The sealed gate loomed ahead of them, cracks of red light spreading wider with every passing moment. Cold energy leaked through the breaks in thick waves, making the floating platforms tremble under their feet. The black mist around the gate twisted as if something large was pushing against it from the other side.
Wei Chen stopped the group a short distance away and studied the gate in silence for a few seconds.
"It's almost open," he said. "Whatever is behind it has been sealed for a very long time. We need to be ready."
Tigress Yu shifted her weight and rolled her shoulders. "Finally something that might actually push us."
Zhao Yin's shadows stirred restlessly at her feet. Huo Yan stood close to Lan Qing and Mei Yun, the three of them already preparing their combined power. The disciples spread out into a loose formation without needing further orders, the outer ones taking the rear while the main and sub-main disciples moved closer to the front.
The gate gave a deep, low groan. A large section of the ancient darkness split open, and a wave of pure cold energy blasted outward. From inside the crack, several powerful shadow beings forced their way through. These ones felt different from the earlier constructs — denser, more aware, and carrying the weight of old hatred.
The first clash was messy. Tigress Yu and Zhao Yin met the leading beasts head-on, their movements sharp and coordinated. Huo Yan's flames mixed with the ice from Lan Qing and Mei Yun, creating sudden bursts of steam and heat that forced two of the larger shadows to stagger. The disciples worked in pairs, using short bursts from the harmony scripture to land clean hits on the glowing cores whenever an opening appeared.
Wei Chen moved through the fight with less urgency than before. He deflected a heavy claw with his fan, finished one beast that broke through toward the outer disciples with a quick burst of Yang energy, then stepped back and let the others handle the rest. The group was getting stronger. He could feel it.
After the first wave was pushed back, the group took a short moment to catch their breath. Wei Chen walked over to Tigress Yu, who was wiping dark blood from her blade. He slipped a hand between her legs and rubbed her slowly through her clothes while speaking in a low voice.
"You're getting sharper every fight," he said. "Your body is still reacting the same way though."
Tigress Yu shot him a look but didn't pull away. Her breathing changed slightly as his fingers pressed harder for a few seconds before he moved on.
He found Zhao Yin checking her shadows. Without much warning he pulled her close, pushed her down to her knees behind a broken pillar, and slid his cock into her mouth. She took him without complaint, her eyes half-lidded as he moved. He kept it short, holding the back of her head while the rest of the group recovered nearby, then pulled out and let her stand again.
"Good," he said simply, brushing his thumb across her lower lip before turning away.
The gate cracked further. More shadow energy spilled out, and a deeper pressure began to build. The group reformed quickly. This time the fight lasted longer. The shadow beings that came through were stronger and more coordinated. One nearly reached the outer disciples before a combined ice-flame blast from Huo Yan and the ice queens forced it back. A main disciple landed a solid hit on its core a moment later.
During a brief lull, Wei Chen pulled Lan Qing aside. He dropped to one knee, spread her legs, and licked her with slow, deliberate pressure. She bit down on a quiet sound as his tongue moved, her fingers tightening in his hair for a moment before he stood again and sent her back to the fight.
Mei Yun received similar attention a short while later. He cupped her breasts from behind while she prepared another cast, thumbs brushing over her nipples as he spoke close to her ear.
"Keep your power steady. You're doing well."
She nodded, face slightly flushed, and returned to her position.
The group slowly gained the upper hand. Wei Chen intervened only when necessary, finishing two of the stronger shadows with precise bursts of power so the others could focus on the remaining ones. By the time the last of the current wave collapsed into mist, the sealed gate was cracked wide enough that a much heavier presence could be felt behind it.
They took a longer rest this time. Wei Chen sat with several of the queens nearby. He made Huo Yan take him into her mouth while he slowly fingered Su Mei beside them. Huo Yan's mouth was hot and focused. Su Mei came quietly against his hand a short time later. Afterward he turned to Lin Xue, laid her back against a smooth section of floating stone, and licked her until her thighs tensed and she came with a soft, controlled breath.
The group recovered in quiet moments between the heavier tension. Tigress Yu exchanged a few dry comments with Huo Yan about the ice-flame combination improving. Lan Qing and Mei Yun checked on a couple of the outer disciples who had taken minor hits. Lin Xue and Su Mei stayed close to Wei Chen, their presence calm and steady.
The inheritance crystal glowed faintly in his hand. New fragments of knowledge surfaced — the sealed gate had been placed by the ancient enemy clan to contain one of their old shadow lords. The cracking of the seals was not only releasing that power, but also revealing more about the Yang Dragon bloodline's connection to this place.
As the group prepared to move closer to the gate, the red light inside the cracks pulsed harder. A deep, ancient pressure rolled outward, heavier than anything they had faced so far. Something large and old was fully waking on the other side.
Wei Chen stood and looked at the gate.
"Whatever is behind that is almost free," he said. "We either finish this now, or we deal with something far worse later. Stay ready."
The group formed up again and began advancing toward the waking gate, the cold aura pressing against them with every step.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2026
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Next Chapter: 158 - Shadow Lord
The group confronts the awakening ancient shadow lord as the sealed gate finally breaks open.