The air in the room seemed to thicken, almost solid, as if each breath carried weight. Shadows from the corners danced unnaturally, and the black mist coiled and writhed like a living thing, eager to strike. Bai Luo stood in front of Li Tianyuan, her long sword gleaming under the faint light, a protective barrier between him and the intruders. The men in black coats had formed a half-circle, their strange devices emitting an eerie blue glow, locking onto the two like predatory eyes.
The leader's voice cut through the tense silence, cold and commanding:"Last warning. Hand over the manuscript."
Li clutched the glowing, ancient pages to his chest, panic roiling in his gut. He did not know who these people were, nor why he had been dragged into this chaos. Every instinct screamed to run, but the room was small, and the black mist was already testing the edges of his perception, creeping closer, smelling his fear.
Bai Luo scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "You so-called 'Inspection Bureau'… do you really think that a few metal toys can maintain order when spiritual energy revives?"
The leader's gaze shifted to her sword, sharp and poised. "You're no ordinary human. Dragon-Tiger Mountain? Or Maoshan?"
Bai Luo said nothing. With a subtle flick of her wrist, the sword cut the air, sharp and commanding.
Suddenly, the black mist in the corner erupted violently, coalescing into a grotesque, snarling face that lunged at them with inhuman speed.
The men in black immediately raised their devices, a high-pitched hum filling the room as a blue arc of energy shot out, ripping through the mist. The creature screamed, tearing and reforming, more violent than before.
Bai Luo shouted, "Fall back!"
She swept Li along with her, the sword slicing through the darkness, forcing the black mist to retreat momentarily. But the creature's attention was singularly focused on the manuscript, its tendrils writhing and striking at him. The cramped room became a battlefield, lightning-like arcs of energy clashing with flashes of sword light.
Li's hands were burning around the manuscript. A faint pulse seemed to beat from within the pages, synchronized with the dark mist. His heart leapt. Without conscious thought, he squeezed harder.
"That's it!" the leader barked, eyes narrowing. "The manuscript! It's the key! The source of the disturbances!"
Bai Luo's sword flicked again, a cold laugh escaping her lips. "Then why didn't you destroy it long ago?"
"Foolish," the leader said, voice low, tinged with frustration. "Do you think we haven't tried? That manuscript carries the array symbols—the base pattern of the Spirit Lock Array from a hundred years ago. Destroy it, and the array collapses prematurely."
Li felt his chest tighten. Spirit Lock Array? Base pattern? These words were alien, yet each struck him like a hammer. His understanding of reality trembled under the weight of this revelation. Fuyuan had warned him that the array's seal was weakening, but these people claimed the manuscript was literally one of its foundations.
The black mist shrieked, a sound without form, intent on devouring all in its path. Bai Luo and the agents unleashed their attacks simultaneously, sword and electric arcs intertwining, forcing the darkness into a corner.
The leader's eyes fixed on Li with deadly precision. "Kid, listen carefully. You think you're innocent? The moment you touched that manuscript, you became a player in this game."
Li's breathing grew ragged. "What… what do you want me to do?"
The leader paused, then said: "Come with us. It's the only way your chances of survival remain intact."
Bai Luo's voice cut through sharply: "Don't trust them! The Inspection Bureau has been watching this for decades. They are not the guardians—they are something else, something hidden."
Li's mind spun. Two opposing forces pressed around him like an invisible vice. One represented authority and control, an official order cloaked in black and blue energy. The other was Bai Luo, lethal, precise, and mysterious, yet undeniably protective.
His heart raced. The manuscript burned against his chest as if urging him to decide. The pulse within the pages seemed to whisper: Choose. Decide your path, or be consumed.
"A pawn in the game," he thought, the words echoing in his mind.
The black mist surged again, tendrils slithering toward him. Bai Luo's sword flicked, cutting arcs of silver light across the room. Sparks and shadows collided, the metallic hum of the agents' devices intertwining with the hiss of dark energy. Li could barely think, only feel the manuscript pulsing, a silent rhythm urging him onward.
"Move!" Bai Luo commanded, gesturing sharply. Li followed, dodging the flailing shadows and the arcs of energy, retreating toward the corner of the room. Each heartbeat felt like a drum marking the seconds of his mortal life.
The leader's voice rose over the chaos: "The manuscript contains the array's blueprint! If you fail to secure it, everything is at risk!"
Li's mind flashed back to Fuyuan's warnings, to the altar, to the glowing symbols on the pages, and finally to his own bloodline. The realization hit him like ice water—he was never meant to be ordinary. His hands trembled, but the manuscript seemed to respond, brightening, almost protective, almost alive.
Bai Luo glanced at him, eyes sharp. "Do you understand now? Your role isn't optional. Your bloodline has been chosen. You are the center of all of this."
Li swallowed hard, chest tight, the reality of the situation sinking in. He wasn't just involved—he was the hinge on which the coming chaos would swing. The black mist, the agents, the glowing manuscript—all converged on him.
He tightened his grip. Night pressed against the windows, shadows clawed at the walls, and somewhere in the depths of the city, the unseen forces of the past stirred.
Li Tianyuan was no longer merely a spectator. He was a pawn, a key, and perhaps the last line of defense against a calamity centuries in the making.
The three words echoed through his mind, heavy with inevitability:
"Pawn in the game."
And for the first time, Li understood—the game had already begun.