The vision of the shadowed figure lingered in my mind, its malevolent gaze burning into my soul. The clearing was silent, the air thick with the residual energy of the node. Lin Mo and I stood before the altar, our breaths shallow, our bodies tense. The pendant around my neck pulsed faintly, its warmth a steady reminder of the power I had tapped into—and the danger that still loomed.
"We need to disrupt this node," Lin Mo said, his voice low but urgent. "If we can sever the entity's connection to the ley lines, we might have a chance."
I nodded, though my stomach churned with unease. The spirit guardian's warning echoed in my mind: *The balance of this world is fragile, and your actions will have consequences.* But what choice did we have? The entity was growing stronger, and if we didn't act now, it would be too late.
Lin Mo placed his hand on the altar, his fingers tracing the ancient carvings. "This node is tied to the element of earth. It's the most stable of the four, but also the most dangerous. If we disrupt it, the consequences could be catastrophic."
I swallowed hard. "What do we need to do?"
Lin Mo's expression was grim. "We need to break the connection. But to do that, we'll have to face the node's guardian—a spirit of immense power. It won't let us pass without a fight."
I clenched my fists, the pendant's energy surging through me. "Then we fight."
Lin Mo nodded, his eyes filled with determination. "Stay close. And whatever you do, don't lose focus."
We stepped back from the altar, our eyes fixed on the carvings as they began to glow with an otherworldly light. The ground beneath us trembled, and the air grew thick with spiritual energy. The node was reacting to our presence, its power awakening.
Suddenly, the ground erupted. A massive fissure split the earth, and from it rose a creature of stone and shadow. Its form was grotesque, a twisted amalgamation of the earth's power and the entity's malice. Its eyes burned with an unnatural light, and its roar shook the very ground beneath our feet.
Lin Mo cursed, drawing his dagger. "It's using the node against us!"
The creature lunged, its massive fists slamming into the ground where we had stood moments before. I barely had time to react, throwing myself to the side as its attack missed me by inches. Lin Mo struck back, his dagger glowing with spiritual energy as he slashed at the creature's flank.
But the creature was fast—too fast. It twisted away from Lin Mo's attack and lashed out with a whip-like tail, sending him sprawling.
I scrambled to my feet, my mind racing. The pendant's energy was fading, and I could feel the weight of exhaustion settling over me. But I couldn't stop—not now.
I focused on the pendant, channeling what little energy I had left. Its glow intensified, and I felt a surge of power as I directed it toward the creature.
The energy struck it, and the creature let out a deafening roar. Its form wavered, the stone cracking and crumbling as if struggling to maintain its shape. But it wasn't enough. The creature recovered quickly, its eyes locking onto me with a malevolent gleam.
"Lin Mo!" I shouted. "We need to combine our energy!"
He nodded, scrambling to his feet. We stood side by side, our hands raised as we focused our power. The pendant's energy merged with Lin Mo's, creating a beam of light that struck the creature head-on.
The creature shrieked, its form unraveling as the light consumed it. The stone crumbled, and the shadow dissolved into smoke, leaving only the faint scent of earth and ash in the air.
The ground stopped trembling, and the fissure closed, leaving no trace of the creature's presence. The node was stable—for now.
Lin Mo let out a breath, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion. "That was too close."
I nodded, my legs giving out as I collapsed to the ground. "But we did it."
Lin Mo knelt beside me, his expression grim. "We did. But the entity is still out there. And it's not going to stop."
I looked up at him, my heart heavy. "Then we keep fighting. Until it's over."
Lin Mo nodded, a flicker of determination in his eyes. "Until it's over."