The Boundless Ascendant

The air inside the temple seemed to warp and bend, crackling with energy. The walls shook as the ancient figure—still cloaked in shadows—rose to full height, towering over Ling Xiao and Zhen Xue. His eyes, hidden behind a mask of dark energy, gleamed with malice as he stretched out his arms, calling on the ancient power that had been dormant for so long. The very fabric of the world seemed to bend around him, as if the reality itself recognized his power.

Ling Xiao felt the Source inside him surge with intensity, the pulsing darkness a force unlike anything he had ever encountered. The connection between them, forged in the fires of his own torment and struggle, now felt like a bond, one that resonated with the ancient power before him. He understood—this being was not merely the creator of the Source; he was a living embodiment of it, the primal essence of the darkness itself.

**"You are weak,"** the figure sneered, his voice reverberating through the temple like the sound of a thousand storm clouds. **"You believe you can control it? You are just a shadow, a vessel. The Source is mine. It always has been."**

Ling Xiao's heart thundered in his chest, but his resolve was ironclad. His grip on the Source tightened, and for the first time, he did not feel like a prisoner. He felt powerful. He could feel the Source responding to him, not as a force to be controlled, but as something that resonated with his own will.

**"I *am* the Source's equal,"** Ling Xiao said, his voice low, steady. **"You're wrong. I am not a vessel for your darkness. I am the one who will decide how the Source is used. Not you."**

The figure's smile faltered, replaced by a snarl of rage. He stepped forward, raising his hand to cast a bolt of black lightning that crackled toward Ling Xiao with lethal intent. But before the bolt could reach him, Ling Xiao raised his hand, a surge of power pulsing through his body. The darkness within him flared, and the bolt of lightning froze in mid-air, suspended by the sheer force of his will.

Zhen Xue watched in awe, her hand tightening around her sword as she prepared herself for what was coming. She had always known Ling Xiao was capable of greatness, but this power—the sheer force of his command over the Source—was something else entirely.

The figure, stunned for just a moment, snarled and lunged forward. His hands shifted, weaving the air itself into a deadly, swirling vortex. The temple seemed to vibrate with the intensity of his movements as he summoned a storm of dark energy that shattered the ground beneath their feet. Stone and debris rained down around them, but Ling Xiao stood unmoving, his eyes locked on the figure with unshakable determination.

**"You can't fight what you don't understand,"** the figure growled, his voice filled with bitter mockery. **"You are but a puppet, thinking you can control a force that predates you."**

Ling Xiao's eyes blazed with an inner fire. **"I understand more than you think."**

With a shout, Ling Xiao thrust his hand forward, and the Source erupted from within him. Dark tendrils of energy shot outward, weaving around the figure's storm of power and cracking through the air like whips. The clash of the two powers was deafening—an explosion of light and dark, force and will.

Zhen Xue dashed forward, her sword flashing through the air as she sliced through the debris, moving like a whirlwind around Ling Xiao. The battle between the two forces raged in the center, but she could see that Ling Xiao was no longer the man he had been when they first met. He was different now. Stronger, more focused. His connection to the Source was undeniable, and with each pulse of power that radiated from him, she could feel the overwhelming might of it.

But the ancient figure was relentless. He retaliated with even more force, summoning a torrent of dark energy that surged toward them. Ling Xiao's heart pounded in his chest as he stretched out his hand, pulling on the Source's power once more. He felt the resistance—the weight of the figure's ancient will pushing back against him—but he would not yield.

He couldn't.

**"You will be crushed,"** the figure roared. **"You are nothing before me."**

Ling Xiao's eyes narrowed. He reached deep within, drawing on every scrap of strength, of resolve, that he had. His hand clenched into a fist, and with a primal roar, he unleashed the full force of the Source. The power surged outward, a wave of energy that collided with the figure's attack, shattering it like glass.

The temple shook with the force of the collision, and for a brief moment, everything went silent.

Zhen Xue stood frozen, watching as the energy crackled and dissipated. Ling Xiao stood at the center, his body glowing with dark light. His breathing was heavy, but his expression was one of quiet determination. The figure, too, seemed momentarily stunned, his form flickering as the energy surrounding him pulsed erratically.

**"This is it,"** Ling Xiao said, his voice steady and full of conviction. **"I will stop you."**

The ancient figure's form twisted, his mask of darkness beginning to crack. The power he had once commanded, the ancient forces that had flowed through him like a river, were now faltering. He had underestimated Ling Xiao's resolve—and worse, he had underestimated the Source itself. For while the Source was dark and ancient, it had also adapted. It had learned.

**"No!"** the figure cried, his voice breaking. **"I cannot be defeated! I am eternal!"**

But Ling Xiao did not hesitate. He stepped forward, raising his hand one final time. The Source responded, thrumming with power, and in that moment, Ling Xiao felt his body vibrate with the sheer magnitude of the energy. He was no longer just a man wielding power—he had become the conduit for it. The figure before him was nothing but a shadow, a remnant of the past, and Ling Xiao was the future.

With a single, decisive gesture, Ling Xiao sent a wave of dark energy crashing toward the figure. The energy tore through the air like a storm, engulfing the ancient being in an explosion of light and darkness. The ground shattered beneath them, the walls of the temple cracking as the power surged outward.

When the light finally faded, the figure was gone. The temple was silent once more.

Ling Xiao stood alone in the center of the chamber, his body trembling with the aftermath of the battle. His chest heaved with each breath, but there was no time for rest. The fight was over, but the consequences of their actions would be far-reaching.

Zhen Xue moved to his side, her eyes filled with concern as she looked him over. "You did it," she said softly. "You stopped him."

Ling Xiao nodded, though his expression remained grim. "For now. But this isn't over. The Source is still with me. And I still don't fully understand it. We need to leave this place before it begins to take control again."

Zhen Xue glanced around the temple, its dark energy still lingering in the air. "Where will you go?"

Ling Xiao paused, looking toward the shattered altar. "I don't know yet. But I will find a way to rid myself of the Source… or destroy it for good."

As they turned to leave, Ling Xiao knew one thing for certain this was only the beginning. The Source was not something that could be easily contained. And even if he could rid himself of it, there were forces in this world far older and far more dangerous than he had ever imagined. But for now, he had won the battle.

And that, for the moment, was enough.

End of Chapter 90

In Chapter 90, Ling Xiao and the ancient figure engage in a fierce battle of wills, with the ancient being claiming to be the true creator of the Source and attempting to reclaim control over it. Ling Xiao, embracing his connection to the Source, stands firm against the figure, revealing that he is no longer a prisoner to its power. With Zhen Xue's support, Ling Xiao's strength and resolve overcome the figure's ancient might, leading to the being's defeat. However, despite this victory, Ling Xiao knows that the true battle is far from over the Source still resides within him, and there are greater dangers yet to come.

If you'd like more chapters, I can continue to build the story step by step, expanding on Ling Xiao's journey, his growing power, and the world he seeks to reshape.