The night sky was shrouded in dark clouds as two figures stood face to face amidst the ruins of an ancient temple. Their auras surged, splitting the air, as if time itself held its breath at the clash between master and disciple.
Yan Zhian stepped forward. His breathing was steady, but a deep disappointment glinted in his aged eyes.
"With this technique… I've ended five generals and a king."
He raised his sword to the heavens. Celestial energy soared skyward, forming a massive illusory blade that gleamed blindingly.
"And now… my own disciple."
Xuan Di stood firm. His cloak billowed in the wind stirred by his master's aura. He showed no fear. Slowly, he lifted a black pendant from beneath his robes—a necklace once gifted by Yan Zhian himself as a symbol of their bond.
But now, the pendant cracked open, unleashing a dense black mist that coiled through the air like a living thing.
"A technique you never allowed me to learn," Xuan Di said softly. "But one you always kept… close to me."
The black energy wrapped around his body, forming the silhouette of a shadow dragon that circled and roared in silence. A chilling aura spread from him, devouring the surrounding light.
"Shadow Dragon Incarnate."
Yan Zhian's eyes widened. "You… stole it from my memory… back when I was unconscious on the battlefield?"
Xuan Di nodded. "I couldn't grow with only half-truths. Forgive me… or don't."
They needed no signal.
They charged.
---
Battle of Gods and Shadows
The Heavenly Severance Blade sliced the sky, releasing waves of energy in every direction. But the shadow dragon streaked like black lightning, dodging and attacking from impossible angles.
Explosion after explosion rocked the ground. Cracks spread with every impact. Trees were uprooted, stones shattered, and the temple collapsed into debris.
Xuan Di moved like a phantom, vanishing and reappearing from the shadows. His hands radiated deathly aura, striking Yan Zhian from all sides. Yet the master endured. Every slash carried the weight of a thousand years of experience and divine power.
One blow from Xuan Di landed squarely on Yan Zhian's chest. Blood splattered, but the master did not falter. He countered with a sweeping strike that sent Xuan Di crashing into the remaining temple wall.
Both rose again. Breaths ragged. Wounds tore across their bodies, but neither retreated.
---
Master and Disciple
Yan Zhian staggered, clutching the wound on his chest. The Heavenly Severance energy began to wane. His right hand trembled.
"So… even this divine power…" he muttered, "isn't enough to bring you down."
Xuan Di stood with a burning wound on his shoulder. But his eyes still blazed.
"You taught me never to surrender to fate," he said, meeting his master's gaze. "You taught me that a true swordsman never relies on a single strength."
Yan Zhian lowered his head, as if hiding a bitter smile.
"And in the end… that teaching became the blade to cut me down."
Xuan Di stepped forward.
"But I don't want to defeat you out of hatred."
"Then why?" Yan Zhian asked, his voice heavy.
"Because I want you to know… your student has grown. That I've found my own path."
Yan Zhian remained silent. But as he tried to raise his sword once more, blood poured faster from his wound. The Heavenly Severance Blade began to fade.
Suddenly, the sky trembled again.
"Don't think I came to this battlefield unprepared."
Yan Zhian grasped the blue pendant at his waist. Instantly, his body was engulfed in silvery light. A terrifying new aura exploded from within him. A secret technique known only in the ancient sects—Azure Soul Awakening.
"This power… rivals the Alliance Leader himself!"
Xuan Di narrowed his eyes. The pressure made it hard to breathe, but he didn't flinch.
"You're not the only one with a hidden trump card…"
The shadow dragon around him went berserk. Xuan Di's eyes turned dark silver. His breath merged with the surrounding darkness.
Two legendary powers clashed once again. The earth and sky quaked. Blades of light and darkness warred to erase each other.
But by the end of this round… one figure staggered heavier than the other—Yan Zhian.
---
To be continued…