A/N: All rights to the original content are reserved by the respective copyright owner.

---

Y/N groaned, each breath a testament to his pain. "Ugh... this hurts more than I thought," he muttered, wincing as he surveyed the havoc around him. Splintered trees and the remnants of destruction lay scattered, painting a grim picture of the recent battle.

He attempted to stand, driving his greatsword into the dirt for support. His movements were sluggish, burdened by an overwhelming soreness. Each effort to move sent sharp protests through his muscles, begging for respite.

"I underestimated Lan's power," he grumbled, his voice strained. The realization dawned on him that the raw energy of an Aeon, even in its smallest measure, was not to be wielded lightly. He pondered the rarity of Emanators – those blessed with an Aeon's powers – and understood the gravity of such a gift.

Laboriously, Y/N pulled himself up, using his greatsword as a crutch. The aftermath of his clash with Shuhu echoed in every ache of his body. He clenched his teeth, suppressing a cry of agony, aware that any sound might attract the attention of the monsters spawned by Shuhu's dark magic.

Minutes passed like hours as he finally stood upright. His posture was unsteady, his body quivering under the weight of his injuries. Closing his eyes, he took a deep, steadying breath, channeling his pain into focus.

Upon reopening his eyes, a new light of determination glinted within. Despite the pain, despite the odds, Y/N steeled himself for the journey ahead. His resolve was unwavering and that is to face the threats that lurked in the shadows of the ravaged forest.

---

The grotesque creatures, embodying a nightmarish aura, encircled the team, their malicious intent palpable in the air. The team, although battle-hardened, couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at the sight of these abominations.

Jingliu, her mind fraught with worry for Y/N, eyed the creatures warily. Their bizarre and sinister forms were unlike anything she had encountered. Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted as one of the creatures made a swift, unexpected leap towards Baiheng.

"Too fast!" Jingliu realized in a split second. Baiheng, caught off guard by its unnatural speed, braced for the worst. But in a flash, Jingliu intervened, her lightsword slicing through the air. The blade only grazed the creature, sending it tumbling away as if swatted by an invisible force.

The creature, unfazed, rejoined its group, its sharp, stubby legs digging into the earth. Jing Yuan, observing with a mix of fear and fascination, remarked, "They're surprisingly... sharp."

Jingliu nodded in agreement, her gaze shifting to Baiheng, who was visibly shaken. "Baiheng, get into the Starskiff, now!" she commanded. Despite Baiheng's prowess in archery, the creatures' glossy scales seemed impervious to such attacks.

Baiheng, still trembling, nodded and hurried towards the Starskiff.

"Jing Yuan," Jingliu called out to her student, "assist Baiheng."

"Yes, master!"

The creatures watched them with eerie attentiveness, as if understanding their predicament. "Do they possess such intelligence?" Jingliu wondered, her mind racing.

Hua, who had remained silent but ready, broke her silence. "What do we do now, Jingliu?"

Before Jingliu could respond, slender, hair-like tendrils erupted from the ground, ensnaring Hua's legs. In a matter of seconds, she was dragged down, her upper body struggling against the earthen grip.

"Hua!" Jingliu cried out, her voice laced with panic.

The creatures seized this moment of distraction, charging towards Jingliu. She defended herself with grace and precision, but her strikes lacked their usual power, her concern for Hua splitting her focus.

Glancing towards Hua, Jingliu saw her fighting to free herself, her movements desperate and frantic, reminiscent of someone trapped in quicksand.

Refocusing on the encroaching monsters, Jingliu's frustration and fury began to boil over. She charged at them with renewed vigor, her blade now cutting deeper, tearing off scales and eliciting pain-filled screams that were a chilling mix of childlike wails and shrill cries.

Despite her efforts, the creatures' resilience surprised her. "Their durability is astonishing," she thought, readying herself for another assault.

As she engaged the horde, her mind couldn't help but wander. "Where are you, Y/N?" she thought, her desperation growing with each passing moment. 

---

The forest, shrouded in a chilling silence, felt unnatural to Y/N. He moved cautiously, noting the eerie stillness that enveloped the area. To his surprise, he found his injuries healing at an unexpectedly rapid rate, a phenomenon that left him puzzled.

"Odd... I was certain my wounds were nearly fatal," Y/N mused, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Could Lan possess the power of healing as well?" He pondered the possibility, though he was aware that healing abilities typically fell under the path of Abundance.

"The aftermath of the battle must have alerted the Alliance by now. This forest reeks of dark magic," Y/N thought, his disdain for Shuhu evident. He continued onward, navigating through the ravaged landscape.

As he walked, Y/N noticed peculiar trails of holes in the ground – unmistakable signs of the monsters' passage. Following the tracks, he stumbled upon three of the creatures. They were curiously encircling a large tree, their behavior almost investigative.

Y/N observed them from a distance, gauging their actions. He felt confident in his abilities; his training and strength should be more than a match for these beings.

Making a bold decision, Y/N called out to the creatures. "Hey!"

The monsters ceased their circling, visibly startled by his voice. They turned towards Y/N, their demeanor shifting from curiosity to excitement.

"Hello there!" they greeted in unison, their voices eerily mimicking the innocence of a child.

Y/N was taken aback by their greeting but decided to engage them. "Hello... I am Y/N," he responded cautiously.

The creatures' reaction was bizarre; they began jumping around as if celebrating. However, their tone soon darkened. "Will you scream out a delicious scream if we tear you apart?" they asked cheerfully.

Y/N quickly realized that conversation was futile. Without hesitation, he unleashed a series of powerful slashes with his greatsword, tearing through their scales. The flesh beneath was a corrupted purple, resembling rotting fruit.

The creatures screamed in pain, their cries a stark contrast to their previous playful demeanor.

"This is... unusual," Y/N thought, continuing his relentless assault. Despite their attempts to strike back with their appendages, they were no match for Y/N's skill and the lethal dance of his greatsword.

With a surge of his blue aura, Y/N executed a final, devastating move. He released a wave of energy from his sword, slicing through the air and obliterating the creatures. Their dying screams faded into a haunting whisper as their remains dissolved into the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Y/N wondered, perplexed by the encounter. "There must be more of them out there, possibly with different capabilities."

Talking to himself, Y/N steeled his resolve and sprinted towards the heart of the devastated woods. He knew he had to find the source of these creatures and put an end to the chaos unleashed by Shuhu.

---

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours as Y/N frantically searched through the devastated landscape. His heart sank as he came upon a destroyed Starskiff, recognizing it as Baiheng's – a design he had personally commissioned. A sense of dread washed over him.

"No..." Y/N muttered, his voice laced with horror. "Baiheng!" he shouted, his call echoing through the ruined woods.

The area around the Starskiff was eerily devoid of the creatures, but signs of a struggle were evident – scattered debris, and worse, bloodstains. Y/N's mind raced with the worst possibilities, his body tensing in anticipation of what he might find.

Approaching the wreckage, Y/N's fears were confirmed in a horrifying sight. Jing Yuan was cradling an unconscious Baiheng, his body covered in deep, gruesome wounds likely inflicted by the creatures. Y/N's heart clenched at the sight, a mix of relief and rising fury battling within him.

"Jing Yuan?" Y/N called out, his voice unsteady.

Jing Yuan's eyes fluttered open, relief flooding his features as he saw Y/N. "M-master!" he exclaimed weakly, a small smile crossing his pained face.

Y/N nodded, a brief moment of relief passing through him before his gaze fell on Baiheng. His eyes darkened with anger, and the shadows around them began to shift ominously, responding to his turbulent emotions.

Jing Yuan noticed the creeping shadows, a visible manifestation of Y/N's power and anger. He tightened his grip on Baiheng, fear and concern etched on his face.

As the shadows grew closer, threatening to envelop Y/N, Jing Yuan shouted desperately, "Y/N!"

Y/N, jarred back to reality by his student's call, reined in his anger. The shadows reluctantly receded, and he shook his head, as if to clear it from dark thoughts. He then looked at Jing Yuan, who stared back with wide, scared eyes.

"Jing Yuan... there's a healing kit in the back. Use it to tend to Baiheng," Y/N instructed, his voice regaining its usual calm.

"Yes, master... though..." Jing Yuan hesitated, his words trailing off.

"Though...?" Y/N prompted, sensing his student's unease.

Jing Yuan swallowed hard. "Hua is out there somewhere... and Master Jingliu, too."

Time seemed to freeze for Y/N. The shadows, responding to his rising anger and fear, began to advance more rapidly. But Jing Yuan quickly added, "They're about 2 kilometers away from here! You must go there fast, master!"

Y/N, still fueled by anger but now with a direction, nodded. He prepared to set off, but not before giving one final instruction to Jing Yuan. "Keep her safe, Jing Yuan," he said, his tone softening for a moment.

"I will," Jing Yuan promised, determination in his voice.

With a burst of energy, Y/N sprinted into the woods, the shadows trailing behind him like a dark cloak. His mind was set on finding Jingliu and Hua, his resolve unwavering despite the chaos that surrounded him. The forest, now a battlefield of supernatural horrors, awaited his arrival.

---

In the midst of chaos, Jingliu's instincts screamed a warning. An icy sensation, like the touch of death, crept up her spine. The battle had escalated far beyond her expectations, with the monstrous creatures proving to be both numerous and formidable.

Her gaze was fixed on the grotesque entities, their forms more hideous and massive than the others. Their tentacles, imbued with malice, writhed in the air, seeking to ensnare her. Jingliu's lips curled in disgust. "Detestable creatures," she muttered under her breath.

Behind her, Hua lay unconscious, vulnerable to the approaching threat. The tentacles seemed to be everywhere, reaching out to ensnare her and Hua in their deadly grasp.

With a quiet determination, Jingliu whispered, "Come..." The creatures, grinning madly, surged forward, eager for the kill.

With the grace of a seasoned warrior, Jingliu unleashed a flurry of slashes, each strike precise and deadly. Her sword danced through the air, fending off the creatures' attacks while guarding Hua. The creatures' tentacles lashed out, but Jingliu's blade met them with unyielding force, severing them with each cut.

Despite her skill and agility, the numbers were against her. The creatures' relentless assault tested her limits, their sickle-like appendages a constant threat. The creature's sickle-like appendages swung wildly, but Jingliu deftly parried each attack, her skill as a swordswoman evident.

Yet, even she had her limits. Protecting Hua and fending off the horde strained her to the edge of her capabilities. The creatures' relentless assault was wearing her down, their numbers overwhelming.

Suddenly, the creatures ceased their attack. Jingliu, startled, retreated to Hua's side, positioning herself between the unconscious woman and the monstrous entities.

"I'm sorry, Hua," Jingliu thought, her resolve hardening. "But you are a liability now."

What happened next was beyond the realm of Jingliu's worst nightmares. The creatures began to merge, their bodies fusing in a grotesque display of flesh and screams. The air was filled with the sounds of their agony, a symphony of horror that chilled Jingliu to her core.

Their amalgamation was a sight of pure horror. Six entities, once separate, now stood as towering behemoths, their bodies a pulsating mass of flesh and power. Jingliu could feel the raw strength emanating from them, and for the first time, she faltered.

The six merged creatures towered over her, their presence so ominous it seemed to dim the very light of the forest. Their flesh pulsed and writhed, as if alive with malevolent intent. Jingliu, realizing the escalation in their threat, readied herself for what she knew would be a fierce and potentially fatal confrontation.

Yet, as formidable as they were, Jingliu's resolve did not waver. She stood protectively over Hua, her sword at the ready, her eyes burning with a fierce determination.

The newly formed monstrosities turned their attention to Jingliu, their intent clear and terrifying. In unison, they spoke, their voice a ghastly chorus that resonated through the woods.

"You, pale-haired woman, will be our breeding hive."

Jingliu's blood ran cold at their words, a mix of disgust and rage filling her. The very suggestion was anathema to her, a violation of everything she stood for. Her grip on her sword tightened, her knuckles turning white.

With a swift motion, Jingliu leaped into action, her sword cutting through the air with precision and grace. She moved like a whirlwind, her blade a blur as it struck against the grotesque flesh of her foes. Each cut, each parry, was driven by a deep-seated fury and a desperate need to protect.

The creatures, for all their size and horror, found themselves struggling against the swordswoman's skill and ferocity. Jingliu's movements were fluid, her attacks relentless. She danced around them, her blade finding its mark time and again, inflicting deep wounds that oozed dark ichor.

Yet, with each strike, Jingliu could feel her strength waning. The creatures were resilient, their regenerative abilities keeping them in the fight despite the damage she dealt. She knew she couldn't keep this up indefinitely. She needed to end this battle quickly, or risk being overwhelmed.

In the midst of the chaos, a glimmer of hope flickered within her. She thought of Y/N, of his strength and determination, and how he would face such impossible odds. With that thought, Jingliu redoubled her efforts, her sword cutting through the air with renewed vigor.

The battle raged on, a clash of steel against eldritch flesh, of human will against monstrous horror.

---

Y/N's feet pounded the earth with unprecedented speed, his heart drumming in his ears. "Jingliu! Hua! Please be okay!" he gasped between strides, his voice a mix of desperation and burgeoning anger. The adrenaline coursing through his veins seemed to push him beyond human limits.

As he approached the battlefield, several bulky creatures loomed ahead, their imposing forms like grotesque statues. Without hesitation, Y/N's rage erupted. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!" he screamed, his fists connecting with thunderous force, sending the creatures sprawling through the air.

He clicked his tongue in frustration and stormed onto the battlefield, only to be met with a sight that drained the color from his face. Hua lay motionless, her leg bent unnaturally, Jingliu's broken sword a silent testament to the struggle. "Hua!" Y/N choked out, his voice breaking as he knelt beside her.

The real horror, however, lay a few paces away. Jingliu was ensnared in the clutches of towering behemoths, their tentacles wrapped around her, pulling at her battered armor. The sight of her exposed skin, vulnerable and almost within reach of their unholy grasp, ignited a firestorm within Y/N. The creatures' giggles, filled with perverse excitement, echoed mockingly across the battlefield.

Silence enveloped the area, punctuated only by the distant clash of battle. Y/N's gaze, wide with shock and fury, was fixed on the scene. It was then that the voice spoke, a deep, majestic timbre that resonated in his skull. "Will you keep on watching? Your friend... she will be their toy, a breeding machine. And they will use her, over and over again..."

Time seemed to warp, each second stretching into an agonizing eternity. The voice continued, merciless in its assault. "Your friends, they will be killed, and the blood will stain your hands, guilty or not."

"No..." Y/N whispered internally, his hand white-knuckled around the hilt of his greatsword, the metal creaking under the strain.

The voice, now guttural yet retaining its majestic quality, urged him on. "Then, unleash the power within you. Let it flow through you, kill them with all your might."

Y/N's breath came in ragged gasps, sweat beading on his forehead, as he grappled with the voice's offer. "Power... it is all yours," it tempted.

The creatures, momentarily pausing their vile acts, turned towards Y/N, sensing a palpable shift in the air. Fear, an emotion they were unaccustomed to, crept into their beings, their teeth chattering in dread.

Y/N was changing. Shadows coiled around him, infusing him with an ominous aura. His greatsword, once a mere weapon, now throbbed with a black force, cloaked in darkness. His armor transformed, taking on a bleak, corrosive appearance, while a cape of shadows enveloped him. A helm formed around his head, crowned with two curved black horns, his eyes burning like fiery embers within.

The roar that erupted from Y/N reverberated through Xianzhou, a primal sound of anger and defiance. With a leap that shattered the ground beneath him, his strength amplified by his dark transformation, he descended upon the creatures.

The creatures, their own transformations negated by the blackened greatsword, screamed in terror. Their cries, childlike in their innocence, were starkly juxtaposed against their monstrous forms.

"Ehhh!!!! What's going on!?"

"Noooo! Please! I don't want to die!!"

But Y/N was beyond reason, his eyes ablaze with a wrathful fire. One creature, in a moment of misguided bravery, lunged at him with sickled appendages. Y/N, with a swift motion, caught the appendages in his black armored grasp and pulled. The creature's screams of "HELP ME!!!" were drowned out by the black aura emanating from Y/N, a corrosive force that instilled terror even in these abominations.

With a final, brutal tug, Y/N tore the appendages away. The creature, its screams echoing in agony, rolled on the ground as dark ichor seeped from its wounds.

"IT'S NOT HEALING!! UWAAA!!" it wailed, its body writhing in pain.

Y/N, his figure now a looming shadow, brought his greatsword down with a ferocity that shattered both creature and earth alike. "Oh no!!!" another creature cried out in a mix of fear and disbelief.

"We must merge more!"

"Merge! Merge! Fuse! Yes!"

As some of the remaining creatures desperately clumped together, attempting a last-ditch fusion, Y/N was relentless. A slash of his blackened aura cut through them, halting their transformation midway. The result was a grotesque, humanoid being, incomplete and wielding two swords.

Y/N's roar shook the very air, his anger palpable. The fused creature taunted him, "Well now! We are one, and we will kill you, pest!"

In response, Y/N focused his aura, condensing it at the tip of his greatsword. The creature, ignorant of the impending doom, uttered a naive "Ay?" just moments before Y/N unleashed annihilation. The greatsword swung, its black aura erupting in a shockwave that obliterated everything in its path.

What remained of the creature was a mere fraction of its former self, its body irreparably damaged. "Uwaggh! Please! Mercy!" it begged, its defenses shattered.

Y/N, now a figure of darkness and wrath, towering over the battlefield responded with a deep, unrecognizable voice:

"Silence, scum."

His greatsword, enveloped in swirling black energy, descended once more, cleaving the creature in two.

Their screams, a twisted chorus of childish terror and pain, filled the air but fell on deaf ears. Y/N was beyond reason, consumed by a destructive fury. The swing not only annihilated the creature but also left a devastating trail across the woods.

The landscape around him bore the scars of his wrath, trees uprooted, and the earth scarred. The remaining few creatures, once fearless hunters, now cowered and scrambled for their lives under his relentless onslaught.

The shadowy energy that enveloped Y/N seemed to feed off his anger, growing more potent with each swing of his blade. It was a sight both awe-inspiring and terrifying, a testament to the immense power that Y/N wielded in his corrupted state.

As the creatures lay dying, their bodies unable to regenerate against Y/N's corrupting energy, Y/N stood triumphant yet lost in his corrupted state. He raised his greatsword towards the dark sky, seeking another target for his rage.

Suddenly, the air crackled with ethereal energy. A massive arrow, glowing with celestial light, descended from the sky, landing near Y/N. The impact sent shockwaves through the forest, silencing the chaos momentarily.

From the dissipating light emerged Lan, the Aeon of Hunt, his presence commanding and serene. Clad in ethereal armor and wielding a gigantic bow, Lan stood as a stark contrast to Y/N's shadowy visage.

"Y/N, I will pull you out of your madness," Lan declared, his voice resonating with authority and concern.

Y/N, his mind clouded by the shadow's influence, turned his fiery gaze towards Lan. The air around them grew tense, a standoff between two immensely powerful beings.

The shadows around Y/N writhed with anticipation, sensing the challenge posed by the Aeon. Lan, unflinching, readied his bow, the ethereal energy surrounding him pulsating with a quiet power.

A duel was about to unfold, a clash between the corrupted might of Y/N and the celestial authority of Lan. The fate of Y/N's soul hung in the balance, a battle not just for physical supremacy, but for the redemption of a friend lost to darkness.

The forest held its breath, the very essence of nature seeming to pause at the impending confrontation. In this moment, the clash of Aeon and Shadow would echo through Xianzhou, a testament to the struggles and sacrifices of those caught in the battle against Mara.

End of Chapter