The Shadowverse trembled.
Cracks shimmered across the gray sky as two powers collided—Chaos and Abyss. One born of an ancient order lost to time, the other forged from hatred, corruption, and despair. In the heart of this battlefield, Li Yi stood like a lonely beacon, his Chaos Qi spiraling outward in waves of silver and black, pushing back the suffocating pressure of the Abyssal Lord.
The cursed descendant of the Celestial Flame General writhed in place, engulfed by flickering tongues of dark fire. His body spasmed as if caught between dimensions. Abyssal chains slithered from beneath his skin, anchoring him to the fractured earth.
Li Yi took a single step forward.
Boom!
A wall of flame surged up, nearly blinding him. It wasn't normal fire—it reeked of death and madness, of gods long since torn apart. But Li Yi's Chaos Qi held, forming a cocoon that shielded him. He raised his right hand, and the Chaos Blade responded. The curved weapon shimmered into view, devouring the Abyssal fire with every breath.
Behind him, the others fought desperately.
Lan Qing'er spun, her Astral Whip forming rings of energy that cast Shadebound away from the mirror. Zhao Feiyu bled from several cuts, yet his spirit never wavered as he intercepted the Abyssal Lord's chains with his martial halberd, sparks flying from every clash. Mo Ruyan moved like a phantom—her spirit needles now infused with soul poison harvested from thousand-year lotus blooms.
Xue Lian, sweat pouring down her face, remained kneeling at the gate, channeling every drop of her lifeforce to keep it stable. The mirror cracked once… then twice… but held.
Li Yi's eyes locked on the cursed youth once more.
"Your name?" he asked, voice cutting through the chaotic maelstrom.
The boy blinked, his expression momentarily clearing. "Feng… Feng Lin…"
"Feng Lin," Li Yi repeated, nodding. "You're still in there. The Abyss hasn't claimed you yet."
Feng Lin's body jerked violently. His mouth opened, but only a choked roar escaped. Black flames burst from his eyes, and more chains surged from his limbs—lashing outward like a storm of spears.
Li Yi reacted instantly. He flicked his blade sideways, carving through the first wave. The chains hissed and recoiled, sizzling as they touched the Chaos energy. But more came, and they were endless.
Abyssal laughter boomed behind him.
"You think to purify a soul bound by my mark?" the Abyssal Lord sneered. "Foolish. He is mine."
"Not yet," Li Yi replied, eyes narrowing.
He moved.
His form blurred as he activated [Heavenstep], an ancient footwork technique hidden within the Chaos Bloodline. Space bent, and in three flickers, he was beside Feng Lin. Chaos surged from his palm, entering the cursed boy's chest.
For a second, everything froze.
Li Yi entered a realm of darkness—no wind, no light, no sound. He stood within Feng Lin's soul sea, surrounded by chains that coiled through the void like serpents. In the center floated a fragment of blazing golden flame—barely alive, flickering.
Feng Lin's soul.
And around it coiled a shadow with crimson eyes.
"You dare enter my domain?" the shadow hissed.
"I dare much more than that," Li Yi whispered, raising the Chaos Blade within the soul realm.
He plunged it into the dark.
The shadow shrieked. Black ichor sprayed across the soul sea as Chaos light flooded the area. Chains broke, one by one, shattering with metallic screams. The golden flame grew brighter.
Feng Lin's voice echoed weakly. "Why… why help me?"
"Because I'm done watching the Abyss consume everything."
The final chain snapped.
Outside, in the real world, Feng Lin let out a scream—a sound of agony and liberation. The flames around his body turned gold and red, swallowing the black fire. His eyes flared with celestial light, the mark of the Celestial Flame lineage now restored.
The Abyssal Lord howled in rage.
"You insolent worm—!"
Boom!
A spear of pure Chaos erupted from Li Yi, hurling the Abyssal Lord backward. The demon's enormous body crashed into a jagged obsidian pillar. Chunks of the realm crumbled as cracks formed beneath his feet.
Zhao Feiyu shouted, "Li Yi! The gate—it's destabilizing!"
Li Yi turned to Xue Lian, whose face had gone pale. The mirror trembled in her hands.
"Then we're leaving. Now!"
He turned to Feng Lin, who stood trembling but whole.
"Can you move?"
Feng Lin nodded, still breathless.
"Good. Then let's get out of this cursed place."
They sprinted toward the mirror, carving a path through the remaining Shadebound. Li Yi held the rear, his blade never still. When they reached the gate, Feng Lin stumbled through first, followed by Zhao Feiyu, Mo Ruyan, and Lan Qing'er.
Just as Li Yi and Xue Lian prepared to leap—
A chain shot from the shadows.
It wrapped around Xue Lian's ankle, yanking her backward.
"No!" Li Yi roared.
He spun, Chaos energy coiling violently around his arm as he slashed through the chain. He grabbed Xue Lian and flung her through the gate with a final push.
The Abyssal Lord reappeared.
"Leaving so soon?" he growled.
Li Yi didn't respond. His Chaos Blade pulsed—darker now, deeper—and with a mighty roar, he thrust it into the ground. Chaos erupted like a volcano, forming a dome that collapsed inward.
A moment later, he vanished into the gate.
The Shadowverse screamed behind him as the portal closed.
—
They emerged in a remote mountain valley, the stars above clear, the sky peaceful once more. Trees rustled in the breeze, and the land was quiet save for their labored breathing.
Feng Lin collapsed to his knees, sobbing with relief. Zhao Feiyu looked around, stunned. Mo Ruyan sat down, head lowered.
Xue Lian leaned on a rock, hand gripping her ribs.
Li Yi fell to one knee, coughing up blood—but smiling.
They were alive.
And they had retrieved the final descendant.
Lan Qing'er sat beside Li Yi. "You saved him. You really did it."
He nodded weakly. "This realm… it's not ready for what's coming. But I'll be ready."
Above them, the stars flickered.
And somewhere beyond, in the sealed heavens of the God Realm, an ancient presence stirred for the first time in eons.
It had felt the Chaos awaken.
And it remembered the name: Li Yi.
—
End of Chapter 21