Escape from the Pagoda

The air inside the pagoda trembled. Ancient walls groaned as a low, eerie hum reverberated through the chamber, making the ground beneath Xiao Lian's feet feel unstable. The golden energy from the celestial inheritance had barely faded, but the moment of quiet contemplation was short-lived.

A deafening explosion shattered the silence.

The walls cracked, and dust rained down from the high ceiling as a massive shockwave rocked the entire structure. Xiao Lian's body tensed. This wasn't the pagoda testing them anymore, this was an attack.

She exchanged a sharp glance with Ji Ren. His sword was already in his hands, his body braced for battle.

From the shadows of the chamber, the remaining survivors of the tournament staggered to their feet, confusion and fear on their faces. They had survived the trials, endured the horrors of the pagoda, but now...now, the real threat had arrived.

Another explosion rang out. The walls buckled, and a golden barrier flickered violently before shattering completely.

Xiao Lian barely had time to react before figures surged into the chamber.

Cultivators, dozens of them, clad in black and crimson robes.

They moved with deadly precision, their eyes gleaming with greed as they took in the ancient relics surrounding them. They weren't here for the trials. They weren't here to prove their worth.

They were here to steal everything the pagoda had to offer.

Xiao Lian's instincts kicked in instantly. Her sword flashed as she leaped forward, intercepting the first wave of intruders. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal, the force of the impact sending vibrations through her arms.

Ji Ren was beside her in an instant, cutting down an enemy with a single powerful strike. His expression was grim, his movements ruthless.

But the invaders weren't the only problem.

From the far end of the chamber, a slow, deliberate clap echoed through the chaos.

A group of figures emerged from the shadows figures Xiao Lian recognized instantly.

The sect elders.

The ones who had orchestrated the tournament.

The ones who had sent them into the pagoda in the first place.

The air grew colder.

The elder at the front, a tall man with silver-streaked hair and a calculating gaze, stepped forward. His hands were clasped behind his back, his posture relaxed as if he were merely observing something mildly entertaining.

"Well done," he said, his voice smooth. "You've all done exactly what we hoped you would."

Xiao Lian tightened her grip on her sword.

She had suspected all along that there was something off about this tournament. But now, standing face to face with the ones who had orchestrated it, the truth was undeniable.

"You used us." Her voice was sharp, filled with quiet fury.

The elder smiled faintly. "Of course. You don't think we'd let children like you claim the pagoda's secrets for yourselves, do you?"

His words sent a wave of anger through the survivors.

A young cultivator, barely standing after the previous trials, staggered forward, his face twisted with rage. "You sent us in here to die!"

The elder's smile didn't waver. "And yet, some of you survived. Which means you're more useful than we initially thought."

More explosions rocked the pagoda. The invading cultivators were now locked in battle with the remaining survivors, but Xiao Lian could feel the shift in the air. The real danger wasn't the intruders.

It was the elders themselves.

Ji Ren took a step forward, his stance tense, ready to fight.

"If you think we're just going to let you take what we fought for, you're dead wrong." His voice was edged with steel.

The elder chuckled. "Oh, you misunderstand. We don't need your permission."

With a flick of his wrist, the air cracked a force so powerful that the floor beneath them split apart.

Xiao Lian barely had time to react before an invisible force slammed into her chest, sending her skidding backward. She gritted her teeth, digging her heels into the stone to stop herself from being thrown off her feet.

This was bad.

The elders weren't just powerful. They had absolute control over the pagoda's remaining energy.

"Ji Ren!" She shouted his name just as the elder made his next move.

A sharp wave of energy shot toward them...fast, merciless.

Ji Ren barely managed to block it, but the force sent him crashing into one of the broken pillars. He coughed, blood staining his lips.

Xiao Lian's heartbeat roared in her ears.

This wasn't a battle they could win. Not like this.

They had to escape.

She turned to the other survivors. "We can't fight them head-on! We need to get out of here!"

Some hesitated, unwilling to run after everything they had been through. But others understood immediately.

One by one, they started to move.

The elders didn't stop them.

Not yet.

They were toying with them, watching, waiting as if they wanted to see who would make it out alive.

Xiao Lian gritted her teeth.

They didn't have time to hesitate.

"Ji Ren—on me!" she called, already moving toward him.

He nodded, pushing himself to his feet despite his injuries.

Together, they sprinted toward the only exit.

The pagoda was crumbling around them now. Energy surged through the air, unstable and furious, as the very foundation of the ancient structure began to collapse.

A deafening crack split through the chamber as massive chunks of stone began to fall.

Xiao Lian didn't slow down.

She weaved through the chaos, dodging falling debris, cutting down any invader who tried to block their way.

Ji Ren was right beside her, his sword flashing, his movements sharp and precise despite his wounds.

Survivors scattered in different directions, some making it toward the exit, others swallowed by the chaos.

The elders watched from a distance, unmoving.

As if this was all part of their plan.

Xiao Lian's breath burned in her lungs.

They were close. So close.

The exit loomed ahead, a massive stone archway, barely holding together as the structure collapsed.

"Go!" Ji Ren shouted.

Xiao Lian didn't hesitate. She sprinted forward, leaping through the crumbling passage just as the ceiling gave way.

For a moment, everything blurred, dust, debris, energy crackling through the air.

Then...silence. Xiao Lian hit the ground outside the pagoda, rolling onto her side, gasping for breath.

She coughed, her vision spinning.

Then she turned, searching.

Ji Ren.

He was there. Just behind her, covered in dust and blood, but alive.

More survivors stumbled out of the ruins, coughing, some barely able to stand.

They had made it.

But the battle wasn't over.

The elders had let them escape but they wouldn't let them go far.

Xiao Lian knew, deep in her bones, that this was only the beginning.

She turned to Ji Ren, their eyes meeting through the dust-filled air.

"We need to keep moving." Her voice was hoarse but steady.

Ji Ren wiped the blood from his lip, nodding. "Then let's go."

Without another word, they ran, leaving the ruins of the pagoda behind.

But they weren't running away.

They were running toward the next battle.