The night in Jing'an City grew ever deeper, the urban lights casting a golden sheen over the streets, yet the air beneath remained thick with unease. Only a few could sense it—the quiet tension lurking like a shadow over the metropolis.
Li Tianyuan followed Fuyuan into a discreet old mansion nestled between modern buildings. The courtyard was shadowed, and the air smelled faintly of incense and aged wood. As they pushed open the heavy door, flickering candlelight revealed a long table of dark polished wood. Around it sat several figures, their presence radiating calm authority.
At the head of the table, Mu Changfeng sat upright, his expression cold yet commanding. Beside him, Mu Xueyin wore her customary white robes, her gaze sharp, scrutinizing Li Tianyuan with quiet calculation.
"Ah, Master Fuyuan. So it really is you," Mu Changfeng's voice was low, imbued with authority that needed no anger to impress.
"Has the altar's seal truly weakened?" he asked, eyes flicking to Fuyuan.
Fuyuan nodded slowly, his expression grave. "The dragon shadow has appeared. The array wavers. Without timely intervention, once it collapses fully, all living beings will suffer."
Li Tianyuan's chest tightened. "The… Spirit Lock Array… it can actually contain those creatures?"
"For a time, perhaps. But not forever," Fuyuan's gaze was deep, unwavering. "The core of the array is the 'Zijin Mountain Altar' from a century ago. That altar is now its weakest point."
A tense silence filled the room.
At that moment, Bai Luo was escorted into the hall. Her usual practical attire was replaced with a flowing teal robe. Her aura was sharp, yet elegant.
"Large-scale fluctuations of spiritual energy have appeared in Jing'an. The official detection systems cannot trace it, but practitioners can sense the changes. My father instructed me to warn you—if the altar's seal has indeed shifted, the authorities will not stand idly by," Bai Luo said, her voice calm but edged with caution.
Fuyuan gave a slight nod. "This is why I chose to rendezvous here with you."
Mu Xueyin's lips curled in a faint, derisive sneer. "Our paths seldom align, Daoists and the Mu family. Yet now we must cooperate. How ironic."
"Call it irony, call it fate," Fuyuan replied evenly. "If the gods or demons return, human quarrels will seem laughable."
The hall fell silent again.
Mu Changfeng rapped the table lightly, eyes sweeping the group before settling on Li Tianyuan. "Young man, your bloodline may be intrinsically linked to the altar from a century ago. You must accompany us."
Li felt his heart lurch. His grandfather's manuscripts, the years inscribed on them, and the unresolved mysteries converged at this very moment.
Bai Luo stepped forward, offering a small jade pendant. "This is our family's protective talisman. It is not a powerful artifact, but in critical moments, it may save your life."
Li accepted it, awed. Before he could speak, Bai Luo turned away, her voice cool and detached: "I will remain in Jing'an, continue gathering intelligence. You go ahead."
The flickering candlelight stretched her shadow across the floor, long and solitary. There was something ineffable in her presence, a mixture of caution and hidden warmth.
Fuyuan rose, sweeping his sleeves. "The hour has come. We depart."
Mu Changfeng and Mu Xueyin stood as well, determination etched into their features.
Li Tianyuan gripped the jade pendant tightly, heart pounding. From this night onward, he knew, there was no turning back. The storm had already been set in motion.
In the outskirts of Jing'an, a thin fog clung to the early morning. Black sedans idled quietly at the entrance of a secluded mountain path. Their yellow lights dimly illuminated the wet leaves scattered across the road. The scent of earth and grass lingered, yet the atmosphere carried an undeniable sense of imminent danger.
Li stood by the vehicle, clutching the pendant. Its cool surface pressed into his palm, a constant reminder: he was no longer merely an observer.
Fuyuan, standing ahead, his hands behind his back, long white beard gently swaying in the wind, surveyed the path. "The Zijin Mountain Altar has weathered centuries, yet its seal teeters. This journey will be perilous. Are any of you hesitant?"
"Hesitant?" Mu Xueyin's voice was icy, her glare like a blade. "The Mu family will not retreat once involved. But…" Her gaze flicked toward Li Tianyuan, tinged with mockery, "It's unclear how far an ordinary student like him can endure."
Li swallowed hard. A few days ago, he was in the library studying late at night. Now, he was being thrust into a storm far beyond his understanding.
Mu Changfeng's voice cut through. "Xueyin, show some restraint." Then, looking at Li, his expression softened slightly. "Master Fuyuan, are you certain of bringing him? The altar's legacy is no trivial matter. One misstep could bring calamity."
Fuyuan stroked his beard calmly. "I have no doubt in the mandate. His presence is the answer the century-old covenant demands."
No discussion remained.
The convoy moved through the fog-laden mountain road, city lights fading behind them, replaced by the endless wilderness.
Mu Xueyin leaned against the window, her fingers tracing a silent array in her lap. A faint spiritual aura radiated, chilling the air inside the car.
Li felt it immediately, meeting her icy gaze. "Afraid?" she asked softly, testing.
Li clenched the jade pendant. "Afraid… doesn't help. If I don't come, can you succeed without me?"
Her eyes sharpened, spiritual energy flickering like steel. But Fuyuan's voice cut through, calm yet commanding: "Xueyin, hold your power until the altar. Test him later."
She hesitated, then withdrew the energy, giving a curt nod.
At midnight, the convoy reached a mountain canyon shrouded in thick fog. Ahead, the road seemed blocked by an unseen force.
"Something's amiss," Fuyuan muttered, his eyes snapping open. He flicked his sleeve, and a yellow talisman streaked through the air, igniting briefly to burn away a swath of mist.
From the clearing emerged dozens of figures in black robes, masked with bones, exuding a chilling aura. The front figure held a three-foot bone staff, atop which a blood-red eye rotated slowly, scanning as if into the soul.
"The Spirit Lock Array… so someone noticed early," the figure rasped, voice echoing from some abyss. "Zijin Mountain is ours. You are too late."
Without warning, the black-robed figures lunged, their forms coalescing into dark mist rolling toward the convoy.
"Protect the vehicles!" Mu Changfeng bellowed, palms clasped as golden shields erupted, solid as mountains.
Mu Xueyin drew her sword, its light slicing through the night, shattering tendrils of darkness.
Fuyuan's sleeves flicked, unleashing flying talismans forming fire dragons and thunder serpents, illuminating the valley as screams echoed.
Li was held behind Changfeng's protective aura, clutching the pendant. His heart pounded, and then he heard a whisper, sharp and invasive:
"You cannot escape… the key of your bloodline is destined to awaken the seal…"
The jade pendant glowed faintly, surging energy through him. Blood pulsed, veins burning.
"Ah!" Li shouted involuntarily, as the world around him sharpened—the flow of the black mist, trajectories of the enemies, trails of Fuyuan's talismans—all etched into his vision, as if the hidden pattern of reality revealed itself.
Mu Xueyin's eyes widened. "He… has awakened?"
Fuyuan's gaze softened with pride and apprehension. "Indeed. Destiny cannot be denied."
The black-robed figures fell one by one. The last, wielding the bone staff, roared as black mist erupted and surged skyward. Fuyuan's thunder talisman shattered it. Peace returned to the valley, leaving scorched marks in the mist.
Li panted, pendant now dim, yet the bloodline's awakening resonance lingered.
Fuyuan looked at him gravely. "Tianyuan, your blood carries the consequence of a century-old covenant. Awakening is only the beginning."
Li lowered his gaze, fear, excitement, and confusion mingling, yet clarity came: there was no turning back.
The wind howled as the convoy pressed on, the shadow of Zijin Mountain looming ever closer, and in the darkness, countless unseen eyes observed their approach.