The city of Thanh Vân, once a jewel of cultivation and harmony, now trembled under the tension of something far more ominous. Whispers of the dark one's return, of Vạn Thiên Phong's survival and rise, had begun to circulate in secret corners—from the tea shops of rogue cultivators to the sealed libraries of the grand sects. Some feared him. Others wanted to use him. But All knew one truth: the era of balance was ending.
Atop a high peak overlooking the city, Vạn Thiên Phong narrowed his eyes.
"They're waiting," he muttered. "The moment I step into the light, every dog that's been hiding will come running."
Bạch Tiêu Nhiên stood silently beside him. Her gaze was calm, but her fingers twitched ever so slightly—sensing the shift in the spiritual flow around them. "Let them come. If they believe they can chain you again, they're fools."
He turned slightly, the edge of his cloak fluttering in the wind. "They don't want to chain me. They want to erase me."
"Then let them try."
Her voice was firm, and for the first time in days, a smirk tugged at the edge of his lips. She hadn't changed—not the Bạch Tiêu Nhiên who once stood across from him in a duel to the death, not the one who now stood beside him, ready to burn down the world if he commanded.
"I need to retrieve something," he said. "Before we strike."
Her brow raised. "What?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he leapt from the cliff, his body dissolving into a streak of black lightning that cut through the sky. Tiêu Nhiên followed without hesitation, trailing behind in a swirl of icy blue light. The two figures vanished into the clouds, heading toward a place buried in myth—the Forbidden Hollow, where power slept and monsters remembered.
---
Deep within the Hollow, where sunlight dared not reach, the air was thick with a presence older than time. Roots as thick as ancient pillars wound through the stone walls, and whispers—long forgotten—echoed in the darkness.
Vạn Thiên Phong landed silently, his boots touching the ground with barely a sound. The runes on the stone beneath him flickered, reacting to his presence.
Bạch Tiêu Nhiên stepped in behind him, her breath visible in the cold air.
"This place..." she whispered. "You said it was destroyed."
"I lied," he replied calmly. "It was sealed, not broken. And inside lies a piece of what they feared most—my true inheritance."
A surge of black energy pulsed from his palm, and the ancient seal before them shattered like glass. Beyond it was a cavern lit by a single, floating flame—purple in color, and pulsing like a heartbeat.
The Heartflame of Oblivion.
Bạch Tiêu Nhiên's eyes widened. "You're going to absorb that? It's... it's too dangerous."
"Exactly," he said, stepping toward it. "The world doesn't change with kindness. It changes with fire."
As he reached out, the flame roared to life, wrapping around his arm like a serpent. His veins lit up, glowing with dark purple energy. Pain erupted across his body—but he didn't flinch. Every scream the flame tried to drag from him was swallowed by his will.
This was no longer the man who merely survived. This was the man who would rewrite fate.
Minutes passed. The entire cave trembled as the Heartflame sank into him, branding his soul, reshaping his aura. When it was over, his eyes opened—and they no longer held any trace of mercy.
---
Outside the Hollow, storm clouds gathered unnaturally. In the distance, great sects began to stir. The Heavenly Sword Sect, the Azure Phoenix Pavilion, even the secretive Hall of Echoes—all received the same chilling message, burned into the wind by a force none dared name:
"The Villain has returned. Kneel, or burn."
---
Meanwhile, in the central court of the Empire, the emperor sat frozen as the report was read aloud. His ministers bickered in fear, while generals demanded immediate retaliation.
Only one man among them smiled.
Clad in crimson, a black spear resting by his side, the figure known as Huyết Long Vương stood up.
"So, the game begins again," he whispered. "I've waited long enough to cross blades with you, Vạn Thiên Phong."
---
Back in the Hollow, Bạch Tiêu Nhiên looked at the man beside her. He was silent, but she could feel the storm inside him.
"You know this will make you an enemy to the entire cultivation world," she said.
"I was born their enemy," he replied coldly. "Now I'm simply strong enough to claim the title."
She stepped closer, reaching out and brushing her fingers against his hand. "Then let's make sure they remember why they feared you."
He glanced at her, the ghost of a smile flickering across his face. "They'll remember. I'll make sure of it."
Together, they turned to leave the Hollow, the earth trembling behind them. The Villain had risen—and this time, the world wouldn't survive him unscathed.
---
[End of Chapter 22]