A veil of silver mist parted before Li Wei and Leng Yue as they stepped from the shadowy threshold of the ancient crypt. A hush fell—so deep it felt as though even the pulse of the world paused to offer reverence.
Li Wei's breath caught at the spectacle: the ancestral coffin, ornate beyond mortal hands, lay before them. It was hewn from jade-black stone, overlaid in fine gold filigree and studded with rubies and sapphires that gleamed like captive stars. Surrounding it were scrolls, parchments, and bound tomes—archives older than any living clan—each one a vessel of truth concerning this world's hidden domains.
A low rattle of parchment followed Li Wei's deliberate movement. Heedless of material wealth, he seized the nearest scroll—a compact archive titled Records of the Martial World: Unabridged. It slipped open in his grip, its paper cracking softly like ancient bone. He drank in the words hungrily, the scent of aged ink and whispered power drawing his spirit deeper.
"There are yet so many martial domains…" he murmured, tracing a chapter of places thick with spiritual qi, life energy unseen by the common eye. These were not simply landmarks—they were thresholds to ascension.
Li Wei's finger paused atop a meticulously drawn map. "Mount Heaven Peak," he read aloud. "A sacred mountain hosting the Celestial Lotus Sect. Though its masters have changed, its qi remains untainted. The path to the peak is steep—few manage the final ascent without disruption from its tempest winds."
Leng Yue leaned in, eyes glinting. "A test of body and will. Only the resolute prevail." A gust rattled through the crypt, as though echoing her words.
Li Wei's eyes flicked to a new section. "Misty Lotus Valley," he whispered. "A place shrouded in eternally rising fog…houses clans of silent assassins, their blades dyed in shadow."
Leng Yue raised an eyebrow. "One must be wary of beauty that conceals death." The scroll's illustration depicted lotus blossoms floating in mist, but beneath them—tiny silhouettes of cloaked figures poised in stillness.
Leng Yue unfurled another parchment. At its center was a jagged mountain range, jagged peaks lancing into swirling clouds. "The Thunder Mountain Range," she read.
A distant thunderclap suddenly rolled through the crypt —BOOM—. Both froze. Then resumed.
"Remarkable," she said. "Mapped is the Lair of Liao'an." Her finger brushed over a hidden cavern beneath the mountains. "Legend says dragon spirits guard its passages. Treasure within, but each chest is entwined with risk. Many who entered never returned."
Li Wei grunted, a hungry spark alight in his eyes. "Danger is merely another step toward power."
Leng Yue's gaze drifted to a curious entry: "Nanjing Lake." She tapped the parchment tenderly. "A serene and healing lake, ringed with ancient arbor and benign spirits."
Lightning flickered in her mind's eye. "If its talismans are true, a healer's boon might lie here." She paused, then added softly: "We could use such kindness on this road ahead."
Li Wei moved to the next. "Ah—the Nine-tailed Forest." He read verses of fox spirits cunning and wild in equal measure:
"Nine flames of wisdom gleam, in foxfire dreams unseen…"
He closed his eyes. "Beasts we thought vanished. These spirits may show us ways lost to other realms."
A distant wind echoed in the distance.
They continued through the pages, anticipation threading the hush. Serenity Garden: said to cradle an immortal hermit whose counsel shaped epochs. Windy Gorge: only those who could withstand roaring winds could reach its end. Phoenix Peak: sculpted like a phoenix rising, home to mute hermits skilled in flame flight. Lotus Pond: still and holy, reserved for meditative trials. Moonlit Forest, Dragon's Breath Cave, Eternal Glacier—each calling them with unique promises—spiritual fortitude, fiery trial by steam and stone, icy purity for restoration.
Leng Yue paused. "Tell me of the Black Dragon Swamp." Her lips curled. "Amid stagnant waters lurks a black dragon, ancient as time itself. Woe to those who enter without resolve."
Li Wei chuckled. "The more perilous the place, the richer the test. A dragon's fang alone could elevate one's cultivation." He closed the scroll with a snap.
Their shared gaze widened as they reached the final stretch: celestial wonders strewn like jewels across the world's surface. Silver Sands Desert: sands that quicken foot and spirit.
Celestial Palace: rumor holds that gods themselves dwell there. Burning Mountains: ever ablaze, seeds of flame-based enlightenment hidden within.
Frozen Wasteland, Forbidden City, Golden Sun Prairie—each domain offering its share of hardship and reward. Jade Forest, Iron Mountain Fortress, Moonlit Sea, Seven Star Island, Sky Pillar, Thundering Peaks, Crimson Valley, Heavenly Peaks, Misty Mountains, Nightfall City, Pearl Lake, Shadowy Forest, Starry Sky Mountains, Sunken City—the list circled on and on.
Leng Yue closed her eyes, enraptured. "To walk every domain…to glean knowledge vast enough to sway this world." Her voice softened to a whisper that trembled in the stillness.
"Then our journey has truly begun." Li Wei laid a hand to the coffin's lid. "These martial ancestors left us keys, not wealth. We hold in our hands the path to power—roads to redemption, to affront the heavens and carve a new name."
A low rumble shook the vault—a reminder of powerful qi resonating through the earth. Dust motes drifted like secular prayers in the candlelight.
Leng Yue rose, eyes glinting with resolve. "Li Wei, these markings look rather familiar.."
Li Wei drew two slender jade tokens from his belt, each carved with a dragon and phoenix.
He placed them upon the map. When he withdrew them, one glowed with a soft silver sheen—the token for Mount Heaven Peak.
He pointed to the peak. "We begin where the storms are fiercest. If we cannot ascend Mount Heaven, no lesser place shall heed our ambition."
Leng Yue nodded. "The proverb whispers true: Heaven's peak is scaled by those whose heart is steel."
They exchanged solemn bows. Around them, the archives hummed as though alive. Every scroll, every sketch, every song of the lands beyond beckoned—and they would answer.