Chapter 60: The Gathering Storm
Yan Shun walked a few paces ahead, his hands clenched at his sides. His usual confidence had been stripped away, replaced with a grim tension. Finally, unable to hold it in any longer, he stopped and turned to face the others.
"I never told you the full truth about my brother." His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed the turmoil beneath. "I had a chance to save him once. Instead, I ran. I told myself it was the only choice. But seeing him standing beside Shen Longwei… it felt like I was staring into the face of my greatest failure."
Li Feng exchanged a glance with Mei Lian, who remained silent, her arms crossed as she observed Yan Shun. Zheng Wei, barely able to stand, rested against a boulder, his breath labored. He lifted his head, offering a tired but understanding gaze.
"There is no redemption in the past," Zheng Wei murmured. "Only in what we do now."
Yan Shun exhaled sharply, as if trying to release the weight of his guilt. He nodded but said nothing more. Instead, he turned back to the path ahead, pressing on with renewed determination.
Mei Lian, however, did not move immediately. Her gaze lingered on Li Feng. Ever since he had taken the Black Phoenix Talisman, something about him had changed. His aura was darker, heavier, as if he carried something more than just a relic. And it unsettled her.
"You aren't the same," she finally said, voice quiet but firm.
Li Feng frowned, the words striking a nerve. "None of us are."
"That's not what I mean." Mei Lian took a step closer, her eyes locking onto his. "Every time you use the talisman, you lose a piece of yourself. I see it. You don't hesitate like you used to. You don't stop to consider the cost. If you keep going down this path, you might not find your way back."
Li Feng clenched his fists, the talisman resting against his chest, its dark energy pulsing faintly beneath his robes. He wanted to argue, to tell her that she was wrong, that he was still in control. But the truth sat heavy in his stomach—he wasn't sure.
Zheng Wei groaned, drawing their attention. His face was pale, his breathing shallow. "We don't have time for this," he said, forcing a weak chuckle. "Either we find a place to rest, or I'll be meeting my ancestors sooner than expected."
Yan Shun gestured toward a rocky outcrop ahead. "There's shelter up there. We'll set up camp for the night."
The group moved quickly, helping Zheng Wei as they reached the shelter of a cave tucked into the mountainside. The moment they settled, Li Feng felt the exhaustion creep into his bones. He sat by the fire, staring into the flickering flames as the others tended to their wounds and rested.
The silence stretched between them, filled only by the crackling of the fire. Then, Zheng Wei, despite his condition, spoke with urgency.
"The celestial alignment," he rasped. "It's happening faster than we thought."
Li Feng's head snapped toward him. "What do you mean?"
Zheng Wei coughed, but his eyes were sharp. "Shen Longwei and Lady Yuexiang… they're already preparing for the next phase. Whatever they need, whatever they're planning—it's close."
A chill passed through the group. The celestial alignment had been a looming threat, but now it was no longer distant. The time was coming.
They had no more room for hesitation.
Li Feng clenched his jaw, determination burning within him. "Then we stop them."
Before anyone could respond, the wind howled through the valley, carrying a strange, almost melodic whisper. A presence filled the air, sending a shiver down Li Feng's spine. Instinctively, he reached for his sword, his body tensing.
Yan Shun was already on his feet, hand resting on his weapon. "We're not alone."
A shadow moved in the distance, a lone figure standing at the edge of the valley. Their form was obscured by the mist, but as they took a step forward, the moonlight revealed them.
Lady Yuexiang.
Her crimson robes billowed in the wind, her expression unreadable as she regarded them with piercing eyes. The fire reflected in her gaze, making her presence all the more imposing.
"The twin flames shall decide the world's fate," she murmured, her voice carrying effortlessly over the wind.
Li Feng's breath caught in his throat as her words struck him like a blade. The inscription in the temple. The celestial alignment. Everything had been leading to this moment.
And now, as he faced her, he realized the truth.
The storm had finally arrived.