The battle raged on in the Tomb of the Forgotten Gods, each clash with the Abyssal Warden growing more intense. Xuan Li's body trembled under the strain, his breath ragged, and his wounds numerous. His blood seeped into the ground, a testament to the fierce exchange.
The Abyssal Warden, sensing his weakening state, stepped back momentarily. Its glowing purple runes pulsed with an ominous energy, as if feeding on the surrounding aura. Then, with a thunderous bang, the Warden vanished, leaving only faint streaks of light-purple flashes darting around Xuan Li.
Xuan Li found himself encircled by a blur of light, the air charged with a suffocating energy. His eyes darted, struggling to track the Warden's movements. Before he could react, several cuts tore across his body, each wound sharp and precise. Blood poured freely, staining his robes and the blade he gripped so tightly.
"Damn it," Xuan Li cursed inwardly, his vision blurring from the pain. "Its speed is unimaginable... I can't even aim properly!"
The Abyssal Warden continued its relentless assault, its presence manifesting only as fleeting streaks of light. Xuan Li, battered and cornered, felt the cold grip of despair clawing at his resolve. Yet, he refused to fall.
Taking a deep breath, Xuan Li steadied himself. He closed his eyes, muttering under his breath, "It's now or never."
The blade in his hand responded, its blood-red runes flaring to life, humming with latent power. Xuan Li's focus deepened, his surroundings fading into a void of blackness. In his mind, fragmented runes floated aimlessly, their chaotic movements reflecting his uncertainty.
The Abyssal Warden seized the moment, its figure reappearing for an instant before disappearing again. Then, in a flash, it closed in with its enormous purple-glowing broadsword aimed directly at Xuan Li's heart.
In the void of his mind, Xuan Li's concentration sharpened. The scattered runes around him began to align, shining brighter and brighter until they coalesced into a single, radiant sentence:
"Starfall Cleave – First Sword."
A surge of enlightenment flooded through Xuan Li, his doubts replaced with unshakable clarity. He opened his eyes just as the Warden's broadsword came within inches of his brow.
Time seemed to slow.
From Xuan Li's body, a faint sword intent began to emanate, merging seamlessly with the energy radiating from his blade. Without hesitation, Xuan Li moved—not with the speed of the Abyssal Warden but with a precision and fluidity that transcended mere motion.
In a single, soundless instant, Xuan Li appeared behind the Warden. The creature, sensing something amiss, began to turn.
But it was too late.
From within its blackened form, arcs of sword energy erupted violently, each one tearing through its runed body. The Warden let out a low hum of disbelief before disintegrating into dust, its essence scattering into the air like a fading nightmare.
Xuan Li stood silently, his blade still humming with residual power. He turned slowly, a faint smile of triumph playing on his lips.
But victory came at a cost.
A searing pain coursed through his body, the overwhelming burden of unleashing the Starfall Cleave's First Sword too much to bear. Blood gushed from his mouth as he fell to his knees, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Despite the agony, Xuan Li's smile didn't falter. He clutched his blade tightly, whispering hoarsely, "I... learned it."
His vision blurred, and darkness threatened to claim him, but the satisfaction of his accomplishment anchored him.
The following day, Xuan Li knelt before the towering Pillar of the Forgotten, his hands trembling as he channeled cosmic energy into its ancient structure. The mental pressure it exerted was overwhelming, pressing against his mind like an immovable mountain. Sweat dripped from his brow, his teeth gritted in frustration.
"No matter how hard I try, I can't break through to the third block of this pillar," he muttered, his voice laced with despair. "It's like an impossible bottleneck..."
As the hopelessness in his heart began to take root, a familiar voice echoed within his mind.
"Disciple, your comprehension has always come from battle," Veldris's deep voice resonated. "The same applies to your spiritual energy. I have a way."
Xuan Li stopped channeling energy into the pillar, and the suffocating mental pressure dissipated instantly. He looked up as the locket on his chest began to glow. In a flash of light, Veldris materialized, his form towering and exuding an aura of authority.
With a simple gesture, Veldris stretched out his hand, and intricate runes swirled around his fingers. The runes coalesced into two scrolls that radiated with a mysterious energy. Veldris flung the scrolls toward Xuan Li, who caught them carefully.
Before Xuan Li could even ask what they were, Veldris's power surged again. The air trembled as another humanoid figure began to manifest. Its body was pitch black, etched with pulsating purple runes that seemed to radiate malevolent energy.
The Abyssal Warden had returned.
Unlike before, it bore no weapon, yet its spiritual pressure was far greater than Xuan Li had ever experienced. Merely standing in its presence made him feel as if he were drowning in an abyss.
"You know what to do, don't you?" Veldris said coldly, his gaze piercing.
Xuan Li forced a wry smile, his body instinctively tensing. "Yeah... I know."
Without another word, Veldris dissolved back into the locket, leaving Xuan Li alone with the Warden and the two scrolls.
Taking a deep breath, Xuan Li unfurled the first scroll. Its golden light illuminated the dim tomb, and words began to form on the surface, glowing brightly:
"Starfall Cleave – Second Sword."
Xuan Li's eyes widened in awe. The sheer weight of the knowledge contained in the scroll seemed to seep into his very soul.
Setting it aside for a moment, he cautiously opened the second scroll. Unlike the first, this one released a radiant beam of light that enveloped Xuan Li entirely, pulling him into its essence.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in an endless void. The surroundings were vast and empty, yet they pulsated with an energy so profound it made the air feel alive.
Turning to look around, Xuan Li froze, his heart skipping a beat.
What he saw defied all logic.
Before him stretched a cosmos of infinite stars, each one intricately connected by glowing runes that wove together into a massive, ever-shifting web. The constellations seemed to breathe, their energy flowing in a rhythm that felt almost alive.
"This... This can't be real," Xuan Li muttered, his voice trembling with disbelief. "How in the world is this even possible?"