Chapter 44: The Hunt Begins

The sky bore the soft hues of twilight as Li Feng, Mei Lian, Zheng Wei, Yan Shun, and what remained of his warriors pressed forward. The weight of their recent battle bore down on them, each step heavy with exhaustion. The mountain pass stretched before them, winding and treacherous, but there was no time to rest. The Ruins of the Jade Empress lay ahead, and with Shen Longwei's forces moving toward it, they had little choice but to push forward.

Li Feng winced as pain pulsed through his body. The Phoenix Sigil had given him great power, but each use left him battered, as though his very soul were burning from within. Mei Lian noticed his struggle and moved to his side, pulling a small vial from her sash.

"You need to rest," she murmured, her voice edged with concern. "At least let me tend to your wounds properly."

Li Feng exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I can't afford to stop. Shen Longwei is already ahead of us."

Mei Lian frowned but did not argue. She knelt beside him, dipping a cloth into the medicinal ointment and pressing it against his arm where the burn had spread. He flinched but remained still.

Yan Shun stood a short distance away, watching the interaction with an unreadable expression. His own warriors, though loyal, were not unshaken by their recent losses. They had trusted him to lead them, and yet the battle had cost them dearly. Despite his composed demeanor, his grip tightened around the hilt of his blade.

"We need to move faster," he finally said, his tone sharp. "The Ruins of the Jade Empress hold more than just the Celestial Mirror. If Shen Longwei is truly there, then we are walking into a battlefield."

Zheng Wei, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, let out a dry chuckle. "A battlefield?" he repeated. "More like a slaughter. Have you forgotten what just happened? How do we even know we stand a chance?"

Yan Shun turned to him, his eyes dark. "If we stop now, then all of this was for nothing. My men died for nothing."

"And if we go in without a plan, we'll all end up dead just the same," Zheng Wei countered. "Tell me, Yan Shun, what exactly are we hoping to achieve? Are we really trying to win this war, or are we just delaying the inevitable?"

A heavy silence settled over the group. Li Feng clenched his fists, the pain in his body momentarily forgotten. He understood Zheng Wei's frustration. He had asked himself the same question more times than he could count. But now was not the time for doubt.

"We move forward," he said firmly. "We find the Celestial Mirror before Shen Longwei does. That's our priority."

Yan Shun studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Then we move now."

The group set off once more, the winding path leading them toward the ruins. The air grew heavier as they approached, thick with an unnatural stillness. Then, as they crested the final ridge, they saw it—

The Ruins of the Jade Empress.

It stretched before them like a forgotten relic of the past, its once-golden spires now crumbled, half-buried in vines and dust. But something was wrong. Fires flickered in the distance, and the silhouettes of figures moved through the ruins—Shen Longwei's men were already there.

Yan Shun swore under his breath. "We're too late."

Before anyone could respond, the ground trembled beneath them. Mei Lian gasped as she grabbed onto Li Feng for support, and a low, guttural sound rumbled through the air. From the depths of the ruins, something stirred.

Then, they saw them.

Stone figures, ancient and weathered, shifted to life. Their once-dormant forms cracked and crumbled as they rose, eyes glowing with eerie blue fire.

"The guardians," Mei Lian whispered in horror. "They've awakened."

The battle for the past and present had begun.