Chapter 54: Betrayal and Revelation

The battle within the Forbidden Chamber erupted with a deafening clash of steel, the air thick with dust and raw energy. Shen Longwei's forces swarmed forward, their weapons gleaming in the dim light of the ancient torches that flickered against the chamber's high, inscribed walls. Li Feng, Mei Lian, Zheng Wei, and Yan Shun fought fiercely, their movements a desperate dance against overwhelming odds.

Yan Shun's blades clashed against a masked warrior clad in black and silver, whose fighting style mirrored his own. A vicious back-and-forth ensued, each strike met with a perfectly mirrored counter. Yan Shun narrowed his eyes, something familiar in the warrior's stance, the way he pivoted, the way he gripped his blade.

Then, in a moment of sheer horror, the mask was torn away.

The face beneath was one he had never expected to see again.

"Yan Zhi?" Yan Shun's voice wavered between disbelief and fury.

The younger man's cold eyes barely flickered. "You should have known better than to think I perished in the fall of our clan."

Yan Shun's breath hitched. His brother, whom he had believed dead for years, stood before him—now a loyal warrior of Shen Longwei.

"Why?" Yan Shun demanded, his blade trembling in his grip. "How could you side with the man responsible for our suffering?"

Yan Zhi's lips curled into a smirk, his voice like ice. "Because he is strong. Because he has the power to rewrite fate. I learned the truth, brother—the Azure Dragon Clan fell because it was weak. It clung to a dying legacy. Shen Longwei offers something greater."

Yan Shun lunged with a cry of anguish, their swords meeting in a shower of sparks. Each strike carried the weight of years lost, of betrayals left unspoken, of a past neither could outrun. But Yan Zhi was faster, sharper, his blade slicing a shallow wound across Yan Shun's arm.

Meanwhile, across the chamber, Mei Lian and Zheng Wei struggled to hold back the advancing warriors. Zheng Wei, still weakened from the battle outside, was faltering. Mei Lian fought with calculated precision, but even she knew they were losing ground.

Li Feng's heart pounded. He could see it—the moment they would fall. The moment they would be overwhelmed. His hands clenched into fists, and his gaze drifted toward the Black Phoenix Talisman resting upon the altar. Its dark aura pulsed in time with his heartbeat, whispering promises of strength, of victory.

"Li Feng, don't!" Mei Lian's voice barely cut through the chaos. "That power is dangerous!"

But the choice was already made.

With a desperate reach, Li Feng grasped the talisman.

A surge of black fire roared through the chamber, consuming everything in its path. Warriors were thrown back, their screams swallowed by the inferno. The walls trembled, the inscriptions burning away as dark energy spread like a living force. The power was intoxicating, limitless—

And it was slipping beyond his control.

Li Feng's vision blurred. He could feel something ancient stirring within the flames, something watching. His limbs burned with unbearable heat, the Coiled Dragon Ring reacting violently to the talisman's energy. He staggered, his breath ragged.

"Li Feng!" Mei Lian's voice rang out again, desperate this time.

He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to fight against the pull of the talisman's power. His fingers trembled as he struggled to contain it, to control it.

Shen Longwei, barely fazed by the destruction, watched with keen interest. "So, you've chosen to embrace the abyss," he murmured. "Good."

Li Feng's head snapped up, his eyes flickering between gold and black. "I am nothing like you."

With one final surge of will, he slammed the talisman against the altar, severing its energy flow. The flames abruptly died, leaving only scorched remnants of the battlefield behind.

But the damage had already been done.

The chamber shuddered, the very foundation of the Vault reacting to the unleashed force. Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls, dust and debris falling from the ceiling. Shen Longwei's lips curled into an amused smile as he stepped back toward the shadows.

"This place is crumbling," he said. "And I have no intention of being buried with it."

Then, without another word, he vanished deeper into the Vault.

Li Feng, his strength nearly spent, fell to one knee. Mei Lian rushed to his side, gripping his arm. "We need to get out of here."

Yan Shun stood frozen, staring at his brother, whose expression was unreadable. But there was no time for words. The chamber was collapsing, and they had to make a choice—pursue Shen Longwei or escape while they still could.

The choice, however, would come at a price.