The Battle Begins
Across the vast stretches of the cosmos, Xiao Yan's battalion advanced. Saints, disciples, Di'or, and Nem stood in formation, their robes rippling in the interstellar winds. Every heartbeat echoed with anticipation. Today would be the final battle. Today would decide the fate of the universe.
"Today is the last day of the fight," Xiao Yan declared. "We will kill the Ansha and restore justice to this world."
Mi-An lay unconscious in Xiao Yan's mind, the memory of her absence gnawing at him. He clenched his fists. "I won't fail her," he whispered.
Nem's eyes scanned the battlefield, wary, calculating. Each step of the battalion sent ripples through the void.
"Charge!" Nem shouted, and like a wave, the battalion surged toward the Celestial Realm.
Suddenly, Hao Nan descended from the upper sky, her landing sending gusts of cosmic wind that toppled several cultivators. She raised two fingers from each hand and crossed them, a yellow light spiraling into a floating circle. Slowly, the circle expanded, forming a floating, impossible-to-touch formation. It hummed with power, siphoning the essence of everyone who came too close.
Xiao Yan's body erupted into dragon form, his wings tearing through the void as he charged the formation. With a roar that shook the stars, he smashed through the magical construct. Hao Nan was thrown back violently, spitting blood as Xiao Yan reverted to human form. He drew a sword of shimmering energy and lunged at her—but before he could strike, a bluish force hurled him away, sending him skidding across the void.
The ground—or what passed for a ground in the Celestial Realm—shattered beneath him. And then, the sky split. The Ansha descended, his presence like a god descending from the heavens. Every inch of the realm seemed to bend and vibrate under his authority.
The final battle was about to begin.