The colossal gates of the inner sanctum groaned as cracks spider-webbed across their ancient seals. Dust rained from the ceiling. For centuries, the sacred chamber of the Jia Clan had remained untouched, protected by generations of patriarchs and sealed by divine runes. Tonight, under the tread of one youth, it began to crumble.
Feng Xieyun's figure stood framed in the shattered archway, his robes torn, his body painted in blood that was not his own. His black hair streamed behind him, eyes glowing with an abyssal fire that made even the heavens shiver. The slaughter in the courtyard was only the prelude; the true battle awaited within.
A murmur of despair ran through the gathered elders. Many lay wounded or crippled, yet they still drew their swords, their trembling hands betraying both fear and determination. The sanctum was their last shield, the place where their Patriarch waited.
"Hold him back!" one elder shouted hoarsely. "Even if it costs us our lives—do not let him reach the chains!"
Their courage was admirable, but Xieyun's expression did not change. His voice, cold and steady, slipped through the smoke.
"Stand aside. Or die."
The words rolled like thunder. And then he stepped forward.
---
The Corridor of Blood
The sanctum corridor stretched like the throat of a beast, lined with carved pillars and glowing sigils. The floor was polished jade, though tonight it was slick with the blood of fallen disciples.
The first elder lunged, unleashing a storm of flame shaped like a dragon. The corridor roared with heat, stone blackening under the blast.
Xieyun did not move. He raised his hand, and the space before him bent. The dragon shrieked as its body twisted, flame imploding before it reached him. With a flick of his wrist, the warped qi snapped back, tearing the elder into two. His blood sprayed across the jade pillars, hissing against the runes.
Another came, wielding chains of lightning. Another, a halberd burning with soul-fire. They struck from all sides, but the Heaven-Demon Annihilation Step carried Xieyun through their blows. One step—space folded, their weapons turned against themselves. Another step—qi ruptured, meridians shattered.
By the time he reached the sanctum doors, corpses lined the hall like broken offerings.
---
The Ritual Chamber
The sanctum opened into a vast circular hall. At its center towered an ancient altar, carved from obsidian, etched with runes that pulsed with sickly crimson light. Chains of divine metal stretched from the walls to the altar, binding a single figure.
Lian Zhe.
Her hair, once like flowing silk, hung in tangled strands. Her robes were torn, blood staining the golden threads. The immortal chains coiled around her wrists and ankles, digging deep into flesh that refused to heal. Her head was bowed, her breath shallow, but her presence—delicate, resolute—still radiated a quiet strength.
Around the altar, elders knelt in formation, chanting in unison. Qi poured from their bodies into the ritual, feeding the chains with power. And above them, at the far end of the chamber, stood the Patriarch himself.
Jia Wenzhao.
His long beard flowed like silver, his eyes burning with desperation. In his hands gleamed an ancient talisman, black as void, its surface crawling with runes that did not belong to this world. The air around it twisted unnaturally.
When his gaze fell on Xieyun, hatred and fear mingled in his eyes.
"You dare," Wenzhao hissed. "You dare break into my sanctum… defile our ancestral rites… You bring ruin upon yourself!"
His voice carried, but it trembled.
---
The Whisper of the Unknown
A second voice slithered into the chamber, one that none but Wenzhao could hear.
"Yes… use him… use his hatred. Feed the chains with his defiance. When his soul cracks, I will devour what remains."
The Patriarch's hand tightened on the void-talisman. Sweat poured down his brow. He did not understand the full nature of the whisper, only that it promised him power. Power to preserve his clan, power to crush this youth who had slaughtered his disciples like ants.
"Yes…" he muttered to himself, eyes fevered. "If Heaven itself marks him a calamity, then I shall be the blade of Heaven."
---
The Clash Begins
Xieyun's gaze never left Lian Zhe. His steps carried him closer, blood dripping from his boots.
"Release her," he said softly, dangerously.
The Patriarch raised the talisman high. "She will be the key to our ascension! And you, boy—you will be her sacrifice!"
At his command, the elders around the altar screamed, channeling more qi. The chains binding Lian Zhe flared with crimson light. She gasped, her body convulsing as the runes seared deeper into her skin.
Xieyun's aura exploded. The jade tiles beneath his feet shattered as killing intent surged like a tidal wave.
"Touch her again," he whispered, "and I will tear every drop of blood from your clan."
Then he moved.
---
Heaven-Demon's Second Step
The elders rose, unleashing their combined might. The chamber blazed with fire, ice, lightning, shadows.
Xieyun raised his foot.
The air froze.
Heaven-Demon Annihilation Step—Second Descent.
When his foot struck, the sanctum screamed. Space cracked like shattered glass. Qi ruptured in every direction, ripping elders apart mid-chant. Flames imploded, lightning collapsed, shadows turned upon their masters. Blood painted the obsidian altar, staining the ritual lines.
Lian Zhe lifted her head weakly, eyes opening for the first time in days. Through the haze of pain, she saw him—standing amidst the storm, drenched in blood, defying everything.
"Xie…yun…" she whispered, her voice broken yet clear.
His heart clenched. For that single word, he would move mountains.
---
The Voice of the Goddess
In his mind, another voice echoed. Warm, fierce, wifely.
"Husband. Break the chains. Do not fear Heaven's wrath. I am with you."
The Chaos Goddess.
Her presence burned within him like a second soul, ancient and unyielding. For a heartbeat, he felt the weight of eternity—the memory of a wife who had once stood beside him at the dawn of creation.
His aura surged higher, darker, brighter.
---
Chains Break, Heaven Roars
The Patriarch screamed, pouring everything into the talisman. The chains glowed blindingly, their divine metal resonating with Heaven's power. From above, thunder cracked as the Heavenly Will itself descended into the sanctum.
Bolts of silver lightning tore through the roof, striking directly at Xieyun.
He did not flinch.
He raised his hand, grasped one of the chains that bound Lian Zhe, and pulled.
Pain ripped through his arm as Heaven's judgment coursed into his body. Blood burst from his skin, muscles tearing. But he did not let go.
"Even if Heaven itself stands against me…" His voice was a growl, low and furious. "I will shatter these chains!"
With a final roar, he wrenched the chain free.
CRACK!
The divine metal split. Fragments exploded outward, showering the sanctum with shards of light. One of Lian Zhe's bonds snapped, her arm falling free.
The entire chamber quaked. The ritual collapsed in chaos. Elders coughed blood, the runes beneath them unraveling into nothing.
Above, the Heavenly Will screamed. More lightning poured down, striking Xieyun's body, branding him a calamity.
He staggered, blood pouring from his wounds, yet his eyes never left Lian Zhe.
"I will not kneel," he hissed. "Not to you. Not to Heaven."
---
Cliffhanger
The sanctum burned with chaos. Blood, smoke, lightning, and shattered chains filled the chamber. The Patriarch clutched the talisman, horror twisting his features as he realized the ritual was slipping from his control.
And at the center of it all stood Feng Xieyun—drenched in blood, lightning crawling across his skin, one chain shattered in his grasp.
He looked to Lian Zhe, and in his gaze burned a vow that shook even the heavens.
The war had only begun.