Hao took a breath and lowered his stance slightly.
Then he went full tryhard mode.
He pulled at the core of his being, where the blazing solar qi churned, a furious miniature sun burning beneath his ribs. This time, he didn’t hold back.
He didn’t ration or measure it.
A massive surge began gathering in his dantian.
Not a modest chunk. Not even half.
Almost all of it, ninety, maybe ninety-five percent of his current solar qi, was yanked out of storage in just a few seconds. And considering how much his qi pool had grown lately… that was a terrifying amount.
Pressure built in his chest.
His skin prickled. Muscles tightened. Sweat beaded at his brow.
Immediately,
Sunblind Burst!
It didn’t explode.
It expanded.
A blinding star emerged from within him, his entire body flaring in radiant gold.
But only for a second.
The moment that golden light shot out, it slammed against the Abyssal Veil Expansion as though a torch was thrown into an ocean of ink.
Fshhh!
It vanished.
Swallowed instantly.
The shadows rippled once, as if annoyed, and then returned to their suffocating calm.
The surroundings didn’t even brighten.
Not even a little.
All that effort… all that qi… and all Hao achieved was lighting himself up for a split second.
He blinked.
In the sea of darkness, he looked down at himself.
Only his body had a faint glow. His outline shimmered in warm gold, glowing softly as a lantern carried by a lost traveler seeking the path home.
Or if that wasn’t bad enough,
’…I look like a Christmas tree.’
Well. A really small, pathetic depressed Christmas tree.
Maybe one that forgot its ornaments.
He couldn’t help it. He laughed.
The result was ridiculous, but not discouraging.
He already knew Kurome was far beyond his current level.
But the difference was this huge, huh?
Still. He’d lit himself up.
That was something, right?
Totally not a failure.
Nope.
Just… a very personal flashlight.
Besides, this proved something important.
Kurome’s Abyssal Veil wasn’t invincible. It could be pushed back, disrupted, maybe even broken through with the right force, timing, or technique.
But in the end, it really depended on the user themselves.
Whether the darkness could completely swallow the light, or the light could break through the shadow, all boiled down to raw power.
Skill mattered, timing mattered, and the way you used the ability mattered too.
But none of that could save you if your power wasn’t enough.
There are plenty of people who like to argue, “Darkness is just naturally stronger than light,” or “Light can’t beat darkness because it’s pure and mysterious.”
Honestly, that’s just a lame excuse.
The real reason is simple: you’re weaker.
No fancy cosmic war going on here.
It’s not about light vs darkness or some deep balance of forces.
It’s about who’s got more juice.
If your light gets swallowed by the shadows without even leaving a mark, it’s because you just don’t have enough power.
And if you face an enemy way above your level?
Well, better start praying to every god you can think of.
Because no amount of clever tricks will help you when you’re outmatched by that much.
Raw strength rules the day.
That’s the brutal truth.
“Don’t blame the darkness.
Blame your weak light.”
Some people might find that harsh, but hey, sometimes the truth hurts.
Of course, situation plays a part too.
However, if you find yourself trapped, no chance to run or pull some crazy genius move?
Bro, just say goodbye to your life.
So yeah, don’t get cocky thinking your brilliant plan will bail you out every time. Sometimes, the only thing that matters is who’s stronger.
Because at the end of the day –
“If your strength can’t speak for you, then shut up and start training.”
Kurome stood unmoving within the shadows. Her eyes gleamed, ears tilted forward, tail frozen mid-sway.
Surprised… and not surprised.
Because of course, her master was capable. That much, she always believed.
But –
Had he just used that result with his current realm?
That shouldn’t be possible. If he truly only used the level of power he was currently at, then his Sunblind Burst shouldn’t have done anything.
Not even a flicker.
Her Abyssal Veil was designed for total suppression. Total consumption. No leaks. No mercy.
Yet she saw it.
A faint glow. A shimmer across his body.
She quickly ran a diagnostic on her ability.
No leaks. No disruptions. No errors.
Only one answer remained.
Her master… was really on another level!
Her expression softened.
So this… this was her master’s way of telling her something.
Clearly, he was showing her the flaws in her ability.
A message wrapped in light – “You can still improve, Kurome.”
She gasped silently.
Such a gentle reminder. So subtle. So profound.
And to think – he said nothing aloud!
Only a true master would speak through the language of power.
“You’re doing amazing, Kurome.” she imagined him saying with his eyes.
“You’re the most elegant, beautiful cat in all the realms. Your fur is perfect. Your control of darkness is unmatched. But you can still reach greater heights, I believe in you.”
…Okay, maybe she made up that last part.
But it sounded exactly like something her master would say, if he weren’t so cool and mysterious.
Such kindness.
Such quiet wisdom.
She bowed her head.
’Thank you, Master.’
She didn’t explain what for.
Because surely, he knew.
Kurome felt enlightened.
Motivated.
She would work harder.
Train her Abyssal Veil Expansion to be even stronger.
Because if a faint shimmer could shine through now, what if next time her master made a whole sun in there?
She had to be ready.
Meanwhile, the truth?
It was just Hao’s Solar-Ascendant Constitution doing its thing.
An innate enhancement that supercharged any sun-aligned technique with a ridiculous bonus effect.
So yeah.
There was no grand message. No teaching moment.
The light got through because his body was basically built to make sunlight disrespect darkness for fun.
Kurome didn’t need to know that.
’Master.’ she said with respect blooming in her tone. ’Your brilliance has opened my eyes to a wider path. I shall work harder to match your expectations.’
Hao blinked.
He had no idea what just happened.
But he gave a wise nod anyway.
Naturally.