The grand stone archway leading to the core chamber was wider than any corridor they had passed so far, but the sheer weight of the atmosphere made it feel like a suffocating cage.
Here, the remnants of the exploration forces had finally converged.
The surviving members of the Martial Palace stood on the left, their pristine white robes now torn, scorched, and heavily stained with dried blood.
Liang stood at their front, his hand resting on his sword hilt, but his knuckles were white and his breathing was shallow. Beside him, Evelyn's sharp eyes darted across the other groups, her lips pressed into a thin, nervous line as she tried to ignore the cold sweat dripping down her neck.
On the right was Broken Dawn. Cassie and Bunny stood at the front, and just behind them was Sophie.
