Chapter 38: The Fiend Reveals Itself

A mysterious old man in black robes, wreathed in dark, sinister energy, suddenly appeared before Li Chen.

The old man’s eyes were as black as the abyss, and a twisted smile played upon his lips. In his hand, he gently waved a staff embedded with a deep blue gemstone. As he began to chant an ancient incantation in a low voice, the air around them seemed to freeze, and the demonic energy coalesced into twisted, shadowy hands that slowly closed in on Li Chen.

Just then, the jade pendant on Li Chen’s chest erupted with a brilliant radiance. Its warm, sacred light stood in stark contrast to the surrounding darkness. An ancient and powerful force surged from the pendant, forming a solid shield around him that deflected the shadowy hands one by one, plunging the scene into a strange stalemate.

As the demonic energy clashed fiercely with the sacred light, a flicker of surprise crossed the old man’s eyes; he had not expected Li Chen to possess such a protective treasure.

At that moment, a thin fissure tore across the sky. A beam of golden light from the distant past pierced through the clouds and fell squarely upon the pendant in Li Chen’s hand. The pendant instantly burst forth with unprecedented brilliance, illuminating the entire space as if it were midday.

Within the light, ancient runes could be seen swirling, as if possessed of their own consciousness. They wove themselves into a net of protection, not only purifying the surrounding demonic energy but also slowly closing in on the old man, as if to drag him into an unknown realm.

Seeing this, the old man’s expression changed drastically. He frantically waved his staff, attempting to summon more demonic energy to ward off this sudden turn of events. However, the moment the demonic energy touched the golden light, it dissipated like snow meeting a scorching sun.

Meanwhile, Li Chen felt a warm power pouring from the pendant into his body. His eyes became exceptionally bright, as if he could perceive all things in the world. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and clenched his hands into fists, a surge of unprecedented courage and determination stirring within his heart.

He looked the old man straight in the eye and spoke in a firm, powerful voice: "No matter who you are or what your purpose is, I will not let you succeed!" With that, he struck out with a fierce punch, the wind of his blow carrying the sacred power directly toward the old man.

Faced with this sudden strike, the old man’s body twisted in a bizarre, unnatural way, narrowly evading the force of the punch. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes; he muttered a spell, and the blue gemstone on his staff flared, firing a beam of dark light toward Li Chen.

However, the moment the beam neared Li Chen, it was swallowed by the golden halo released by the pendant and reduced to nothingness. Just then, the pendant’s glow intensified, condensing in the air into a dazzling longsword with its tip pointed straight at the old man.

Li Chen gripped the hilt, feeling an unprecedented strength, as if he could sever all the evil in the world. With a resolute gaze, he swung the blade. A brilliant arc of sword light tore through the air, striking directly at the old man’s vitals.

The old man retreated violently, waving his staff in an attempt to form a barrier of demonic energy to block the blow. Yet, the sword light was too sharp; it left a clear fissure in the demonic barrier and continued on, its momentum undiminished, toward the old man.

At this critical juncture, a violent black light erupted from the old man. Abandoning his physical form, he transformed into a wisp of black smoke and attempted to flee into the void.

But Li Chen would not let this golden opportunity slip away. With a thought, the longsword shattered into countless points of light, forming a web that sealed the space. The wisp of black smoke had nowhere to hide and was ultimately bound tightly by the light, its struggles slowly fading.

Just as Li Chen prepared to use the light net to utterly destroy the old man, a low, ancient chant emanated from the black smoke. The space seemed to warp at that moment, and an indescribable power surged forth, attempting to break free from the net’s constraints.

At the same time, Li Chen felt an inexplicable summons emanating from the pendant. He looked down and saw ancient images emerging from the center of the jade, seemingly concealing some primordial secret.

In the images, a god of war clad in golden armor was locked in a fierce battle with countless demonic shadows, and the god’s eyes were startlingly similar to Li Chen’s own. This sudden revelation shocked him to the core; he realized that he might be embarking on an extraordinary path to rewrite destiny and save the world.

As Li Chen remained immersed in the ancient visions from the pendant, the chanting within the black smoke grew increasingly frantic, and the distortion of space intensified, as if some ancient and powerful force were about to break its chains.

Suddenly, the pendant glowed with blinding intensity, enveloping Li Chen entirely. He felt a powerful force lift him up, carrying him across the barriers of time and space to a strange and mysterious world.

Here, demonic energy and sacred power were intertwined, and countless ancient runes flowed through the air. He stood upon a vast expanse of ruins, and before him, the phantom of the golden-armored god of war slowly materialized. With eyes like torches, the figure looked upon him, as if waiting to lead him toward an unknown journey.