Chapter 26: Chapter 25: The Price of Power
The clash of light and ink was cataclysmic, a violent storm of raw energy that tore through the inky void. The dark mountains and roaring seas Ma Liang had conjured buckled and shattered like fragile glass, disintegrating into a million splatters of ink. Surya stood amidst it all, his body aglow with an intense, golden light that burned away the darkness, dissolving Ma Liang's constructs back into nothingness. The ink dimension around them quaked, the very fabric of this painted reality unraveling.
Ma Liang, his breath ragged, staggered back, his silver mask cracked and his robes soaked in sweat. Yet, he still stood tall, his eyes burning with an intense mixture of hatred and grudging respect. "You've grown arrogant, Surya," he spat, his voice trembling with frustration. "Do you think your strength is absolute? That your words are divine truth?"
Surya, calm and composed, met his gaze with unyielding confidence. "Arrogant?" he echoed with a slight smirk. "No, Ma Liang. Arrogance is to boast of something you do not have. Everything I say is true because I am true to my power."
The words hit Ma Liang like a blow, his grip on the Magic Brush tightening. But beneath his mask of fury, a flicker of doubt crossed his eyes. "Why do you waste your breath preaching?" he snarled. "You who were born enlightened, blessed by fate itself. You speak of grand ideals, of using power for some 'greater aspect.' But you know nothing of the struggles of those who weren't given everything at birth."
Surya's confident smile faded, replaced by a more serious, contemplative expression. "I speak only what I have learned," he replied slowly. "Power is not for tyranny or revenge. It's to elevate, to protect, to nurture a path forward. You wield your brush with such hatred—there is more to life than senseless violence and resurrection of a long-dead past."
Ma Liang's laugh was harsh, echoing off the collapsing walls of his ink dimension. "How would you know? You've never lived as an ordinary man, Surya. You were born a beacon of light, a favored child of the universe. You know nothing of crawling in the dirt, of struggling for every scrap of power, of seeking purpose where there is none. You have no right to judge me."
Surya remained silent, but deep within, Ma Liang's words planted a seed of reflection. His face remained stoic, but doubt flickered in his heart. Was he truly in a position to judge? Could his own path be so different from those who sought power for different reasons?
The ink dimension continued to crumble around them, the ground beneath their feet fracturing and breaking apart. The skies above twisted and turned like a churning sea, ready to collapse in on itself. Ma Liang's eyes flickered with a mixture of resentment and grim satisfaction.
"But it matters not," Ma Liang continued, a sinister smile spreading across his lips. "I've achieved my goal. While I've been keeping you occupied here, my allies have already taken the sibling warriors."
Surya's eyes widened, his expression turning sharp with realization. "What?" he demanded, stepping closer, the golden light around him flaring with intensity. "You mean Mei Lin and Li Wei? Why go after them?"
Ma Liang's laugh was dark and manic. "Did you truly think you were my main objective?" he taunted. "No, Surya. I have no desire to waste my life on a fool's errand. The siblings carry the bloodline of saints. Their value is far beyond your mere existence."
Surya's heart sank with a dawning horror. "The saint bloodline," he muttered to himself, memories flashing back to his first meeting with the siblings, the strange, ancient aura he sensed in them. "That's why I kept them close," he admitted aloud, his voice grave. "To protect them from people like you."
"And now," Ma Liang said with a twisted grin, "they're being taken to be sacrificed for the queen's revival. Their blood will fuel her return to power. My allies have already set the wheels in motion. You've played right into our hands, Surya."
Surya's face went pale, his body rigid with tension. "You're insane," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You're risking everything for some twisted obsession with a dead queen. Do you even realize what you're doing?"
Ma Liang's eyes gleamed with a fervent, almost fanatical light. "This is the path I have chosen, Surya. You may judge me all you want, but I do not require your approval. The queen's return will mark a new era, and I will be at her side. And now, with those saint-blooded fools in our grasp, her resurrection is all but assured."
Surya knew he couldn't waste another moment. His friends were in danger, and every second spent here only brought them closer to a dark fate. His eyes blazed with determination as he turned away from Ma Liang, his body glowing brighter, causing the crumbling ink dimension to tremble violently.
"Enough!" Surya declared, his voice echoing with authority. "This ends now."
With a forceful surge of energy, Surya's golden light expanded outwards like a supernova. The very fabric of the ink dimension began to tear apart, ripped to shreds by the overwhelming radiance. Ma Liang staggered, his silver mask cracking further as he tried to shield his eyes from the blinding light.
"You fool," Ma Liang sneered, even as his surroundings collapsed into oblivion. "Run while you still can. My allies are ready. There's nothing you can do to stop us now."
Surya looked back, his gaze fierce but calm. "I will save them," he said with unwavering resolve. "And I will stop you, Ma Liang. That is a promise."
As the last remnants of the ink realm dissolved into nothingness, Surya felt the pull of reality tugging at him. With a final, triumphant burst of light, he shattered the barrier between the dimensions and stepped back into the real world, his robes flowing with divine radiance.
The world around him snapped back into focus—the bustling streets of Xianzhou, the crowded marketplaces, the towering pagodas that stretched toward the heavens. He had returned. But there was no time to lose.
His expression was grim, his eyes blazing with purpose. "Hold on, Mei Lin, Li Wei," he muttered, his voice barely a whisper but carrying a promise. "I'm coming."
Somewhere in the distance, Ma Liang's laughter echoed faintly, filled with both madness and despair. The game had only just begun.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone