The shadowy leader, weakened and surprised, roared in frustration. It looked around at its retreating forces, seeing them crumble before the combined power of the academy students.
"This is not over!" the leader snarled, its voice now thin and desperate. "The cleansing will come! The natural order will be restored!"
With a final, desperate surge of dark energy, the leader created a blinding smoke screen and tried to escape through a hidden passage behind the inner sanctum.
"Don't let it get away!" Headmaster Lin's voice boomed from the doorway, having finally defeated the other leaders.
Xiaoping didn't hesitate. He remembered the lightning speed he had learned to wield. "Follow me!" he shouted to his friends.
He blurred into motion, a streak of blue-white lightning, through the smoke. Li Wei, Kai, Elara, and Jian followed close behind, their own elements aiding their pursuit.
They burst into a small, dusty tunnel. The shadowy leader was already halfway down, its form flickering.
"It's trying to reach something!" Elara cried, pointing with a gust of wind.
They raced through the twisting passages. The air grew colder, and a feeling of ancient, malevolent power filled the tunnel. Soon, they emerged into a vast underground chamber, bathed in an eerie, green light.
In the center of the chamber stood a massive, pulsating crystal, radiating the same dark, corrosive energy as the shadowy figures. It was the source. Around it, dozens of other cloaked figures were gathered, channeling their energy into the crystal, making it throb with greater power.
The shadowy leader, having reached the crystal, turned to face them, its form now bolstered by the crystal's power. "You are too late!" it hissed, its voice booming with renewed strength. "Once the ritual is complete, this world will be purified of all anomalies!"
Xiaoping's eyes widened. This wasn't just about him; it was about everyone who was different, everyone with unique magic. The true scale of the threat finally hit him.
"We won't let that happen!" Kai roared, sending a wave of fire towards the crystal. The flames licked at the dark energy, but the crystal merely pulsed stronger.
Li Wei unleashed a torrent of water, trying to douse the crystal, but the water evaporated before it even touched the surface. Jian tried to bind it with earth, but the ground around the crystal shook violently. Elara's winds swirled, but could not affect the crystal's power.
"It's too strong!" Elara cried. "It's feeding off their combined dark magic!"
The shadowy leader laughed, a chilling, triumphant sound. "You cannot stop the inevitable! The true order will be restored!"
Xiaoping looked at his friends, then at the glowing crystal. He knew what he had to do. He had to stop the source. He had to unleash the full power of the storm.