Chapter 46: The Hidden Sanctuary
A faint whisper drifted through the air, a voice both soothing and chilling at once.
Only those who seek wisdom will survive… Those consumed by ambition shall perish.
The spectral voice of the Jade Empress resonated through the chamber, making the fine hairs on Li Feng's arms stand on end. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to push forward despite the nagging weakness in his limbs. The Coiled Dragon Ring pulsed against his skin, reacting to the tomb's energy, but whether it was in warning or resonance, he could not tell.
His mind snapped to Shen Longwei—already ahead, scouring the tomb for the Celestial Mirror. Li Feng had no time to waste. He took a step forward, only to feel the stone beneath him shift slightly. A soft click echoed through the corridor.
Traps.
Instinct kicked in. Li Feng threw himself sideways as massive stone spikes erupted from the floor where he had just stood. Dust and debris clouded the chamber as the trap reset, the spikes vanishing into the stone as if nothing had happened. His breath came in sharp pants. He couldn't afford mistakes here.
He advanced with careful precision, weaving through narrow corridors lined with murals depicting celestial battles—great dragons locked in combat with shadowed figures. The carvings held the weight of history, and yet, something about them felt strangely familiar. He traced his fingers across one of the engravings. A dragon with glowing eyes curled around a lone warrior, as if shielding him.
A sudden tremor coursed through the labyrinth, shaking dust from the ceiling. Somewhere deeper in the tomb, Shen Longwei's men had awakened something.
Li Feng steadied himself against the wall as the floor beneath him groaned. A shift in the air sent a shiver down his spine. The walls… they were moving.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled from the shadows ahead. His hand went instinctively to his sword.
Then they emerged.
Figures, translucent yet defined, clad in celestial armor, their forms flickering like dying embers. The Jade Empress's Guardians. Their hollow eyes locked onto him, their movements deliberate and unyielding. They were not mindless spirits—no, these were warriors who still held their sacred duty even in death.
Li Feng swallowed. He had no interest in fighting them, but retreat was not an option. His fingers curled around the hilt of his blade.
One of the spirits stepped forward, its voice echoing with an otherworldly resonance.
You seek that which does not belong to you.
"I seek to stop Shen Longwei," Li Feng answered, standing his ground. "The Celestial Mirror is too dangerous in his hands."
The guardians did not move. Their unreadable faces betrayed no emotion, but their silence weighed on him like a judgment.
Prove it, the lead guardian commanded.
A sudden rush of energy blasted through the chamber, forcing Li Feng into action. The battle had begun.
Elsewhere in the tomb, deep within the corridors, Shen Longwei's forces pressed forward, their torches flickering against the timeworn stone. The leader of the Scarlet Iron Sect strode ahead, his eyes alight with hunger. He could feel it—the Celestial Mirror was close.
But as his men advanced, a pulse of ancient energy rippled through the tomb.
The labyrinth shifted.
Walls closed, pathways twisted, entire sections collapsed. The tomb itself was fighting back.
"Move!" Shen Longwei roared as his warriors scattered to avoid being crushed by falling debris.
The Jade Empress's final defense had been awakened.
And Li Feng was trapped in the middle of it.