Xun Bai knelt in the sacred chamber, black robes pooling around him like spilled ink. Ancient characters carved into the floor pulsed with dark energy as he chanted. His hands traced intricate patterns through the air, each gesture precise and purposeful.
A presence brushed against his consciousness - familiar yet changed. His eyes widened. Through the veil between life and death, he sensed a spirit of tremendous power. One he had encountered before, but now transformed into something far greater.
The chant shifted, words flowing in a new pattern. Dark energy crackled around him as he redirected the accumulated power meant for Xianhua. The spectral essence he had gathered over decades, the countless souls bound to his will - all of it channeled into this new summoning.
Sweat beaded on his brow as he pushed harder, drawing more power from the leylines. The chamber trembled under the strain. Stone cracked and ancient pillars groaned as reality itself bent to his will.
