Xiaochen sat, leaning his back against the cold, damp rock, the black sword across his lap. His hands trembled slightly, a delayed reaction to the immense pressure he had just endured. You are weak, Xiaochen, Ye Cangtian's voice still echoed in his mind, cold and sharp. You hesitated. You doubted. The image of the burning city, a crimson silhouette against a blood-red sky, was seared behind his eyelids. He felt the weight of their despair, the fragile trust of the survivors, and the chilling truth in Ye Cangtian's words: Taixu Palace would show no mercy.
He opened his eyes, the grey unyielding. No, he thought, I will not be the wolf, but I will not be the lamb either. He needed answers. He needed to understand what new horrors awaited them above ground. Hiding in the dark would not save t
