Pain.
An indescribable agony burned through Kael's body, as if his veins had been replaced by molten embers. His chest heaved, his breath coming in ragged gasps as the overwhelming force tore him apart from within.
The Dark Spiritual Lotus had absorbed chaotic, unstable energy, and now his entire being was unraveling.
The ground beneath him cracked, the earth fracturing under the sheer intensity of the energy radiating from his body. Waves of black and red spiraled outward, distorting the air as they pulsed uncontrollably.
He was dying.
And then...
The world went dark.
Kael opened his eyes to find himself in an endless void.
No light. No sound. No time. Just an infinite abyss of emptiness stretching out in every direction.
The oppressive silence was broken by a voice that reverberated through the void.
"You've finally made it to me."
Kael spun around, his heart pounding, and froze.
A colossal figure loomed before him, wrapped in shadows that writhed like living creatures.
It was impossible to measure its height. Its glowing eyes pierced through the darkness, shimmering like distant stars. Its very presence pressed down on Kael, threatening to crush his soul under its sheer weight.
This was no ordinary being.
This was something that shouldn't exist.
The figure leaned forward slightly, its gaze cold and calculating.
"You are the one who carries the Dark Spiritual Lotus... but you are still so weak."
Its voice was devoid of emotion, like the echo of the universe itself.
Kael took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Who... or what... are you?"
The being tilted its head slightly, as if considering the question.
"I am the one who came before the gods," it said.
Kael's eyes narrowed. Before the gods?
The idea didn't make sense. The world had been created by the Six Primordial Gods. How could something exist before them?
"Your birth," the being continued, "was no accident. Your destiny has already been written."
A chill ran down Kael's spine. He hated the idea of his fate being decided for him.
"If you think I'm going to follow some 'destiny' I didn't choose," Kael growled, "you're wrong."
The figure's laughter shook the void, a sound that rippled through the space like a violent storm.
"Good," it said. "If you had accepted so easily, I would have killed you on the spot."
The air shifted, and Kael felt an overwhelming surge of energy building around him.
"Prove yourself worthy of my power," the figure commanded.
A massive black flower bloomed in the infinite darkness, its petals stretching outward like jagged shards of night.
The Infinite Dark Lotus.
Kael's soul was drawn into it, the pull overwhelming and absolute.
And then, everything exploded in a maelstrom of energy.
Back in the real world, Shen leapt backward, his spiritual blade already drawn.
Kael's body hovered above the ground, surrounded by a vortex of swirling black energy. The air grew thick, suffocating, as waves of power radiated outward.
This wasn't normal cultivation.
This was something else entirely.
The forest around them withered. Trees shriveled and cracked, their ancient roots crumbling into dust. The ground split open, and spiritual creatures fled in a frenzy, their instincts screaming to escape the devastation.
Shen clenched his teeth, sweat dripping from his brow.
"What the hell are you, kid?" he muttered under his breath.
Kael's eyes snapped open, and Shen froze.
They weren't the same as before.
The void Kael had encountered wasn't just within his mind.
It was now a part of him.
The darkness was real.
And Kael Zhan was no longer the boy Shen had met in the forest.