The mountain groaned as though something ancient within it struggled to wake. Dust trembled down from the broken beams of the hermitage roof. Leng Yue's blade was already half-drawn when Li Wei raised a hand for silence. His eyes were half-lidded, fixed on the faint quiver of runes beneath the temple floor.

"Evidently," he murmured, "the commotion from below must be addressed. It is only a matter of time before the serpent incarnate rises."

His fingers wove through the air, the gestures precise and deliberate. Each movement ignited faint sigils in the air—runes that shimmered gold before fading into the stone. The old mechanism beneath the seal clicked, deep and resonant. ~Krrkkk… thunk…~

The floor parted in a slow spiral, releasing a breath of air so cold it froze the ground beneath their feet. A staircase of cool black stone revealed itself, descending into the heart of Mount Lian.

Leng Yue's eyes narrowed. "Once we go down, there may be no path back." Li Wei's expression did not change, though the pearl in his staff flickered with muted light. "The world above us has already begun to fester and rot. If we do not descend, we'll meet our end all the same. Better to drown fighting than die waiting for the tide."

Leng Yue said nothing further. She drew her garments tighter and followed him downward.

~Thud… thud…~

Their steps echoed against the narrow passage walls. Moisture glistened on the stones, reflecting the faint glow of Li Wei's staff. The air was getting damper, the scent was similar to that of rusted iron and something decomposed.

When they reached the lower level, the darkness widened into a cavern vast enough to swallow an entire fortress. Jagged pillars of obsidian rose from the floor, glistening with veins of red light that pulsed in sync with the distant thrum beneath the earth.

Then came the sound.

~Clank… clank… clank…~

Rows of armored soldiers stepped forward from the shadows heavily equipped in pitch-black plate, their masks carved into grotesque reptilian visages. The air shuddered faintly around them, reeking of poison qi.

Leng Yue's hand tightened around her sword hilt. "An army of corpse-forged guardians… this is no just another outpost." A figure broke from their ranks aggressively, clearly the commander of the detachment.

The man towered high above the rest, draped in tattered crimson tattoos. His mask was wrought with gold and shaped like a dragon's skull, his eyes gleaming sickly yellow behind the slits. "You have gone far enough, heretic." he thundered, voice reverberating through the cavern. "Now you must die!"

With a single downward gesture, the horde surged forward like a living tide.

~RRAAAAHHH!~

The ground shook beneath their charge. Li Wei thrust his staff downward, releasing a surge of golden light that swept outward in a circle.

[Heavenly Barrier Art – Four Celestial Gates]

Four symbols ignited around them, forming a radiant dome. Spears clanged against it, sparks flying as the attackers crashed against the barrier like waves breaking against rock. Leng Yue stepped beside him, her leather pauldrons whipping around her. "I count close to two hundred," she said, voice steady despite the chaos. "Do you have a plan?"

Li Wei smirked faintly. "The same plan as always is fine, we simply have to survive long enough to improvise." The barrier flickered as another volley of spears struck. "Now," he murmured.

Leng Yue moved like lightning. Her blade erupted with azure fire as she leapt beyond the barrier, cutting a blazing arc through the first rank. ~Shhhhk!~ Bodies fell one after another, their armor melting under the spiritual flame.

"Qing Flame Blade!" She cried, spinning midair and slicing through a cluster of enemies. "Seventh Form…"Her movements were fluid, each strike a dance of death.

Li Wei followed, his staff spinning in broad circles as talismans streamed from his sleeves. They ignited midair, releasing bursts of sigil-light that turned the ground into molten glass.

[Myriad Seal Art – Earth Dragon's Maw!]

The floor cracked open, revealing glowing fissures that swallowed entire ranks of armored soldiers. The screams that followed were brief and metallic.

Still, more came.

The commander roared, slamming his halberd into the ground. The impact sent out a shock wave that shattered Li Wei's remaining talismans. "You wield borrowed strength," the man snarled. "But such power will not last!"

"Perhaps," Li Wei replied evenly, "but only fools mistake shadow for power."

He extended his palm. The spirit pearl embedded in his staff pulsed once, then again—each beat in rhythm with the cavern's trembling heart. The air thickened; energy surged through him like molten metal.

[Forbidden Art – Mirror Seal Prelude!]

A reflection shimmered in the air before him, like glass forming from mist. The commander's own image stared back, then shattered with a sharp crack!—and the force rebounded upon him.

The great warrior staggered, his mask splitting open, blood streaming from beneath it.

Leng Yue pivoted through the chaos, deflecting another spear and slashing upward. "Young master!" she shouted. "The rear flank is collapsing!"

"I see it."

He pressed his hands together, forming a complex seal. Symbols spun around his arms like orbiting moons.

[Qi Reversal Array – Dragon's Breath Form]

A whirlwind erupted from the cavern floor, scattering the enemies nearest them. Armor splintered, weapons clattered to the ground. ~Clang!~

Leng Yue took the chance to rush to his side. Her breaths came quick, but her eyes burned with defiance. "We can't hold them off forever," she said. "The serpent's life force grows stronger with every moment that passes."

Li Wei looked past her, toward the far end of the cavern. There, at its heart, a colossal gate of black jade loomed, covered in sigils that throbbed with crimson light. A dull heartbeat echoed from behind it.

~Thum… thum… thum…~

He exhaled slowly. "That's where it resides."

Leng Yue followed his gaze, her expression grim. "Then that's where we end this."

Before she could move, a roar tore through the chamber. It was a low, guttural, and ancient scream. The ground split apart, revealing coils of scaled flesh beneath the stone.

~Rrrrraaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!~

The serpent's husk was stirring, its essence seeping through crevices in the chamber itself.

Li Wei's pulse quickened. "Heaven forgive me," he whispered, "but the Mirror Seal must be completed now." He reached into his robe, pulling free a scroll bound in red silk. The paper glowed faintly, symbols writhing like living things across its surface.

Leng Yue caught his wrist. "You said this requires a living anchor."

"It does," he replied calmly.

Her grip tightened. "Then I'll be the one."

He met her gaze, eyes burning gold in the dim light. "No. You are still needed here, Yue. I am not a good person, this is for the best." Li Wei attempted to reason with Leng Yue, "Spare me your metaphors!" she snapped instead. "Two hands make a bridge, no one needs to sacrifice themselves to make a real impact."

Her defiance startled him, though only for a moment. Then he smiled faintly. "You certainly have a lot to say..."

"Then heed my words for once," she said. "A single lantern may guide a traveler, but a pair can light the cavern For a heartbeat, the two simply looked at one another, surrounded by the chaos of the trembling earth. Then Li Wei's eyes blinked softly.

"So be it," he whispered. He spread the scroll upon the ground, pressing his palm to its center. Leng Yue mirrored him, their qi intertwining, glowing threads of gold and silver spiraling upward.

[Mirror Seal – Twin Invocation]

The cavern filled with blinding light. Every shadow screamed as it was forced back. The serpent's coils thrashed beneath the earth, its roar shaking the mountain itself.

~Kraaaashhhhh!~

The remaining soldiers fell to their knees, their masks cracking as their bodies disintegrated into dust. The commander tried to rise, but the seal's power consumed him, turning his armor into molten slag.

Leng Yue's face contorted with effort. "The corrosion from the seal is too much"

Li Wei's hand trembled, veins glowing like fire beneath his skin. "Hold fast, Yue! Once the seal completes, it will lock the serpent's essence beneath this mountain…"

The light reached a stunning peak pure, radiant, blinding.

Then silence.

~Fwooom…~

The wind of aftermath swept through the cavern, carrying the smell of ozone and burnt stone. The black jade gate had vanished. In its place lay a smooth circle of silver light, pulsing faintly before fading away.

Leng Yue staggered, gasping. "Did we—?"

Li Wei fell to one knee, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "The serpent sleeps again… for now." She caught him before he collapsed entirely. "You fool," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You've burned half your life force."

He smiled faintly, eyes half-open. "Then may that half buy the world another dawn."

The mountain shuddered once more, then stilled. Outside, faint rays of moonlight filtered through the cracks above. Leng Yue looked up at the soft glow and murmured, "When Heaven turns its face away, mortals must become its light."

Li Wei chuckled weakly. "Another day in this world," he said. "Is worth every sacrifice" She stood close to him as the last echoes of the battle faded from the depths of Mount Lian.

The duo sat back and let the wind sigh through the cavern, listening to the faint dripping of water. Nothing more had to be said, the silence was enough.

Far beneath them, sealed in crystal light, the serpent's eye flickered once—and closed.

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