"I…"—Su Feng watched Luo Tian, who was stumbling over her own words.
He tried to say something else but ended up letting out a sigh of resignation. "Step aside," he ordered as he moved forward. Though he didn't trust her in the slightest, his instinct told him she wasn't an enemy; furthermore, his desire to leave that place outweighed any caution.
He headed to the spot she had struck moments before. There, engraved into the floor, lay a strange formation whose design he was unable to comprehend. He recalled his senior brother's warnings: "Under no circumstances are you to approach these structures, especially if they require sacrifices of blood or spiritual energy; they usually hide lethal curses."
However, there was no other immediate way out. Unless his senior brother managed to contact his master, they would remain trapped. He made a decision. Without hesitation, he slid the edge of his sword across his palm. Blood gushed out, and as he placed his hand upon the engraving, the ground seemed to spring to life, greedily absorbing the crimson liquid.
Su Feng frowned. The formation was devouring his essence at an alarming rate. He tried to pull his hand away, only to discover with horror that his arm was anchored, completely paralyzed.
"What... what is this?" he gasped, feeling the vitality of his body being drained at a frantic pace.
"Su Feng," Luo Tian said, approaching nervously as she saw his state.
"Stay back!" he shouted, pushing her away so she wouldn't get close.
He didn't know if the formation was capable of chaining a second person; if a mortal were subjected to such a drain, their vitality would be extinguished in an instant. Furthermore, he was unaware of what other hidden functions the mechanism might activate.
With his free hand, he quickly pulled out a Qi Restoration Pill and swallowed it in one gulp. He closed his eyes and, through his consciousness, began to mobilize spiritual energy through his meridians, attempting to stabilize the flow and compensate for the alarming loss of his life essence.
Only when a massive amount of his energy had been devoured by the floor did the pressure suddenly give way. His hand was released, leaving him exhausted but free from the formation's grip.
Su Feng fell to the floor, utterly spent. Although the Qi Restoration Pill was beginning to take effect, the residual sensation of having been drained was too disturbing to ignore.
Luo Tian approached cautiously, but before she could utter a word, a deafening roar shook the foundations of the place.
"The formation is activating!" she cried.
Su Feng nodded urgently. He struggled to his feet and lunged toward Luo Tian, wrapping an arm around her to drag her out of the formation's range. At that instant, the false floor cracked and exploded, turning into ashes that scattered through the air. The true floor was revealed before them and, after a violent tremor, began to swing wide open.
When the movement ceased, Su Feng approached the edge with Luo Tian hot on his heels. Stone stairs descending into the darkness had been uncovered.
"The legacy must be here. Let's go," Su Feng declared as he began the descent.
Luo Tian followed him immediately. They were descending slowly when, suddenly, Su Feng stopped dead in his tracks and looked back, peering into the gloom.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, uneasy.
Su Feng expanded his spiritual sense, scanning every corner for several minutes. Finally, he shook his head.
"Nothing... I just felt a strange presence," he replied, though doubt lingered in his eyes as he resumed his pace.
Soon they reached a vast underground chamber where an imposing door blocked the way.
"Another formation?" Su Feng wanted to know, as he watched Luo Tian inspect the engravings on the threshold.
She quickly shook her head. "No, it's just a protective measure in case someone tries to force their way through without having passed the test above," she replied, just before the door gave way and opened with ease.
"If someone had the power to break through the floor, couldn't they just tear down the door?" Su Feng asked skeptically.
"If they did, all the treasures inside would be destroyed immediately. It wouldn't make sense," she replied as she crossed the threshold.
Su Feng followed her in, and instantly, the sight of the interior took his breath away.
"This is..." he stammered.
He walked forward, eyes wide. Before him stretched countless shelves that seemed to have no end, filled with ancient scrolls, jade vials, and weapons that emanated an ancestral aura.
"What you see here is only the periphery," Luo Tian explained without stopping. "These are incalculable treasures, but they pale before what guards the heart of this place."
Upon reaching the center of the chamber, three objects stood out above the rest. The first of them was a sphere of pure gold, engraved with dragon patterns that seemed to come to life.
"What is that thing?" Su Feng asked, unable to look away.
Luo Tian stood still. A spark of greed flashed through her gaze, but it was quickly stifled by a much deeper and harder-to-read emotion.
"That... is a Dragon of Destiny."
"A DRAGON OF DESTINY?!" Su Feng exclaimed, taking a step back from the impact. "That's impossible! How could something of such magnitude exist in this place?"
A Dragon of Destiny was no common object; it was the highest-ranking legacy possible. It represented the will of heaven, the accumulated power of millions of souls, and the absolute right to rule under the heavens.
"But do not be deceived," warned Luo Tian, her gaze turning icy. "Though its name and traits sound legendary, its price is terrifying. A power that defies heaven always demands a sacrifice of equal magnitude."
Su Feng nodded in understanding. He was no fool, and he knew very well that a power capable of shaking the heavens did not come for free.
"People with the destiny of the dragon," Luo Tian continued in a grave voice, "become the center of an eternal storm. Not only must they carry the weight and the lives of millions of subjects upon their shoulders, but their very existence becomes a provocation to Heaven."