Chapter 25: A Sweep of the Longsword

The power surging from beneath the earth acted like an invisible giant’s hand, pinning Feng Ruqing and her companions firmly in place. The air grew stagnant, making every breath a struggle, and the force radiated an ancient, perilous aura.

Boatman Chen and Helmsman Li turned deathly pale, their bodies trembling. "What… what on earth is this?" Chen cried out. Helmsman Li gripped his oar with white-knuckled intensity.

Miss Lin struggled to maintain her composure, though her clenched fists and slightly quivering lips betrayed her terror. Even the captive, Hu Dahai, had shed his ferocity, his eyes filled with dread.

Suddenly, the mysterious energy transformed into beams of light that shot toward them with blinding speed.

"Scatter!" Feng Ruqing commanded sharply. She flicked her body to shield the others, her long sword dancing through the air to intercept the light, but there were simply too many.

*This cannot go on,* Feng Ruqing thought to herself. While parrying the onslaught, she observed her surroundings with a keen, piercing gaze, quickly realizing that the attacks were not random.

*Hu Dahai,* she mused, *you think you can trap me with such petty tricks?* She shouted to him, "You! Go over there! Push that rock over!"

Hu Dahai paused, looking toward the boulder in the direction of her finger. "What kind of game are you playing?" he asked, suspicious.

"Enough talk! If you don't want to die, do as I say!" Feng Ruqing barked, swinging her sword to repel another barrage of light.

Hu Dahai relented, breaking free from his constraints and rushing toward the boulder.

"Boom!" The rock toppled. In an instant, dust billowed into the air, and the beams of light—as if drawn by a black hole—rushed frantically toward the boulder. A blinding radiance erupted, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. When the light finally faded and the beams vanished, the group stood in stunned silence.

Feng Ruqing stood amidst the stillness, looking like a descending goddess of war, her clothes fluttering in the wind, her expression resolute.

However, Feng Ruqing did not lower her guard. As expected, Hu Dahai suddenly lunged at her, a dagger aimed straight for her heart.

"Seeking death!" Feng Ruqing scoffed. She sidestepped with effortless grace, as if she had anticipated the move, and flicked her finger. Hu Dahai was sent flying back like a kite with a broken string, coughing up blood as he landed.

He struggled to rise and lunged again, his dagger swinging with even more frantic desperation.

"Overestimating yourself!" Feng Ruqing sneered. Her sword transformed into a silver flash, pointing directly at his throat.

"Stop!" Miss Lin cried out, rushing to Feng Ruqing’s side to grab her sleeve. "Sister Feng, although Hu is hateful, killing him would only weigh us down with sin. Besides, he might know more secrets about the treasure."

Feng Ruqing looked at Miss Lin and patted her hand gently.

Just then, the ground began to tremble violently. The beams of light reappeared, denser and faster than before, attacking everyone indiscriminately. Helmsman Li, slowed by previous injuries, accidentally stepped on a floor plate, triggering a mechanism. A wooden spike pierced his leg, and he collapsed with a scream, blood pouring from the wound.

A surge of guilt washed over Feng Ruqing.

The oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily upon them. Feng Ruqing scanned the area for clues and noticed a pattern in the flickering lights; a realization struck her. She picked up a stone and began to carve rapidly into the ground.

"What are you doing?" Miss Lin asked.

Feng Ruqing remained focused until she finished. She stood up, her expression grave yet confident. "What follows may be dangerous. Everyone, stay alert."

Feng Ruqing slowly raised her right hand high, her palm glowing like the midday sun. She began to chant an ancient incantation; the words seemed to traverse time itself, carrying the weight of an archaic power.

Where the light from her palm met the hostile beams, the very space distorted. The light-constructs retreated in waves, eventually fading into nothingness. Feng Ruqing stood like a deity commanding the heavens, everything around her bowing to her power.

"You did it!" Miss Lin cheered. Despite their wounds, Boatman Chen and Helmsman Li offered relieved smiles. Feng Ruqing lowered her hand, her complexion slightly pale; she knew the danger had not yet fully passed.

She glanced at the dying Hu Dahai but ignored him, turning instead to Miss Lin. "Let's go." Miss Lin nodded, supporting the injured boatmen as they followed Feng Ruqing toward the core of the treasure chamber.

They traversed a narrow passage, the walls on both sides etched with ancient runes. At the end of the corridor stood a stone gate carved with intricate patterns. Feng Ruqing pushed, but it refused to budge. Miss Lin stepped forward and pried at the seams with her dagger, causing the gate to groan open, revealing a dark, mysterious space within. As they stepped inside, strange lights shimmered in the gloom.

"Watch out!" Feng Ruqing grabbed Miss Lin’s arm and pulled her behind her.