Deep within the recesses of an ancient ancestral temple, a solitary candle flickered, casting eerie, dancing shadows on the worn stone walls. Master Han, a revered and powerful mage, stood motionless before an altar, where an unconscious, heavily pregnant woman was lying still. A talisman which had the symbol of a dragon was placed on her bulging belly.
An icy-blue dragon flew majestically through the temple's entrance, it's scales glinting in the candlelight. The dragon circled the the wide space once before descending beside Master Han.
With a subtle hand gesture, Master Han muttered a spell, and one of the dragon's scales floated off its body, and landing on his palm.
The dragon shifted, taking the form of a man, his icy-blue hair cascading down his back like a river of moonlight.
Master Han nodded in respect at the dragon shifter. "Your scale will facilitate the transfer of the soul into the dead fetus." He said, as his gaze swept over the unconscious woman's belly.
The dragon shifter nodded, his eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity. "Let us begin."
Master Han began muttering an ancient spell, channeling spiritual power into the dragon scale in his palm. The ritual symbols which were etched to the ground then began to glow.
Closing his eyes, Master Han called out in a loud voice, "Priest Jian. Honored predecessor, we call upon your soul's Essence."
The air thickened, heavy with anticipation. Suddenly, the skies began to rumble, and lightening struck the ground where the ritual symbols were drawn.
Master Han's eyes snapped open, his face etched with alarm. "No! The balance is broken!"
A dark, swirling energy suddenly erupted, like a vortex unleashed. The priest's soul materialized, taking the form of a shimmering, ethereal mist. The mist fractured into two distinct, glowing orbs, pulsating with a soft, blue light.
"The soul has fragmented. We must contain it!" The dragon shifter exclaimed with horror reflecting in his eyes.
But before they could make a move, the orbs already took shape, their forms blurring and shifting. One orb solidified into a faint, translucent image of priest Jian, and it was drawn into the talisman on the woman's belly.
On the other hand, the second half of the priest's soul remained amorphous, its light pulsating with an intense, almost feral energy. Right before their eyes, it floated away, it's destination unknown.
….
25 Years Later.
In the mystical realm of Huayang, the moon dipped into the horizon and painted the sky with hues of crimson and gold, its silvery light struggling to penetrate the thick mist that shrouded the city.
The wide expanse of barren lands was filled with snow, giving a sense of desolation and serenity.
It was a night like any other, yet the air was alive with an electric sense of foreboding. In the heart of this mystifying metropolis, a lone figure emerged from the shadows.
Mingyu, a man whose name was whispered in hushed tones by those who dared to speak of him, stood with the grace of a specter. His raven-black hair cascaded down his back like a waterfall of night, and the grey orbs of his eyes gleamed with an otherworldly intensity.
He was a formidable assassin whose presence was a harbinger of death, and those who crossed his path, did so at their own peril.
As Mingyu stood at the heart of the shimmering snowy expanse, a sudden flutter in the mist caught his attention, and his ears perked up at the sound of footsteps.
The assassin's instincts screamed warning as he was able to sense the presence of a number of mages, which were nearing his location, but his curiosity was piqued. He wanted to know those that had dared to face him head-on.
Mingyu's eyes narrowed as the mist swirled and thinned, revealing the faces of the figures that had emerged before him. They were all clad with regal blue robes which were embroidered with intricate silver threads, and Mingyu immediately recognized them to be the Mages of Jinxing.
At the forefront stood Lin Xiaoyan, the leader of the Jinxing Sect, and Mingyu's piercing gaze was locked on him with an unnerving familiarity.
Mingyu sized up his opponents, noting their stances, and the weapons they weilded. A smug, self-assured smile spread across his face as he realized they were no match for him – maybe except for their leader.
"So, you're Mingyu, the shadow assassin notorious for slaughtering powerful mages in the city," Lin Xiaoyan said, his gaze fixed intently on the infamous killer.
A devilish smirk curled the corner of Mingyu's lips as he replied in a taunting tone, "My reputation precedes me, I see. Wherever I tread, heads roll. And the name Mingyu... isn't it such a misleading name for a devil like me?" He chuckled darkly, enjoying the visible reactions his words elicited from the Jinxing disciples.
Lin Xiaoyan's face darkened, his brows furrowing in a deep frown. "Eliminate him." His voice rang out, firm and commanding,
His order was met with swift nods from his men, and the skilled archers among them immediately stepped forward.
With deadly precision, they drew their bows, muttering spells to conjure arrows with razor-sharp, spiky tips. The air seemed to vibrate as they released the strings, unleashing a hail of ethereal projectiles that hurtled towards Mingyu.
Mingyu swiftly unsheathed his sword, channeling his spiritual power into the blade. Streams of shimmering silver light burst forth from him, overflowing from his body, and surging into his sword.
As the arrows closed in, he plunged his sword into the snowy ground. The glinting blade bit deep into the earth, erecting a barrier that rippled with a silvery light, deflecting the incoming arrows with a soft whoosh.
Lin Xiaoyan's hand glowed with a vast amount of spiritual power, and he stepped forward with a bow. He conjured a glowing, blue arrow and released it, propelling it towards Mingyu's barrier with an incredible force.
The arrow sliced through the air with a piercing sound, shattering the shimmering barrier and maintaining its trajectory towards Mingyu.
Mingyu's eyes widened in alarm as he swiftly raised his sword to deflect the arrow. The arrow disappeared upon impact, but the force was still strong enough to send Mingyu stumbling backward, making his feet scrape against the ground.
Seeing this as an opening to attack, the swordsmen among the Mages charged forward with their swords.
Mingyu quickly recovered from the previous blow, and equally charged towards them. Elevating his body from the ground, he twirled in the air, landing himself in the middle of the swordsmen.
The Jinxing Mages unleashed a barrage of attacks, their blades crackling with energy as they used all manner of spells.
Mingyu danced through the assault, his sword slicing through the air to deflect and dispel the incoming attacks. The sound of swords clashing filled the air, as Mingyu moved with a blur of deadly precision, each strike aimed to kill.
Seeing their fellow disciples meeting their demise at the hand of the incredulously skilled assassin, the rest of the swordsmen charged forward.
Knocking off the last of them, Mingyu's grey orbs narrowed dangerously at the new set of swordsmen that were charging towards him.
Without giving them a chance to get any closer to him, Mingyu drew blood from his palm by making a small cut with his sword. The blood, fueled with his spiritual power immediately floated mid-air, and he slashed his sword through the air, cutting through the drop of his blood.
On coming in contact with the blood, Mingyu's sword released a burst of energy which shimmered with the dark-reddish color of his blood.
The force propelled outward, sending his opponents flying backwards like leaves being blown by the wind, knocking them out cold.
Lin Xiaoyan watched with growing fascination as Mingyu effortlessly countered his men's attacks. He couldn't help but admire Mingyu's skills, studying the assassin's sword style with keen attention, and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips when he saw Mingyu perform the 'Life force' spell [1], which was very difficult to do, and required a great deal of spiritual power.
He saw this as a perfect chance, and he conjured an arrow, immediately shooting it towards Mingyu.
By the time Mingyu saw the arrow, moving at a fast speed towards him, it was already too late. He abruptly attempted to block the attack by slashing the arrow with his sword, but his reaction was too slow for the speed at which the arrow had moved.
He missed the arrow, and it pierced right through the right part of his chest, and came out through his back.
Mingyu's eyes widened as the arrow pierced his chest, the pain exploding like a wildfire through his body, the force of the hit making him stumble backwards.
Clutching his chest which was oozing out blood, he felt his spiritual power begin to falter. His grey eyes locked onto Lin Xiaoyan as he gritted his teeth in anger. "Coward."
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A/N: Happy New Year! Welcome to Spellbound, guys. Thank you, as you support this story through it's journey. Please, do leave some comments. It will go a long way in encouraging me.
[1] The Life Force spell is a spell which involves the merging of one's spiritual power, with any liquid. Water is majorly used for this spell, but the usage of blood is more powerful as blood symbolizes life. This spell can only be carried out with a weapon.