The Coiled Dragon’s Legacy

The chamber was deathly silent, yet the air crackled with an unseen force. Li Feng's chest heaved, each breath labored from the battle with Jiang Ren, but his grip on his sword remained firm. Mei Lian stood beside him, her own blade drawn, poised like a coiled serpent. Zheng Wei, though injured, leaned against a broken pillar, gripping his staff with white-knuckled determination.

And then, there was her—Lady Yuexiang. She stood at the center of the ruin, bathed in the eerie glow of the sigils embedded into the stone floor. Draped in a flowing robe of dark silk, her presence was unnatural, as if she had always been there, watching, waiting. Her lips curled into an amused smile, a predator observing her prey.

"Fascinating," she murmured, her voice smooth as silk. "All this bloodshed, all this desperation, and yet none of you see the truth."

Jiang Ren stiffened, his grip tightening around his sword. "What do you want, witch?" he spat, the words laced with venom.

Lady Yuexiang chuckled. "Oh, Jiang Ren, ever the blunt instrument. You serve Shen Longwei so faithfully, and yet, do you even understand his true ambitions?"

Jiang Ren's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

Mei Lian took a step forward. "You manipulated us into coming here. You wanted this confrontation. Why?"

Yuexiang tilted her head, amusement dancing in her crimson eyes. "Because the Coiled Dragon Ring is more than a relic, child. It is a key. And you, Li Feng, are stumbling toward a fate you do not comprehend."

Li Feng's fingers clenched involuntarily around the hilt of his sword. "If you think I'll let you take it—"

A flick of her wrist, and a surge of force sent dust swirling around them. "Please," she said, almost bored. "If I wanted to take it, you'd be lying dead at my feet."

Jiang Ren shifted, preparing to strike, but Lady Yuexiang merely raised a single finger. The sigils beneath her feet flared, and the entire chamber seemed to hum with energy. The walls shimmered, distorting, like the world itself was bending at her will.

"I propose a bargain," she continued, her voice like a whisper against their minds. "Walk away. Abandon this fool's quest for vengeance and relics. Go on living your mortal lives, and I will ensure that Shen Longwei never finds you."

A silence stretched between them. Mei Lian's knuckles whitened around her blade. Zheng Wei, despite his pain, kept his gaze unwavering. But it was Li Feng she watched, waiting.

"You expect me to believe you would simply let us go?" he finally said, his voice measured.

"I do not expect you to do anything," Lady Yuexiang replied. "But I do expect you to listen."

Jiang Ren scoffed. "Enough of this nonsense." Without warning, he lunged, blade flashing in a killing arc. Yuexiang never moved. Yet the instant Jiang Ren's blade should have struck, it passed through empty space—her body an illusion, a shadow.

A whisper of laughter echoed, and suddenly, the ruins shook. The sigils beneath them burned brighter, and the air thickened, pressing down on them like an invisible weight. The entire chamber was collapsing.

Li Feng swore under his breath. "Move!"

The ground beneath them began to split, cracks webbing outward. Dust rained from the ceiling, and the very stones beneath their feet gave way. Li Feng reached for Mei Lian as she stumbled, gripping her arm tightly as the floor collapsed beneath them.

Jiang Ren, separated by a chasm now splitting the room in two, cursed as he scrambled for footing. Yuexiang's laughter faded into the void, her presence vanishing as the entire ruin caved in upon itself.

"Go! Go now!" Zheng Wei urged, shoving forward despite his injuries.

Li Feng barely managed to keep his footing as they lunged toward the exit, the very foundation of the chamber crumbling behind them. The last thing he saw was Jiang Ren, his eyes burning with frustration, before the collapsing debris swallowed him from sight.

They burst into the open night, coughing as they stumbled into the cold air outside. Behind them, the ruins caved in entirely, dust and shattered stone erupting skyward. Silence followed—a silence thick with realization.

Zheng Wei, panting, turned to Li Feng. "We've been marked," he whispered. "That sigil—Lady Yuexiang can find us anywhere now."

Li Feng stared at the ruined temple, his mind racing. They had barely escaped. But he knew, deep down—

This was only the beginning.