The Coiled Dragon’s Legacy

The energy from the relic's pulse still lingered in the air, crackling against Li Feng's skin like static electricity. He forced himself to steady his breathing, his grip on the artifact firm. The Coiled Dragon Ring, now eerily warm against his finger, throbbed with an unfamiliar rhythm, as if it had absorbed some of the relic's power.

Zheng Wei, still gripping his staff, scanned the shadows warily. "Jiang Ren might be gone for now, but he won't stay away for long. He knows what we have."

Mei Lian nodded, wiping her daggers clean. "We need to leave before he regroups. We're in no shape for another battle."

Li Feng exhaled sharply, his eyes shifting toward the trees. The Whispering Forest was no longer just a passive, eerie woodland—it had been awakened by their presence. The earlier battle had stirred something in the land itself, and Li Feng wasn't convinced it was over.

Zheng Wei adjusted the straps of his pack, glancing at the relic. "Where does it lead us next?"

Li Feng turned the artifact over in his hands, its inscriptions shifting under the moonlight. He traced the carvings with his thumb, trying to decipher their meaning. The symbols weren't just a map—they were a warning.

"It speaks of the Forbidden Hollow," he murmured, recalling the legends. "A place where even spirits fear to tread. If that's where we need to go next… we won't have much time to prepare."

Mei Lian's expression darkened. "The Forbidden Hollow? That place is cursed. No one who's entered has ever returned."

"Exactly why Jiang Ren won't expect us to go there willingly," Li Feng replied. "If we move fast, we can get ahead of him."

Zheng Wei sighed, rubbing his temple. "That's assuming we even make it there in one piece. But fine. If this is our path, then we follow it."

The wind howled through the trees, whispering an unspoken warning. Li Feng felt the weight of fate settling heavier on his shoulders. The Forbidden Hollow awaited, and with it, the next test in their journey. He knew one thing for certain—whatever lay ahead would change them forever.

A sudden rustling in the underbrush snapped them all to attention. Mei Lian's daggers were in her hands before Li Feng could blink. Zheng Wei spun toward the sound, his staff raised.

A shadowy figure emerged, stepping into the moonlight.

Li Feng's breath caught. "You…?"

The figure smirked. "You didn't think you were the only ones chasing fate, did you?"