Chapter 1442: The Rift II
The rift suddenly shuddered. A low, guttural hum reverberated through the clearing, deep enough to rattle the ground beneath Zhao Li Xin’s feet.
The fractures in the air pulsed like veins of black lightning, spreading farther, faster, until the very sky above the bamboo grove dimmed.
A sudden gust tore through the clearing. Howling like a chorus of restless spirits, pulling Zhao Li Xin’s robes and tugging his long hair toward the widening rift. The pressure thickened, crushing down from all directions, a suffocating weight of raw, untamed power.
The fire spirit flinched back, its flickering form trembling uncontrollably. [Master! It’s unstable!]
But Zhao Li Xin remained unmoving, his expression as calm as still water. Both of his hands were now buried past the wrist in the jagged void, his fingers curling with unyielding precision.
With every subtle shift of his palms, the rift groaned in protest, its edges splintering wider, spilling streams of dark-purple energy that lashed out like living tendrils.
The rift yawned wide, jagged edges tearing apart like shattered glass. A cyclone of spiritual energy erupted outward, slamming against the bamboo grove, bending it near to breaking. The fire spirit shielded itself with a burst of flame, its tiny voice cracking in fear:
[Master—!]
But Zhao Li Xin only smiled faintly, his grip tightening as if he were dragging the void itself under his command. Then his fingers tightened, and soon after, he released his power, and in an instant, the area around him ignited.
A surge of dark-purple fire roared outward from his palms, not in a single burst, but in a relentless wave, like a wildfire devouring heaven and earth. The flames spiraled around him, twisting into a vortex of raw, violent energy that struck the rift with crushing force.
The rift convulsed.
Cracks spread outward in rapid succession, splintering through the air like a spiderweb of shattered glass. Every fracture bled with searing light, a blinding brilliance that cut through the shadowed grove.