Chapter 23: Serpentine Shadows

Deep within the temple, the flickering bronze lanterns cast elongated shadows on the walls, twisting and writhing like slumbering ancient deities stirring from their eternal rest.

Lin Han's right eye throbbed with a dull ache. He held his breath, staring at the massive black python coiled atop the sacred altar. It had not spoken again, yet an oppressive aura still loomed over the chamber, weighing heavily on everyone's chest.

"Memories?" Noya frowned, still trying to grasp what Lin Han meant.

Lin Han took a deep breath and stepped closer to the serpent idol, his palm damp with cold sweat.

"In ancient beliefs, serpents are not only guardians but also vessels. They traverse past and future, witnessing the flow of time itself."

His fingertips brushed against the cold stone, and in an instant, a sharp pain surged through his right eye—something was pulling him into another world.

—A vast, pitch-black ocean. The temple crumbled under the weight of unseen tides. Countless serpentine figures writhed in the darkness. And in the center, a solitary stone tablet stood tall, its carved inscriptions pulsing with an eerie golden glow.

Lin Han gasped and jolted back to reality. His senses snapped into place, yet the whispers—low and indecipherable—still echoed in his ears.

"We need to find the Serpent Tablet. Only then can we truly uncover this temple's secrets."

The elder's eyes flickered with astonishment.

"You… saw it?"

Lin Han remained silent. He had stepped into something far beyond his understanding.

Noya hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded. Her fingers instinctively rested on the grip of her pistol.

"Let's move."

The group advanced deeper into the temple. The serpent carvings along the walls seemed to be watching them, their etched patterns growing sharper, more distinct—interwoven lines forming an intricate web, as if fate itself was ensnaring them.

From the depths of the darkness, a chilling presence slowly began to rise…

The humid air was thick with the overpowering scent of sandalwood, mixed with a faint trace of decay that made the stomach churn. Every step Lin Han took landed on the damp, slippery stone floor, occasionally accompanied by a brittle crunch—fragments of shed snake skin.

"Walau eh, this place is seriously creepy!" Noya muttered under her breath, her hand instinctively gripping the Malay kris at her waist as her sharp gaze scanned the surroundings.

The inner corridors of the Snake Temple were long and narrow, the ancient stone walls covered in dense inscriptions and faded murals. Twisting serpent figures seemed to slither across the cracked surfaces, their movements eerily lifelike under the dim flickering lights.

Lin Han lifted his right eye, and as expected, the karmic threads wove a complex web in the air. Some threads were frayed, others tangled, and all of them seemed to converge toward the altar ahead.

"Something is up ahead." Lin Han whispered.

Noya tensed, her breath shallow as her fingers slid toward her gun. But the moment she touched the grip, an invisible pressure crashed down on them like a tidal wave!

Bang!

The copper lamps before the altar suddenly went dark, and from the shadows, a pitch-black figure shot forward, carrying a bone-chilling stench as it lunged straight at Lin Han!

"Sial! Watch out!" Noya grabbed Lin Han's collar and yanked him to the side, rolling swiftly as she aimed her gun at the figure.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three shots rang out in quick succession, but the bullets passed through as if they were swallowed by a void. The shadow only shuddered slightly before surging forward with even greater force!

Lin Han barely steadied himself when his fingers instinctively brushed against a small indentation on the altar. In that instant, he felt his blood being drawn by an unseen force, as if his very essence was being pulled into an abyss.

—His vision shifted abruptly!

He saw a dilapidated altar, surrounded by floating blood-red symbols. A robed priest stood over a curled-up human sacrifice, chanting in a hushed, ominous tone.

"…Return to your rightful place, Lord of Serpents…"

Behind the altar, a glowing serpent-shaped stone tablet slowly emerged from the darkness.

—Lin Han's vision snapped back to reality!

He gasped for air, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.

Noya noticed his dazed expression and whispered, "What did you see?"

Lin Han licked his dry lips and murmured, "An ancient ritual… and a stone tablet."

Noya's expression darkened. "Are you saying… the Serpent Tablet?"

Lin Han nodded, and at that moment, the shadowy figure began creeping toward them once again…