The underground chamber trembled with tension.
The inner disciple wiped the blood from his lips, his eyes burning with anger.
He had underestimated the young intruder standing before him.
"That movement technique…" he muttered.
"It's impossible for someone at your level."
Li Wei stood silently, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
The Forbidden Step he had just used drained a frightening amount of energy from his body. His meridians felt as if they were burning from the inside.
Yet the black jade pendant continued to glow faintly beneath his robe.
And with every pulse, fragments of strange knowledge appeared inside his mind.
The inner disciple suddenly attacked again.
"Azure Palm!"
A massive surge of spiritual energy burst from his hand and rushed toward Li Wei like a crashing wave.
Li Wei's instincts screamed.
Move.
His body reacted before his thoughts could catch up.
The strange power inside the pendant surged through his limbs once more.
Forbidden Step.
In the blink of an eye, Li Wei vanished from his original position.
The powerful attack slammed into the stone wall behind him, shattering chunks of rock that crashed to the ground with thunderous force.
The inner disciple's eyes widened in shock.
"Again?!"
Before he could react further, Li Wei appeared behind him.
Another memory fragment awakened inside his mind.
Ancient characters appeared in his consciousness.
Forbidden Finger.
Li Wei raised his hand and pointed forward.
Dark energy gathered around his fingertip like a swirling vortex.
The moment the attack struck the disciple's back, a violent explosion echoed throughout the chamber.
BOOM!
The disciple crashed to the ground, sliding several meters across the stone floor.
Blood sprayed from his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
His expression was filled with disbelief.
"How… how can someone like you use such a technique?"
Li Wei staggered slightly.
His body had reached its limit.
Even though the Forbidden techniques were powerful, they demanded a terrible price.
Still, he forced himself to stand straight.
Because he knew one thing.
If he showed weakness now…
He would die.
The inner disciple slowly rose again, his face twisted with killing intent.
"You've seen my face," he said coldly.
"That means you cannot leave this place alive."
Spiritual energy began gathering around him once more.
But before either of them could attack—
A terrifying pressure suddenly descended from above.
The entire chamber fell silent.