Inside the cave, Li Chen reached the first turn in the tunnel. The darkness was no longer absolute; the walls were beginning to glow with a sickly, phosphorescent green light. And in that light, he saw them.
The bones.
Hundreds of them. Small, fragile things, scattered across the floor like discarded toys. Some were decades old, turned to dust. Others were fresh, the remnants of outer disciples who had tried and failed only months before.
"Welcome," a voice whispered.
It wasn't a physical voice. It was a sound inside his head, a cold, slithering thing that felt like silk and needles.
"Welcome, little spark. Do you know why they are here?"
Li Chen stopped crawling. He sat up, his body trembling under the weight, his eyes darting around the glowing cavern. "Who are you?"
"I am the tru
