The silence of the dead crater was louder than any thunder. The war had truly begun. Li Chen and Yueling, in their unified form as the True Guardian, felt the collective gasp of horror from the Sky-Shatter Basin. Their golden-violet eyes, fixed on the smoldering obsidian scar where the forest had been, narrowed. They knew precisely where to strike, Yueling’s consciousness resonated within their shared mind. They wanted us to see their ruthlessness.
And they wanted us to break, Li Chen’s thoughts confirmed, his resolve like iron. But we will not.
The devastation was a stark reminder of the enemy's power, yet it also solidified the resolve of many. Fear lingered, a cold dread in the pit of every stomach, but a new, steely anger began to replace it. The refugees from the annihilated forest,
