Yunxie Village was cloaked in a silence that felt unnatural, a quiet that gnawed at the nerves of every villager who stood frozen, staring at the mouth of the Celestial Forge. The sky, which had once been clear and bright, was now shrouded in thick, swirling clouds, casting the village in a dim, almost twilight hue. The air was heavy with the scent of fear and burning incense from the failed rituals to stop what was now unfolding before their eyes.
And then, from the portal, Ping Jun emerged.
His footsteps echoed unnaturally loud in the stillness of the village, each step a reminder that the seal was broken, the ancient evil unleashed. The villagers who had once been strong enough to stay and fight now backed away, their hearts pounding in terror. A smirk twisted across Ping Jun's face, and it was that smirk, more than anything, that struck fear into those who watched.
