THE RULER OF MAP

The battlefield had become a blur of flashing swords and the sound of grunting warriors, but for Zhang Xin, the world had slowed to a crawl. His hands gripped the hilt of his sword with a newfound urgency, his mind racing to process the truth that Zhen had so mercilessly unveiled. The weight of it settled heavily on his shoulders, like a chain wrapping around his chest. The power of the ancient bloodline… his heritage, his fate—he couldn't ignore it, but he didn't want it either.

The air crackled with the tension of impending destruction. Mingyue and Zhen fought with all their might, but Zhang Xin couldn't tear his eyes away from them, even as the fight raged on around him. Each movement of their swords seemed to tell a story, and the energy between them was palpable. Zhen was relentless, his every move designed to push Mingyue to his limits, while Mingyue, despite his skill, seemed to be faltering. The exhaustion was evident in his every strike, and Zhang Xin couldn't help but wonder how long he could keep this up.

As Zhen taunted Mingyue, pushing him back with each powerful blow, Zhang Xin felt a sharp tug within his chest. His heart pulsed, and an unfamiliar warmth spread through his veins. The power Zhen spoke of—it was awakening inside of him, whether he liked it or not. His blood was reacting, as though responding to Zhen's words, to the challenge being thrust upon him.

"No..." Zhang Xin whispered under his breath. "I don't want this. I didn't ask for this."

But his body wasn't listening. The warmth grew, and for a moment, Zhang Xin felt his senses sharpen, the world around him becoming clearer, more focused. He could feel the presence of every warrior on the battlefield, every movement of the wind. His sword pulsed in his grip, as if it too was waking up to the power he was inheriting.

Mingyue, noticing the change in Zhang Xin, glanced at him sharply in the heat of the battle. His expression hardened, a flicker of hope—or perhaps fear—flashing across his face.

"Zhang Xin!" Mingyue shouted, his voice strained. "Don't let it control you! You need to fight it! Fight the power inside of you!"

Zhen's cruel laughter echoed through the air as he heard Mingyue's words. "It's too late, Mingyue. The blood has already awoken. He can't stop it now."

Zhang Xin's eyes locked onto Zhen, the man who had been so intent on forcing him into this destiny. He clenched his teeth, trying to fight the storm raging within him. The warmth in his veins was becoming unbearable, and he felt as though his very soul was being torn in two. Part of him wanted to give in to the power, to accept the legacy Zhen had placed on his shoulders. But another part of him—a part he could not ignore—was terrified of what he might become.

"I won't let you control me!" Zhang Xin shouted, his voice raw with emotion. With a sudden surge of energy, he forced himself to push back, shaking the invasive power from his mind, at least for a moment. The sword in his hand hummed, vibrating as if it had its own will, but Zhang Xin was determined to hold on to his humanity.

Forcing his mind to center, Zhang Xin took a deep breath, his gaze never leaving Zhen. "You want to unlock this power?" Zhang Xin's voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. "Then you'll have to kill me first."

Zhen raised an eyebrow, impressed by the resistance. "So, you choose to fight it after all. How admirable. But it won't matter, Zhang Xin. You are already bound to it."

With a movement too fast for Zhang Xin to follow, Zhen attacked, his blade a flash of silver. But Zhang Xin was ready this time. The power in his blood surged again, but this time, he harnessed it, channeling the energy through his sword. As the two blades collided, a shockwave of force rippled through the air, sending both warriors stumbling back.

Zhen's eyes narrowed in surprise, his grip tightening around his sword. "Impressive… But you still don't understand. You can't fight what you are."

Zhang Xin's chest heaved with exertion, his mind reeling from the surge of power he had just unleashed. The battlefield was silent for a heartbeat as everyone watched in awe. Mingyue, his sword still raised, looked at Zhang Xin with a mixture of concern and something else—perhaps hope. But there was no time to dwell on that.

Zhen's gaze flicked from Zhang Xin to Mingyue, and he grinned. "I've seen this before, you know. A boy, filled with potential, struggling to control the power inside him. But in the end, they all fall. And you, Zhang Xin, will be no different."

Before Zhang Xin could respond, Zhen moved again, faster than before, his blade slashing in a deadly arc. But this time, Zhang Xin was ready. His body moved almost instinctively, the power inside him rising to meet the challenge. In that moment, the world seemed to slow down once more, and Zhang Xin understood something that had eluded him his entire life: this power was not a curse—it was a part of him.

With a cry, Zhang Xin swung his sword in a wide arc, meeting Zhen's blade head-on. The clash of steel rang out, louder than before, and the force of the collision sent shockwaves through the ground beneath them. For a moment, everything went still.

Zhang Xin stood there, his sword raised, breathing heavily. His body was trembling with the intensity of the battle and the power coursing through him, but there was something new in his eyes—a fire that had not been there before. He had accepted it, at least for now. He wasn't going to let Zhen dictate his fate.

"Now you see," Zhang Xin said, his voice cold but filled with resolve. "I am not your puppet."

Zhen's expression darkened, his lip curling into a sneer. "You think you can control it? You think you can control your destiny?"

Zhang Xin didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward, his sword flashing as he moved with a newfound grace and speed, matching Zhen's every move. The battle between them had shifted, the tides turning as Zhang Xin began to embrace the very thing that had once terrified him.

Mingyue watched from the sidelines, his face a mixture of awe and fear. This was it. Zhang Xin was no longer the boy he had once known. He was becoming something more—something he wasn't sure he could stop. But even as the battle raged on, one thing was clear: Zhang Xin's fate had been sealed, and he was no longer just a pawn in a game of fate.

He was the key to everything.