Move!
Wang Fang twisted his body mid-air, a jagged stone spear grazing his chest as he plummeted. He slammed against the uneven walls of the abyss, the impact rattling his teeth. He reached out to slow his descent, but the stone was slick with ancient moisture, no grip, no mercy. Below them lay a throat of absolute darkness.
Panicked screams began to bounce off the walls.
"My Qi! Why can't I feel my Qi?!"
"The energy isn't circulating! It's like my meridians are frozen!"
Even Ye Heimin, the peak Qi Condensation expert, looked like he had seen a ghost. He tried to summon his internal power again and again, but the abyss remained silent.
Wang Fang narrowed his eyes, feeling the weight of gravity. So it's not just me. In this hole, we're all back to being mortals. He glanced up at the swirling mist they had passed through. That was the barrier. We're in a Forbidden Zone now.
"We're almost at the ground!" Wang Fang roared over the whistling wind.
"What?! How do you know?" a disciple shrieked.
Ye Heimin stared at the boy. "Should we trust him?" He tried one last time to spark his cultivation, but his spirit was cold. He looked back at Wang Fang. "If we're close, do something!"
Wang Fang smiled, a jagged, dangerous thing. "I'm already on it."
He spotted a blunt rock formation jutting from the darkness. Gritting his teeth, he lunged, wrapping his arms around the cold stone. The impact nearly tore his shoulders from their sockets, but he held on.
Su Qingmei, falling just above him, didn't hesitate. He reached out and grabbed Wang Fang's ankle, using the boy as an anchor.
Damn it!" Wang Fang cursed, the added weight nearly snapping his joints. "Let go, you'll dislocate my leg!"
Su Qingmei ignored him, quickly grabbing a different ledge to stabilize himself. Wang Fang let go, dropping the final ten feet and hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
He staggered to his feet, shaking the numbness from his limbs. Su Qingmei landed beside him with the grace of a cat, his expression as cold as ever.
"You exist to serve my goals," Su Qingmei said, his voice flat. "You are my stepping stone. Now, lead the way."
Wang Fang didn't budge. Su Qingmei's eyes darkened. "If you refuse, I will trigger the shackles. I wonder how long you'll last without Qi to protect your soul?"
Wang Fang looked down at the jade beads on his wrists. The Ninefold Soul Shackles. There's still energy sealed in them... and he's the only one who can use it.
BOOM!
The mountain groaned as the rest of the group arrived. Ye Heimin had stabbed his sword into the wall to slow his fall; the blade shattered, but it saved his life. He hit the ground hard, blood soaking his tunic where the rock had sliced him.
One by one, the other disciples crashed down. The air was filled with the sound of groaning and the smell of copper.
I still can't use my Qi!
My leg is broken! Help me!
Shut up! Xuan barked, clutching a bruised arm. "The other sects are already ahead. We're losing time!"
Huh, Wang fang whisper,what going on here.some of the people here got injured.and some died because of the impact.
But nor of the other sect disciple die here. infant there's know sign of anyone landing here.
Ye Heimin stepped forward, his face grim. "Since we are all mortals here, I will lead. I have the most combat experience without Qi."
Everyone went silent, "it true," his one of the general subordinate.
Su Qingmei sneered, his arrogance unaffected by the fall. "You? You're just a war disciple, a tool for the front lines. I am an Inner Disciple, the chosen of Elder Han Yue. I lead."
The disciples thought,"yes his an inner disciple of elder Han Yue",he as more experience than a war disciple.
And look at that,his unarmed, after all that trouble.
The group fractured instantly. Half stood behind the battle-hardened Ye Heimin; the other half cowered behind the high-status Su Qingmei.
Wang Fang watched the bickering with a quiet sigh.
"Sorry," he said, looking at both of them. "I'm not following either of you."
Su Qingmei's killing intent flared. "You don't have a choice. You come with me, or I turn your soul into ash with these shackles."
Wang Fang met his gaze, his expression unreadable. Suddenly he smiled,"...Alright."
Ye Heimin pointed toward a tunnel to the north. "Those who want to survive, follow me."
Su Qingmei pointed east. "Those who want the treasure, follow me."
The disciples split. Wang Fang walked into the darkness behind Su Qingmei. He wasn't a leader. He wasn't a follower. He was just a tool being used by a man who didn't know he was holding a ticking time bomb.