Chapter 11: Confrontation with the Gods

The light in the back courtyard of the antique shop was still dim, and the night outside was deep, with the air no longer heavy but tense and cool. Jiang Hao leaned back in his chair, holding a shard of porcelain in his hand, his fingers gently rubbing it as he whispered, "Old Clock's story is a signal; they're gambling with our lives." He glanced at Lin Yao, his voice steady. "Abilities are chains, and they're also explosives. We need to break this game."

Lin Yao sat by the workbench, holding an ancient book. Her finger rested on the page as she looked up at Jiang Hao, murmuring, "The Archivists want order, and the Destruction faction wants rebirth. Both sides see us as pawns." She closed the book, stood up, and walked to the window. Her tone was calm. "Old Clock's soul has been locked for 30 years. If we don't act now, our souls will be trapped, too."

Jiang Hao put the porcelain shard down and walked over to her, whispering, "The Soul-Gazing can hear the wails of the vengeful spirits, even catch the whispers of gods. Your Curse-Gazing can deduce the truth. Together, we can uncover the secrets hidden in the archive." He paused. "They gave us these powers; that's the flaw."

Lin Yao nodded, whispering, "The Soul-locking Formation is the key. Old Clock said his soul was bound. I saw the runes of Yongning. The core of the archive might be a much larger formation." She looked at the wooden door. "We need to go in and destroy it."

Jiang Hao frowned, whispering, "If we destroy the formation, will they let us go?" Lin Yao sneered, "No, but it'll force them to reveal themselves."

Jiang Hao clenched his fist, whispering, "Then let's do it. I'll listen to their whispers, and you find their roots. Push them to the edge, and let's see who explodes first."

Lin Yao whispered, "The gamble ends here. We choose neither the Archivists nor the Destruction faction." Their eyes met, the silent understanding between them sharp as a blade.

At that moment, hurried footsteps came from outside. A man stumbled in, his arm bleeding profusely, gripping a silver hairpin with its tip dripping blood. He gasped for breath, shouting, "Save me! The shadow... the shadow speaks!" Before he could finish, he collapsed to the ground, and his shadow split into three black figures, rising and whispering, "Kill him..." The voices were cold, like the echo of gods.

Old Clock rushed out from behind the counter, whispering, "This isn't a vengeful spirit, it's their will!" Jiang Hao used his Soul-Gazing ability and roared, "The whisper of the gods! The silver hairpin is a lure!" Lin Yao used her Curse-Gazing to scan the room, her vision flashing to a dark alley from the Ming Dynasty, where blood splattered from an assassination, but a dark light pointed directly at the archive. She whispered, "They're forcing us to act."

The wooden door trembled as black mist poured out, and the voices of gods intertwined, "Archive, or destroy, choose." Jiang Hao sneered, "I don't choose!" He grabbed Lin Yao's hand, shouting, "Let's go!" They charged toward the wooden door, and the black mist consumed them, the scene shifting instantly to the streets.

Inside the archive, the giant stone hall was cracked, the tree root bookshelves twisted, and stone slabs scattered. Blood porcelain, copper mirrors, iron bells, and jade pendants floated in the air, emitting a low hum. The Archivists, in their gray robes, were tall and imposing, while the Destruction faction, in their red robes, exuded a fiery authority. The mist from both factions swirled, and the stone platforms trembled under the supernatural pressure. The Archivists spoke coldly, "The archives are incomplete; you are useless." The Destruction faction growled, "Useless ones, destroy and rebirth."

Jiang Hao roared, "Do you take us for dogs? The game ends here!" He activated his Soul-Gazing ability, and the whispers of all the vengeful spirits in the archive filled his ears, mixed with the wills of both factions of gods. He shouted, "Get out here!" The vengeful spirits surged forward, and shards of blood porcelain and copper mirrors flew toward the two factions. His head throbbed, blood dripping from his nose, but he gritted his teeth and whispered, "Why should I listen to you?"

Lin Yao narrowed her eyes and pushed her Curse-Gazing to its limit. The core of the archive appeared before her—the formation beneath the stone platform, layer upon layer, trapping countless souls. She whispered, "The Soul-locking Formation. All the souls are trapped here!" She charged toward the stone platform, pulling out a lighter, her hands trembling as she ignited the runes. The flames shot up, and the vengeful spirits surged against the gods. Her vision blurred to near blindness as she shouted, "Burn it!" The runes shattered, the stone platform shook, and the souls' whispers turned into high-pitched wails.

The Archivists' gray robes shook, their voices faltering, "Order must not be broken!" The mist was tangled by the runes, unable to break free. The Destruction faction's red robes screamed, "Destroy and rebirth, you are ignorant!" The vengeful spirits surged forward, and the red robes were dragged down, the mist tearing open. Jiang Hao growled, "Useless? I'll show you!" He manipulated the vengeful spirits to bind the Destruction faction, while Lin Yao reversed the runes to trap the Archivists. The giant stones of the archive collapsed, dust filling the air.

The stone platform cracked, and a dark light flashed from its core, whispering like thunder, "The game is not over." Both the Archivists and the Destruction faction fell silent, the mist receding, and the dark light faded. Jiang Hao gasped for breath, shouting, "Is there anyone else? Show yourselves!" Lin Yao rubbed her eyes, whispering, "The gods are not the end. There's something behind this formation."

Half of the archive collapsed with a massive crash, and the two were thrown back to the courtyard. The silver hairpin fell to the ground, and the shadows dissipated. Old Clock stood at the door, dumbfounded, whispering, "Are you crazy? You fought them head-on?"

Jiang Hao wiped the blood from his nose, whispering, "If we didn't fight, they would have blown us up." Lin Yao's vision started to return, and she murmured, "The archive is a prison. The Soul-locking Formation is the key."

Old Clock whispered, "You've flipped their table, but this isn't over." He looked toward the wooden door, its cracks deepening, and the dark light reappearing. He whispered, "Archive, or destroy, neither is the end." Jiang Hao clenched his fist, whispering, "They're not gods, they're puppets. We need to dig deeper." Lin Yao nodded, whispering, "The soul lock won't break, and the game won't end." Their gazes locked, their resolve as sharp as a blade.