Prologue (4)

The wooden boat creaked gently as it glided through the serene waters, the skies providing a calm and silver-tinted hue to their travels. The deck was crowded, a vivid tapestry of personalities from across the many provinces. Merchants bartered stories like goods, scholars debated over the philosophies of the metaphysical forces governing their world, and soldiers regaled with tales of skirmishes on the fringes of the darkened lands tainted by Sooyeong Qi.

"See these waters?" an old fisherman gestured expansively, his eyes twinkling under the brim of his sedge hat. "Legends speak of the sea dragon, Jiaoren, who swims deep below, her scales shimmering like stars swallowed by the night sky. They say her tears can cure any ailment."

"In the north, the mountains touch the clouds," a young trader piped up, eager to share. "They say the gods tune the winds there, and melodies can be heard if one listens closely on the whispering peaks. It's magic, pure magic!"

Amidst these exchanges, a solitary figure lingered by the mast, enshrouded in a black sackcloth hoodie, his presence almost blending into the shadows cast by the late afternoon sun. Most gave him a wide berth, sensing an air of danger that was as palpable as the humid air.

The tranquility was abruptly broken when a burly man, emboldened by curiosity or perhaps the ale he'd consumed, staggered towards the solitary figure. "Oi, you! Cloaked ghost, what hides under your shroud? Some cursed visage, perhaps?"

The hooded figure remained motionless, an eerie silence enveloping him like a second cloak.

"C'mon now, show us your face!" the burly man reached out to tug at the figure's hood, laughter rumbling from his throat. Other crew and passengers watched, a mixture of amusement and apprehension flickering across their faces.

Without a word, the figure's hand shot out, movements almost blurred, and the man's laughter turned into a horrific gurgle as his body crumpled to the deck, life snuffed out like a doused candle. Blood splattered across the wooden planks, crimson stark against aged timber.

Panic ensued. Some screamed, scrambling away, while others, fueled by a blend of fear and bravado, drew weapons. "Monster!" one shouted, as steel and wood brandished in trembling hands.

With a movement fluid and chilling, the figure dropped the hood, revealing a dark grey, unblemished skin and a wide, chilling smile. His eyes were obscured by a white wrap, giving him a ghostly visage, completed by a halo of sinister black energy that shimmered with malice.

"I am not the nightmare you hope to wake from," his voice, silk over steel, echoed ominously. The air around him pulsed with a dark aura, tangible and terrifying.

With a supernatural grace, he extended a hand, now morphing into a sharp, deadly blade gleaming with a black aura. In a sweep broad as the horizon, he slashed through the air.

The attack was devastating. The impact not only cut through bodies but sheared through the wooden beams of the boat as if they were mere threads. Men and women fell, sliced through before they could scream, their blood mingling with sea waters that now rushed to claim the wreckage.

As the boat splintered, the energy from the sweep of his hand created a massive explosion of water, sending tidal waves cascading in all directions and leaving a gaping void where the boat had once been.

Amid the chaos, the figure landed gracefully on the shore, his otherworldly smile untouched by the carnage left behind. Turning slowly, he gazed at the devastation, his head tilting slightly—a gesture almost of curiosity, or perhaps pity.

"Weak," he uttered softly, the word dispersing into the wind as if it were a verdict from the depths of the abyss itself. His form began to fade, blending into the shadows and mists that rose from the waters, his departure as mysterious and haunting as his arrival.

The figure was walking through the woodland areas, his heart bumping louder and louder.

"Hehe…the demonic qi energy…i'm closing in on it."

He then started running as fast as he could, and in the blink of an eye, he was in the Hangyang capital.

"Hmmm. It should be here."

Everyone looked at him, screaming:

"A demon!"

"He doesn't look like the other ones…"

"He could be their ruler!"

"Call the sect leaders!"

The figure said, "Huh? I'm not here to fight. But if we're gonna fight.."

Under the looming shadows of the ancient trees at the 

outskirts of the Hangyang sect capital, the air crackled with battle fervor, an unsettling blend of stone and flame disrupting the quiet night. The dark figure, enigmatic and terrible, faced off against Shen Wei, Lian Jun, and Aiyin, each a master of their respective crafts, under the wary eyes of the sect leaders, they landed feet first hard side by side, right in front of the figure.

Shen Wei yawned, "Fuck. Who's this guy?"

Lian Jun responded, "…A demon who must be eradicated."

Aiyin said, "H-He looks strong! We have to kill him, right? Because he's a demon!"

The figure said, "I'm looking for something."

Lian Jun screamed, "All demons should be eradicated! You only search for darkness and death to fuel your dark traditions! Face me, bastard!"

"Alright then. This should be at least a little entertaining."

At that moment, Protector Ji-Woo, Elder Hanuel, Elder Mingxia, Protector Zhen, and Master Liang rushed outside, and gasped.

Ji-Woo said, "A demon…"

Hanuel added, "Not just any regular demon too.."

Mingxia said, "We have to help them! What the hell is that demon here for?"

Ji-Woo scoffed, "That brat Joon…he led them here! My intuition was right…seems killing his parents didn't help us at all."

Master Liang said, "If we don't help them…"

Mingxia snarled, "Our warriors have killed demons before, even powerful ones. With their cultivation techniques and mastery of the sect arts, they will be victorious. Watch."

Ji-Woo added, "She's right. This isn't anything they haven't faced before. In the meantime, we shall deal with Joon now, we have to kill him before he can bring any other demons here."

The encounter erupted into chaos as Shen Wei initiated the onslaught, channeling the raw fury of fire into his hands. A formidable display of martial prowess, he thrust his palms forward, releasing a devastating wave of flame that spiraled toward the dark figure. The mysterious adversary countered effortlessly, sidestepping with supernatural swiftness, merely a blur against the flickering firelight. Lian Jun, eyes narrowed in concentration, raised his arms commanding the earth beneath them to obey. Massive slabs of rock surged upward, transforming into a battalion of jagged spears aimed at their target. With a scornful smirk, the figure waved a dismissive hand, dark energy pulsing from his palm that shattered the earthen weapons into dust, which scattered in the wind like the ashes of defeat.

Aiyin's figure danced gracefully amidst the chaos, her movements serpentine and elusive. With a swift gesture, she sliced through the air, sending a crescent of greenish energy speeding towards the figure. This energy, sharp enough to sever through bone, was met by the figure's outstretched hand, his own dark aura clashing with hers, creating a shockwave that ripped through the surrounding landscape, upturning stones and scorching earth.

The trio regrouped, circling the dark figure with calculated precision. Shen Wei launched forward, his fists engulfed in flames, delivering a series of rapid strikes. Each hit met with the figure's forearms wrapped in a shadowy shroud, the impacts sounding like clashing cymbals, sparks erupting ferociously with each block. Seizing the momentary distraction, Lian Jun melded into the earth, reappearing behind the figure. His hands, caked with the essence of the terrain, molded into a massive hammer which he swung with relentless force. The figure caught the hammer mid-air, his grip iron-tight, and with a twist of his body, redirected the momentum, hurling Lian Jun against a nearby boulder.

Aiyin, her features set in a mask of determination, channeled her healing energy into a barrage of stone-altering waves. The ground beneath the figure hardened, attempting to trap him in a tomb of stone. With a chilling laugh, he shattered the petrification with a stomp of his foot, freeing himself from her geological snare.

The figure then advanced, his movements a blend of grace and lethal intent. With a flourish of his cloak, he unleashed a dark pulse that swept towards the trio. Shen Wei countered by creating a barrier of intense heat, evaporating the dark mist before it could reach them. Lian Jun, recovering, tapped deeper into his connection with the earth. He summoned a ring of granite walls, intending to encase the figure. In response, the figure ascended, a vertical leap powered by shadows, landing atop the barrier with the ease of a falling leaf.

From his elevated position, the figure dove towards Aiyin, who reacted swiftly. Her palms met, forming a seal that unleashed a torrential flow of sharp, green energy. The figure twisted in mid-air, barely avoiding a direct hit, the energy slicing a nearby tree in half instead. Landing agilely, the figure faced Shen Wei, who erupted in an aura of blazing fury. The warrior morphed his body into a living inferno, resembling a mythical firebird. He soared, striking down towards the figure. The collision was explosive, a mushroom cloud of fire and dark power blooming into the night sky.

As the smoke cleared, Shen Wei lay crumpled, his energy spent. The figure, barely perturbed, wiped a trickle of shadowy blood from a superficial wound, his sinister chuckle resonating through the clearing.

At this, Aiyin and Lian Jun, driven by a mix of fear and resolve, joined forces. Aiyin's healing energy infused Lian Jun's earthen constructs, creating a hybrid force of nature—stone imbued with life-giving energy, capable of regeneration.

Aiyin cried, "We can't win…"

Lian Jun scoffed, "We can! We have to attack faster than he can dish out his own attacks! We'll keep him on the defensive!"

The figure laughed, "No way you guys are actually making up a plan right now."

They launched a combined assault. Lian Jun manipulated the terrain, causing spikes of rock infused with Aiyin's energy to erupt in rapid succession towards the figure. He maneuvered with uncanny agility, but the relentless assault was different—each rock that shattered against him or he dodged regenerated and attacked again.

The figure said, "Oh?? Seems like you fools are useless after all."

The figure faltered, the continuous assault overwhelming his senses. A speck of blood, darker than night, spattered the ground—a testament to their effectiveness. Encouraged, Aiyin amplified her efforts, her energy now slicing through the air, creating a whirlwind of lethal force.

Lian Jun and Aiyin screamed a large battle cry as their entire being drippee blood and dirt, attacking faster.

Cornered and beleaguered, the figure's smile finally faltered. With a roar that shook the heavens, he expanded his dark aura in a devastating explosion of power that leveled the surrounding area, trees uprooted and earth scorched in a wide radius.

As the dust settled, the figure stood, breaths heavy but composure regaining. He looked upon the weary but resolute faces of Aiyin and Lian Jun. "You fight with spirit," he acknowledged, his tone almost respectful. Yet, as they prepared for another clash, he vanished, reappearing behind them in a whisper of shadow. With a sweep of his arm, dark energy condensed into a blade that sliced through the air—decisive, fatal. The sect warriors fell, their defenses shattered in an instant, their bodies cut in half, blood splashing everywhere.

As the figure turned, walking past the carnage, he left a chilling message to any survivors, "This was but a dance of shadows. True darkness lies ahead." His laugh, cold and hollow, echoed as he disappeared into the night, leaving behind only the echoes of his foreboding words and the devastation of his power. "Now then, to get what I came for."