The once-peaceful courtyard was now a battleground, a scene of chaos. Jiang Dao had just unleashed a series of devastating attacks on the elders from a mysterious, dark force. His every move was precise, brutal, and overwhelming—a whirlwind of violence that left their bodies shattered and flying in all directions. The air still hummed with residual energy from their clashes, and the ominous silence that followed was almost more unsettling than the fight itself.
Jiang Dao's eyes glittered with a strange, cold fire as he surveyed the scene. His body was battered but resolute, his expression grim yet victorious. In the flickering shadows of the burning Liu residence, he moved swiftly—draping himself in a new garment, meticulously wiping off the blood, and casting a final glance at the corpse hanging from a nearby tree.
Suddenly, with a burst of violent energy, the flame domain around him erupted in a furious blaze. Flames licked upward, roaring like a beast awakened. The entire Liu estate was engulfed in fire, smoke billowing into the sky as the inferno consumed everything in its path. The fires weren't just destructive—they carried a purifying force that banished the darkness and evil spirits that had gathered there.
As Jiang Dao disappeared into the shadows, a ripple of alarms sounded in the vicinity. Nearby, other spiritualists—exorcists and guardians—noticed the flames erupting from the Liu estate. Their faces went pale as they recognized the fire as a sign of something sinister. Rumors quickly spread like wildfire: the Zhang family of the Underworld Palace was under attack—their secret territory had been breached, their forces compromised.
In the bustling streets of the town, two figures—Xu Zifeng and Zhao Ziling—had just crossed through a thick, suffocating fog that had obscured much of their journey. Their mission had been arduous, their calculations complicated, but they had finally reached the point of convergence. Behind them, the fog swirled like a living entity, as if the very air resisted their progress.
Zhao Ziling was babbling nonstop, her voice a constant stream of commentary and speculation about their journey and their encounters along the way.
"Bro, seriously, you're so slow! It took forever for you to get through that fog. Did you even see how the leader of the Lieyan Gang moved? Man, he didn't stop once—no hesitation, no pausing. Just in a blink, he was gone."
Xu Zifeng grinned, trying to mask his frustration. He kept fiddling with a handful of copper coins, flipping and shaking them as if that simple act could somehow influence the outcome of their mission. "Hey, the speed doesn't matter—what matters is that we get there, right? You know what they say—late or early, as long as you arrive."
"Yeah, but—" Zhao Ziling rolled her eyes, "—your luck is garbage. Look at that. Still messing around with those coins. Do you think that little trick actually works? Honestly, I don't get it. You're supposed to be smart, but then you keep wasting time doing that."
Xu Zifeng chuckled, unconcerned, until he suddenly stopped. His face darkened as he stared unblinkingly at his palm. The three copper coins—tiny but carefully arranged—glinted in his hand, as if holding secrets of the universe within their small circles. His brows furrowed, and an intense wave of disbelief washed over him.
He examined the coins carefully, flicking his palm softly. His eyes widened in shock. Something was wrong—these coins, normally just inert tokens, were reacting in an abnormal way. A cold chill ran down his spine.
"Wait… what?" Xu Zifeng's whisper was almost inaudible, but it carried a weight of genuine confusion. The world around him seemed to shift, as if reality itself had warped slightly, responding to something unseen.
Zhao Ziling looked at him, puzzled. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
His breath hitched, and he inhaled sharply. "This is impossible. The coins—they're reacting. I don't understand how or why. Something's definitely off."
"Are you serious? You're usually full of nonsense," Zhao Ziling teased, but even her voice hinted at genuine concern. "What do you think it means?"
He continued gazing at the coins, tracing their arrangement with trembling fingers. His mind raced to piece together what this could mean in the grand scheme of their journey. Before long, a darker thought crept into his mind, one he couldn't ignore.
Suddenly, from somewhere above them, in the sky, an unseen force seemed to ripple. A figure—an eerie, distorted face—materialized in the air, their presence tingling with malevolence. It was a visage so grotesque that it sent a shiver down their spines. The face was hollow-eyed, chilling, and radiated a sinister green glow that seemed to consume the surrounding darkness.
The face grinned with a terrible, hollow smile, and in that moment, a tiny black lotus tattoo, painted faintly on Jiang Dao's chest, flickered with a faint, ominous hiss. The tattoo shivered as if alive—its dark petals blooming and twisting in a macabre dance. The strange face, sensing this change, paused for a moment, its eyes flickering with a twisted, unnatural light.
From the depths of the void, a voice—a deep, muffled, almost otherworldly whisper—began to echo through the air. "Number One, the experiment… is progressing." The words dripped with malice and foreboding.
Zhao Ziling's eyes widened in fear as she saw the scene unfold before her. "Bro, do you see this? That face—it's watching us."
Xu Zifeng's eyes darkened. His mind raced with questions and fears. What was this creature? Why did it come and go so suddenly? And what was the significance of that tiny black lotus tattoo flickering on Jiang Dao's chest? Was it a warning? Or some kind of tether?
Amidst the chaos, the face's hollow, ancient voice continued: "The Mark of the Heavenly Mandate... is awakening. The destiny that lies ahead... is beyond your comprehension."
The realization hit them like a bolt of lightning. This was something bigger than they had anticipated—an incident involving powers and entities they barely understood, sealed deep within the dark tapestry of the universe.
In the silent darkness, the eerie face vanished as suddenly as it appeared, leaving behind a lingering sense of dread. Jiang Dao's body flickered with strange energy, drawing a deep breath as his eyes snapped open—focused and piercing. He felt a wave of tension seep into his bones, a reminder that this wasn't just a fight between mortals, but a war of divine and demonic forces.
Meanwhile, a figure cloaked in shadows approached in the distance, their steps silent but deliberate. They were a stranger, yet familiar—perhaps an ally, perhaps a foe. Their presence announced that the true battle for the hidden power had only just begun.
In the underbelly of this clandestine world, secrets festered, and awakenings simmered beneath the surface. Jiang Dao, Zhao Ziling, and Xu Zifeng had stepped into a realm where danger lurked around every corner, where ancient powers and unseen enemies converged. The flames of the Liu estate still blazed, illuminating the night sky with a fierce glow, but it was only a warning—shadows of the underworld, the palace of darkness, had been disturbed. And the true fight for the destiny of the world was only unfolding.
The quiet hesitation in the air vibrated with potential and peril, hinting that the coming days would reveal truths far darker than anyone could have imagined. The whispers of the ancient powers, the secrets held within the Heavenly Mandate, and the enigmatic presence of the Underworld Palace—all woven into a tapestry of chaos and hope. The battle for the future was beginning, and no one knew what the next step would bring.