The night was eerily quiet as Xu Tian’s group pressed forward, the battle with the Obsidian Covenant weighing heavily on them. The leader’s words still echoed in Xu Tian’s mind, a bitter reminder of the narrow line he walked.

  “Strength without control is a double-edged sword.”

  Xu Tian’s fists clenched at the memory. He didn’t need their judgment. Control wasn’t a luxury he had right now—survival was.

  The others remained silent, though their glances spoke volumes. Yan Mei’s concern was obvious, her eyes flicking to Xu Tian every so often as if trying to gauge how much of him was still human. Qiao Rui, ever the opportunist, seemed less concerned and more intrigued, his sly smirk suggesting he was already weighing how best to profit from what he’d seen.

  They had barely escaped the Obsidian Covenant, but Xu Tian knew the respite wouldn’t last. The sects were moving, and with every clash, the storm gathered strength.

  Far to the north, within the grand halls of the Scarlet Peak Sect, the sect master stood before a towering obsidian altar. The chamber was dimly lit, the flickering light of crimson lanterns casting shadows across the walls.

  A robed figure knelt before him, their face hidden beneath a hood. Though their features were obscured, the oppressive aura radiating from them filled the room like a suffocating weight.

  “Wrathbringer,” the sect master said, his voice calm but commanding. “The boy has become a thorn in our side. The elders believe his survival is a threat to the order of the heavens themselves.”

  The kneeling figure did not respond immediately. When they finally spoke, their voice was deep and guttural, like the growl of a beast. “The star’s power is awakening within him.”

  “Precisely,” the sect master replied. “And if left unchecked, he will rise beyond our control. The Covenant has failed. It is time for us to take matters into our own hands.”

  The Wrathbringer stood, their form towering and imposing. Crimson sigils shimmered faintly across their dark armor, and their hands were bound in heavy, rune-covered gauntlets.

  “I will bring him to his knees,” the Wrathbringer said. “And I will remind the world what it means to defy Scarlet Peak.”

  The sect master’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Good. Do not return until he is either bound to us or dead.”

  The Wrathbringer turned, their heavy footsteps echoing through the chamber as they left. The sect master watched them go, his smile fading into something colder, more calculating.

  Back on the road, Xu Tian’s group had stopped to rest by a small stream. The quiet sound of flowing water provided a brief reprieve from the chaos of their journey, though the tension between them remained.

  Xu Tian sat apart from the others, his gaze fixed on the dark water as it reflected the pale light of the moon. His shadows moved restlessly at his feet, rippling like smoke as the star’s whispers continued to gnaw at the edges of his mind.

  Yan Mei approached cautiously, her soft footsteps barely audible. “You’re not sleeping,” she said.

  Xu Tian didn’t look at her. “Neither are you.”

  She sat down beside him, her expression weary. “It’s hard to sleep when every day feels like another battle waiting to happen.”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Xu Tian’s lips twitched into a humorless smile. “Welcome to my world.”

  They sat in silence for a moment, the sound of the stream filling the space between them. Finally, Yan Mei spoke again.

  “Back there,” she began, her voice hesitant. “Against the Covenant… You almost lost control, didn’t you?”

  Xu Tian’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t deny it. “The star’s power is… difficult to contain,” he admitted. “It wants me to let go. To give it control.”

  “And if you do?” Yan Mei asked softly.

  “I don’t know,” Xu Tian said. “Maybe it’ll make me stronger. Or maybe it’ll turn me into another Wraithborn.”

  Yan Mei placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch light but grounding. “You’re stronger than it is,” she said firmly. “You’ve already proven that. You just have to keep fighting.”

  Xu Tian glanced at her, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. “What makes you so sure?”

  “Because if you weren’t,” Yan Mei said with a faint smile, “you wouldn’t still be here.”

  Their moment of quiet was shattered by the distant sound of thunder. Xu Tian stood immediately, his shadows stirring as he scanned the horizon.

  “That’s not thunder,” Qiao Rui said, his voice low.

  A moment later, the ground trembled, and a wave of oppressive energy washed over them. It was suffocating, a heavy, suffocating force that seemed to press down on their very souls.

  Xu Tian’s heart sank as a figure emerged from the darkness, their silhouette massive and imposing. The Wrathbringer’s armor glinted faintly in the moonlight, the crimson sigils etched into its surface pulsing with a sinister glow.

  “Xu Tian,” the Wrathbringer said, their voice carrying across the clearing like a death knell. “The heavens have decreed your existence a blight upon this world.”

  Xu Tian stepped forward, his shadows rising defensively around him. “Let me guess,” he said, his voice cold. “Scarlet Peak sent you.”

  “They did,” the Wrathbringer replied. “And unlike the others, I will not fail.”

  The Wrathbringer moved with terrifying speed, their massive blade descending in a blur of crimson light. Xu Tian barely managed to raise his shadows in time, the impact of the strike sending shockwaves through the clearing.

  The force of the blow drove Xu Tian to his knees, his arms trembling as he struggled to hold the Wrathbringer’s blade at bay. The star’s whispers surged in his mind, urging him to let go, to embrace its full power.

  “You cannot win like this,” the star hissed. “Unleash us, or perish.”

  Xu Tian gritted his teeth, his shadows flaring as he pushed the Wrathbringer back. “I’m not done yet,” he growled.

  The Wrathbringer tilted their head, their expression obscured by their helm. “Impressive. But resistance will only prolong your suffering.”

  They struck again, their blade moving in wide arcs that tore through Xu Tian’s defenses. Each strike was precise, calculated, designed to wear him down.

  Yan Mei flung a talisman toward the Wrathbringer, its golden light exploding into a barrier between them and Xu Tian. The Wrathbringer stepped back, their blade slicing through the barrier like paper, but the brief interruption gave Xu Tian a moment to catch his breath.

  “You’re welcome,” Yan Mei said, her tone strained as she pulled another talisman from her belt.

  Qiao Rui loosed an arrow, the projectile striking the Wrathbringer’s shoulder with enough force to stagger them. “Keep them busy!” he called. “I’ll find a weak point!”

  The Wrathbringer turned toward them, their crimson aura flaring. “You are insects,” they said, their voice dripping with disdain. “Stay out of my way, or be crushed.”

  Xu Tian rose to his feet, his shadows rippling with renewed intensity. The star’s whispers grew louder, their presence overwhelming.

  “Let us take control,” it urged. “Unleash the storm, and they will fall before you.”

  For a moment, Xu Tian hesitated. He could feel the Wrathbringer’s power, the sheer weight of their cultivation. He couldn’t win this fight as he was.

  But letting the star take over meant risking everything.

  “Xu Tian!” Yan Mei’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Don’t lose yourself!”

  He took a deep breath, steadying his resolve. “I’m not giving in,” he muttered. “Not yet.”

  The shadows around him surged, coiling like a living storm as he faced the Wrathbringer once more. This time, he wouldn’t hold back.

  The Wrathbringer raised their blade, their crimson aura blazing like fire. Xu Tian’s shadows rose to meet it, their jagged tendrils twisting and writhing as the two forces collided.

  The battle was far from over, and the storm had only just begun.

  Far away, in the heart of the heavens, a lone star flickered faintly, its light growing stronger with each passing moment.