Chapter Ten: Awakening from the Dream

"Look, it moved again."

Chen Fan pointed once more. The girl had been skeptical at first, but now, seeing Fangcun swaying gently from side to side, her brows knitted together in concern.

"This is going to be tricky," she muttered. "Normally, we could land a fatal blow while the spirit is absorbing the Dragon Element. But unfortunately, I don't have any high-level artifacts with me. If only someone could distract it for a while, I could sneak away and retrieve the artifacts from Fangcun…"

She trailed off, her gaze settling on Chen Fan with a sly smile.

Chen Fan's instincts screamed danger. He took a step back. "I know exactly what you're thinking. And no—I refuse!"

The girl sighed theatrically. "Listen, kid, I don't want you in danger either, but there's no other way. You have no magical power, you can't even lift an artifact… You're practically invisible to it. So? Are you going?"

"No, I'm not! How about this—you distract it and exorcise it, and I'll just stay out of harm's way, okay? Wait—what are you doing?"

Ignoring his protests, the girl strode toward Fangcun and muttered, "Whether this works or not, you'll have to ask this old guy."

With that, she lifted the lid of Fangcun. A semi-transparent shadow slowly emerged, twisting and coiling like smoke. The girl was just about to take a sniff when the spirit suddenly veered off course—drawn irresistibly toward Chen Fan.

"Oh my god!"

Chen Fan turned and ran. The tomb chamber was vast, its ancient stone walls stretching into darkness, and he zigzagged wildly through the four corners, heart pounding in his chest.

Meanwhile, the girl rummaged through Fangcun, hastily selecting artifacts. "No, this one's too weak. No, I can't lift this one. This one—hmm, will it kill with one blow?"

Chen Fan, still running for his life, nearly exploded. "What the heck are you doing, taking your time like you're picking mushrooms for your mom? Just grab a dragon-slaying greatsword and hit it with 999 damage already!"

As he yelled, he felt his stamina flagging. His pace slowed slightly—just enough for the spirit to drift even closer. He could hear it inhale deeply, as if savoring his scent. A bone-chilling cold washed over the back of his head, sending a violent shiver down his spine. Dizziness followed.

Just as his vision blurred, the girl called out, "Hey, kid, I've got it! Get over here, quick!"

Her voice was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. Chen Fan didn't hesitate. He darted toward her, dodging to the side at the last second. The spirit followed, its mist-like form reaching greedily for him.

The girl didn't waste a moment. In a single fluid motion, she raised a jade axe and swung it down with all her might. The artifact struck the spirit, sending a ripple of pain through its formless body. It writhed violently but didn't dissipate.

Then, acting on instinct, the spirit lashed out. A massive spectral hand swiped at the girl, hurling her hundreds of feet across the chamber. She crashed into a stone wall with a sickening thud—and didn't get up.

Chen Fan's breath hitched. "Hey! Are you okay?"

No response.

The spirit, seemingly forgetting its attacker, turned back toward Fangcun, intending to resume its absorption of the Dragon Element.

Chen Fan's fists clenched. A wave of panic surged through him—but then his gaze fell upon the jade axe lying nearby.

Without thinking, he lunged for it, fingers wrapping around its cool, polished handle. To his surprise, it felt oddly light in his grip. Adrenaline overrode hesitation. With a desperate yell, he swung the axe—once, twice.

The moment the second blow landed, the spirit let out a shriek. Its form wavered, dark tendrils unraveling into nothingness. Within seconds, it dissipated into thin air.

Silence filled the chamber.

Chen Fan exhaled sharply and collapsed onto the ground, drained.

For a long moment, he simply sat there, catching his breath. His hands trembled slightly as he looked down at the jade axe. He liked the feel of it—solid, reliable. Without much thought, he tucked it into his belt.

A groan caught his attention.

The girl stirred, groggily pressing a hand to her forehead. When she opened her eyes, she found herself outside the tomb. Blinking in confusion, she mumbled, "How did I… how did I get out here?"

Chen Fan smirked, feigning nonchalance. "How else? Your big brother here carried you out. Man, that alpaca really packed a punch."

She stared at him, still disoriented. "Wait—you fought the Tulou and Qinyuan?"

"No, there were too many of those monster birds. I took another path out. As for the alpaca… well, it got lucky and caught me. We had a bit of a scuffle."

The girl studied him closely, noticing the bruises on his arms and the dried blood on his temple. Something in her expression softened.

"I don't even know you… Why did you save me?" she asked quietly.

Chen Fan shrugged. "Hey, I couldn't just leave a girl in danger. That's not something I'd do."

The girl fell silent, watching him carefully. He might have been timid, but beneath that, there was an unmistakable chivalry. Then, another thought struck her—one that made her frown slightly.

How had an ordinary guy with no magical power managed to wield the Wu Gang Axe?

There was more to Chen Fan than met the eye.

She opened her mouth to question him, but before she could speak, he suddenly looked around and frowned.

"Huh? Where is everyone?"

The eerie emptiness of their surroundings sent a chill through the air.