The trek through the Ironclad Mountains began at dawn. Lin Feng, Wei Chen, Li Mei, and Zhao Kuo moved in near silence, their steps swift and deliberate. The cool morning mist clung to the rugged peaks like a shroud, and as they ascended higher, the air grew thinner, sharper. The weight of the previous night's battle was still fresh in their minds, but the urgency of their mission pressed them forward without hesitation.
"The ancient seals…" Lin Feng murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. He had felt it during the skirmish—a pulse of malevolent energy, like a heartbeat buried deep within the mountains. It had called to him, vibrating through the air, through the very earth beneath their feet. It was as though something deep below was awakening, its presence brushing against his consciousness.
Wei Chen walked beside him, occasionally glancing at the surrounding cliffs, his blades loosely strapped to his back. "You really think the Dark Sect is trying to break those seals? I thought those were just legends told to scare juniors."
"They're not just stories," Li Mei replied, her voice soft but firm. She was walking behind them, her fan tucked into her sash. "I've read about them in the ancient scrolls. Seals placed by the first cultivators, long before the sects we know today existed. If the Dark Sect is trying to unleash what's behind those seals…" She trailed off, her eyes darkening. "We might be dealing with forces beyond anything we've ever faced."
Zhao Kuo, ever stoic, remained silent but alert, his spear resting on his shoulder as they navigated the rocky terrain. He was the last line of defense, constantly scanning their surroundings for any sign of threat. His steady presence had become a comforting constant for the group, a quiet reminder that no matter how dire things became, they would face it together.
The path ahead narrowed, and the jagged cliffs loomed like ancient sentinels, standing guard over secrets long buried. The sun, which had barely risen, was now hidden behind thick clouds, casting the mountains in an eerie twilight that made the landscape feel otherworldly.
As they continued their ascent, Lin Feng's thoughts drifted to Azure Destiny. The spirit sword, normally attuned to his every emotion, had been unusually quiet since the last battle. Its energy, while still present, felt muted, as though the sword was meditating—perhaps preparing itself for the trials ahead.
Wei Chen, always one to break tension, let out a sharp exhale. "So... we just march into the mountains, find these supposed seals, and stop whatever ancient horror is waiting to be unleashed. Simple enough."
Lin Feng couldn't help but smile at his friend's casual tone, though the gravity of their situation was far from humorous. "Simple, yes," he replied, glancing sideways at Wei Chen. "But the hard part is getting there."
As if on cue, a strange shift in the air caused the group to pause. It was subtle at first, a barely perceptible disturbance, like the faintest ripple across still water. But it quickly grew into something more—a deep, resonant hum that seemed to vibrate through the rocks beneath their feet. Lin Feng's instincts flared to life. Something was coming.
"Get ready," Zhao Kuo said, his voice low but sharp, already spinning his spear into a defensive position.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled, and cracks began to spiderweb across the rocky path. Lin Feng leaped back as a section of the cliffside crumbled away, revealing a hidden cavern that yawned like the mouth of some great beast. From its depths poured a thick, dark mist, swirling with malevolent energy.
"They're here," Li Mei whispered, her fan snapping open in a single smooth motion.
From the cavern, shadowy figures began to emerge—puppets like those they had faced the night before, but these were different. Their forms were less solid, more fluid, as though the darkness itself had taken shape. They moved with eerie grace, their red eyes glowing like embers in the mist.
"They never stop, do they?" Wei Chen muttered, unsheathing his blades with a quick flick of his wrists.
Lin Feng stepped forward, Azure Destiny flashing into his hand with a bright, azure glow. The energy from the spirit sword seemed to cut through the oppressive mist, parting it like a curtain. "We need to clear a path. There's something deeper inside that cavern. Something important."
Without waiting for a response, Lin Feng charged forward, his sword slashing through the nearest puppet with a single fluid motion. The shadowy figure disintegrated upon contact, its form collapsing into a wisp of dark energy. But more were coming.
Wei Chen followed close behind, his twin blades whirling in a deadly dance. "These things just keep coming. How many are there?"
"Doesn't matter," Zhao Kuo grunted, his spear stabbing through three of the shadow puppets in a single powerful thrust. "We'll cut them all down."
Li Mei remained a step behind, her fan sweeping through the air as she conjured gusts of wind to keep the mist at bay. "Focus on their movements. They're following something—a pattern."
Lin Feng could feel it too. The shadow puppets weren't attacking at random; their movements were deliberate, controlled, as if they were being guided by some unseen hand. And it was coming from deeper within the cavern.
He pushed forward, cutting down another wave of puppets as he approached the cavern's entrance. The dark energy inside was thick, suffocating, but Lin Feng pressed on, his steps quick and sure. Azure Destiny pulsed in his hand, guiding him toward something hidden deep within the cavern's depths.
"Feng!" Wei Chen called, his voice tense. "Don't go in alone!"
But Lin Feng was already moving, drawn by an invisible force. He could feel it—the source of the dark energy, the pulse that had been haunting him since the night before. It was just beyond the shadows, waiting for him.
As he entered the cavern, the air grew colder, and the walls seemed to close in around him. The mist was thick here, clinging to his skin like oil. And in the distance, barely visible through the gloom, Lin Feng saw it—a massive stone altar, ancient and worn, covered in strange runes that glowed faintly with a sickly green light.
At the center of the altar was a seal—a circular stone slab etched with intricate patterns. It was cracked, and from the crack seeped a thick, dark energy that pulsed in time with the earth's tremors.
Lin Feng's breath caught in his throat. This was it. The seal Li Mei had spoken of, one of the ancient bindings placed long ago to contain something far more powerful than any of them could imagine.
But it was breaking.
As he stepped closer, the dark energy swirling around the seal seemed to react to his presence, flaring up like a living thing. And then, from the shadows surrounding the altar, a figure emerged. Tall, cloaked in tattered black robes, its face obscured by a hood. But Lin Feng could feel the dark power radiating from it, like a cold, suffocating wave.
"You've come too late," the figure rasped, its voice echoing through the cavern. "The seal is already broken. Soon, the darkness will be free."
Lin Feng tightened his grip on Azure Destiny, his heart pounding in his chest. "Not if I can stop it."
The figure laughed, a hollow, chilling sound that reverberated through the cavern. "You cannot stop what is destined. The darkness will rise, and all will fall before it."
With a flick of its wrist, the figure summoned a surge of dark energy, sending it crashing toward Lin Feng like a tidal wave. Lin Feng raised Azure Destiny, the sword's light flaring to life as he cut through the attack, the dark energy dissipating around him.
But the figure wasn't finished. It raised its hands, and the shadows around the altar began to writhe and twist, taking shape into monstrous forms—twisted, nightmarish creatures born from the darkness itself.
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. This was no ordinary battle. He was facing something ancient, something that had been waiting for this moment for centuries.
But he wasn't alone.
Just as the shadow creatures lunged toward him, Wei Chen, Li Mei, and Zhao Kuo burst into the cavern, their weapons flashing in the dim light.
"We're with you, Feng!" Wei Chen shouted, his blades cutting through the nearest shadow creature.
Li Mei conjured a whirlwind, sending several of the creatures flying back into the darkness. "We'll hold them off! Go for the seal!"
Zhao Kuo's spear struck down another creature as he nodded toward Lin Feng. "Do what you have to do."
Lin Feng didn't hesitate. He surged forward, Azure Destiny glowing brighter than ever as he charged toward the altar. The dark energy around the seal flared up, trying to stop him, but Lin Feng pushed through, his sword cutting through the darkness with every step.
As he reached the altar, the figure raised its hand again, summoning a final surge of power. But Lin Feng was ready. With a shout, he brought Azure Destiny down in a powerful arc, the sword's light piercing through the dark energy and striking the cracked seal.
For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. The dark energy around the seal wavered, and the figure let out a scream of rage as the light from Azure Destiny flooded the cavern, banishing the shadows.
And then, with a deafening crack, the seal shattered.
The dark energy dissipated, and the figure vanished, leaving only the broken altar in
its wake.
Lin Feng stood there, breathing heavily, as the cavern fell silent. The battle was over.
But as he looked down at the shattered seal, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.