Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 279: Celestial Shadow Beast

Not long after, a sound came faintly...a shrill, grating echo that rose and fell in the distance like metal scraping against stone. It cut through the abyss, sharp enough to make every heart in the group skip a beat. Then came another, louder this time, and it was followed by the unmistakable beat of heavy wings stirring the thick air. The darkness above them rippled as though something vast moved within it, circling unseen.

Everyone froze. Even the Empress stopped mid-step, her eyes narrowing toward the direction of the noise. The sound came again, closer now, the screech so piercing that it sent shivers down their spines.

Seraphine was the first to whisper, her voice trembling, "What was that?"

No one answered immediately. They all knew that sound didn’t belong to anything living in the light. The crippled grandmaster’s expression darkened, and he clutched his staff tighter. "They’ve found us," he muttered under his breath.

The Valerion guards quickly shifted, forming a loose defensive formation around the group. Even though their bodies were weak and drained, instinct forced them into formation.

Nyx’s breathing quickened. "We can’t fight in this state," she said in a strained whisper. "Even one of us would struggle to hold a defensive stance for long. If something comes from that sky..."

"Quiet," Captain Varran hissed. His eyes scanned the swirling gloom above.

Then the screech came again, longer this time, echoing with an unnatural tone that carried hatred and hunger. It sounded furious, like the cry of a predator that had been trapped here for centuries.

The Empress could feel the tremor in the dome of divine energy surrounding them. The Ice Belle’s power flickered faintly, reacting to the foul aura that approached. She clenched her teeth, pressing her hand to the dome to steady it. "Stay close," she commanded softly. "Do not break the circle."

Theron’s voice was low but filled with unease. "Whatever that is... it’s strong. I can feel it from here. Its energy is worse than the mist itself."

The crippled grandmaster nodded slowly, his voice heavy with dread. "That’s no creature of the natural world," he said. "It’s something the usurpers left behind...a guardian, perhaps. They planted beasts in this void to ensure no one crosses it alive."

His words chilled everyone further. The group exchanged glances of silent terror, realizing the depth of the trap they had walked into.

The flapping grew louder, like thunder rolling above them, and the air stirred violently, lifting dust and ash in small whirlwinds. The dome around them quivered again. The Empress could feel the strain through her arm; the divine energy she was amplifying from the Ice Belle was starting to waver under the pressure.

"Empress," Seraphine said quickly, her tone tight with fear, "what do we do if it sees us?"

The Empress’s eyes glowed faintly under the dark haze. "We pray it doesn’t," she replied quietly. "Because if it does, we won’t survive a single strike."

The group trembled at her words. None dared to move or breathe too loudly. Every sound of their hearts seemed to echo in their ears as the wingbeats circled closer and closer.

The crippled grandmaster whispered, "Even a celestial would fall here. In this state, we are nothing but prey."

That truth settled over them like a shroud. They were too weak, too drained, and too far from any form of safety.

A sudden gust of wind tore through the stillness, powerful enough to nearly knock several of the loyalists off their feet. The sound came next...a deep, resonant beat that vibrated through their bones. Then the darkness above them shifted, vast and alive.

Before anyone could react, something massive moved overhead. A shadow blotted out the faint light from the celestial dome that protected them. The air thickened, humming with pressure. Then, in a single flash of lightning that split the sky, they saw it.

The brilliance of the bolt illuminated the beast in full horror for one heart-stopping instant. A colossal creature soared above them, its wings stretching wide like mountains of smoke and scales. The lightning’s reflection ran along its body, revealing an endless sweep of black, iridescent scales that shimmered faintly with an eerie blue glow. Its tail was long and whip-like, trailing behind it as it cut through the air. From head to tail, it was at least seventy metres, perhaps more, and the wings spread nearly twice that length.

Every heart in the group froze.

Even the Empress, who had faced celestial beings and wielded divine power herself, felt a flicker of fear crawl up her spine. "By the heavens," she whispered under her breath, her voice trembling despite her resolve. "A celestial shadow dragon... here?"

The crippled grandmaster looked up, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible," he muttered. "They were wiped out centuries ago... sealed beyond the dark rift. This... this shouldn’t exist."

The creature’s massive body glided smoothly through the air, and as it passed directly above them, its shadow blanketed everything, drowning the world in blackness. The group stood frozen, their breaths shallow and hearts racing. They could hear the deep rumble of its growl echoing through the void, as though the creature itself was part of the abyss.

Then, without warning, it veered sharply upward and turned. The movement was swift and graceful, terrifying in its precision. Its wings beat once...just once...and the gust sent waves of black mist rolling toward the group. The sound was deafening, like thunder tearing through the sky.

The Empress gritted her teeth, feeling the dome tremble again. "Hold your ground," she said, her voice firm despite the rising dread.

Captain Varran was scared shitless... "If it attacks," he said hoarsely, "there’s nothing we can do to stop it."

The dragon turned again, this time diving. The air shook violently as it descended from the clouds above, cutting through the layers of darkness with monstrous speed. Its eyes glowed blue like burning stars, and as it approached, the air grew unbearably hot despite the coldness of the void.

Nyx gasped, her voice caught in her throat. "It’s coming straight for us!"

The Empress’s instincts flared, her hand glowing faintly as she poured more divine energy into the dome. The Ice Belle stirred within Lucas’s cloak, sensing the approaching danger, her small body trembling slightly. The dome brightened just as another lightning bolt split the sky, revealing the dragon’s open jaws.

Its mouth was wide enough to swallow a big house whole. Blue fire churned within it, swirling and raging as though barely contained. The heat rolled toward them even before the flames escaped, and the ground cracked beneath their feet.

"Get behind me!" the Empress shouted, though she knew her barrier was already at its limit. The loyalists huddled closer, clutching one another as panic set in.

The creature let out a roar that tore through the air like a tempest, shaking the darkness itself. The blue fire inside its maw trembled violently, building in brightness until it was blinding. The Empress could see the reflection of that light in Seraphine’s terrified eyes.

Theron shook uncontrollably. "We’re not surviving that," he said quietly, almost as a prayer.

The Empress didn’t answer. She stared up at the descending beast, her mind racing, her body braced for what was coming.

The dragon drew closer, its monstrous jaws aglow with destructive power, and in the instant before it released the fire, the world seemed to hold its breath.

The air trembled. The blue fire flared within its throat, and the beast roared...ready to unleash its fury upon them.