The void around them rippled like water, and the faint hum of energy grew louder as the Nexus shifted once more. Li Feng and Yan Wei stood shoulder to shoulder, their weapons drawn, their senses on high alert. The last trial had shaken them, but there was no time to dwell on what they had endured.

The light ahead dimmed, replaced by an oppressive darkness that seemed to swallow the air itself. Whispers echoed through the void, faint and unintelligible at first, but growing louder with each step.

"Shadows," Yan Wei muttered, her hand tightening around her blade. "They're not just illusions. They're something… worse."

Li Feng nodded, his heart pounding. He could feel the weight of the mark on his palm as its faint glow fought against the encroaching darkness. "What are they?"

"Remnants," she said, her tone grim. "Fragments of people or things that tried to harness the Nexus's power and failed. Their essence lingers here, corrupted by the imbalance in the Dao."

The whispers grew louder, and the darkness coalesced into humanoid forms. Their eyes glowed a faint crimson, and their movements were erratic, like marionettes pulled by invisible strings. One by one, the shadows turned toward them.

The first shadow lunged without warning, its claw-like hand swiping at Yan Wei. She dodged gracefully, her blade cutting through its form. The creature shrieked, its body flickering before reforming as though nothing had happened.

"They're resilient," Yan Wei said, her eyes narrowing. "We'll need to disrupt them completely."

Li Feng swung his staff at another shadow, channeling qi into the strike. The blow connected, and the creature dissolved into smoke, but the victory was short-lived. The shadow re-formed moments later, its crimson eyes fixed on him.

"They're regenerating," Li Feng said through gritted teeth. "How do we stop them?"

Yan Wei parried another attack, her movements precise but strained. "These things are tied to the Nexus. They'll keep coming unless we sever their connection to the energy here."

Li Feng glanced at the mark on his palm, its glow flickering in response to the shadows' presence. An idea struck him. "What if we use the mark? It's connected to the threads—they might be vulnerable to it."

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Yan Wei hesitated, her blade deflecting another strike. "It's risky. If the mark overreacts, it could drain you—or worse."

"We don't have a choice," Li Feng said, his voice firm. "Trust me."

She nodded reluctantly, shifting her stance to cover him as he focused on the mark. Li Feng closed his eyes, drawing on the energy coursing through him. The mark flared to life, its glow cutting through the darkness like a beacon. The shadows hissed and recoiled, their forms flickering erratically.

With the mark guiding him, Li Feng moved with newfound confidence. He struck at the shadows, not with brute force but with precision, channeling the mark's energy into each attack. The creatures dissolved more slowly now, their regeneration faltering as the light of the mark disrupted their forms.

Yan Wei followed his lead, her blade glowing faintly as she adapted her strikes. Together, they pushed the shadows back, the oppressive darkness retreating with every blow.

But the fight was far from over. The whispers grew louder, blending into a haunting chant. The remaining shadows merged into a single, towering form, its body writhing with tendrils of smoke and crimson light. The air grew heavier, and Li Feng felt the mark on his palm burn with intensity.

"This is bad," Yan Wei said, her voice tight. "It's drawing on the Nexus's energy directly."

Li Feng clenched his fists, the mark's light flickering erratically. "Then we cut it off."

The shadow surged forward, its tendrils lashing out with devastating speed. Yan Wei dodged to the side, her blade slicing through one of the tendrils, while Li Feng channeled the mark's energy into a barrier to shield them.

"Keep it distracted!" Yan Wei shouted, her strikes growing more aggressive. "I'll find its core!"

Li Feng nodded, focusing on maintaining the barrier as the shadow's attacks intensified. The mark pulsed in rhythm with the creature's movements, and Li Feng could feel its connection to the Nexus—a web of energy tying it to the fractured threads.

Yan Wei's blade found its mark, slicing through a glowing core hidden within the shadow's chest. The creature let out a deafening roar, its form convulsing as cracks spread across its surface. The mark on Li Feng's palm flared, and he felt a surge of energy pull him forward.

"Now, Feng!" Yan Wei shouted. "Use the mark!"

Without hesitation, Li Feng channeled everything he had into the mark, focusing its energy into a single strike. He lunged forward, his staff piercing through the shadow's core. The creature let out one final, anguished scream before dissolving into light.

The darkness lifted, and the void grew still. Li Feng collapsed to his knees, his body trembling from the effort. The mark on his palm dimmed, its pulse steady but weak.

Yan Wei knelt beside him, her expression a mix of relief and concern. "You're reckless, you know that?"

Li Feng managed a weak smile. "It worked, didn't it?"

She sighed, helping him to his feet. "Barely. If you hadn't held on, that thing would've torn us apart."

As they stood, the void shifted once more. A faint light appeared in the distance, illuminating a narrow path leading deeper into the Nexus.

"Looks like we're not done yet," Yan Wei said, her voice steady.

Li Feng nodded, his resolve hardening. "We'll finish this. Together."

They stepped forward, the light guiding their way as the whispers faded into silence.