The passage closed behind me with a grinding thud, sealing me in a narrow stone corridor that stretched into darkness. The air was heavy, thick with water qi that clung to my skin like damp fog. My body ached, every muscle screaming from the trial's toll, my soul still raw from the influx of Devourer's knowledge. I leaned against my sword, its blade scraping the stone, grounding me as I fought to steady my breathing.
The cavern's walls were smooth, carved with runes that glowed faintly, their patterns alien yet hauntingly familiar, as if whispering secrets of a lost age. The spiritual energy here was dense, almost liquid, pressing against my meridians and clashing with my fire qi. Each step was a battle, my legs trembling, but I pushed forward, driven by the need to escape this frozen hell.
Xu Xie's wary gaze lingered in my mind. Why would a dragon, a being of such power, fear a mere Qi Condensation cultivator like me? The question gnawed at me, but I had no answers. My only certainty was survival—and the need to grow stronger. The system's gifts—Song of Pure Flame, Black Blizzard, and now Devourer—were tools, but tools alone wouldn't keep me alive in this treacherous realm.
I trudged onward, the corridor's silence broken only by the faint drip of water and the echo of my footsteps. The runes pulsed, their light casting eerie shadows that danced like specters. My spiritual sense stretched thin, probing for threats, but the oppressive qi dulled my instincts. I felt exposed, a lone spark in a sea of ice.
A faint screech echoed from behind, chilling my blood. The worms. They'd found a way through the stone, their relentless hunger driving them after me. I cursed under my breath, gripping my sword tighter. My qi reserves were low, barely replenished by the spirit stones I'd absorbed. Devourer's potential tantalized me, but I hadn't tested it in the real world. Could I absorb qi from living enemies here, as I had in the trial?
The screeches grew louder, closer, a psychic assault that clawed at my mind. I quickened my pace, the corridor narrowing, forcing me to duck under low-hanging stalactites. The air grew colder, the water qi thicker, as if the cavern sought to drown me. My heart pounded, a mix of fear and defiance. I wouldn't die here, not after surviving Xu Xie.
A wet slap echoed, followed by another. The worms were gaining. I spun, my sword raised, and flung a spark of fire down the corridor. The light revealed a writhing mass—dozens of dog-sized worms, their snowy fangs glinting, their bodies slithering with unnatural speed. They moved as one, their coordination eerie, like a hive mind bent on my destruction.
"No rest for the weary," I muttered, activating Dance of Embers.
My body surged with speed, but the technique drained my meager qi, its flames flickering weakly. I couldn't rely on it for long. I needed a strategy. The corridor was narrow, a natural choke point. If I could funnel the worms, I could limit their numbers, striking efficiently to conserve energy.
I retreated, luring them into the tight passage, my sword a blur of motion. Each slash targeted their weak points—between jaws and body—splitting them with precision. The severed halves writhed, still crawling, but slower. I used the stalactites, weaving between them, forcing the worms to navigate the obstacles. One lunged, and I sidestepped, letting it crash into a stalactite, its body impaled on the jagged stone.
The screeches intensified, a psychic hammer that made my vision blur. I gritted my teeth, focusing on my sword's rhythm, each strike a defiance against the horde. But their numbers were overwhelming, spilling from cracks in the walls, dropping from the ceiling in a writhing cascade. I ducked a snapping maw, rolling to the side, and drove my sword upward, pinning a worm to the wall.
"System, any tricks up your sleeve?" I muttered, half-hoping for a response.
None came. I was on my own. I tested Devourer, channeling qi into my sword as I struck. A faint spark of foreign energy flowed into me, easing the ache in my meridians. It worked! Each kill fed me qi, a trickle but enough to keep me fighting. I adjusted my stance, adopting a defensive form to minimize effort, striking only when necessary.
The worms adapted, some burrowing into the stone, others climbing to flank me. I leaped, twisting mid-air to avoid a pincer attack, and slashed downward, bisecting a worm. Its qi flowed into me, a small boost that steadied my trembling hands. I used the corridor's terrain, luring them into tight spaces where their numbers meant little, cutting them down methodically.
But the horde was relentless, their screeches a constant assault. My head throbbed, my body screaming for rest. I couldn't keep this up forever. I needed an escape. My eyes caught a faint glow ahead—a wider chamber, its walls shimmering with ice. If I could reach it, I might find a way out.
I fought my way forward, my sword a whirlwind, each kill feeding me qi through Devourer. The worms tried to overwhelm me, their bodies piling over each other, a writhing wall of teeth and flesh. I used Flame of Life, channeling its healing to seal a gash on my arm, the pain excruciating but effective. The wound closed, leaving me free to fight.
I reached the chamber, its floor slick with ice, its walls glittering like a frozen palace. The worms followed, their screeches echoing, but the open space gave me room to maneuver. I darted between ice pillars, using them as cover, striking and retreating to avoid encirclement. The worms' coordination faltered in the wider space, their movements less precise.
I spotted a narrow passage on the far side, its entrance glowing faintly. My heart leaped—freedom? I fought toward it, my sword carving a bloody path, qi trickling in with each kill. But the worms were endless, their screeches a psychic storm that threatened to break me. My body was at its limit, my qi a flickering ember.
I reached the passage, squeezing through as the worms slammed against the entrance, their bodies too large to follow. The screeches faded, replaced by an eerie silence. I collapsed against the wall, panting, my sword clattering to the ground. The passage stretched into darkness, its air thick with qi. Was this the way out, or another trap?