Chapter 53: The Forbidden Chamber
Yan Shun ran his fingers along the intricate carvings. "This place... it was built by the Azure Dragon Clan," he murmured. "But why would they seal it away?"
Mei Lian tightened her grip on the Celestial Mirror. "Because some knowledge is too dangerous to be wielded."
Without warning, both the Coiled Dragon Ring and the Celestial Mirror pulsed in unison. Li Feng felt a tug deep within his soul as the ring's glow intensified. The mirror's surface rippled, revealing an eerie reflection of the chamber beyond.
"It wants to open the gate," Mei Lian whispered, stepping back.
Li Feng clenched his fist, then raised his hand toward the door. A deep, grinding sound echoed through the Vault as the door trembled. The engravings of the Dragon and Phoenix pulsed with light, as though awakening from an eternal slumber.
With a final groan, the stone doors parted, revealing a vast chamber bathed in ghostly blue light. The air carried the scent of aged parchment and forgotten incense. Towering relics lined the walls—armor, weapons, and scrolls marked with the sigils of the Azure Dragon Clan. At the center, an altar rose from the floor, an obsidian talisman resting upon it.
"The Black Phoenix Talisman..." Yan Shun breathed.
Mei Lian's expression darkened. "A relic of destruction."
Li Feng stepped forward cautiously. As his foot crossed the threshold, golden inscriptions ignited across the chamber walls. A deep voice rumbled from the air itself, reverberating through their bones.
"This talisman bears the weight of untold wars. Power or ruin—it is yours to decide."
Zheng Wei tightened his grip on his staff. "That doesn't sound promising."
Li Feng glanced at Mei Lian. "The Celestial Mirror reacted to this place. What does it show?"
Mei Lian hesitated, then lifted the mirror. Its surface flickered, revealing hazy visions—battlefields scorched by black flames, warriors consumed by their own ambition, and a cloaked figure standing over the ruins of a once-great empire.
"It shows... devastation," she murmured. "The talisman grants strength, but it demands something in return."
Li Feng exhaled sharply, his gaze locking onto the talisman. He could feel its pull, a dark whisper at the edge of his consciousness. Was this the power he needed to defeat Shen Longwei? Or was it another shackle, binding him to a fate he could not escape?
A slow clap echoed through the chamber.
"Quite the discovery you've made."
Li Feng spun around. At the entrance, Shen Longwei stepped into view, flanked by his warriors. Jiang Ren stood at his side, his blade already drawn.
"You truly are a fool, Li Feng," Shen Longwei said, amusement flickering in his gaze. "Running ahead, opening the doors for me. Very considerate."
Li Feng's grip tightened around his sword. "If you wanted an invitation, you should have asked."
Shen Longwei's smirk widened. "And miss the opportunity to let you do all the work? Now, step aside. That talisman belongs to me."
Yan Shun raised his twin blades, his expression deadly calm. "You have stolen enough from the world, Shen Longwei. You will not claim this too."
Shen Longwei's gaze flickered with recognition. "Yan Shun... so you still live. I should have expected you'd come crawling out of the past. How poetic."
Yan Shun's jaw tightened, but he remained silent. Mei Lian, however, stepped forward. "You don't even know what the talisman will do to you."
"Power is power, girl," Shen Longwei said. "And those who hesitate are left to burn."
With a sharp motion, he raised his hand. His warriors surged forward.
"Defend the talisman!" Yan Shun shouted.
Steel clashed as battle erupted. Li Feng dodged the first strike, countering with a swift arc of his blade. Shen Longwei remained where he stood, watching, waiting.
As Li Feng fought, the talisman's glow intensified. Its whispers turned to roars in his mind.
"Claim me. Take what is yours."
His hands trembled. The choice lay before him—seize the talisman's power and risk the darkness it carried, or let it fall into Shen Longwei's grasp.
The chamber quaked as the battle raged on. Dust and debris fell from above, and the walls groaned as though the Vault itself was reacting to their conflict.
Mei Lian turned to Li Feng, desperation in her eyes. "We have to destroy it before it's too late!"
But before Li Feng could respond, a shadow loomed over him. He turned just in time to meet Shen Longwei's blade, their weapons locking in a blinding clash of sparks.
Shen Longwei's smirk never wavered. "Choose, Li Feng. Or let me choose for you."
The talisman pulsed.
And the chamber erupted into chaos.