Julong's Revelation
1. The Return from the Brink
Shenggu Julong stood before the Shanggu Council, his body worn from battle, his robes still scorched from the energy that had nearly consumed him. His breath was steady, but his eyes told the story of a man who had walked through a storm and barely emerged.
Chen Zhen stepped forward, his gaze unwavering. "You left without a word. And now you return like a specter. Where have you been, Julong?"
Julong exhaled. "I was where the battle already began."
The room fell silent. The weight of his words pressed upon them like an unseen force.
2. A Glimpse of Earth's Chaos
Julong's voice was grave as he began his tale. "I had to know if the connection between our worlds still existed. I had to see what was happening for myself."
He clenched his fists. "I found Earth on the brink of ruin."
He spoke of the Primordial Anchors, ancient sources of power buried deep beneath the surface of the planet, once dormant, now violently awakening. The Guardians had tried to stabilize them, but the military had other plans.
"They think they can control the Anchors. They are wrong."
The council listened as he described the military's ruthless pursuit of power, how General Caldwell had begun harnessing qi in ways that defied natural order.
"They've created weapons unlike anything I've ever seen. Machines infused with qi, war constructs meant to suppress and extract power from the very fabric of the ley lines."
Chen's grip on his glaive tightened. "They built soldiers from qi itself?"
Julong nodded. "And they call them the Harbinger units. The first of them is already in the field. If they perfect this process, they won't just wage war—they will break reality."
3. The Queen's Shadow Looms
Shanggu Meilin folded her arms, skeptical. "Earth has always courted destruction. This is not our war."
Julong turned sharply to her. "And what if I told you that Earth's fall is exactly what the Eclipse Queen wants?"
The room tensed.
"She has been watching. Waiting." His voice was low, deadly. "She doesn't just plan to conquer the Sacred Abyss—she wants to erase the balance that keeps existence stable."
Chen's mind raced. He had battled the Queen's forces, had felt the hunger in their attacks. But this?
"You're saying she's letting the Anchors collapse?"
Julong nodded. "She doesn't need to invade Earth. She only needs to let them destroy themselves. And when the last Anchor falls, she will rewrite existence itself."
Meilin's expression darkened. "Then we may already be too late."
4. Chen's Burden
Shanggu Xian, the eldest among them, studied Julong before turning his gaze to Chen.
"And what would you have us do, Chen Zhen?"
Chen's thoughts warred within him. Earth was his home. Li Na, his children—they were fighting battles they were never meant to face. But here, the war against the Eclipse Queen threatened to consume everything.
He looked down at the talisman in his palm, the fragment of Earth's ley lines pulsing faintly.
Two worlds. Two wars. And he stood in the middle.
He exhaled slowly. "I don't have that answer yet."
Julong's voice was softer this time. "You will soon. Because no matter what choice you make, the war will find you."
5. The Shattering Horizon
Outside, the winds shifted. The sky darkened, as if sensing the weight of what had been spoken.
Somewhere, beyond this world, a Queen smiled in the void.
And far away, on a planet caught between the past and the future, a battle was about to begin.