Xiaoping reached the inner sanctum door. It was old and heavy, covered in glowing symbols that now flickered weakly. Several cloaked figures were already there, trying to break through the last defenses.
"Stop!" Xiaoping roared, unleashing a wave of raw lightning. The bolts struck the figures, making them stumble back with cries of pain.
The leader of the group, a taller, more menacing figure than the rest, turned. Its voice was a low growl. "The lightning child. You will not stop us."
Xiaoping recognized the voice – it was the same attacker from his first encounter. This time, however, the figure seemed even more powerful, surrounded by a dark aura that seemed to suck the light from the room.
"What do you want?" Xiaoping demanded, his Thunderous Aegis blazing around him.
"To cleanse this world of unnatural magic," the figure hissed. "To restore the balance. Your kind, your parents, they defied the natural order. And you are the greatest defiance."
"My parents were heroes!" Xiaoping shouted, anger fueling his power. "And my magic is a part of me!"
He lunged forward, sending a powerful surge of lightning at the cloaked figure. The figure met it with a blast of dark, corrosive magic. The two powers clashed, filling the air with crackling energy and a terrible smell of ozone. The force of the impact pushed Xiaoping back a few steps.
The shadowy leader was strong. It moved with surprising speed, sending waves of dark energy that battered Xiaoping's shield. Xiaoping countered with swift lightning strikes, but the figure seemed able to absorb some of his power, growing stronger with each hit.
He remembered Headmaster Lin's words: "Lightning can be both destructive and creative." He thought of Li Wei's advice about the flow of water, and Elara's insights into air currents. He wasn't just fighting to destroy; he was fighting to defend.
Xiaoping focused, making his Thunderous Aegis spin faster, but also making it tighter, more focused. He then unleashed a concentrated beam of lightning, not just a random bolt, but a directed flow of pure energy, aimed at the figure's chest.
The cloaked figure screamed as the beam struck. Its dark aura flickered violently, and for a moment, Xiaoping saw a glimpse of what looked like a withered, decaying hand beneath the cloak.
The figure staggered back, weakened but not defeated. "You are strong, lightning child," it rasped, "but you are still just one."
Suddenly, more cloaked figures appeared, breaking through the outer defenses and rushing towards the inner sanctum. Xiaoping was outnumbered. He was fighting for his life, and for the fate of the academy. He knew this was the ultimate test.