In what seemed like a fleeting moment, Luna Snow felt her body plunging, sinking deeper and deeper into an endless darkness. Around her, there was nothing—no trace of light, only a chilling emptiness piercing straight to her core, as though a vast abyss lay in wait to swallow her whole. This place had no sense of time or direction, only a pitch-black world thick with suffocating resentment.
Fragments of memories wavered and began to surface, threading through her thoughts. She saw her mother, the Celestial Maiden, smiling gently in the evenings at Jade Pool Palace. Memories of her first encounter with her master returned, recalling the stern yet warm gaze of Dare Drake Tran as he accepted her as his disciple. Each memory flickered in the dark, fragile shards in a swirling current of thought. Every memory carried a distinct ache—love, separation, the agony of being torn apart by the relentless cycles of reincarnation.
"No… this can't be…" she murmured, desperately clinging to some thread of sanity. In the unending void, she suddenly sensed a faint bond connecting her to her master. "Master, where are you?"
But there was only the blackness, a vast emptiness in response. As panic surged through her, she felt something cold seep into her being, like an underground current stealing away her strength, sapping her will. It was as if countless souls surrounded her, drawing her life away, leaving her mind chaotic and weak.
The thick aura of resentment bore down on her, pressing so hard that she could barely breathe. Then, a deep voice echoed, rumbling from the depths of a chasm, "It is useless… You cannot escape from the cycle of reincarnation…"
The voice was like a razor-sharp blade slashing through her mind, extinguishing the faintest glimmers of hope. The power of the malevolent aura infiltrated her consciousness, as if each cell in her body was about to explode.
"I can't… I can't give up…" she told herself, struggling to cling to the last shreds of awareness, but every effort felt like it was swallowed by the darkness.
In the dense shadow, a cold, mocking laugh resounded, ringing like shattered glass from chained souls. Emerging from the blackness, a massive figure slowly took shape. A colossal face appeared, its eyes blazing red like two eerie flames. A twisted smile revealed razor-sharp teeth, while enormous hands stretched out, reaching to engulf the two figures caught in his grasp. This was the Spirit of Reincarnation, ruler of the cycle since the dawn of existence.
"You think you can escape my power?" The Spirit of Reincarnation roared, his voice laced with hatred and menace. His eyes gleamed with cruelty, seeming to crush any sliver of hope for those who dared to defy him. From his outstretched hands, torrents of malevolent energy coiled together, forming dark swords, sharp as obsidian. Thousands of these blades swirled in the air, poised to strike at the master and disciple at any moment.
"Master, watch out!" Luna Snow shouted, her eyes wide with alarm.
Dare Drake Tran moved to shield her, raising his arms, a radiant golden aura bursting forth to form a protective circle. "Luna, stay behind me," he said firmly. "No matter what, I will protect you."
He focused his energy, creating a golden shield around them both, but the power of the Spirit of Reincarnation was overwhelming. Black swords hurtled forward, clashing with the golden barrier with a fierce, resounding clang. Each impact caused the shield to tremble violently, its golden glow fading bit by bit under the relentless onslaught.
"LOL… The once-feared Celestial Lord, reduced to this!" The Spirit of Reincarnation sneered, his eyes glinting with disdain.
Seeing that the shield couldn't hold much longer, Dare Drake Tran pushed his remaining energy into it, but he could feel his strength waning fast. The dark resentment from the black swords clawed away at the golden energy, leaving cracks in the barrier.
Luna Snow saw her master was nearly spent; she couldn't stand by any longer. Clenching her mother's jade pendant tightly in her hand, she felt a surge of silvery energy seep from the pendant, bringing warmth and strength. Her eyes lit up with newfound resolve. "Master, I can't just stand back and let you protect me."
With those words, she raised the pendant high. A soft but fierce silver light burst from it, spreading through the space like a veil of silvery mist, covering them both and holding back the waves of dark energy crashing toward them. The Spirit of Reincarnation recoiled slightly, his red eyes flickering in surprise.
"The Celestial Maiden's pendant… the daughter of the Celestial Maiden…" he muttered, before a sneer twisted his face. "You think that feeble light can stand against me?"
He raised his hand, and from his palms, dark mist thickened and twisted, transforming into massive, chain-like forms that coiled through the air around them. These Chains of Karma snaked forward, stretching like monstrous serpents, their shadows weaving a net around the delicate silver glow of the pendant, pressing down with a crushing weight upon Luna Snow.
"I will grind you to dust!" the Spirit of Reincarnation roared, his voice shaking the entire realm. The chains tightened, their malevolent force nearly suffocating the two figures within.
Under the monstrous power of the Spirit of Reincarnation, they realized they were facing an enemy that could not be overcome by mere strength. This was not just a battle for survival; it was the ultimate test of their souls and their will.
In the oppressive darkness, under the crushing weight of the karmic chains, Luna felt her spirit growing weaker, the last remnants of her energy slipping away. Yet her eyes burned with determination. She could not let her master bear the full weight of this battle alone. If this was her final limit, she would surpass it to protect him.
"Mother…" Luna whispered, her heart clenching. She took a deep breath, raised the jade pendant, and channeled every ounce of her energy into it. The pendant blazed, releasing pure streams of silver energy that filled the space, unfurling into a colossal silver lotus.
Celestial Space!
The enormous silver lotus, with petals glistening like polished mirrors, spread out around the two of them. Each petal held within it a memory from Luna's past, a fragment of her own soul. The light from the lotus cast a delicate but unbreakable barrier, radiating with pure energy, pushing back against the chains seeking to crush them.
The tranquil silver light exuded an almost magical serenity, lifting the crushing weight of the dark energy for a moment. The petals seemed to dance in the air, driving back each advancing chain. In the silver glow of the lotus, she caught glimpses of warm memories of her mother, who had taught her the secrets of the Celestial Maiden's powers and the strength to never surrender.
But the Spirit of Reincarnation would not be easily defeated. He let out a furious roar, his eyes blazing with an even greater fury. "You think the Celestial Maiden's pendant will protect you? I'll destroy it all!" With a swipe of his blackened hands, waves of thick resentment poured from him, flowing into the chains, making them blaze as if forged from dark fire.
The Chains of Karma shot forward, twisting tighter around the lotus. The barbs of dark energy embedded within each link began to dig into the petals, dimming the lotus's silver glow with each puncture. Luna felt the sharp agony radiating from the pendant, her energy being drawn away bit by bit as her strength began to drain