The blinding light subsided, leaving behind a stunned silence. Yun Lintian lay still, his breathing shallow and erratic. The black veins that had marred his skin were now gone, replaced by a faint, ethereal glow emanating from his abdomen.
Tian He slowly pushed himself up, his eyes glued to Yun Lintian. "What just happened?" he rasped, the lingering effects of the temporal backlash making his voice hoarse.
Shan Que stood tall, his emerald aura fading like embers. A grimace twisted his features. "Fan Shen's control over time hasn't weakened. In fact, it's grown stronger. We were utterly wrong about him."
At this moment, Yun Qianxue and the others burst into the hut, their faces etched with worry.
Shan Que didn't turn around. "Leave," he commanded, his voice gruff with strain. "There's nothing you can do here."
Yun Qianxue and the girls' fists clenched, their eyes fixated on Yun Lintian. Leaving him like this was an agonizing choice.