Underground.
A thousand meters deep.
Within a space that seemed both real and illusory, a mass of black qi churned ceaselessly, turning now into a vicious-looking man, now into a woman coquettishly posing and preening.
But however it churned and transformed, it remained bound by two enormous chains that pierced into the space from some unknown place, unable to break free.
The chains were not solid objects, but formed from flames.
One was a bewitching deep crimson, its leaping flames forming red lotuses. The other was black as ink, and although it was fire, it radiated a bone-piercing chill.
These two fiery chains intertwined, one on either side, suspending the black qi in the void.
Yet the flames on both chains had grown very weak, as though they were about to go out.
Each of the two palms the black qi had conjured now gripped a red thread, which seemed to supply it with an endless stream of energy, making the mass swell steadily.
After a while, the mass suddenly went still.
Two different, intense emotions emanated from it: one of greedy possessiveness, the other of ravenous lust.
A low growl seemed to ring out. Then the black qi assumed a half-male, half-female form, and the two hands clutching the red threads began moving together.
The shadowy figure surged and churned again, as though enduring tremendous pain.
Then the two emotions within it were slowly forced out, each merging into one of the red threads.
"Ah!"
A powerful disturbance rippled through the Illusory Space. The shadowy figure abruptly brought its hands together, twisted the two red threads into one, and wound them fiercely around the chains!
The two intertwined chains trembled slightly and loosened, as though they had lost track of their target.
Excitement immediately spilled from the shadowy figure,