The world seemed to hold its breath as Xu Tian stood amidst the swirling storm of shadows. His dark tendrils lashed out against the air, their movements jagged and wild, a reflection of the chaotic power coursing through him.

  Zhao Feng took a step back, his confident smirk replaced by unease. The other disciples exchanged nervous glances, their once-assured posture faltering as they realized they had underestimated their prey.

  “You wanted me alive, didn’t you?” Xu Tian said, his voice low and dangerous. The star’s whispers intertwined with his own words, an eerie resonance that filled the air. “Let’s see how badly you regret that decision.”

  Without warning, the shadows erupted, surging toward the disciples like a tidal wave.

  Zhao Feng reacted first, his blade cutting through the air with a burst of crimson energy. The strike tore through the advancing shadows, momentarily halting their approach, but more tendrils surged forward to replace them.

  Liu Qing conjured a barrier of flames, the golden-orange light casting long shadows across the alley. The fire burned bright, but the shadows didn’t recoil—instead, they twisted and contorted, coiling around the barrier like serpents seeking a way in.

  “Focus!” Zhao Feng barked, his voice laced with tension. “Keep him contained!”

  But Xu Tian was done holding back.

  With a flick of his wrist, he sent a tendril of shadow slicing through the air. It struck the ground between the disciples, shattering the stone and forcing them to scatter. Zhao Feng barely dodged in time, the impact sending him stumbling back.

  Qiao Rui, still on the rooftop, took the opportunity to strike. His arrow flew true, striking Liu Qing in the shoulder and disrupting her spell. She cried out, her flames flickering as she fell to one knee.

  “Liu Qing!” the third disciple shouted, his spear glowing as he leapt toward Qiao Rui.

  Qiao Rui smirked, sidestepping the attack and bringing his bow down in a sharp arc, slamming the disciple’s weapon to the ground. “Not bad,” he said, “but not good enough.”

  As his allies faltered, Zhao Feng’s expression darkened. He raised his blade, channeling his energy into a single, powerful strike. The crimson aura around him flared, and the ground trembled beneath his feet as he prepared to release his attack.

  “You think you’re the only one with power?” Zhao Feng snarled. “Let me show you what a real cultivator can do!”

  He swung his blade downward, unleashing a wave of crimson energy that tore through the alley like a force of nature. The shadows surged to meet it, colliding with the strike in an explosion of light and darkness.

  The impact shook the entire alley, the force sending Xu Tian skidding backward. For a moment, the shadows around him wavered, their form flickering as if they might dissipate.

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  But then the star’s whispers rose again, louder and more insistent.

  “Do not falter,” they urged. “This is nothing. Crush them.”

  Xu Tian’s eyes glowed brighter, his connection to the star deepening as he stepped forward. The shadows coalesced around him, forming a massive, serpentine tendril that lashed out with terrifying speed.

  Zhao Feng barely managed to raise his blade in time. The tendril struck with the force of a hammer, sending him crashing into the wall of the alley. He groaned in pain, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to stand.

  “You’re out of your depth,” Xu Tian said coldly, advancing on him.

  Zhao Feng’s hands trembled as he raised his blade, his once-arrogant demeanor shattered. “You think this makes you strong?” he spat, his voice strained. “You’re just a monster hiding behind power you don’t understand!”

  Xu Tian paused, the shadows around him stilling for a moment. Zhao Feng’s words cut deeper than he expected, striking at a doubt he had tried to bury.

  “I don’t need to understand it,” Xu Tian said finally, his voice quieter. “I just need it to keep me alive.”

  The tendrils tightened around Zhao Feng, lifting him off the ground. He struggled, his expression twisting with fear.

  “Xu Tian!” Yan Mei’s voice rang out, cutting through the chaos.

  Xu Tian turned to see her standing at the edge of the alley, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and determination. “Don’t do this,” she said. “You’re better than this.”

  The star’s whispers rose in protest. “Weakness! Do not listen to her. End him!”

  For a moment, Xu Tian hesitated. His grip on Zhao Feng loosened slightly, and the shadows rippled uncertainly.

  Then he released the tendrils, letting Zhao Feng collapse to the ground.

  “Get out of here,” Xu Tian said, his voice cold. “And tell your sect that if they come for me again, I won’t show mercy.”

  Zhao Feng stared at him, his expression a mixture of shock and anger. But he didn’t argue. He staggered to his feet, supporting Liu Qing as the two of them retreated. The third disciple followed, his face pale and his steps unsteady.

  As the Scarlet Peak disciples disappeared into the night, the alley fell silent. Xu Tian stood motionless, his body trembling with the effort of holding the star’s power in check.

  “You spared them,” Yan Mei said softly, stepping closer.

  Xu Tian let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t read too much into it. I just didn’t feel like killing them today.”

  “You keep saying that,” Yan Mei replied, her tone gentle. “But I think there’s more to it than that.”

  Xu Tian didn’t respond. He turned away, his shadows receding as the star’s whispers quieted, though their presence remained a cold weight in his mind.

  Qiao Rui climbed down from the rooftop, his expression unreadable. “Well, that was messy,” he said. “But effective.”

  “They’ll be back,” Xu Tian said, his tone grim.

  “Probably,” Qiao Rui agreed. “But at least now they’ll think twice before underestimating you.”

  Later that night, as the group prepared to leave the town behind, Xu Tian stood alone at the edge of a small stream, staring at his reflection in the water. The faint glow in his eyes had faded, but the black veins beneath his skin remained, a reminder of the power he had unleashed.

  The star’s voice stirred in his mind, quieter now but no less insistent. “You are walking a dangerous path, mortal. But there is no turning back. Embrace us fully, or be consumed.”

  Xu Tian clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. “I’ll find my own way,” he said softly.

  “We shall see,” the star replied, its tone almost amused.

  As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, Xu Tian turned away from the stream and rejoined the others. He didn’t know what lay ahead, but one thing was certain: the fight with Scarlet Peak had only been the beginning.

  The heavens were watching now, and the storm was far from over.