The Obsidian Citadel loomed ahead, its jagged spires piercing the clouds like blackened teeth. Li Wei and Xiao Mei stood at its gates, the phoenix core burning hotter in his satchel. The air reeked of sulfur and despair.
"Remember," Li Wei said, tossing Xiao Mei a Veil Amulet to mask her Qi. "Stick to the shadows. Kael's traps are designed for Zhao Tian, not us."
Xiao Mei's runes flickered faintly. "Us? You mean you. I'm just here to clean up your messes."
The entrance hall was a maze of obsidian mirrors, each reflecting distorted versions of Li Wei's past. Kael's voice boomed:
"Welcome, strategist. Let's see if your mind is as sharp as your predecessor's."
The mirrors emitted Soul-Siphoning Rays, draining Qi from anyone who hesitated.
Hidden pathways shifted every 10 breaths, guided by a Celestial Puzzle Lock only Zhao Tian had solved.
He recalled Zhao Tian's notes: "The lock answers to the stars." Using Xiao Mei's runes, he projected the Seven-Star Constellation onto the mirrors, freezing the maze.
"You're using my magic for his tricks?" Xiao Mei muttered.
"Adapt or die," Li Wei replied, pulling her through the opening.
The next chamber held hundreds of suspended cages, each imprisoning a Fallen Leaf clansman. At the center hung Greatroot, its bark now blackened and oozing obsidian sap.
Freeing any cage triggered Soulfire Chains that incinerated two others.
Greatroot's corruption spread with every passing minute, poisoning the clan's ancestral Qi.
Lan Yi's cage was closest, but saving her would kill two elders.
Xiao Mei's runes flared. "There's a pattern. The chains are linked to the roots. Sever the third node on Greatroot's trunk."
Li Wei hesitated. "If I'm wrong—"
"You're always wrong," Xiao Mei snapped. "But I'm not."
He struck the node. The chains shattered, freeing all prisoners.
The final chamber housed Kael's Hellfire Crucible, fueled by six Soul Anchors—artifacts containing the souls of Zhao Tian's former allies. Among them was General Feng's helmet, its visor still scarred from Li Wei's betrayal.
Kael awaited, cloaked in ember-streaked shadows. "You've come to reclaim your sins, Zhao Tian."
Destroying the anchors would free the souls but unleash a Qi Cataclysm capable of leveling mountains.
Sparing them meant Kael could regenerate endlessly.
He embedded the phoenix core into his sword, its flames countering Kael's hellfire. "You want purification? Burn with me."
Using Xiao Mei's runes, he redirected the crucible's energy into the anchors, overloading them.
Kael roared as his anchors exploded, his body dissolving into ash. "This… isn't… over…"
The citadel collapsed. Li Wei dragged Xiao Mei to safety, her skin now etched with permanent runes. She stared at him blankly. "Who… are you?"
"No one important," Li Wei said, hiding the tremor in his voice.
Lan Yi approached, awe-struck. "The elders said you were a fool. But you… you saved us."
Li Wei tossed her a scroll—Shadow Sect Formation Tactics. "Teach this to the clan. And never mention my name."
The Fallen Leaf Clan began rebuilding, their whispers painting Li Wei as a wandering sage. Yet deep in the forest, Xiao Mei traced her runes, murmuring a forgotten name: "Zhao… Tian…"
Meanwhile, in the ashes of the crucible, Kael's laughter echoed. "You won the battle, strategist. But the war? It has just begun."