The darkness of the left tunnel swallowed the expedition party whole.
As they descended deeper into the Void Desolate Ruins, the ambient temperature plummeted. The jagged stone walls were slick with a foul, viscous moisture that smelled of rotting iron and ancient blood.
The heavy, chaotic aura of the Eight Desolate Demonic Halberd grew stronger with every step, pressing down on their shoulders like a physical weight.
I walked at the front, his pristine white robes glowing faintly, entirely repelling the ambient filth.
My innate demonic nature secretly rejoiced in the dense, corruptive energy, absorbing it seamlessly, though outwardly I maintained the flawless aura of a righteous, untouchable cultivator.
Ye Liuli stayed practically glued to my right side, her breathing slightly labored under the oppressive spiritual gravity.
On my left, Su Qingge mirrored her steps, her veiled face betraying no emotion, though her fingertips occasionally brushed against my sleeve, acting as a silent, desperate anchor in the dark.
Trailing behind the elite guards, Ye Chen coughed violently.
His shattered meridians screamed in agony as the invasive demonic energy seeped into his weakened body. Every step was pure torture.
Yet, his bloodshot eyes remained fixed on the glowing compass in Ye Liuli's hand.
He recognized the shifting energy patterns from the ancient texts his master had once taught him.
'This is my chance,' Ye Chen thought, gritting his teeth as a spark of desperate hope ignited in his chest.
'The Demonic Illusion Array is ahead. Liuli's compass will fail. If I can guide them through the safe zones, she will finally see my worth. She will realize Gu Changge is just a pampered young master who knows nothing of true survival!'
Suddenly, the narrow tunnel widened into a massive, circular cavern. The floor was paved with cracked black jade, inscribed with swirling, blood-red runes that pulsed with a sinister, rhythmic light.
The moment the vanguard guards stepped onto the jade, a series of deafening cracks echoed through the cavern.
Thick, black mist erupted from the runes, rapidly forming towering, grotesque phantoms armed with rusted scythes.
The guards shouted, raising their spears, but the oppressive demonic aura instantly suppressed their cultivation bases, forcing them to their knees under the crushing pressure.
"The compass is completely blinded!" Ye Liuli gasped, her face draining of color as she gripped her artifact, which was now spinning erratically.
"Do not panic, Liuli!" Ye Chen suddenly shouted, pushing past the struggling guards with a manic gleam in his eyes. He stumbled onto the edge of the black jade, ignoring the tearing pain in his chest.
"This is a profound illusion array tied to the ancient demonic veins! The raw force of the Upper Realm cannot break it. You must step exactly where I tell you, or the phantoms will devour your souls!"
He turned to look at Ye Liuli, panting heavily, desperately waiting for her look of awe and gratitude.
Instead, I let out a soft, melodic chuckle that cut through the chaotic roaring of the phantoms like a silver bell.
"Ye Chan," I said smoothly, my dark eyes curving into a smile of absolute pity. "You read too many outdated texts."
Before Ye Chen could process the insult, I lazily raised my right hand.
A terrifying, overwhelming surge of golden spiritual energy erupted from my palm. I did not bother deciphering the array, nor did I care about the ancient mechanics of the trap.
I simply utilized the absolute, crushing power of my cultivation.
A massive, golden palm print manifested in the air, radiating a divine, sacred light that completely eradicated the surrounding demonic mist.
With a casual flick of my wrist, I brought the palm crashing down onto the cavern floor.
BOOM!
The black jade shattered into a million pieces. The blood-red runes were instantly vaporized. The towering phantoms shrieked before dissolving into nothingness.
The unstoppable shockwave sent Ye Chen flying backward, crashing violently into the stone wall like a discarded ragdoll.
He slumped to the ground, vomiting a mouthful of black blood, his vision swimming in agonizing circles.
'Impossible,' Ye Chen thought, his mind completely short-circuiting as he stared at the pulverized array.
'You cannot just break a profound array with brute force... it violates the fundamental laws of cultivation!'
"A true genius does not need to walk through a maze," I remarked softly, stepping over the rubble with elegant strides. I did not even bother to look at the bleeding boy.
"He simply destroys the walls."
Ye Liuli looked at the massive crater, her beautiful eyes trembling with sheer awe.
The ancient array that had terrified her was nothing but dust beneath Gu Changge's feet. She turned to glare at Ye Chen, her voice dripping with extreme disappointment.
"Are you trying to get us killed with your foolish showboating, Ye Chen?" she scolded coldly.
"If Young Master Changge had followed your slow, pathetic instructions, the guards would have been severely injured. Stay in the back and keep your mouth shut!"
[System Notification: Ye Chen's mentality has suffered a devastating blow. Fortune Points decreased by 300. Destiny Points increased by 1500]
The system prompt chimed pleasantly in my mind, bringing a genuine, warm smile to my lips.
Within the jade ring at my waist, Yan Ji shook her head, her crimson spiritual eyes filled with deep disdain.
'Foolish boy. In the face of absolute power, petty tricks and ancient riddles are completely meaningless. He still thinks he is the center of the world.'
Su Qingge walked quietly past Ye Chen, not sparing him a single glance. Her body, however, betrayed her.
The overwhelming display of Gu Changge's power sent a familiar, thrilling shiver straight down her spine, making her thighs press together tightly under her robes.
'He is terrifying', her secondary soul whispered, a dark, breathless excitement echoing in its voice.
'Yield to him completely. He is the only master worthy of us.'
Su Qingge's primary consciousness recoiled at the internal voice, terrified of the bottomless abyss that was Gu Changge.
Yet, a faint flush colored her cheeks beneath her veil, and her feet moved entirely on instinct, quickening her pace to remain close to his side.
'No... I cannot surrender my mind to him,' she told herself desperately, even as her trembling hands and racing pulse proved her body had already knelt before his absolute dominance.
-x-X-x-
The deeper they descended, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.
The air was heavy, vibrating with the latent, killing intent of a weapon that had bathed in the blood of countless cultivators.
Ye Chen dragged his feet, his breathing ragged. The internal injuries he sustained from Gu Changge's shockwave were gnawing at his cultivation base, but a strange, magnetic pull was beginning to dominate his senses.
He could feel it. The Eight Desolate Demonic Halberd was calling to him, recognizing the dormant power within his bloodline that he had yet to fully unlock.
'It recognizes me', Ye Chen thought, his eyes wide with a manic, flickering light.
'The aura... it's not attacking me. It's waiting for me. If I can reach the central altar before they do, I can claim it. Once I hold that weapon, I will have the power to crush him. I will have the power to take everything back!'
I strolled forward, my expression one of polite curiosity, though my divine sense was locked onto the artifact's location with the precision of a predator stalking prey.
I saw the shift in Ye Chen's body language, the desperate eagerness in the way the boy's gaze darted toward the sealed stone door at the end of the corridor.
I knew exactly what the protagonist was thinking. I did not mind. In fact, he encouraged it.
"This location seems to be the true core of the ruins," I remarked, my voice smooth and detached.
I glanced at Ye Liuli, who was still slightly shaken by the previous explosion.
"Miss Liuli, the restriction on this door is ancient and complex. It is likely a test of one's lineage and cultivation. I have no particular interest in taking whatever legacy lies behind it, but perhaps your cousin might have more success. He seems... quite determined."
Ye Liuli frowned, her gaze shifting toward Ye Chen, who was struggling to stand straight.
"He is barely holding himself together, Young Master Changge. He will only get in the way."
"Let him try," I replied with a benevolent, indulgent smile.
"It would be a pity if his knowledge of the ruins went to waste. If he can open it, we shall enter. If he cannot, we shall move on."
Ye Chen stiffened, hearing the words. 'He is underestimating me again, ' he snarled internally, a surge of adrenaline masking his pain.
'He thinks I am just a tool. I will show him. I will show all of them.'
Ye Chen pushed past the guards, ignoring the mocking stares of the Gu family retainers. He approached the colossal stone door, which was etched with thousands of complex, interlocking runes that seemed to pulse like a living heart.
He placed his trembling, blood-stained palm against the cold surface.
'Open,' he commanded in his mind, channeling the faint, scattered fragments of his energy into the runes.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the runes began to glow a deep, abyssal crimson. The door groaned, stone grinding against stone with the weight of ages, as it slowly began to shift inward.
Ye Chen gasped, his heart leaping into his throat. It was opening! The artifact was accepting him!
"It is working!" he shouted, turning back to glare at me with a triumphant, crazed smile.
"You see? You cannot force your way through everything with brute strength! Some things require the right touch!"
I stood with my hands behind my back, expression composed and unimpressed. I watched the door open with a faint, chilling glint in my eyes, as if I were watching a performer reach the climax of a play.
Su Qingge stood just behind me, her head bowed.
She felt the heavy, suffocating pressure of the treasure behind the door, but her focus was entirely on my back.
Her fingers were curled so tightly into her palms that her nails dug into her skin, drawing small beads of blood.
She felt a sickening mix of terror and arousal at his calmness. He was not surprised. He knew this would happen. He was letting Ye Chen believe he was winning, only to inevitably crush him when it mattered most.
'He is toying with him,' she realized, a cold shiver racing down her spine.
'He is letting Ye Chen do all the work to unlock the seal, just so he can take the treasure for himself. He is the most terrifying person I have ever seen.:
Within the jade, Yan Ji watched the seal open, her crimson eyes narrowing. She could sense the backlash building within the array.
'Idiot,' she scoffed internally, her voice devoid of any warmth.
'He thinks he is unlocking a treasure. He is merely feeding his life force into a trap that has been dormant for ten thousand years. He is walking into his own grave, and he is too blind to see it.'
The door slid open, revealing a vast, dark chamber. In the center, suspended in the air by massive, glowing chains, was the Eight Desolate Demonic Halberd. It was a weapon of pure, carnage, and its presence alone made the very air in the room crackle with violent, unstable energy.
Ye Chen stepped into the chamber, his eyes fixated on the weapon like a starving man looking at a feast.
"Finally," he whispered, his voice trembling with euphoria. "Finally, I am complete."
He did not notice that the moment he crossed the threshold, the stone door slammed shut behind him, sealing him inside with the weapon and the hidden, ancient, and extremely hostile guardian of the chamber.
Inside the sealed chamber, the air was stagnant and thick with the metallic stench of ancient blood.
Ye Chen stood frozen in the center of the room. The euphoria of finally reaching the Eight Desolate Demonic Halberd vanished the exact moment the heavy stone door slammed shut behind him.
He spun around, pressing his bloody hands against the cold, unyielding stone.
'Open!' Ye Chen screamed in his mind, channeling what little spiritual energy he had left into the rock.
'Open, damn you!'
The stone remained completely unresponsive. The crimson runes that had glowed so invitingly just moments ago were now dead and black. He was trapped. He was entirely alone with the chaotic, murderous aura of the halberd.
A low, grating rumble echoed through the chamber, vibrating up through the soles of his boots. It did not come from the weapon.
It came from the shadows directly beneath it.
The darkness seemed to detach itself from the floor, rising and twisting into a towering, grotesque shape.
Two massive eyes ignited with a sickly, spectral green flame. It was a Demonic Shadow Beast, an ancient guardian formed from the residual killing intent of the halberd itself.
The creature let out a deafening roar that sent a shockwave of raw, unfiltered demonic energy crashing into Ye Chen's chest.
Ye Chen was thrown backward, skidding across the black stone floor. He coughed up a terrifying amount of blood, his internal organs feeling as though they were being crushed in a vice.
'I cannot fight this,' Ye Chen realized, sheer panic finally overriding his delusional confidence.
'My meridians are shattered. I have no artifacts left. Master is completely unresponsive.'
He scrambled backward like a frightened animal, his eyes wide with unadulterated terror as the massive beast took a slow, deliberate step toward him, raising a clawed hand dripping with corrosive black energy.
Outside the chamber, the heavy thud of the sealing door had sent a wave of shock through the guards.
Ye Liuli rushed forward, striking her palm against the stone, but her spiritual energy harmlessly dissipated against the ancient wards.
"He locked it!" Ye Liuli exclaimed, her voice trembling with a potent mix of disbelief and mounting fury.
"He intentionally triggered a sealing array to keep us out! He wants to claim the legacy for himself!"
I stood a few paces back, adjusting the cuffs of my pristine white robes with leisurely grace.
He did not look surprised. He looked like a man watching a predictable, albeit amusing, play unfold.
"Greed is a profound poison, Miss Liuli," I said smoothly, my tone laced with gentle sorrow.
"It clouds the judgment of even the most well-meaning cultivators. I fear Brother Ye's desire to prove himself has blinded him to the reality of his own limits."
Ye Liuli bit her lip, her hands balling into tight fists. She had spent years idolizing the memory of the kind, selfless boy who had saved her in the Lower Realm.
That image was now shattering into a million irreparable pieces. The man behind that door was reckless, selfish, and utterly pathetic.
"I am so sorry, Young Master Changge," Ye Liuli whispered, her head bowed in deep shame.
"I brought him along, believing he could be useful. Instead, he has done nothing but insult you and attempt to steal the very treasures you so graciously allowed him to approach."
[System Notification: Ye Liuli's affection and respect for the Protagonist have plummeted. Fortune Points decreased by 400. Destiny Points increased by 2000]
I offered a warm, forgiving smile. I stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You bear no fault, Liuli," I murmured softly, dropping the formal title just enough to create a sense of manufactured intimacy.
"A person's true nature is only revealed in the face of absolute temptation. It is better you see his true colors now, rather than later."
Behind them, Su Qingge watched the exchange with hooded eyes. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
'He orchestrated all of this', her secondary soul whispered in awe.
'He knew the door would seal. He knew Ye Chen would try to steal the artifact. He is using Ye Chen's own greed to utterly destroy his image in the princess's eyes.'
Su Qingge felt a sudden, desperate urge to kneel at Gu Changge's feet. The sheer perfection of his cruelty was intoxicating. He did not just defeat his enemies.
He dismantled them from the inside out, stripping away their dignity, their allies, and their sanity until there was nothing left but an empty shell.
Her logical mind screamed at her to flee from this peerless monster before she was entirely erased. Yet, staring at his unbothered, commanding back, her pulse raced with a helpless, submissive thrill that she could neither comprehend nor stop.
'He is a demon in white', she thought, caught in a terrifying deadlock between acute mental resistance and complete physical capitulation.
Within the jade ring, Yan Ji remained silent, though her spiritual form pulsed with cold approval. The boy inside was reaping exactly what he had sowed.
Suddenly, a muffled, agonized scream echoed from behind the thick stone door. Ye Liuli flinched, her eyes widening.
"The guardian," I noted casually, folding my hands behind my back.
"It seems Ye Chan has found the true master of this chamber. A pity. He is far too weak to survive even a single strike from an ancient Demonic Shadow Beast."
"We have to help him!" Ye Liuli blurted out, old habits momentarily overriding her new disgust. But she hesitated, looking at the impenetrable door. "But the array..."
I sighed, stepping up to the sealed entrance. My dark eyes flashed with a cold, predatory light that nobody else could see. It was time to finish the performance. I would not let Ye Chen die just yet.
The boy still had too many Fortune Points left to harvest.
"I cannot stand by and watch a companion perish, regardless of his transgressions," I declared, my voice ringing with absolute, unshakeable righteousness.
I raised my right hand. A terrifying, oppressive aura erupted from my body, turning the air in the corridor suffocatingly heavy.
A divine, golden sword intent manifested around my fingers, vibrating with the power to sever the heavens themselves.
"Stand back," I commanded calmly.
I drove my palm forward. The golden sword intent slammed into the ancient stone door with the force of a falling meteor.
The indestructible sealing runes, which had stood firm for ten thousand years, shattered like cheap glass.
The door exploded inward, sending a shockwave of dust and rubble tearing into the chamber.