The mountain wind howled like an endless dirge, making the night over Mount Zijin feel ever heavier and more suffocating. At the head of the group, Fu Yuan walked with a cold, stern expression. His fingers occasionally flicked through the air as if tracing invisible runes, sensing faint fluctuations hidden within the mountain's darkness. Behind him, Mu Changfeng gripped his sword tightly, his eyes sharp, every step filled with vigilance, as though ready to strike at the slightest disturbance.
Li Tianyuan and Mu Xueyin walked side by side. Though he tried to steady his breath, tension surged uncontrollably in his chest, as if each step deeper into the mountain dragged him closer to some dreadful unknown.
The forest whispered all around them. Branches swayed violently in the wind, their shadows stretching long and crooked like the silhouettes of restless spirits whispering secrets. Just as they passed into the belly of the mountain, a faint low chanting drifted on the wind—hoarse, ancient, and broken, like the fragments of an archaic liturgy.
Fu Yuan's voice cut through the night, calm yet heavy."The altar is ahead. Be careful. Someone is guarding it."
Moments later, the valley revealed itself. A sudden clearing spread before their eyes, wide and hollow, as though the mountain itself had been carved open by an ancient hand. At its center stood a massive stone altar, timeworn and mottled, its surface faintly stained with crimson marks that shimmered beneath the moonlight. Around it loomed rows of jet-black stone pillars, each coiled with torn talismans that fluttered in the night air, exuding a biting chill.
Li Tianyuan felt his chest tighten as if an invisible hand squeezed his lungs. The altar seemed to swallow every glimmer of starlight and moonlight, casting the valley into a suffocating gloom. It was not merely ominous—it was devouring.
A rustle came suddenly from the shadows. The hairs on the back of Li Tianyuan's neck rose before he even saw them—figures in black cloaks emerged from the treeline, silent at first, until more and more stepped forward. A dozen in all, cloaks hanging low, faces veiled in shadows.
"The Inverse Spirit Sect," Mu Changfeng muttered through clenched teeth. His blade sang as it left its sheath, its edge flashing coldly.
The leader of the black-robed figures let out a rasping laugh, dry and sinister."So, you followed us all this way… you're walking into your graves."
With a flick of his hand, several of his subordinates lunged forward. Spirit energy surged from their bodies, rolling like dark waves, rushing straight toward Fu Yuan's group.
Fu Yuan's eyes narrowed. His sleeve swept outward, igniting talismans that burst into blazing arcs of light, colliding head-on with the oncoming assault. Sparks of flame and thunder roared across the clearing.
Mu Changfeng's sword carved through the night like a storm of lightning. His strikes fell like thunderbolts, forcing two black-robed assailants to retreat, their cloaks torn by the gale of sword qi.
The clash escalated into chaos in an instant.
Li Tianyuan's heart pounded like a war drum. He gripped his blade so tightly his knuckles whitened, yet the crushing weight of the enemy's spirit pressure pressed down on him, suffocating, freezing his every movement. Before he could steady himself, one of the cloaked attackers fixed their gaze on him. With a blur of motion, the figure surged forward, palm raised, exuding a murderous intent.
Li Tianyuan barely managed to lift his blade. Steel and spirit clashed with a deafening shockwave that numbed his arm to the bone. Pain lanced through his palm; his grip nearly faltered. The cloaked man sneered, his strikes relentless, raining down with the force of a storm tide, driving Li Tianyuan back step after step until his back was nearly against one of the stone pillars.
"D*mn!" Li Tianyuan's heart sank. His body stumbled, his breath ragged, and the cold shadow of death loomed ever closer.
Just as the enemy's palm came crashing down again, something within Li Tianyuan's chest erupted. His vision blurred, then sharpened, as though another world overlapped this one. Heat surged through his veins, a violent tide of energy bursting forth from the depths of his being.
His blade trembled violently in his hands. Strange glowing lines flickered across its surface, forming patterns that looked like spirit runes. His eyes widened in shock. He hadn't summoned this power—no, the power had awakened of its own accord.
The next moment, his body moved on instinct. He swung.
A brilliant arc of knife-light exploded through the valley, splitting the darkness with a thunderous roar. The cloaked man's strike shattered against it. His cloak was ripped apart, revealing a twisted, ghastly face, pale and snarling.
The man staggered back, eyes wide."You—your spirit has awakened?!"
Li Tianyuan staggered as well, panting heavily, his hands trembling around the hilt. The energy continued to burn in him like wildfire, yet it threatened to spiral out of control at any second. Sweat poured down his face, dripping into his eyes.
"Tianyuan!" Mu Xueyin's voice rang out. Her sword sliced a deadly arc, driving away another assailant who had tried to close in on him.
Fu Yuan glanced at Li Tianyuan, surprise flashing in his eyes before he barked a command."Protect him! He cannot last long like this!"
Mu Changfeng's sword turned into a storm of blades, forcing two enemies back with sheer ferocity. Fu Yuan's talismans ignited one after another, bursting into waves of fire and lightning that tore through the battlefield, momentarily breaking the enemy formation.
In that brief window, Li Tianyuan swung again. Another slash of his blade roared through the night, cleaving a path of light and hurling his foe backward. Yet the strike drained him almost completely—his knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed.
Mu Xueyin rushed to catch him, her voice sharp with worry."Don't push yourself! That power… it's unstable! It'll tear you apart if you lose control!"
His chest heaved, but in his eyes burned a clarity he had never known before. This was the first time he had truly unleashed the mysterious force buried inside him. Fleeting though it was, he felt the weight of its significance—it was not just strength. It was a destiny that would drag him deeper into the storm.
Together, Fu Yuan and Mu Changfeng pressed the remaining assailants back. The black-robed leader, his expression unreadable beneath the hood, seemed to hesitate. His eyes gleamed briefly before he gave a low, rasping command."Enough. The altar awaits… and the boy will come."
With that, he and his subordinates withdrew into the shadows, vanishing into the forest as if swallowed by the night.
The valley fell silent again, though the heavy presence of the altar loomed ever stronger.
The four gathered together. Li Tianyuan leaned weakly against a stone pillar, drenched in cold sweat, his breaths ragged.
Mu Xueyin's brows furrowed deeply."His awakening came too suddenly. If he fails to control it, the backlash could kill him."
Fu Yuan stood still, his gaze fixed on the altar. His tone was grim."No… this was no accident. His power resonated with the altar. His awakening was inevitable."
Mu Changfeng slid his sword back into its sheath, eyes sharp as blades."The Inverse Spirit Sect isn't after the altar alone… they want him too."
The words sent a chill through Li Tianyuan's heart. He could still feel the lingering heat of the power coursing through his veins, trembling and restless, whispering of something vast and terrible. He realized, with a clarity that froze him, that his fate was no longer his own.
The altar. The Inverse Spirit Sect. And the mysterious power within him.
The night wind rose once more, rustling through the talismans on the ancient pillars. The whispers of the valley seemed to echo with foreboding, as though the mountain itself was warning them of an approaching storm far greater than this battle.