The battlefield was silent.
The remnants of the Obsidian Void Sect's soldiers lay scattered across the broken earth, their once-formidable vessels reduced to charred husks. Tempest's Wrath stood among the ruins, its chest heaving with the effort of the battle, the storm above calming as the beast's fury subsided. Jin Long stood at its side, his energy sword still crackling with residual power, his breath steady but filled with the echoes of his confrontation with Elder Varn.
Varn had retreated—just barely. The elder had underestimated Jin Long's growth, and the boy's power, fueled by the Genesis Core, had proved overwhelming. But that was only the beginning. The Obsidian Void Sect would not let this defeat go unanswered. They would return, stronger, more prepared.
Jin Long's golden eyes narrowed as he stared into the distance. The winds had settled, but the storm still lingered in his chest. His mind was already calculating his next move.
They are coming. And next time, they'll send something worse.
Tempest's Wrath let out a low growl, sensing the same tension in the air. Jin Long stroked the beast's massive head, the bond between them growing stronger by the minute.
"You've done well, Tempest," Jin Long said quietly. "But we can't stop here."
The creature looked up at him, its molten eyes reflecting a strange understanding. It was more than just a weapon—Tempest's Wrath was a companion, a part of him in ways Jin Long had yet to fully understand.
Jin Long turned back to the broken altar, his eyes falling upon the shattered remnants of his clan's sacred grounds. The Genesis Core—his inheritance—was no longer just a tool for cultivation. It was something more, something ancient that had awakened within him. The markings on his skin had begun to glow faintly, their symbols shifting, a map he had yet to decipher.
> "Host's connection with the Genesis Core stabilizing. Energy output at 72% capacity."
Jin Long's fingers brushed the pendant his mother had left him—the last relic of his family. It was warm to the touch, resonating with a faint pulse of energy.
He clenched his fist around it.
I won't let your death be in vain, Mother. I will reclaim everything.
But as he was about to turn to leave, a voice echoed in the wind—familiar, yet distant.
"Jin Long..."
His head snapped up. The voice sounded like a memory—soft, yet filled with weight. His heart skipped a beat.
"Mother?" he whispered.
But no one appeared. The storm swirled, and the whisper faded into the wind. For a moment, Jin Long stood frozen, the familiar ache in his chest threatening to overwhelm him. The void that his mother's death had left inside him was still there—deeper than any wound.
> "Host's emotional stability: 43% and declining. Warning: Unresolved trauma detected."
Jin Long shook his head, dispelling the momentary weakness. Now was not the time for weakness. He had a path to follow, one that was set in motion by his mother's death—and the betrayal of those who had once stood with her.
The Skyfire Clan...
A flash of light danced before his eyes. An ancient memory, buried deep in the recesses of his mind, flickered to life. His mother had always warned him about the dangers of the Genesis Core—the secrets it held, the power it offered, and the price of tapping into its full potential.
No matter what happens, Jin Long...
The voice was clearer now, as if it was reaching out from the past itself.
You must never give in to the temptation of the Core's power. There are forces beyond this world that would seek to control it. Do not let them use you as their pawn.
Jin Long clenched his jaw. I won't.
The sound of distant footsteps broke his concentration. He looked up to see a figure approaching—a woman, her silhouette outlined by the dim light of the storm. She wore a long, flowing robe, and her presence seemed to radiate an aura of calm.
Jin Long narrowed his eyes, ready to react at a moment's notice.
The woman stepped forward, her eyes glowing a soft blue. "I've been watching you, Jin Long."
His heart skipped again, but this time for a different reason. The woman's presence was unlike anything he had felt before—an overwhelming, almost divine energy that resonated with the very air around her.
"You've been tracking me?" Jin Long asked, his voice tense.
The woman nodded, her expression unreadable. "I am a scholar of the Void—the forgotten truths that exist beyond the known worlds. My name is Yue Lan, and I have come to offer you guidance."
"Guidance?" Jin Long's golden eyes narrowed. "Why would you offer me anything? What is your game?"
Yue Lan's lips curled into a serene smile. "I have no game to play, Jin Long. I am simply a witness to your destiny. You are no longer just a cultivator of the Skyfire Clan. You are the harbinger of the Genesis Core's true awakening. And there are those who will come for you, to either control you or destroy you. But you... you have the power to change everything."
Jin Long took a step back. "And why should I trust you?"
Yue Lan's eyes flickered with something unreadable—something ancient, almost sorrowful. "Because your mother trusted me."
Jin Long's blood ran cold. His mother?
"How do you know my mother?" he demanded.
Yue Lan's expression softened. "Because I was her teacher... and I know exactly what the Core can do to someone like you."
For a moment, the world seemed to slow. Jin Long's heart thudded in his chest as everything around him fell into place. This was no coincidence. The path he had set himself on was no longer just his own. He was being pulled toward something much bigger—a battle that spanned not just across worlds, but across time itself.
"You need to come with me," Yue Lan said, her voice now firm, as if she had already foreseen Jin Long's hesitation. "There is much you still do not understand. And if you are to survive what's coming, you will need all the knowledge you can get."
Jin Long's gaze turned back to the storm—the future he had chosen was uncertain, but he could not afford to turn away. The forces he faced were greater than he had ever imagined. His journey was just beginning.
And this woman, Yue Lan, was a key to it all.