The city slept beneath a blanket of cold mist, but Lin Tian could feel the disturbance long before it arrived. The Nexus within him throbbed—slow, heavy, like a heart bracing for war. Something was coming. Something ancient.
He stood on the rooftop of an abandoned watchtower, the wind tugging at his robes, eyes fixed on the moonlit skyline. Below, the ruins of Sector Seven were unnaturally quiet. Even the stray dogs had vanished.
"Tonight… the veil weakens," he muttered.
A ripple of spiritual energy tore through the air, sharp like a blade. The mist trembled—then parted.
From within it stepped a man wearing obsidian armor etched with glowing runes. His face was calm, too calm, like a statue carved by a god with no understanding of emotion.
Lin Tian narrowed his eyes.
"Shadow General… from the Abyssal Court."
The man bowed slightly, as though greeting an equal.
"Celestial One… or should I call you the Fallen Immortal? You have made quite a noise returning to the mortal world."
Lin Tian's hand hovered near his sword.
"State your purpose."
The Shadow General lifted a palm. Threads of dark energy curled from his fingertips, coiling like serpents.
"The Abyssal Court has no interest in mortals. Our target… is the Nexus you carry. Hand it over, and your world will be spared unnecessary destruction."
A low rumble shook the rooftop—thunder with no lightning.
The Nexus pulsed violently inside Lin Tian, rejecting the demand.
"I refuse."
The Shadow General sighed.
"Then you force my hand."
He vanished.
A heartbeat later—
CLANG!
Their swords collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The building beneath them cracked like glass. Lin Tian was pushed back several steps, boots grinding against shattered tiles.
Fast.
Far faster than the Fallen Enforcers.
The Shadow General appeared behind him—but Lin Tian's instincts were faster. He spun, slicing upward. A burst of golden energy erupted from his blade, splitting the rooftop in two.
The General slid back, armor smoking.
"So the Nexus has awakened more than expected."
Lin Tian didn't answer—instead, he stepped forward, aura blazing like a rising sun.
But then—
The sky cracked.
A jagged seam of darkness tore open above them, like a wound in reality itself. The General smiled faintly.
"Ah. Reinforcements."
Dozens of shadow soldiers poured out—featureless, silent, each holding a spear of void energy.
Lin Tian's expression hardened.
"This city… is not your hunting ground."
He raised his palm.
The Nexus roared.
Light exploded outward like a miniature star, bathing the entire district in divine radiance. The soldiers recoiled, their forms flickering.
The Shadow General shielded his eyes.
"Impossible! You haven't mastered the Nexus—how can you wield such power?!"
Lin Tian stepped forward, his aura shaking the mist apart.
"Because this isn't the power of the Nexus alone… this is my will."
He thrust his hand toward the night sky.
BOOM!
A pillar of celestial light shot upward, ripping through the shadow rift. One by one, the soldiers disintegrated into dust. The crack in the sky sealed itself with a thunderous snap.
The General staggered, disbelief in his eyes.
"You… broke the veil?!"
Lin Tian leveled his blade at him.
"Leave. Or I will scatter your soul across realms."
For the first time, fear flickered in the General's gaze.
"This isn't over, Celestial One. The Abyssal Court will not forget this humiliation."
He dissolved into smoke and vanished.
Silence returned.
Lin Tian sheathed his sword, exhaled, and gazed at the now-peaceful sky.
"The war between realms… has truly begun."
Far away, in the dark forest bordering the city, a faint pair of crimson eyes opened—watching. Waiting.
The next threat had already awakened.