The trio descended into the narrow passageway beneath the altar, their footsteps echoing faintly against the cold stone walls. The air grew thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient dust, carrying with it a strange heaviness that seemed to press against their chests. The flames from Ling Yan's Burning Sky Technique provided their only light, casting flickering shadows against the walls as they ventured deeper into the fortress's heart.
Ling Yan led the way, his senses on high alert. The battle they had just fought had left him weary, but his resolve was unshaken. Whatever lay beneath the fortress, he was determined to uncover it, knowing that they were drawing closer to the true source of the darkness that had plagued the mountain. The crystal they had destroyed was only a piece of a much larger puzzle—one that he feared could change the balance of power in the world if left unchecked.
Behind him, Shui Yueyao and Ye Qing followed in silence. Shui Yueyao's gaze was sharp, her fingers still wrapped tightly around the hilt of her sword. She moved with the fluidity of a dancer, her every step deliberate and controlled. Ye Qing's expression was equally focused, her eyes scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger. Both of them, like Ling Yan, understood that their journey was far from over.
The passage wound deeper into the earth, the walls growing narrower as the air became colder. It was as if they were descending into the very bowels of the mountain, where light and warmth were foreign concepts. Ling Yan felt the weight of the stone above them, pressing down like a silent reminder of the depths they had ventured into.
Suddenly, the narrow passageway opened up into a vast underground chamber, its ceiling soaring high above them and disappearing into the darkness. The walls were lined with strange carvings, ancient runes that glowed faintly in the dim light, as if some long-forgotten magic still pulsed through the stone. At the center of the chamber stood an enormous stone door, covered in intricate patterns that seemed to writhe and shift like living shadows.
Ling Yan stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing as he studied the door. There was something ominous about it—something that made his skin prickle with unease.
"This door... it's not like anything we've seen before," Shui Yueyao whispered, her voice barely audible as she stepped closer to examine the carvings.
Ye Qing frowned, her hand brushing lightly against the stone. "These runes… they're not of this world. They feel wrong. Like they were never meant to be here."
Ling Yan could feel it too—the dark energy that pulsed faintly from the door. It was different from the corruption they had faced before, deeper and more insidious. It felt as though it was alive, watching them with unseen eyes, waiting for them to make a move.
"Whatever lies beyond this door," Ling Yan said slowly, "it's not something we can face lightly. We need to be prepared."
Shui Yueyao nodded in agreement. "There's a powerful force behind this door. I can feel it... but I can't tell if it's an enemy or something else entirely."
Ye Qing studied the runes for a moment longer before stepping back. "We have no choice. This is the only path forward."
Ling Yan took a deep breath, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. The flames flickered brighter as he focused his energy, preparing himself for whatever might come. He could sense the darkness beyond the door, but he also felt a strange pull—an energy that seemed to call out to him from the other side.
With a nod to his companions, Ling Yan stepped forward, his fingers brushing against the surface of the door. The moment he made contact, the runes flared to life, glowing with an intense light that filled the chamber. The door trembled beneath his touch, the stone shifting and grinding as ancient mechanisms began to stir.
Then, with a thunderous crack, the door slowly began to open.
A cold wind rushed out from the darkness beyond, carrying with it the scent of decay and something far older than any of them could comprehend. The air was thick with a sense of foreboding, as if they had just disturbed something that had been sleeping for centuries—something that should have remained undisturbed.
Ling Yan stepped back as the door opened fully, revealing a long, dark corridor that stretched out before them. The walls were lined with torches, their flames flickering weakly in the oppressive gloom. The floor was made of cracked stone, worn smooth by the passage of time, and the ceiling was low enough that they had to stoop slightly as they entered.
As they ventured into the corridor, the temperature dropped even further, the chill biting into their skin despite the warmth of Ling Yan's flames. The darkness pressed in from all sides, and even the light from the torches seemed unable to penetrate the deep shadows that clung to the walls.
After several minutes of walking, they reached a large circular chamber, the walls lined with ancient statues of warriors, their faces obscured by the passage of time. In the center of the chamber stood a raised platform, upon which rested a large stone tablet covered in runes similar to the ones they had seen before.
Ling Yan approached the platform cautiously, his eyes scanning the tablet for any signs of danger. The runes glowed faintly in the dim light, but they were different from the ones on the door. These felt older, more stable, as if they had been placed there to protect rather than harm.
Shui Yueyao and Ye Qing stood beside him, their eyes fixed on the tablet. "What is this place?" Shui Yueyao asked quietly, her voice filled with awe.
"It feels like a tomb," Ye Qing replied, her gaze lingering on the statues that lined the walls. "But why would there be a tomb beneath the fortress?"
Ling Yan didn't have an answer. The energy in the chamber was strange—neither fully light nor fully dark. It was as if the chamber existed in a state of balance, where both forces were kept in check by the magic of the runes.
As he reached out to touch the stone tablet, Ling Yan felt a surge of energy course through him. It was a warm, steady energy, unlike the dark corruption they had encountered before. It felt... familiar, as if it resonated with the flames of the Burning Sky Technique that he carried within him.
"This is ancient," Ling Yan said, his voice low as he examined the runes. "It feels like... a seal of some kind. Something was placed here to protect whatever lies beyond."
Ye Qing's eyes narrowed as she studied the tablet. "A seal... to keep something out, or to keep something in?"
Ling Yan didn't know, but the answer was important. If this was a seal, then whatever lay beyond it was either a great danger—or a great power. The runes on the tablet seemed to hum with energy, as if they were responding to Ling Yan's presence, and he knew that whatever decision they made next could change the course of their journey.
"We need to be careful," Ling Yan said, his voice filled with caution. "If we break this seal without understanding what it protects, we could release something far worse than the corruption we've faced so far."
Shui Yueyao nodded, her expression serious. "Then we need to learn more about this place before we make any decisions. There may be clues hidden here—something that can tell us what this chamber is meant to protect."
With that, the trio began to search the chamber, their eyes scanning every inch of the walls and statues for any signs of what might lie beyond the seal. The air was thick with tension, and even as they searched, Ling Yan couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
Whatever was hidden beneath the mountain, it was ancient—and it was waiting for them.
The search of the chamber continued in silence, with each of them meticulously examining the statues and carvings that adorned the walls. The cold air bit at their skin, but the trio pressed on, driven by the need to understand the nature of the seal before them.
Shui Yueyao knelt by one of the statues, her fingers lightly brushing over the stone. The figure was of a warrior, its features worn smooth by the passage of time, yet there was still a faint sense of dignity in its stance. The warrior held a sword pointed downward, the blade resting against the ground as if in quiet vigil.
"These statues," Shui Yueyao murmured, "they were placed here to guard something. Their posture, their positioning—it's like they were meant to stand watch."
Ye Qing, standing near the edge of the chamber, nodded in agreement. "It makes sense. This is a tomb, after all. But what exactly were they guarding?"
Ling Yan approached the center of the chamber again, his eyes drawn once more to the large stone tablet that rested atop the raised platform. The runes glowed softly, and as he stared at them, he could almost feel the pulse of energy beneath the surface—like a heartbeat, steady and strong.
There was something about this place that resonated deeply with him, a feeling that went beyond simple curiosity. It was as though the energy here was calling out to him, beckoning him closer. The flames within him stirred in response, as if they, too, recognized the ancient magic that lingered in the air.
"Whatever this seal was meant to protect," Ling Yan said quietly, "it's connected to the Burning Sky Technique. I can feel it. The energy here… it's the same."
Shui Yueyao looked up from the statue she had been studying, her brow furrowing in thought. "Connected to the Burning Sky Technique? But that would mean..."
Ye Qing's eyes widened in realization. "This chamber, this seal—it was created by someone who wielded the same power you do, Ling Yan. Maybe even the original master of the technique."
Ling Yan's mind raced as he processed the implications of Ye Qing's words. The Burning Sky Technique was ancient—passed down through the ages as a forbidden art, feared for its destructive power. If this chamber had been built by someone who once wielded that same power, then it meant they were standing in the presence of something far greater than they had imagined.
But what was it that had been sealed away? And why had it been hidden so deep beneath the fortress?
"We need to be certain," Ling Yan said, his voice filled with determination. "If this place is tied to the origins of the Burning Sky Technique, then there could be knowledge here that we can use. But we can't risk releasing whatever is sealed here without understanding what it is."
Shui Yueyao and Ye Qing nodded in agreement, their expressions serious. They understood the gravity of the situation—the danger that lay in tampering with forces beyond their understanding.
Shui Yueyao stood and approached the tablet with Ling Yan. "If this is a seal, then we need to find a way to break it carefully. Perhaps the runes themselves hold the key."
Ling Yan studied the runes more closely, their intricate patterns shifting and changing as if alive. He could feel the power within them—ancient and potent, but also fragile. It was as if the magic had been holding back for centuries, waiting for the right moment to be released.
He placed his hand on the tablet once more, and this time, he allowed his flames to flow through him, channeling the energy of the Burning Sky Technique into the stone. The runes reacted immediately, glowing brighter as they absorbed the power, their light growing stronger with each passing moment.
But something was wrong.
The moment the flames touched the tablet, the chamber began to tremble. The ground beneath their feet shifted, and the air grew colder, the temperature dropping so rapidly that their breath began to fog in the air. The runes flared with a sudden intensity, and Ling Yan felt the energy within the tablet surge violently.
"Ling Yan, stop!" Shui Yueyao shouted, her voice cutting through the rising tension.
Ling Yan quickly pulled his hand back, the flames receding as he took a step away from the platform. The runes dimmed, but the trembling of the ground continued, growing stronger with each passing second.
Ye Qing drew her sword, her eyes scanning the chamber for any signs of movement. "We've triggered something," she said through gritted teeth. "Get ready!"
The statues around them began to glow faintly, their stone forms coming to life as the ancient magic that had sustained them for centuries was reawakened. Slowly, the stone warriors began to move, their heads turning toward the intruders who had disturbed their long slumber. The grinding of stone echoed through the chamber as the statues raised their weapons, their eyes glowing with an eerie light.
"There's no going back now," Ling Yan said grimly as he drew his sword, the flames roaring to life once more. "We fight."
The first of the statues lunged forward, its stone sword cutting through the air with surprising speed. Ling Yan met the attack head-on, his blade clashing against the stone with a sharp ring. Sparks flew as the two forces collided, the power of the Burning Sky Technique pushing back against the ancient magic that animated the statues.
Shui Yueyao and Ye Qing sprang into action as well, their swords flashing in the dim light as they engaged the other statues. Shui Yueyao's movements were graceful and fluid, her blue flame sword aura cutting through the stone with precision. Ye Qing's strikes were powerful and direct, her blazing sword aura shattering the stone warriors with each blow.
But the statues were relentless. For every one they destroyed, another would rise to take its place, their numbers seemingly endless. The magic that had created them was old and powerful, and it showed no signs of weakening.
Ling Yan gritted his teeth as he parried another strike, his flames blazing brighter as he channeled more energy into the fight. He could feel the heat building within him, the power of the Burning Sky Technique growing stronger with each passing moment. But even as he fought, he knew that they couldn't keep this up forever. The statues were tireless, and their numbers were overwhelming.
"There's too many of them!" Ye Qing shouted as she cut down another statue, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "We need to find a way to stop them!"
Ling Yan nodded, his mind racing as he searched for a solution. They couldn't fight the statues head-on forever—there had to be another way to break the seal. The runes on the tablet still glowed faintly, their power humming in the air. If he could find a way to reverse the magic, to deactivate the seal without destroying it, they might be able to stop the statues from rising.
He just had to figure out how.