As he caught his breath, the faint ripple of Saint energy returned, closer this time.
Wu looked up, and there she was—Saint Woman, standing atop a warped boulder, observing him intently.
"You survive… better than expected," she said. Her voice was calm but carried an undercurrent of warning.
Wu stood, brushing off dust. "And you persist… better than expected."
For a long moment, the two simply regarded each other, the Fallen Boundary quiet around them except for the shifting energy.
A silent understanding passed between them: this was only the beginning.
Wu's gray eyes gleamed. "Heaven may have set the stage… but I will write my own script."
And somewhere deep in the Fallen Boundary, the energy pulsed in response, as if acknowledging a new force rising within its chaos.