A dark figure materialized beneath the temple entrance, its form vaguely human-shaped but lacking distinct features. Pure darkness swirled where facial features should have been, its edges bleeding into the air like smoke. In its arms lay Xie Mu's limp body, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.
Warriors around the temple raised their weapons - swords, spears, and daggers glinting in the harsh desert sun. The figure remained motionless, its featureless head turning slowly to survey the chaos around it. Revenants pressed in from all sides, their sand-formed bodies crashing against the defenders' lines in endless waves. Screams and the clash of steel filled the air as people fought desperately against the tide of undead.
