The attack came at dawn. The sky was still dark, but a strange, green light glowed around the academy walls. The ground trembled, and a chilling hum filled the air.
"They're here!" a shout echoed through the academy.
Students and teachers rushed to their positions. Kai stood at the main gate, flames burning around him, ready to unleash a firestorm. Elara hovered above the rooftops, summoning strong winds that howled like angry spirits. Jian created mighty earth walls around the courtyard, standing firm as a mountain. Li Wei positioned himself near the central fountain, water swirling around him, ready to drown any invaders.
Xiaoping stood with Headmaster Lin in the main courtyard. He felt the cold, dark energy pressing against the academy's shields. His heart pounded like a drum, but his mind was clear. He was ready.
Suddenly, the green light intensified, and massive explosions rocked the outer walls. The protection spells, strong as they were, began to crack under the relentless assault. Shadowy figures, numbering in the hundreds, swarmed forward, their corrosive magic burning through stone and wood.
"Hold the line!" Headmaster Lin roared, his staff glowing with ancient power, sending blasts of pure energy at the approaching enemy.
Kai met the first wave of attackers with a torrent of fire, pushing them back with a roar. Elara's winds swept others off their feet, while Jian's earth walls rose and fell, crushing invaders beneath them. Li Wei sent waves of water, chilling and powerful, sweeping through the ranks of the shadowy figures.
But there were too many of them. More and more cloaked figures poured through the breaches in the walls. Their dark magic seemed endless, burning away everything in its path.
Xiaoping saw a group of attackers heading towards Kai, who was fighting fiercely but getting surrounded. Without thinking, Xiaoping unleashed a blinding flash of lightning, surging forward with incredible speed. He appeared next to Kai, a shimmering Thunderous Aegis already around them.
"Xiaoping!" Kai yelled, surprised but thankful.
The lightning shield shimmered, deflecting the dark magic that rained down on them. Xiaoping then sent a series of sharp, focused lightning bolts, tearing through the enemy ranks, making them scream in pain.
Meanwhile, Headmaster Lin was locked in a fierce battle with several cloaked figures who seemed to be their leaders. Their combined dark magic pushed him back, slowly breaking his defenses.
"Xiaoping! The inner sanctum!" Headmaster Lin shouted, pointing towards a large, ornate door at the back of the courtyard. "They're trying to reach it!"
Xiaoping understood. That must be the ancient, powerful thing the Headmaster spoke of. He had to stop them.
He turned to Kai. "Keep them busy! I'm going to the inner sanctum!"
"Go!" Kai yelled, sending a blast of fire that consumed a dozen shadowy figures. "We'll hold them here!"
Xiaoping sprinted towards the door, his movements a blur of crackling blue-white energy. He could feel the dark magic growing stronger near the inner sanctum. He knew he was the target, and now he was going straight into the heart of the danger. The true test of the storm within him was about to begin.