Li Yuan didn't speak much after the incident in the Labyrinth of Shadows. His ever-confident sneer had dimmed, replaced by a strange stillness that hung around him like smoke. Jiang Yan noticed the shift—he had never seen the fox demon that quiet for so long. But Moria seemed unsurprised. If anything, her expression told him she'd expected this.
They finally reached the end of the labyrinth: an ancient, moss-covered gate engraved with symbols that pulsed with dim, silvery light. Beyond it lay the Ruins of the First Sect—whispers said the Flame Lotus bloomed here once every hundred years.
A gust of wind blew through the opening, carrying the scent of ash and rain. It was eerily quiet. No birds. No creatures. Just broken stone structures, overgrown vines, and a silence so heavy it clung to their skin.
Before they could step through, a chuckle echoed from the shadows behind them.
"Well, well… we're not the only ones hunting legends, are we?"
Out of the darkness emerged three figures, cloaked in black and red. The leader was a woman with ink-black hair cascading to her waist, wearing a crown of thorns made of iron. Her eyes were violet—unnaturally so—and her smile was serpentine.
"Lady Seran," Moria murmured, her tone almost amused. "I was wondering when you'd slither in."
Seran bowed mockingly. "And miss the fun? Not a chance. I heard you're hunting the Flame Lotus. Thought I'd claim it first."
Her companions flanked her. One was a beast-man—a tiger hybrid with a twisted smile and a giant warhammer. The other was a pale, thin demon whose fingers ended in long bone claws, his eyes devoid of emotion.
Jiang Yan instinctively stepped forward, protective, but Moria raised her hand.
"I'll deal with her."
Seran's eyes sparkled. "Will you now? The goddess playing hero again?"
Moria smiled—sweet, slow, and chilling. "I'm simply stretching my legs. Been bored for centuries."
Then she did something no one expected—she vanished in a blink.
The tiger beast-man barely had time to react before Moria reappeared behind him, grabbing his face and slamming him into the earth with such force that the ground cracked.
"Next," she purred.
The bone-clawed demon lunged, but Li Yuan moved faster. His eyes glowed with violet fire, tails lashing behind him. A smirk returned to his lips as he twisted through the air and slammed a burst of spiritual flame into the creature's chest.
Jiang Yan took on Seran. She was faster than she looked, her whip-like energy slicing the air in glowing arcs.
"You're brave for a half-blood," she sneered. "But bravery can't fix what's broken in you."
He gritted his teeth. "I don't need fixing."
Their clash cracked through the ruins like thunder, but Jiang Yan held his own—just barely.
Meanwhile, Moria walked through the fight like a storm incarnate. Her black robes flowed around her, her eyes burning like twin suns. Whispers of her name danced through the shadows as ghostly beasts rose behind her—wolves made of smoke, serpents forged of flame.
Then came the funny part.
A stray soldier—a young demon boy—stumbled out of the woods, mouth agape. He wasn't with Seran, just a rogue traveler.
"Are you… Lady Moria?" he asked, clearly shaken. Then, without warning, he dropped to his knees, pulled out a flower, and presented it with a sheepish grin. "M-my lady, would you like to go on a tea date sometime?"
Everyone—Jiang Yan, Li Yuan, even Seran—froze.
Moria blinked. Then laughed.
"Oh darling," she said sweetly, taking the flower, "I'll use this on your grave."
The boy passed out immediately.
Li Yuan burst out laughing. "He had guts, I'll give him that."
The rest of the fight ended in moments. Seran, injured and furious, retreated with her remaining ally.
"We'll meet again," she hissed.
"I look forward to it," Moria replied, her smile far too cheerful.
As silence returned, the group stepped deeper into the ruins, finally alone again.
Li Yuan eyed Moria with admiration—and something else.
"You enjoyed that too much," he said.
Moria tilted her head. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"Not at all," he muttered. "It's the hottest thing I've seen in centuries."
Moria gave him a sidelong glance. "Careful, fox. You flirt too much, and I might start thinking you mean it."
Li Yuan leaned in just slightly. "What if I do?"
Jiang Yan groaned. "Can we not start a romance arc in the middle of a sacred ruins?"
Both of them laughed. The danger had passed for now, but the air still thrummed with power. They were getting close to the Flame Lotus. But so were others.
Far beyond the mountains, deeper in the dark lands, something ancient stirred. A voice as old as the stars whispered in a tongue that hadn't been heard in millennia.
And somewhere deep in her core, Moria's system buzzed—another warning.
[SYSTEM ALERT: First Seal Broken. Hidden Artifact Awakened.]
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