An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2673

Chapter 2673

“Stay calm! Attack them!” Grace shouted.

The short sword in her hand gleamed with icy light as she slashed through the nearest gray shadow.

The blade tore straight through the misty figure, making it ripple and twist violently. A sharp, ear-piercing hiss echoed—but the creature didn’t vanish. Instead, it surged forward even more viciously.

Around her, the guards fought desperately. Their blades and qi attacks cut into the shadows, but the results were disheartening. The sword auras barely thinned the fog-like creatures, and it often took multiple strikes just to destroy one.

The mist shadows’ counterattacks were even stranger. They slipped easily through ordinary protective energy, and once they made contact with flesh, icy death spread instantly.

A guard screamed as one of the shadows brushed his arm. Before anyone could react, his limb turned gray and shriveled, drained of all vitality. He stumbled backward, pale and trembling.

“We can’t hold them off like this! Our attacks barely hurt them!” the captain shouted, panic creeping into his voice.

Two more guards fell within moments, their energy stripped away, their bodies lifeless husks.

Logan’s expression hardened. He could tell that these entities—born from fog and resentment—were resistant to both physical and spiritual attacks. The only thing they feared was higher, purer energy—something bright, yang-infused, and cleansing.

He brought his fingers together, and a blinding golden light burst to life at his fingertips. It wasn’t searing, but its aura was vast and sacred—pure yang energy that could banish all evil.

“Pure Yang Finger.”

The moment he spoke, Logan flicked his finger. A streak of golden light shot forward like a divine arrow, piercing the thickest part of the fog.

A shrill, otherworldly wail split the air. Wherever the golden light passed, the distorted shadows melted and evaporated like frost under the morning sun. The suffocating cold of the fog lifted, thinning noticeably.

The remaining mist creatures recoiled, their twisted forms trembling. Then, like frightened animals, they scattered back into the depths of the fog and vanished.

The guards stood frozen, breathing hard, staring at Logan in stunned silence.

One of them finally spoke, voice filled with awe. “Mr. Rhys… thank you. You saved our lives.”

Logan shook his head lightly, still focused. “Don’t thank me yet. These were just fragments—residual spirits disturbed by our presence. The true source of the fog—and something far stronger—is still ahead. We can’t stay here. We need to move.”

He looked toward the densest part of the mist. The energy there was turbulent, but beneath the chaos he could sense something else—gentle, flowing, and pure. A water spirit’s resonance.

“Follow me,” he said quietly. “That direction feels right.”

They moved forward again, exhausted but resolute, pushing through the devouring fog.

And then—suddenly—it ended.

As if they had crossed an invisible threshold, the suffocating mist dissolved. The air turned clear and bright, sunlight spilling across a breathtaking valley. For a moment, they stood speechless, almost believing they had stepped into the realm of immortals.

Before them stretched a valley nestled between emerald peaks. Waterfalls cascaded like silver ribbons from the cliffs, filling the air with the soothing sound of flowing streams. Exotic flowers bloomed in dazzling colors, their fragrance crisp and intoxicating. The very air shimmered with pure spiritual energy that filled their lungs and slowly restored the strength they had lost.

At the valley’s heart stood a cluster of jade pavilions—graceful, ethereal, and otherworldly. Built from white and green jade and luminous spiritwood, they shimmered faintly beneath drifting clouds. The curved roofs and carved beams glowed softly in the golden light, blending perfectly with the surrounding mountains and mist.

Cranes glided through the sky. A few spirit deer grazed near a pond, unafraid. And from somewhere unseen came the faint sound of celestial music—hauntingly beautiful, like a lullaby that reached straight into the soul.

“This… this must be Xuanpu,” Grace whispered, her eyes wide with awe. “A real immortal realm…”

The tension in everyone’s shoulders melted away. The guards looked around in wonder, disbelief giving way to reverence.

For the first time in days, Grace felt light. Her chest swelled with hope. Maybe here… maybe here we’ll find it.

Her gaze fixed on the pavilions, where she imagined a glowing elixir floating inside—its light pulsing softly, waiting to heal her father’s dying body. The vision filled her heart with warmth so intense it almost hurt.

“Finally… we found it,” she murmured, her voice trembling. Her steps began to quicken without her realizing it.

“Wait.”

The word cut through her thoughts like an icy blade.

A cool hand settled on her shoulder, stopping her mid-step. The touch sent a refreshing calm through her, dousing the fire of her excitement.

Logan’s voice was low and steady. “Be careful. Not everything beautiful is real.”