surged from his body, spiraling together—not in rejection, but in a fragile, dangerous harmony.
Mei Lin gasped, her sword trembling.
"Li Shen… are you trying to merge them? That's impossible!"
Zhao Wei's roar shook the hall, his crimson flames scorching the air.
"Impossible or not, I'll crush you before you succeed!"
The dragon of Darkness and Destruction roared, lunging for Li Shen. Mei Lin dashed forward, her sword blazing with holy brilliance, slashing a radiant arc to intercept.
And at the heart of that collision—Light, Darkness, and Destruction—Li Shen stood, cloaked in the storm of two powers on the verge of becoming one, daring to defy the very destiny that sought to consume him.