Xu Wang sat cross-legged before the statue of the Sahasrara God, his mind spinning with unanswered questions. The woman’s voice still echoed in his head, her touch lingering on his forehead like a phantom whisper. He could still feel the energy pulsating within him, resonating with the violet gem atop the statue's crown. *Who was she? And why did she call me... my love?*

  “Xu!” Li Wang’s voice pulled him back to reality. Her eyes were wide with concern, her face pale. “Are you alright? You’ve been silent since you woke up.”

  Mei Ling stood beside her, arms crossed and expression tense. “You colpsed, glowing with that strange light. What happened in the spiritual realm?”

  Xu Wang looked at them, the worry etched on their faces making his chest tighten. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. How could he expin the old man, the relentless attacks, and that woman who seemed to know him so intimately? His thoughts were a tangled mess.

  Before he could answer, the monk who had guided them to the temple appeared, his steps silent despite the echoing hall. He bowed slightly, his wrinkled face calm yet knowing. “You seek answers.”

  Xu Wang stood up, his body still weak but his resolve firm. “Yes. I need to understand the Ajna Qi Technique. Only then can I master the Sahasrara.”

  The monk’s eyes gleamed with ancient wisdom. “The Ajna Qi Technique... it is the power of perception, vision beyond vision. But to learn it, you must travel to the vilge of **Lianhua**. There, the Keeper of Sight resides, one of the st masters of Ajna.”

  “Lianhua...” Mei Ling repeated, her brows furrowing. “That vilge is said to be shrouded in mystery. No one who seeks it returns unchanged.”

  Li Wang’s hand tightened around Xu Wang’s arm. “We’re going together. I won’t let you face this alone.”

  Xu Wang looked at them both, his heart swelling with gratitude. “Thank you... both of you.” His gaze shifted back to the monk. “We’ll leave at dawn.”

  The monk’s eyes softened. “May your journey bring you the vision you seek.”

  ---

  They returned to the inn as dusk settled over the vilge. The air was thick with tension, the streets eerily quiet. The trio huddled around a dim ntern in their room, exhaustion weighing on them.

  Li Wang’s eyes never left Xu Wang. “You need to tell us what happened. You were out for hours... and that light...”

  Xu Wang took a deep breath, recounting everything—the mountain, the old man’s challenge, the battle of the mind, and the woman who appeared in the void. His voice trembled when he mentioned her final words. “She called me ‘my love’... and then she vanished.”

  Li Wang’s face darkened, her hands curling into fists. “Who does she think she is...?” Her voice was low, possessive. “No one’s allowed to call you that.”

  Mei Ling’s expression grew thoughtful. “The way she spoke about Ajna and Sahasrara... it’s like she knew exactly what you needed to hear. Almost like she’s guiding you.”

  Xu Wang’s shoulders sagged. “But who is she? And why do I feel like... I’ve known her before?”

  Silence hung between them, the air heavy with uncertainty.

  A sudden scream shattered the stillness, echoing through the night. They shot to their feet, rushing to the window. A blood-red moon hung in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the vilge. Shadows moved swiftly below, monstrous figures tearing through homes, leaving chaos in their wake.

  “What... what are those?” Li Wang’s voice trembled, her eyes wide with horror.

  “Yin beasts,” Mei Ling answered, her face pale. “Creatures born of corrupted qi... they feast on life force.”

  Xu Wang’s jaw tightened. “We need to help them. Now!”

  They burst out of the inn, rushing into the chaos. Vilgers fled in all directions, their screams filling the air as the Yin beasts hunted them mercilessly. Their twisted forms were monstrous—humanoid but grotesquely deformed, their limbs elongated and their faces contorted with hunger.

  Xu Wang’s eyes burned with fury. “Anahata Qi Technique!” His body glowed with a golden light, his heart chakra resonating with compassion and courage. He charged forward, fists bzing with energy, striking the nearest beast. It howled, disintegrating into bck mist.

  Li Wang’s eyes turned crimson, her shadows surging around her. “I won’t let them hurt anyone else!” Her hands danced through the air, tendrils of darkness sshing through the creatures, tearing them apart. Yet, her aura flickered, the shadows pulsating with a sinister edge.

  Mei Ling moved with deadly grace, her bde fshing as she cut down beast after beast. Her movements were fluid, precise—no motion wasted. “Stay focused. They’re feeding off the vilgers’ fear. If we don’t stop them now, they’ll consume everything!”

  The battle raged on, the streets painted red with blood. Xu Wang fought with all his might, his heart aching with every vilger he couldn’t save. The Yin beasts were relentless, their hunger insatiable.

  A child’s scream pierced the air. Xu Wang spun around, seeing a young boy cornered by three beasts, their cws gleaming in the moonlight. His body moved on instinct, the Anahata Qi surging through him. “NO!” He threw himself between them, his arms outstretched. A blinding light exploded from his chest, engulfing the creatures and eradicating them.

  The boy stared up at him, eyes wide with terror and awe. “Thank you... mister...”

  Xu Wang’s heart broke. “I’m sorry... I couldn’t save your family...” He looked around at the burning homes, the lifeless bodies strewn across the ground. The vilge was in ruins, the stench of death suffocating.

  Li Wang’s shadows tore through the st beast, its body disintegrating with a final, pitiful wail. The silence that followed was deafening.

  Xu Wang colpsed to his knees, his body trembling. The Anahata Qi flickered around him, dimming with his grief. “We... we were too te...” His hands curled into fists, blood dripping from his fingers. “So many... gone...”

  Li Wang knelt beside him, her face pale. “We did everything we could... but it wasn’t enough.” Her voice was hollow, eyes distant as the shadows receded.

  Mei Ling’s face was stoic, but her shoulders sagged, her bde trembling in her grip. “The Yin beasts... they were drawn here by something powerful. This wasn’t a coincidence.” Her gaze shifted to the temple in the distance, its silhouette ominous against the blood moon. “Someone orchestrated this.”

  Xu Wang’s chest tightened. *The prophecy... the Dual Spirits... was this attack meant for us?* His vision blurred, the faces of the dead fshing before his eyes.

  The ground beneath them was soaked with blood, the air heavy with loss. The vilge of **Heiyan** y in ruins, its people shattered and broken. Xu Wang’s heart ached, the weight of their deaths crushing him.

  He looked at his hands, still glowing faintly with the Anahata Qi. *What good is this power... if I can’t even protect the innocent?*

  The blood moon hung above them, its sinister light casting long shadows over the desote ruins. As its crimson glow faded, the truth became clear—there were no victors tonight, only survivors.

  And the darkness was far from over.

  To be continued....