Lei Chen and Qing Yuan pushed forward, following the energy signature deeper into the heart of the Void Valley. There, they found a massive array powered by the artifact. The array crackled with dark energy, its power distorting the space around it.
At the center of the array stood a figure—Elder Lei Han, the man who had betrayed Lei Chen's father and joined the Black Veil Sect.
Lei Chen's heart burned with rage. This man had been responsible for his father's suffering, and now he was using the artifact to harness a power that could destroy the continent.
"You've come far, boy," Lei Han sneered, his eyes glowing with dark energy. "But this is the end for you. The artifact's power belongs to the Black Veil Sect."
The battle that followed was unlike anything Lei Chen had ever experienced. Lei Han's mastery of the artifact allowed him to bend space and time, making his attacks unpredictable and overwhelming. Each strike seemed to come from every direction at once, and even Qing Yuan struggled to keep up.
But Lei Chen wasn't the same weak disciple he had once been. He drew on everything he had learned—from the War God's legacy, from Fenrir, and from his own experiences. His Essence Fusion technique allowed him to stabilize the chaotic energy around him, giving him the clarity he needed to counter Lei Han's attacks.
In the heat of the battle, Lei Chen tapped into the Spirit Beast Core that Fenrir had given him. The core's energy surged through his body, enhancing his strength and allowing him to break through to the fourth sub-stage of the Essence Gathering Stage.
With a roar, Lei Chen unleashed a devastating strike, shattering the array and disrupting the artifact's power.
As the array collapsed, Lei Han staggered back, his eyes wide with disbelief. "No… this can't be…"
But before he could react, Lei Chen struck again, this time with the full force of his War God techniques. Lei Han fell, his body crumpling to the ground.
Panting, Lei Chen stood over the fallen elder, his heart still racing. The battle was over, but the war was far from won.
"We've stopped them for now," Qing Yuan said, wiping blood from his brow. "But the Black Veil Sect won't stop until they control the continent."
Lei Chen nodded. "Then we'll be ready."
As they left the Void Valley, Lei Chen couldn't shake the feeling that something even greater was on the horizon—something that would test him in ways he had never imagined.
The path ahead was uncertain, but Lei Chen knew one thing: he was ready.