The crowd of disciples parted before Li Chen like a sea before a coming storm. The silence in the Forbidden Gorge wasn't empty; it was heavy with a thousand unasked questions and a thick, cloying layer of dread. Every step Li Chen took away from the black gates of the Gua Ujian felt like he was dragging the weight of the mountain with him. The "Will of the Guardian" was a humming engine in his chest, a secret sun he was desperately trying to shroud in clouds.
"Move," a guard muttered, his voice cracking like dry parchment as he stepped out of Li Chen's path.
Li Chen didn't blink. He felt Yueling's fingers trembling against his palm, her warmth the only thing keeping him anchored to the mortal world. Behind them, the massive obsidian slabs of the cave entrance groaned as they settled into
