Yan Jin stood in the center of the dark cavern, the air thick with the malevolent energy of the corrupted guardian. He knew it was time to unleash his ultimate technique— the one that had taken him days to perfect within the labyrinth.
He drew his special blue arrow from his quiver, its tip glowing faintly with a pulsating blue light. But this time,he infused it with his blood energy, allowing the raw power of his own life force to fuel the attack. The arrow began to glow brighter, its light intensifying, creating a vibrant, pulsating energy that hummed with lethal potential.
Yan Jin's stance shifted, his body taking on an atypical pose that seemed almost unnatural for an archer. He held the bow horizontally, the arrow nocked and aimed not at the creature's heart, but at the space above it. His feet were spread wide, his knees bent, and his torso twisted slightly, allowing him to draw the bowstring back with a strength that belied his slender frame. His other hand, which held the bow, was steady, but his fingers trembled slightly with the immense power he was about to release.
The air around Yan Jin began to change. The temperature plummeted, frost forming on the ground and on the walls of the cavern. The blue light of the arrow bathed the entire space in an eerie glow, casting long shadows that danced across the walls. The corrupted guardian, sensing the danger, let out a deafening roar and charged at Yan Jin, its claws extended, its dark energy flaring.
But Yan Jin was unmoved. He took a deep breath, as he focused all his energy into the arrow. In that moment, the vision of the Garuda flashed before his mind's eye—the majestic bird soaring through a blizzard, its massive wings slicing through the storm, and its feathers transforming into deadly projectiles that could obliterate mountains. He had felt this excitement before, on stage in front of the whole world,as the Olympic champion of archery.
With a calm exhale, Yan Jin released the bowstring.
The arrow shot forward with a sound like thunder, the sheer force of its release creating a shockwave that blasted outward, shaking the entire cavern. But the arrow was just the beginning. As it flew through the air, it unleashed a storm of icy feathers—thousands upon thousands of them, each one a razor-sharp shard of pure ice, infused with the deadly precision of Yan Jin's technique and the overwhelming power of his blood energy.
The feathers exploded from the arrow in all directions, filling the cavern with a blizzard of death. The corrupted guardian, now only feet away from Yan Jin, was caught in the maelstrom. The icy feathers tore through its flesh, each impact generating a burst of frost that froze the creature's wounds and sapped its strength. The guardian roared in agony, its body convulsing as it was shredded by the relentless storm.
The power of the Garuda Feather Storm was awe-inspiring. The sheer force of the attack was enough to shake the very foundations of the labyrinth. The walls of the cavern began to crack, unable to withstand the explosive energy. Massive chunks of stone broke free and fell from the ceiling, crashing to the ground with earth-shaking force. The veins that had pulsed with dark energy flickered and went dark, their connection to the labyrinth severed by the overwhelming surge of power.
Outside, the spectators watching through the viewing screens were in stunned silence. The display of power was unlike anything they had ever seen. The screen showing Yan Jin's progress was awash with bright blue light, and then, suddenly, the image flickered and went black. The connection to the cavern had been lost, cut off by the sheer intensity of the energy that had been unleashed.
Back in the cavern, the storm began to subside. The last of the icy feathers fell to the ground, embedding themselves in the frozen remains of the corrupted guardian. The creature was no more, its body reduced to a shattered, icy husk. The cavern, once a place of dark energy and malevolence, was now silent, save for the sound of ice cracking as it melted in the rising warmth.
Yan Jin stood in the midst of the destruction, his breath heavy, his body trembling from the exertion. The bow in his hand still hummed with residual energy, and the ground around him was littered with shards of ice and rubble. The cavern was nearly unrecognizable—walls had caved in, the ceiling was riddled with cracks, and the once-dark veins were now lifeless and cold.
--
The public's anxiety grew as they stared at the now black screen that had been displaying Yan Jin's progress. Whispers and murmurs swept through the crowd like wildfire.
"What happened? Why is the screen black?" one spectator asked with a mix of confusion and concern.
"Did he die?" another voice chimed in, the tension in the crowd escalating.
Up in the grandstand, where the most powerful figures of Pine City were gathered, the mood was equally tense. Purple Spear Meng's sharp eyes narrowed as he watched the blank screen, his mind racing with calculations. He turned to the city lord, his voice hard. "If the veins of the labyrinth have been corrupted, it must be connected to the accident from 14 years ago."
The city lord frowned deeply, the weight of the past bearing down on him. "Are you suggesting the corrupted beast energy has resurfaced from that disaster?"
"We must evacuate Pine City," Purple Spear Meng continued urgently. "We cannot risk thousands of lives over the tournament. If that corruption spreads, it could decimate the city."
The captain of the Golden Warriors, Nie Li, interjected sharply, his voice calm but firm. "You're being too hasty, Meng. We should wait for the tournament to finish before jumping to conclusions. The damage might not be as bad as you think."
"The captain is right," another council member agreed. "We can't act rashly. Ending the tournament prematurely could cause chaos, not to mention undermine the city's reputation."
Purple Spear Meng's eyes blazed with frustration. "I will not gamble with the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. The trial is almost over, and it doesn't hurt to be cautious. We should at least begin preparations. Set up the transportation arrays and prepare to transfer all non-combat personnel, should the worst occur."
The city lord nodded, seeing the wisdom in Meng's words. "I agree. Start the preparations, but keep the evacuation discreet. We don't want to cause unnecessary panic. We'll monitor the situation closely."
"I'll go observe the boundaries of the city," Purple Spear Meng declared. "If the beasts are moving, we need to know now." Without waiting for further debate, he summoned his spear and shot into the sky, a streak of light blazing toward the city's perimeter.
As he flew off, the council members exchanged worried glances. The tension was palpable. They all knew the stakes. If the corruption from 14 years ago had resurfaced, it could spell doom for Pine City, regardless of the outcome of the tournament.
Below, in the arena, the spectators continued to murmur anxiously. Some wondered if they should leave the city while they still could, while others clung to the hope that everything would be fine.
--
The race for the Iron Blood Cell trials was reaching its final stage. The atmosphere in Pine City was tense as the leaderboard shift and real contenders emerged. Wei Xi, grandson of the city lord, was holding first place, his Imperial Storm Wyvern bloodline pushing him forward with unmatched ferocity. Behind him, Yan Bai, the ice-cold prodigy of the Yan Clan, trailed closely, his every step calculated, every strike of his spear precise.
Meng Xiao, niece of Purple Spear Meng, was hot on their heels in third place. Her Royal Steel Eagle bloodline lent her agility and unmatched grace in battle, and she had garnered the admiration of many onlookers with her quick, deadly strikes. But what truly shocked the crowd was the appearance of a new name in fourth place: Gu Zhun, a relatively unknown participant from Little Creek Village, a village that had been ravaged by the celestial descent.
"Who's this Gu Zhun?" a spectator murmured as they watched the leaderboard shift.
"I didn't know anyone from that village still survived," someone else added with surprise.
"Looks like we're underestimating the underdogs," a merchant commented. "That kid must have some real skill to be competing with the likes of Wei Xi, Yan Bai, and Meng Xiao."
The top contenders were all skilled, powerful, and ready to lay everything on the line. Yet, with Gu Zhun making a name for himself, it was clear that this year's competition was not as predictable as anyone had thought.
Tension filled the air, and every second counted. Spectators watched with bated breath, wondering if the underdog from Little Creek Village could upset the balance, or if the established powerhouses would dominate the field until the very end.