"If it falls here, everything is lost," Xiaochen replied, his gaze fixed on the sky. He felt the familiar, dangerous pull of the sword, the insidious whispers of power he usually fought to suppress. Just this once, he thought, I will use everything.
He channelled his remaining Qi, the raw, unrefined energy that flowed through him, tainted by the sword's influence. It surged, dark and turbulent, wrapping around his blade like a living shadow. The ground beneath him cracked, unable to withstand the sudden outpouring of power. His eyes, normally a sharp, intelligent grey, flickered with an unsettling, crimson glow.
"Stay back," he warned the others, his voice deepened, taking on a resonant quality. "This is mine."
The crimson orb in the sky reached its zenith, pulsing with malevolent energ
