"No!!!"
Jian Wu's fist tightened with such force that blood began to seep from his palm, the sharp pain dwarfed by the storm raging in his chest. His eyes burned a vivid crimson as he continued to stare at the dissipating smoke where the Great Elder had stood moments ago.
"Why... Why did you intervene?" Jian Wu murmured, his voice trembling.
Around him, the disciples collapsed to their knees, grief overtaking them. Tears streamed freely down their faces, their cries a haunting symphony of loss.
"Great Elder..." they whispered, their voices quivering with despair.
The shadows sneered down from above, their dark cloaks rippling like restless shadows against the sky.
"Tsk, what a waste," one muttered, his voice dripping with disdain. "That old man cost us more than he was worth. If only he hadn't interfered..."
Another shadow chuckled darkly. "But that's fine. Now we can finish Jian Wu. He doesn't even have a speck of strength lef—"
Their words froze mid-sentence. Disbelief painted their faces as their mocking expressions twisted into dread. Below them, Jian Wu stood rooted in place, calm as a mountain, yet from him erupted an aura so potent it felt like the ground itself trembled in respect.
Even though it was faint, but the aura that surrounded him was bone-chilling, like a storm held in check by sheer willpower. Even a mere whisper of this force sent an icy shiver coursing through the Great Elder of the Shadow Clan, while the others instinctively took a step back in fear.
Far away, deep within a shadowy chamber, a pair of eyes snapped open, glowing ominously in the darkness. A deep voice, laced with annoyance and resolve, echoed in the chamber.
"It seems I'll have to handle this myself."
Back at the Sword Sect, Jian Wu stood motionless, though his shoulders trembled faintly. His eyes blazed with unyielding anger, his breath uneven as it fanned the growing storm inside him. It was a fury that threatened to consume him entirely.
Just as his grip tightened, ready to act, a firm hand landed on his shoulder.
"Senior Brother."
Jian Wu turned sharply, his fiery gaze meeting Wen Lun's calm, steady eyes. Wen Lun's expression was resolute, his tone firm yet gentle.
"Don't. If you give in to this rage, everything we've trained for will be undone."
For a moment, Jian Wu stood frozen, his body trembling. Wen Lun's words pierced through the tempest within him. Slowly, he lowered his gaze, his clenched fists loosening as he took a deep, shuddering breath.
"I... I'm sorry to worry you, Wen Lun," he said at last, his voice subdued but steady. "You're right. I won't act recklessly."
Wen Lun nodded silently, his calm demeanor unwavering. But then, his voice turned resolute. "However," Wen Lun declared, his tone rising with determination, "we will avenge the Great Elder!"
Before Jian Wu could respond, a familiar, irritated voice echoed through the air, cutting through the moment like a blade.
"Whose revenge are you planning? And why do you make it sound like I'm already dead?"
Jian Wu's body stiffened, his eyes widening in disbelief. That voice... It couldn't be. He turned sharply toward the sect, his heart pounding.
"This voice..." His lips trembled as he whispered, "Great... Great Elder!"
Without a second thought, he dashed toward the source of the voice. Standing tall within the sect was the Great Elder himself, unscathed and exuding a calm yet commanding presence. His gaze swept over the gathered shadows hovering ominously above, daring them to strike again.
The shadows' expressions twisted into sheer disbelief. "Impossible!" one of them hissed. "How did he survive? Not even Jian Wu could have endured that barrage. How could he, of all people, still be standing?"
For all their years and countless battles, this defied comprehension. The scene unfolding within the Sword Sect was beyond logic, a mystery that rendered their hard-earned knowledge and life experience utterly meaningless.
Meanwhile, the disciples, who had been drowning in grief moments earlier, now erupted into a frenzy of joy, rushing toward the Great Elder with all they had got.
"Great Elder, you're alive!" one cried, daring to reach out and touch him as though to confirm he wasn't a ghost.
"Great Elder, you're invincible! How did you survive that attack?"
"Great Elder!"
"Great Elder!"
"Great Elder!"
Their voices overlapped in an endless stream of astonished cries and questions. Hugs and hands surrounded him as the disciples clamored to make sense of his miraculous return.
The Great Elder raised a hand to quiet them and spoke with an almost regal calm. "I was dead," he said with measured gravity, "and reincarnated."
A brief stunned silence fell over the crowd before whispers broke out among the disciples.
"Looks like the Great Elder's still in shock..."
"Maybe the attack scrambled his memories."
"Yeah, let's let him rest for a bit."
"Great Elder, we'll handle the rest. You should take it easy for now."
The Great Elder's face turned a vivid shade of red as his composure crumbled. He raised his voice in frustration, his booming tone scattering the chatter like leaves in a gale.
"You fools! Have you all hit your heads? Is this any way to speak to your Great Elder?"
The disciples froze in their tracks before collectively bowing in hurried repentance. "We're sorry, Great Elder!" they chorused, their voices a mix of guilt and suppressed laughter.
The Great Elder sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "I'm surrounded by idiots," he muttered under his breath, though a faint smile appeared on his face. Straightening his posture, he regained his composure and scanned the gathered disciples.
"We are truly blessed to have disciples like you all," he began, his voice steady and filled with pride. His gaze then shifted to Wen Lun and Jian Wu, lingering with a hint of warmth. "And even more blessed to have strong disciples like you two, capable of leading others in times of crisis. However..."
His voice trailed off as he took another deep breath, his tone suddenly shifting. "I believe we are most fortunate to have... someone else among us."
The disciples exchanged puzzled glances, wondering who the Great Elder could possibly mean. Before they could ask, a loud, triumphant shout echoed from within the sect.
"WHOA!!! YAY!!! IT'S A SUCCESS!!!"
All heads turned toward the source of the voice. Jian Wu and Wen Lun instantly recognized it, smiles breaking across their faces.
"Finally," Jian Wu said, a note of amusement in his voice. "You're making your entrance, huh?"
From within the sect, Eli Shan strode out, his expression beaming with pride. In his hand, he held a token intricately inscribed with glowing formations.
"I FINALLY DID IT!" he declared, his voice brimming with triumph.
The disciples stared at him in curiosity. Even the shadows hovering above the sect looked at Eli Shan curiously. In truth, the shadows were more curious about Eli Shan. From the moment the great elder had appeared and begun speaking, countless opportunities to strike him had presented themselves. But the shadows hesitated, their instincts screaming a silent warning. They felt a looming, oppressive presence, primal and monstrous, emanating not far from the great elder. The aura was suffocating, as if a slumbering beast watched them from the darkness, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation.
They attempted to probe Eli Shan with their spiritual senses, but they found... nothing. It was as though Eli Shan didn't exist, yet the oppressive feeling emanating from him was undeniable.
Eli Shan approached, his face still glowing with satisfaction, but the disciples, filled with frustration, couldn't hold back.
"Senior Brother," one of them blurted out, "you didn't come to help us on the battlefield until now. Many of our brothers died in this battle! What are you so happy about?"
Before Eli Shan could respond, the Great Elder raised a hand to interrupt. His voice was calm, yet his words shook the crowd.
"None of your brothers—disciples of this sect—have died in this battle."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Murmurs of disbelief spread like wildfire.
"What does he mean?"
"We saw them dying before our eyes!"
"How can they still be alive?"
The Great Elder turned and gave Eli Shan a subtle nod. Eli Shan stepped forward confidently, addressing the disciples with a grin.
"Let me explain," he said. "I have dedicated my time to mastering formations—not just the formation of teleportation and reincarnation, but also the intricate formations of life and death."
The crowd froze. Even Jian Wu and Wen Lun, who knew Eli Shan's incredible capabilities, exchanged skeptical glances.
"Junior Brother," Jian Wu began, his voice cautious, "the formation of teleportation is a lost art, and reincarnation formations are nothing more than myths. Are you sure you know what you're claiming?"
Eli Shan's lips curled into a smug grin, his chest puffed with pride. "I know exactly what I'm claiming. Moreover, I didn't recreate those formations—I just extracted their essence to forge something entirely new." He paused dramatically, savoring the weight of his revelation. "I created a formation capable of sensing death within its range, transporting the fallen, and reincarnating them!"
The sect fell silent, disbelief hanging thick in the air.
"WHAT?!" the Shadow Clan's Great Elder roared, his voice filled with outrage. "That's impossible! No formation like that exists—not in this universe, not even in higher universes! Such a formation violates the very laws of nature!"
Eli Shan smirked, his expression sharp as a blade. "You're right," he said, his voice laced with defiance. "It was impossible... for people like you."
"You—!" The Shadow Clan's Great Elder ground his teeth in a fury, his face darkening with rage.
Eli Shan continued, his tone calm but laced with authority. "You're partly right though," he said, glancing at the Shadow Clan's Great Elder with a smirk. "This formation isn't omnipotent. It has limits. For one, it only works within the confines of the sect—anyone who dies beyond its range cannot be brought back. And its timing is critical. The formation can reincarnate someone only in the immediate moments after their death. Any delay and the chance is lost forever."
He turned to the disciples, his expression softening into a reassuring smile. "But for all my junior brothers who fell within the sect, they have been reincarnated. They're still unconscious because the formation wasn't fully complete when they died, but rest assured—none of you need to worry about their safety. Everyone is alive."
Eli Shan's eyes gleamed with a quiet intensity as he took a step forward. "So go," he urged, his voice ringing with conviction. "Fight without fear. Kill these shadows without hesitation. Death can no longer hold you back!"
The disciples stared at him in stunned silence for a moment, the weight of his words slowly sinking in. Then, joy erupted among them.
"R-Really?! That's possible?"
"He brought them back? This is incredible!"
They glanced toward the Great Elder, who stood tall as living proof of Eli Shan's claim. A wave of elation swept through the crowd.
"If that's true... then we can fight without holding back!"
"HURRAY!!!"
Their triumphant cheers echoed through the sect, filled with renewed determination and courage.
Above, the shadows' faces darkened, their confidence shaken. They exchanged uneasy glances, their composure faltering for the first time.
"These disciples may have found hope," one of them muttered, his tone dismissive, "but they're still no match for us. Even after reincarnation, they won't recover their full strength immediately. Just look at the Great Elder—he's alive, yes, but far from his prime."
Another shadow smirked coldly. "Precisely. This so-called formation changes nothing. Even if they somehow returned at full strength, they'd still be lambs stumbling toward the slaughter."
A third shadow, however, cast a wary glance toward Jian Wu and Wen Lun. His voice dropped to a cautious whisper. "Still... it's fortunate they can't regain their strength instantly. If they could..." He swallowed hard, unable to finish the thought, his unease betraying him.
The other shadows exchanged uneasy glances, silently acknowledging his unspoken fear. Yet their attention had shifted. Jian Wu and Wen Lun, formidable as they were, no longer seemed the immediate threat. Their focus was drawn to the young man standing calmly before them. He appeared unremarkable at first glance, but something about him was profoundly unsettling. The mere thought of attacking him sent a chill through their bones as if even the universe itself would retaliate against such an offense.
"Who... who is this person?" one shadow murmured, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and disbelief. "Could he be..."