Curse of the Supreme Blood

 The oppressive silence returned as the last vestiges of the Shade Stalkers dissolved into the night, their spectral mist fading into the shadows of the Qinxu Forest. The group remained in a tight formation, their breaths heavy and their weapons at the ready. Every rustle of the wind or creak of the forest felt like a harbinger of another attack.

Zhang Wei was the first to speak, his voice firm but low. "We can't stay here. Whatever drew the Shade Stalkers to this area may attract worse. Gather your things quietly."

The group moved swiftly, each person acutely aware of the danger still lingering. Li could feel the malevolent presence on the fringes of his awareness, a cold, watchful gaze that refused to relent. He tightened his grip on his sword as the group extinguished the remnants of the fire, leaving only the faint glow of spiritual talismans to light their way.

As they pressed deeper into the forest, the underbrush seemed to close in around them. The trees loomed like silent sentinels, their branches forming a lattice that choked the starlight. Xiao Ping and Lian Mei took up positions at the rear, their weapons drawn and their eyes darting to every shadow. The Lei twins scouted ahead, their movements silent and efficient as they cleared a path through the dense foliage.

"Li," Zhang Wei said, falling into step beside him. His tone was quiet, but his gaze was piercing. "That power you used—can you control it?"

Li hesitated, his fingers brushing the hilt of his sword. "I… I'm not sure. It feels like it has a will of its own, responding to threats whether I want it to or not."

Zhang Wei nodded thoughtfully. "We'll need to address that soon. If we're being hunted, your power might be the only thing that can tip the scales in our favour. But it's also a beacon. Whatever's out there—it knows you're here."

Li's stomach tightened at the implication, but he said nothing. The faint red glow that had flickered in his eyes during the fight still lingered in his vision, a reminder of the raw, untamed energy coursing through him. The crazy thing about this feeling is that Li was craving the power. The power was drawing him closer and closer and he wanted to get more of it. Each time the power surges in him, he felt an irresistible hunger for more. Li understood Zhang Wei's questions but the truth was that he didn't think that he wanted control the power.

The group reached a narrow ravine, its rocky walls slick with moss and shadowed by the canopy above. Lei Chen raised a hand, signaling for the group to halt. "There's something ahead," he whispered, his voice barely audible

They moved cautiously, their senses heightened. As they approached the edge of the ravine, a faint, rhythmic thudding sound reached their ears—a low, pulsating beat that seemed to vibrate through the very ground. Li felt his heart quicken, the ominous sound resonating with the dark presence he had sensed earlier.

Peering over the edge, they saw it: a ritual site carved into the rocky terrain. Crimson runes glowed faintly along the walls of the ravine, pulsating in time with the ominous sound. At the center of the site stood a figure cloaked in tattered black robes, its face obscured by a hood. Around it, wisps of shadow coalesced, forming indistinct shapes that writhed and flickered like restless spirits.

"Lu Heng," Zhang Wei muttered, his jaw tightening. "That's him."

Li was well aware of the name as Zhang Wei had pointed him out at the start of the mission. He was also aware of the several times Lu Heng had indirectly fermented trouble for him in the sect. this was a surprise to him since Lu Heng was the person who had taken him to his quarters when he left the sect master's presence.

Xiao Ping and Yu Yan looked upon the face of the enemy that killed their friends and was about to kill them before they managed to escape. Xiao Ping tensed up in anger and was about to dash forward when he was pulled back by Mei Ming.

'Easy Xiao Ping' she cautioned 'He's more powerful than you. You don't stand a chance against him'.

'The dark powers also seem to have gotten stronger and more malevolent. We need to be careful.' Warned Yu Yan

Fear gripping the insides of Lei Chen was making him hesitant. Sword fight or martial arts, he could understand but magic spells? Especially dark magic arts? He had always had a fear for the practitioners of magic because he knew that he needed to get close to a magic user before he could harm them but a magic user could kill him from miles away.

The cloaked figure raised an arm, and the shadows around him surged, twisting into the forms of Shade Stalkers. Their crimson eyes burned like malevolent stars as they turned toward the group, their bodies flickering between solid and ethereal states.

Zhang Wei drew his sword. "Prepare yourselves. If you have magic spells, use them. I don't think martial arts or our simple cultivation arts will work on him."

The Shade Stalkers lunged, their movements faster and more coordinated than before. It was as though they were extensions of Lu Heng himself, their strikes precise and unrelenting. The group scattered, each member facing off against a foe.

Li found himself locked in combat with one of the creatures, its claws raking through the air with lethal intent. His sword met its strikes with a clash of sparks, the power within him flaring with each impact. The creature's form wavered, but it did not falter. It was as though Lu Heng's will kept it tethered to this plane, refusing to let it be destroyed.

"Li!" Mei Ming's voice rang out, sharp and desperate. He turned just in time to see another Shade Stalker lunging toward her, its claws poised to strike. Without thinking, Li unleashed a surge of energy, the crimson glow in his eyes intensifying as a wave of force erupted from his blade. The creature was thrown back, its form dissipating into smoke.

The surge left Li breathless, but there was no time to recover. The remaining Shade Stalkers pressed their attack, their movements more erratic and frenzied as Lu Heng chanted in an ancient, guttural tongue. The crimson runes on the walls flared brighter, their light casting the ravine in an eerie glow.

"Focus on Lu Heng!" Zhang Wei shouted. "He's controlling them!"

Li's gaze snapped to the cloaked figure, a surge of determination rising within him. He tightened his grip on his sword, the power within him roaring to life. This was the source of the malevolence, the darkness that had been stalking them. And it was time to end it

'Li. I have been waiting for you for so long.' Crooned Lu Heng 'You hold a power that I want badly. You don't know how to use it, so I'll help you.'

'You are evil and not fit to be among human beings. How can you kill your fellow sect members because of power? Today, I will end you.' Li vowed as he brandished his sword.

'Hahahahahahahahaha' Lu Heng laughed menacingly as he pulled dark energy from the surroundings to form a ball of dark power. 'Those sect members were trash. You cant blame me for disposing of trash.'

'Trash? You call a sect member trash? Is that enough reason to kill them?' asked Li furiously as he advanced on Lu Heng

'Yes, trash is killed. How do I get more power if not through disposing of trash? I have been watching you fight ever since we came into this forest. I know you have power, I see those flashes of red in your eyes as you fight and I can feel the power getting stronger.' Lu Heng said

'Today you die, Lu Heng! Your evil has gone on for too long. You won't have the power to kill anyone else. And my power is not meant for you.' Promised Li

'Come and kill me if you can' encouraged Lu Heng, caressing the ball of dark energy he was still holding lovingly.

Then without any warning, Lu Heng threw the ball of dark energy who blocked it with his sword, causing the ball to dissipate to nothingness upon touching the sword. Li swung his sword at Lu Heng's neck. Lu Heng bent down as he avoided the blow and tried to tackle Li from behind.

Li jumped back and quickly got back on his feet and swung his sword in a clockwise motion trying to get a cut on him. Like shadows, Lu Heng dissolved into thin air and reappeared in front of the altar, about ten feet away from where he initially was. He pointed a finger at Li and laughed hysterically as dark energy came out and wrapped around Li.

The energy gripped Li and flung him to about a foot of Lu Heng who laughed menacingly as he gripped Li's left hand.

Li began losing consciousness as he felt something being pulled out of him.