Han Yu leapt forward, eyes darting between the shifting blades, planning each step with instinctive precision. But just then, the Communication Jade Slip at his waist buzzed with a sudden, insistent hum.
Han Yu's face froze. "Damn it, not now!" he hissed, ducking low as a blade passed so close to his scalp that a few strands of hair drifted free.
He twisted, using the hilt of his halberd to deflect another chain that swung at chest level.
The jade slip pulsed again, demanding his attention. Gritting his teeth, Han Yu skidded into the small alcove ford by a cracked wall tile. It wasn't safe for long, but it gave him a mont to check the ssage.
ng Jueyan's voice spilled into his mind, sounding hurried. "We've made it. The Mist Eye Sect has finally reached the crossing point. The hidden corridor is open. We'll be moving through soon."
Han Yu's stomach tightened as he narrowly twisted aside from another falling blade that struck dangerously close to his alcove. He shoved the jade slip back into his robes with one hand, replying quickly through his thoughts. "Do you know where you'll erge?"
"Not exactly," ng Jueyan admitted. "But from what the elders told us, the corridor links into the middle section of the repository. We should appear sowhere around there."
Han Yu frowned, calculating even as he sprinted back into the shifting deathtrap, vaulting over a blade that carved deep into the stone tiles. "We've already passed what feels like the midway point. If you're entering soon, you'll appear behind us. That ans our paths will cross eventually."
He quickly sent her a ntal outline of the route their group had taken so far; the sequence of halls, traps, and turns they had endured. "Track where you are compared to this. When you get close, send another ssage. We can avoid clashing by accident or make use of the timing if the situation demands."
"Understood," ng Jueyan said, her tone grim. "I'll keep you updated. Just be prepared—the Mist Eye Sect doesn't intend to play nice with the orthodox sects if we et openly."
Han Yu smirked wryly even as he ducked and rolled to the far end of the corridor, his lungs burning. "I'll keep that in mind. For now, don't get yourself killed before we et."
The connection faded, leaving him with only the whirring blades and the sound of his companions' frantic movents.
Chitterfang suddenly scampered along the edge of the wall, chittering furiously.
The rat bounded ahead, weaving easily through the chaos, then stopped and squeaked sharply. Han Yu's eyes snapped toward it and saw a faint tile on the far wall glowing faintly beneath the light.
"The release!" he shouted. "Aim for that tile!"
Xuan Qing was closest. She darted forward, qi flaring around her blade, and slamd it into the tile with a precise strike. A sharp click echoed through the corridor, and all at once the swinging blades froze mid-motion before retracting into the ceiling.
The group staggered forward, panting, each one bleeding from shallow cuts or clutching bruises. But none had been struck fatally.
Fatty Kui collapsed against the wall, chest heaving. "By the heavens… I thought I was done for. Who builds sothing like this?!"
Senior Brother Duan's expression was grim. "An alchemist who clearly didn't want anyone reaching the depths of his repository. These traps are ant to grind down even the cautious."
The others nodded, their gazes still wary.
Han Yu, however, stood silently, his thoughts lingering on the jade slip at his waist.
ng Jueyan and the Mist Eye Sect were already moving through. The fact that their likely ergence point was around the middle ant an encounter was inevitable and it would happen soon.
For now, though, he said nothing, his hand resting on Chitterfang's fur as the rat perched on his shoulder.
The little beast had been invaluable, guiding them past countless traps and alerting them to hidden dangers. Even the seniors, who had initially seen the rat as little more than a gimmick, were beginning to exchange respectful glances toward it.
"Good work," Xuan Qing said seriously, her gaze on Han Yu and Chitterfang. "Without you two, we'd have suffered losses by now."
Han Yu only smiled faintly, hiding the calculations spinning in his mind. 'Let them think of as useful. The more trust I earn, the easier it'll be to maneuver when the ti cos.'
The group bandaged their fresh wounds quickly and pressed on once more, deeper into the labyrinthine halls of the repository. The dangers weren't over... in fact, Han Yu knew with certainty that the real storm had yet to co.
The deeper they pressed into the repository, the more the air itself seed to grow oppressive.
The faint scent of dust and ancient alchemical residues still lingered, but beneath it was sothing heavier, sothing that weighed on the mind as though unseen eyes were watching. Their steps echoed strangely in the halls now, sotis carrying farther than they should, other tis cutting off abruptly as though swallowed by the stone.
It wasn't long before the group realized sothing was wrong.
At first, the winding corridors simply seed complicated; one turn leading into another, one staircase branching into multiple choices. Yet each ti they made their decision and pressed forward, they would find themselves returning to the sa center point: a circular chamber with a plain stone floor, its walls unadorned and its ceiling marked with faint cracks.
The first ti they looped back, they thought it was a mistake.
The second ti, their expressions darkened.
By the third ti, even the usually optimistic juniors were exchanging worried glances.
"W-we definitely didn't take the sa route this ti," Fatty Kui said, his face pale.
His round body quivered slightly as though he had just walked into an icy draft. "I swear it! That path we just walked... it had different markings on the walls. But we're still back here again! If this keeps up…" His voice trailed off, his imagination filling in the rest.
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