Absolute Domain

The battlefield, now reduced to charred and molten ruins, was eerily quiet. The air was thick with the stench of burned flesh and sulfur, a grim reminder of the battle that had just ended. Zhang Yong stood at the center of it all, his golden aura still faintly visible, like an emperor surveying his conquered domain.

But his focus wasn't on the destruction he had wrought. His sharp eyes were locked on the figure in the distance, cloaked in shadow. Their presence was suffocating, an oppressive force that seemed to seep into the very ground beneath them.

"Friend of yours?" Lilith asked casually, though her grip tightened on her scythe. Her predatory grin widened as she licked her lips, sensing the challenge ahead.

"Hardly," Zhang Yong replied, his voice calm but edged with steel. "But they've been watching for a while."

The shadowy figure stepped forward, their movements slow and deliberate. Each step seemed to resonate, a soundless pressure that sent cracks rippling through the ground. As they came closer, their form became clearer.

It was a man, or at least what resembled one. His face was pale, almost corpse-like, with sunken eyes that glowed with an unnatural crimson light. His black robes billowed unnaturally, as if moved by an unseen wind. He carried no visible weapon, but his aura was enough to make even Lilith's playful demeanor falter.

"You've made quite a mess," the man said, his voice a deep, hollow echo. "Burning my pet, slaughtering my pawn. You've disrupted my plans."

"Plans?" Zhang Yong scoffed, taking a step forward. "Whatever you had planned, it clearly wasn't worth much if they couldn't handle me."

The man tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "Arrogant. Typical of mortals who taste a sliver of power. But you… you're different." His crimson eyes glinted. "You reek of something ancient, something… divine. I wonder, does that power truly belong to you, or are you merely borrowing it?"

Zhang Yong smirked, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. "Why don't you come closer and find out?"

The man chuckled, a hollow, chilling sound. "Such bravado. Very well."

In an instant, the shadowy man vanished, his form dissolving into darkness. Zhang Yong's eyes narrowed as he sensed movement behind him. He spun around just in time to block a clawed hand aimed at his throat.

The force of the clash sent a shockwave rippling through the air. Zhang Yong pushed the man back, his blade glowing with golden energy.

"You're quick," Zhang Yong said, his tone almost admiring.

"And you're predictable," the man replied, his claws dripping with a strange black substance.

The two clashed again, their movements blurring as they exchanged blows. Each strike was faster and more brutal than the last, the battlefield shaking under their onslaught.

Lilith watched from the side, her scythe ready but her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Should I step in, or do you want to handle this one alone?"

"I've got this," Zhang Yong called back, his voice calm even as he deflected another strike.

The man's movements were fluid, almost serpentine, as he danced around Zhang Yong's attacks. His claws raked against Zhang Yong's blade, leaving trails of black energy that hissed and sizzled in the air.

"You're strong," the man admitted, his tone grudging. "Stronger than I anticipated. But strength alone won't save you."

With a wave of his hand, the man unleashed a wave of darkness, a tidal force that swallowed everything in its path. Zhang Yong didn't flinch. He raised his hand, and the Absolute Krishna Domain expanded around him, its golden light cutting through the darkness like a blade.

The shadowy wave dissipated, revealing Zhang Yong unharmed. His smirk widened as he stepped forward, his blade glowing brighter than ever. "Is that all you've got?"

The man snarled, his calm demeanor cracking. "You dare mock me?"

Zhang Yong didn't respond. Instead, he charged forward, his blade slicing through the air with blinding speed. The man barely managed to dodge, but the golden energy from the blade grazed his side, leaving a deep, smoking wound.

The man screamed in pain, his crimson eyes burning with fury. "You'll pay for that!"

Zhang Yong's smirk turned cold. "You talk too much."

Before the man could react, Zhang Yong's blade was already at his throat. With a swift, brutal motion, he severed the man's head, his golden energy incinerating it before it could hit the ground.

The man's body crumbled into ash, his shadowy aura fading into nothingness.

Lilith clapped slowly, her grin wide. "Well, that was dramatic."

Zhang Yong sheathed his blade, his expression unreadable. "If he was here, then there are more like him. This was just a warm-up."

Lilith's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Good. I was getting bored."