A lone figure emerged from the treeline, her presence a storm of qi that sent a chill through the air. She was a woman in her thirties, her long hair a cascade of midnight black, her robes a deep violet that shimmered with runes of power. Her eyes glowed with a cold, emerald light, her qi sharp and predatory, a stark contrast to the Iron Fang's fiery energy. She carried a staff topped with a crystal that pulsed with stolen qi, its light flickering like a dying star. "The Jade Farmer," she said, her voice a melodic hiss, her gaze locking onto Arin. "I felt the Eternal Seed's power. It belongs to me."
Naya stepped forward, her staff glowing, her qi rune flaring brighter. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice steady despite the threat. The woman smiled, a cold, calculating expression. "I am Veyra, last of the Shadow Bloom Clan," she said. "My ancestors were guardians of this valley, keepers of the Eternal Seed, until they were betrayed. I've come to reclaim what's mine." Arin's heart sank, the vision of the guardians' fall flashing through his mind—a betrayal that had led to the valley's decline, a wound that still bled.
"The seed chose me," Arin said, his voice firm, his hands glowing with the grove's qi. "I'm here to heal the valley, not claim its power." Veyra's smile widened, her staff raising, the crystal flaring with stolen qi. "Then you'll die for it," she said, unleashing a wave of dark energy that tore through the field, the Amrita Grains wilting under its touch. The villagers cried out, their hands shielding the crops, but Arin acted swiftly, channeling the grove's qi into the soil, the Whispering Vines erupting to form a barrier, their tendrils absorbing the dark energy.
Saria charged, her sword clashing against Veyra's staff, her qi a sharp contrast to the woman's darkness. "Protect the field!" Saria shouted, her movements precise, her training evident in every strike. Torin joined her, his axe swinging with newfound resolve, his voice raw with determination. "I won't let you destroy this!" he roared, blocking a wave of dark qi, giving Saria an opening to strike. Veyra countered, her staff sending Saria flying, her body crashing into the soil, blood trickling from her lip.
Naya supported Arin, her staff planted in the ground, her qi flowing into the vines, her movements fluid and fierce. "We need to balance her qi!" she shouted, her voice urgent. "She's drawing on the valley's energy—she'll drain it dry!" Arin nodded, his mind racing. The Lotus Bloom Ritual had taught him how to harmonize qi—now he needed to use it against Veyra. He knelt, pressing his hands into the soil, the grove's fruit in his lap, its qi amplifying his own. "Om Bhumi Namah," he murmured, channeling the ritual's energy, the villagers joining him, their qi a collective force of balance.
The land's heartbeat surged, the fractured qi aligning further, its harmony countering Veyra's darkness. The Amrita Grains glowed brighter, their silver light pushing back the wilting, while the Lotus of the Dawn flowers pulsed with healing energy, restoring the field. Veyra snarled, her staff faltering, her stolen qi destabilized by the land's balance. "You can't stop me!" she hissed, her emerald eyes blazing, but her power waned, the crystal in her staff dimming.
Saria rose, her sword glowing with qi, and struck, her blade shattering the crystal, sending a shockwave of energy through the field. Veyra staggered, her dark qi dissipating, her body trembling with the backlash. "This isn't over," she spat, retreating into the treeline, her form vanishing into the shadows. Arin exhaled, his body trembling with exhaustion, the grove's qi still humming in his veins. Naya caught him, her arms steadying him, her touch grounding. "You did it," she said, her voice soft but filled with pride. "The field is safe."