The shrine fell into an uneasy silence.After Xu Yang disappeared.ChenYu remained standing,his eyes fixed on the place where Xu Yang had vanished.Yan Luo lowered his sword,but his expression remained tense.Lin Chen forced a weak smile that quickly faded. "There...has to be another way down,right?" Zhao Ming slowly shook his head."If there is...the shrine has no intention of revealing it."Hei Long quietly looked toward the mirror. "It accepted him."Chen Yu let out a slow breath."Then we wait..."Even he wasn't convinced by his own words.
Suddenly...Rapid footsteps echoed from outside the hall.Everyone instinctively turned.Several shrine guards rushed into the central hall so quickly that one of them stumbled against a stone pillar before barely catching himself.Their robes were covered in dust,their faces completely pale,and their breathing was ragged as though they had run without stopping.
Chen Yu immediately stepped forward.His brows furrowed."What happened? Why are you all looking so frightened?"The guards looked at one another,but none of them answered. Lin Chen frowned in confusion. "Did something happen to the village?" One young guard slowly raised his trembling hand and his finger pointed toward the shrine entrance.It shook so much that he could barely keep it raised.Yan Luo's eyes narrowed."Speak."The guard swallowed hard.His lips trembled,but no words came out.Chen Yu took another step closer."Look at me."His voice remained calm."Whatever happened,you can tell us."
The guard's breathing became even more uneven.He shook his head repeatedly before forcing out a broken whisper."I...I can't explain it..."Another guard finally replied "Please..."His eyes were filled with panic. "You need to see it yourselves."Lin Chen's uneasiness grew."What did you see?" The guards remained silent.The young guard slowly lowered his head before whispering, "...Please...come outside..."His terrified expression said far more than words ever could.
Chen Yu and Yan Luo exchanged a brief glance.Both immediately realized the situation was far more serious than they had expected.Neither asked another question. Yan Luo turned without hesitation and strode toward the shrine entrance.Chen Yu quickly followed behind him.Zhao Ming and Hei Long exchanged look before following as well. Lin Chen hesitated for only a second before hurrying after the others.
As Yan Luo stepped across the entrance,he suddenly stopped walking.Chen Yu,who was right behind him,looked ahead.His calm expression slowly disappeared.Lin Chen hurried after them."What happened?Why did you stop..."he didn't finish sentence.Before them...The quiet village had become complete chaos. Villagers ran through the stone streets in panic.Some were shouting the names of their family members while others helped the injured walk away.Children cried as their parents held them tightly.
Wooden carts had overturned in the middle of the road.Fruit,baskets,and broken pottery were scattered everywhere.Several old wooden houses had collapsed,with broken beams lying across the streets.Paper lanterns hung torn from their ropes,slowly swaying in the wind.White petals drifted through the air,covering the broken village like silent snow.Dark threads twisted through the streets like living snakes.They crawled over broken walls,wound around wooden pillars,and disappeared beneath the cracked stone roads.Black demonic energy drifted through the village in thin waves.
"Run!" "Get away!""Help them!""Someone stop him!"The frightened cries echoed from every direction.An old woman sat beside a collapsed wooden house,crying as two villagers struggled to lift the heavy beams trapping her husband.Near the village well,a young man carried an injured child in his arms while the village healer desperately treated the wounded.Several disciples tried to calm the terrified crowd,but even their own faces were filled with fear.
Lin Chen stared at the scene with wide eyes. "How...how did this happen?"Chen Yu slowly looked around."This only happened moment ago."He crouched beside a deep crack in the road and touched its edge before standing again."The spiritual energy hasn't faded yet." Yan Luo examined the broken street."These marks weren't left by ordinary weapons." Hei Long quietly nodded."Whoever did this possesses overwhelming spiritual power."
Yan Luo's sharp gaze swept across the ruined village.His hand slowly rested on the hilt of his sword."Stay alert."He spoke without looking back."Whatever caused this...may still be here."Lin Chen swallowed nervously."You don't think...the Threads came back,do you?"No one answered.At that moment,a frightened villager suddenly stumbled toward them.His clothes were covered in dust,his face was pale,and his breathing was uneven.He almost fell before
Chen Yu quickly stepped forward and caught him by the shoulders."Easy."Chen Yu said calmly."Take a deep breath."The villager's entire body shook uncontrollably."Y-You finally came..."His voice cracked with fear. "Please...please stop him!"Chen Yu frowned. "Stop who?"The man tried to answer,but his lips trembled too violently.He kept looking toward the center of the village. Lin Chen stepped closer."Who attacked the village?"
The villager slowly shook his head."N-No...it can't be..."Tears gathered in his eyes."I...I don't understand..."Chen Yu tightened his grip slightly."Look at me."His voice remained steady."Tell us exactly what happened."The villager swallowed hard before slowly raising his trembling hand.His finger pointed toward the center of the village."There..."he whispered. "He's...still there..."Everyone instinctively turned to look in the direction he was pointing.
Everyone froze as they saw XuYang was standing alone in the middle of the village. Silver petals drifted around him and dark crimson flames flickered around his body like living fire.Black demonic energy flowed around his feet before spreading across the cracked stone streets.The nearby Threads twisted and circled him in silence,but none of them dared come any closer.
XuYang slowly walked forward.His eyes held no trace of recognition.ChenYu's face slowly turned pale."XuYang?"His voice echoed across the ruined street,but Xu Yang gave no response.He simply continued walking,one slow step after another.Lin Chen stared with wide eyes."XuYang...it's us..."His voice trembled."Can you hear me?" Still... nothing. Chen yu's brows slowly furrowed."His aura has completely changed."Hei Long remained unusually calm,but his eyes never left Xu Yang."No..."he said quietly."His aura is still his...but something else has awakened."
Yan Luo slowly stepped forward.His hand rested on the hilt of his sword."Xu Yang."His voice was firm and steady."Look at us." Xu Yang didn't even blink.A frightened villager hiding behind a broken cart cried out,"Please don't get close to him!"His entire body shook. "Everyone who tried was blown away!" Another villager nodded desperately."He hasn't spoken a single word since he appeared...he just keeps walking!"
Chen Yu clenched his fists before taking a deep breath."We can't let him leave like this." Yan Luo immediately raised one hand and crimson flames ignited around his arm before spreading into several rings of fire that circled him."Don't hurt him!"he warned without taking his eyes off Xu Yang."We're stopping him,not fighting him."Lin Chen nodded anxiously."There has to be a way to wake him up!"
Hei Long quietly moved to Xu Yang's left."I'll block his path." Chen Yu formed several hand seals as streams of spiritual light gathered around his fingertips."I'll support you." Chen Yu's Golden spiritual energy burst from beneath his feet as glowing restraints shot from the ground and wrapped tightly around Xu Yang's arms,waist,and legs."Xu Yang!"
Chen Yu shouted."Wake up!" Xu Yang stopped.He slowly lowered his eyes toward the glowing restraints wrapped around his body.
For moment nothing happened then...he calmly raised one hand and closed his fingers.*Crack.* Every glowing restraint shattered at the same instant,countless fragments of golden light scattering through the air.Chen Yu's eyes widened.Before anyone could react,a terrifying wave of spiritual energy erupted from Xu Yang's body. *BOOM!*Dark crimson flames shot into the sky and black demonic energy exploded outward like a violent storm.Silver petals scattered across the entire village.
The surrounding threads were instantly blown away before circling back around him once more.Chen Yu was thrown backward and crashed into a broken wooden cart. Yan Luo released his flames to shield himself,but the overwhelming force still sent him sliding several meters across the cracked road. Hei Long dug his feet into the ground,but the shockwave forced him backward step after step.
Zhao Ming's defensive barrier shattered instantly,and he was hurled into a fallen stone pillar.Lin Chen fell hard onto the street.The surrounding villagers screamed and fled even farther away.When the dust slowly settled...Xu Yang was still standing exactly where he had been.His expression hadn't changed.His eyes remained empty.Without looking at anyone...he calmly took another step forward.
Suddenly...golden light spread across the sky. Everyone instinctively looked up.The dark clouds began splitting apart as if an invisible hand had torn them open.One after another,figures dressed in flowing white and golden robes descended from the heavens. Countless rays of golden light surrounded them,their swords shining brightly beneath the crimson sky.Even the frightened villagers stopped running and stared upward in shock. LinChen slowly widened his eyes."Heavenly cultivators..."Hewhispered.
Zhao Ming's expression changed."They came much faster than I expected."Hei Long folded his arms.His sharp gaze remained fixed on the descending figures."They weren't waiting outside..."he murmured. "They were watching from the very beginning."Yan Luo clicked his tongue in annoyance."Of course they were."Chen Yu slowly stepped in front of everyone.His eyes never left the sky."Stay alert."His voice remained calm."They didn't come here to help us."
Within moments,the Heavenly cultivators landed throughout the village,forming a perfect circle around Xu Yang.At their front stood Tian Xuan. His eyes were fixed entirely on Xu Yang.He slowly raised one hand and pointed directly at him and said."Capture the Bearer of the Heart Blossom!" The surrounding cultivators answered together, "Yes!"Mu Chen stepped forward and his sword flashed from its sheath as several Heavenly cultivators rushed toward Xu Yang from different directions.
Lin Chen's face instantly changed."They're actually trying to capture him?"Chen Yu frowned deeply."This isn't the time."Yan Luo's grip tightened around his sword."If they attack him now..."Hei Long quietly finished the sentence."...everything will become worse."Before the Heavenly cultivators could reach Xu Yang...The entire ground shook violently and deep cracks spread across the stone streets as buildings trembled from the impact.Everyone instinctively lost their balance."What now?!"LinChen shouted.
Before anyone could answer,the cracked earth suddenly exploded.Countless black Threads burst from beneath the village like living serpents.They shot into the sky with terrifying speed,aiming directly at the descending Heavenly cultivators.One Heavenly cultivator barely managed to raise his sword before three Threads crashed against it.The impact threw him backward. Another Thread pierced straight through a golden barrier,forcing its owner to retreat.
One Heavenly cultivator shouted."Defensive formation!"Golden light erupted throughout the battlefield as dozens of Heavenly cultivators instantly drew their swords. Spiritual talismans filled the air while countless golden techniques collided with the black Threads.*Boom!Boom!Boom!*Explosions echoed across the village. Golden light clashed against black energy, shaking the earth with every collision.
Threads wrapped around swords while blades sliced through the darkness,only for even more Threads to emerge from beneath the ground.The sky itself seemed divided into gold and black.Lin Chen stared at the battle in disbelief."They're fighting each other..." Zhao Ming slowly nodded."The Threads never came for the villagers..."His eyes narrowed toward XuYang."They came for him."Chen Yu clenched his fists as another explosion shook the village."No..."he said quietly."Both sides came for him."Yan Luo's expression became increasingly serious as he watched Heaven and the Threads tear through the battlefield around Xu Yang."And he's standing right in the middle of it."
Amidst the overwhelming battle,Xu Yang never looked at either side.The battlefield descended deeper into chaos.Golden light collided with countless blue and red threads as explosions echoed throughout the village. Heavenly cultivators fought desperately in the sky while the living threads surged upward from the shattered earth,wrapping around swords and tearing through golden barriers.Silver petals drifted silently across the battlefield.
Below them,Xu Yang continued moving through the village.His expression remained empty,but every step released waves of dark crimson demonic energy.Black flames spread across the ground wherever he walked,shattering stone roads and splitting the earth apart.Houses shook violently under the pressure.Wooden walls burst apart without Xu Yang even looking at them.Roofs collapsed as invisible waves of spiritual power swept through the streets and trees were uprooted and sent crashing into nearby buildings.Villagers screamed as they fled in every direction while disciples desperately helped the elderly and children escape.
The surrounding threads circled Xu Yang like a black storm,yet none dared touch him,as though they feared the power surrounding his body.High above the battlefield,Tian Xuan watched everything and his brows slowly furrowed."He's destroying the village..."One Heavenly cultivator landed beside him and bowed." Grand elder,Threads are continuing to blocking our advance. "Tian Xuan never looked away from Xu Yang."Then stop waiting.Do not let the Bearer of the Heart Blossom leave."He slowly raised one hand and pointed directly at Xu Yang."Capture him."
Several Heavenly cultivators answered at once."Yes!"One young Heavenly cultivator immediately stepped forward and golden spiritual energy gathered between his hands before condensing into a long spear covered with ancient golden runes.Lin Chen looked toward the sky,his face instantly changing. "They're attacking!"Chen Yu immediately turned around."Xu Yang!" Yan Luo's eyes narrowed."No..."The Heavenly cultivator took one step forward before throwing the golden spear with all his strength.The spear streaked across the sky like a bolt of sunlight,tearing through every thread that tried to block it before flying directly toward Xu Yang's back.
Xu Yang didn't react.He continued walking forward as another wave of black flames exploded around him,crushing a nearby house into splinters.The spear closed the remaining distance within a second.ChenYu rushed forward."Xu Yang!Move!" Yan Luo immediately followed close behind.But they were too late.Just before the spear reached Xu Yang...Suddenly Hei Long stepped between them.He didn't hesitate.He simply stood there and golden spear pierced straight through his chest and Blood dropped and it instantly stained his light blue robe.
The remaining force of the spear changed direction slightly before flying past Xu Yang and disappearing into the distance.HeiLong's body trembled and his breathing faltered.For a brief moment,he remained standing before his knees slowly gave way.Yan Luo's pupils contracted."Hei Long!"His voice echoed across the village.Chen Yu reached him first and caught him before he struck the ground. "Hei Long!" Blood continued flowing between ChenYu's fingers.Lin Chen stood frozen.His lips trembled."N-No..."
ChenYu immediately placed both hands over the wound.Golden healing spiritual energy poured into Hei Long's body."Hei Long!" he shouted."Don't close your eyes!"HeiLong gave a weak smile."You're...still...ordering people around..."Yan Luo dropped to one knee beside them.His hands trembled as he looked at the terrible wound."Why?"His voice cracked."Why would you do that?"Hei Long slowly turned his eyes toward Xu Yang,who continued walking through the burning village without looking back."Someone..."He coughed softly as blood stained his lips. "...had to stop it from reaching him."
ChenYu continued pouring healing energy into the wound.Suddenly...his hands froze.The golden light around his palms flickered.He stared silently into Hei Long's chest.Yan Luo noticed immediately. "Chen Yu?"There was no answer. "Chen Yu!" Yan Luo's voice became louder."What's wrong?" Chen Yu didn't move.His eyes remained fixed on the wound.His lips parted slightly."...His heart..."
Everyone looked toward him.Lin Chen frowned."What about his heart?"Chen Yu slowly raised his head.His face had turned pale."There..."He swallowed hard."...isn't one."Silence spread between them.LinChen immediately shook his head."What are you talking about?"His voice rose."People can't live without a heart!"Chen Yu slowly moved his bloodstained hand aside."Look for yourselves."Everyone instinctively lowered their gaze.Inside Hei Long's chest...there was no beating heart.There was a stone flower shaped like a blooming lotus with cracks covered every petal while a faint silver light slowly pulsed from within it.Everyone stared at the impossible sight,speechless.
Hei Long's breathing became slower.Every breath sounded weaker than the one before. The faint silver light inside the stone flower pulsed gently,casting a pale glow across his bloodstained robe.After several long moments...his eyelids trembled.He slowly opened his eyes.Chen Yu immediately leaned closer."Hei Long."His voice remained calm,but his eyes were filled with questions. "Who are you?"Hei long looked at him quietly without answering.Chen Yu continued,"Why is there a stone flower where your heart should be?"His brows slowly furrowed."What have you been hiding from us all this time?"
Hei Long remained silent for a long while before a faint smile slowly appeared on his face."I'm...not..."He suddenly coughed and blood stained the corner of his lips."...the person..."He coughed again."...you believed I was."Lin Chen's eyes widened."What does that mean?"He immediately knelt beside Chen Yu."If you're not the person we know..." His voice became louder."Then who are you?" Hei Long slowly shook his head.His breathing grew even weaker."No..."He closed his eyes briefly before whispering,"...I'm not even...a person."
Lin Chen forced an awkward smile."Don't scare us like that."He tried to laugh,but his voice trembled."What next?Don't tell me you're actually a demon."Hei Long slowly looked at him and faint smile remained on his face.He shook his head once more. "No..." His voice was barely audible."Demons...have hearts too."Yan Luo stared at Hei Long without blinking.His fingers slowly tightened into fists."Then...what are you?" Hei Long looked toward the sky where Heaven and the threads continued fighting.His eyes gradually softened."I..."His breathing became unsteady."...am only..."He paused as though gathering the last of his strength."...a shadow..."
Before he could finish the sentence,the stone flower inside his chest suddenly shone with brilliant silver light.Everyone instinctively covered their eyes.Thin glowing cracks slowly spread from the stone flower across Hei Long's chest.They continued climbing along his neck,his arms,and across his face like delicate lines drawn in crystal.Lin Chen's smile instantly disappeared."Chen Yu..."His voice shook."Something's wrong."The cracks continued spreading.Hei Long's skin gradually became transparent and faint light passed through his body as though he were slowly turning into mist.Small glowing flower petals drifted from his shoulders and sleeves before floating gently into the air.
YanLuo's pupils contracted."Hei Long!" Chen Yu immediately held him tighter."Stay with us!"Golden healing energy poured into Hei Long's body once again.But...it passed straight through him.The light couldn't remain inside.Chen Yu froze.He instinctively tightened his grip...yet his hands slowly passed through Hei Long's fading body as though he were trying to hold smoke.His eyes widened."No..."He tried again.His fingers touched nothing at all.
Lin Chen's face turned completely pale. "What's happening to him?! Why can't you hold him?!"Chen Yu stared at his own trembling hands.His breathing became uneven."His body..."He whispered in disbelief."It's disappearing."More glowing petals drifted into the air.The lower half of Hei Long's body had already become almost completely transparent.The gentle silver light surrounding him grew warmer.
Yan Luo slowly lowered himself beside Hei Long.His sword slipped from his hand and landed quietly on the cracked road.He looked at Hei Long's fading face as tears slowly gathered in his eyes.For a long moment...he couldn't speak.Then finally he spoke."Did we know each other?"Hei long looked at him.His transparent face softened into the warmest smile anyone there had ever seen.It wasn't forced.It was peaceful.As though he had been waiting a very long time for that single question.
The silver cracks across his body continued glowing gently while countless tiny white petals drifted from his shoulders into the wind."Perhaps..."Hei Long whispered softly."Long before either of us remembered this life."Yan Luo's lips trembled."Then...why can't I remember you?"Hei Long laughed. "Because...some promises..."He paused to catch his fading breath."...don't belong...to only one lifetime."His eyes never left Yan Luo's face."Memories...can disappear..."
Another glowing petal drifted from his cheek before dissolving into light."...but promises... always find their way back."Yan Luo slowly shook his head as tears rolled down his face. "No..."His voice cracked."Don't talk like that." He reached toward Hei Long with trembling fingers."Stay here..."Hei Long smiled even more warmly."Even if...you forget me.... meeting you...was enough."Yan Luo bit his lip so hard it began to bleed."Who are you...?" His breathing became uneven."Tell me your real name."Hei Long quietly closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them once more.They were filled with sadness."When the flowers bloom again..."He looked at Yan Luo and said."...perhaps...you'll remember my name."
The silver light surrounding him suddenly grew brighter.The glowing cracks spread across every part of his body until he looked like he had been carved entirely from light.His blue robe slowly dissolved into countless white flower petals that shimmered beneath the crimson sky.His long hair became strands of silver light before breaking apart into tiny blossoms.One after another...his arms faded.His shoulders dissolved.His chest became completely transparent.The stone flower within him bloomed silently,its petals opening for the very first and final time before turning into pure light.
Yan Luo immediately reached forward. "Hei Long!"His fingers passed straight through the fading figure.Only countless glowing petals slipping through his hand like moonlight carried by the wind.His eyes widened."Hei Long!" The fierce clash between Heaven and the threads suddenly slowed.Every Heavenly cultivator instinctively lowered their weapon. The Threads stopped twisting through the air.Even Xu Yang,whose empty eyes had ignored everything until now,paused for the briefest moment as several glowing flowers drifted silently past him.The entire battlefield became strangely quiet.No one moved.The only sound was the gentle rustling of countless glowing flowers through the sky.
Yan Luo remained kneeling where Hei Long had disappeared.His outstretched hand slowly closed into an empty fist.A single glowing petal landed softly in his palm before quietly fading away.He lowered his head and silently wiped the tears from his face,but more continued falling.Lin Chen slowly walked over and gently rested a hand on Yan Luo's shoulder.His own eyes were red,yet he forced himself to smile."He...was only a shadow..."His voice was quiet."If fate truly wants two people to meet..."He looked up at the endless sea of glowing flowers drifting across the sky."...then one day...you'll meet the real him."Yan Luo simply continued staring at the place where Hei Long had vanished.
Even the Heavenly cultivators and threads had stopped fighting,as though the entire battlefield were mourning the disappearance of the mysterious shadow.For one long moment...no one spoke.Then...a quiet laugh echoed across the village.Yan Luo slowly turned around.Chen Yu raised his head. Lin Chen frowned.Their eyes all fell upon Zhao Ming.He stood several steps away with his hands behind his back.His head was slightly lowered.His shoulders trembled faintly. "...Hehehe..."He laughed again.Lin Chen stared at him in disbelief."Zhao Ming?!"