*CCHHRRRHHHH…*
A low hum thrummed through the stone underfoot as Li Wei and Leng Yue crossed the threshold into what could only be described as a hidden sanctum of artisanship and alchemy—an unexpected realm within the tomb's ever-shifting depths.
Gone were the silent shadows and deathly traps. Before them stretched a chamber alive with color and ingenuity—a gala of pipe-bongs, sculpted from luxurious and extinct resources. They stood arranged in elegant rows, like honored guests at a feast of the senses.
Some shimmered a fiery red, as if forged from the blood of dragons and kindled by phoenix breath. Others bore a misty blue hue, their glassy contours glinting like still seas beneath a rising dawn.
"By the heavens," Leng Yue whispered, her expression uncharacteristically wide-eyed. "It's… beautiful."
The entire chamber exhaled a soft, herbal aroma—sweet and wild, like mountain forests drenched in rain. Smoky trails twisted lazily in the air, each one catching the light from luminous crystals embedded in the ceiling above, causing them to sparkle like drifting stars.
Li Wei's gaze locked onto one pipe-bong near the center—a swirling apparatus forged from a dark blue, almost black, crystal. Its surface reflected the cosmos, with specks of silver and purple swirling within like a miniature galaxy in motion.
"This one…" he muttered, stepping forward.
*CLACK.*
His fingers brushed the cool surface of the bong. The design was intricate. A clever hole carved above a small dish allowed for quick placement of substances, and the inner pipeway spiraled into a basin of pearly water, glowing faintly with a hue that danced between blue and violet.
He crouched, inspecting the basin. A slow-moving current ran through it, creating a soft tinkling sound like a spring flowing over crystal pebbles.
Leng Yue, meanwhile, had wandered toward a white bong, delicate in structure and crowned with swirling carvings of clouds that danced across the glass. The whole piece seemed to shift in appearance, mimicking a serene morning sky. There was a natural calm that washed over her simply by being near it.
"Crafted by madmen or sages…" she said, brushing a finger over its curves. "But clearly… they knew peace."
Her foot brushed against a crate tucked behind the cloud-carved bong. Curiosity piqued, she pried open the lid.
Inside lay a cache of lush, evergreen herbs—vivid green in color, dusted with crystalline flakes. The fragrance hit her immediately, earthy and sharp.
"Cannabis," Li Wei said from across the room, blinking. "So it exists here, too."
"The scent's purer than anything I've ever come across," Leng Yue murmured, lifting a head from the batch and rolling it between her fingers. "Richer. Fresh as if just plucked under the morning sun."
She deftly pinched and crumbled the bud over the conical dish beneath her bong. The flakes fell like snow, building into a fragrant mound.
*SNAP!*
A small flame burst from her fingertip, dancing elegantly as she lowered it to the mound.
*FWWSSHH…*
The herbs ignited with a clean burn. Pale smoke coiled up the inner chamber of the bong, passing through the pearly water, where it thickened into cloud-like tufts before finally swirling toward the pipe's tip.
Leng Yue inhaled.
Long. Graceful. Still as a painting.
*SSSSHHHLLLL…*
She exhaled upward slowly, her eyes momentarily closed. A wave of serenity passed over her face. Her usually sharp features softened, and a distant smile curled at the edge of her lips.
The smoke drifted overhead… and was swiftly inhaled by one of the ten metallic dragon statues lining the room. Their ruby eyes shimmered, nostrils flared, and low mechanical growls echoed in their throats.
Li Wei smirked. "This challenge is… far more practical."
He mimicked Leng Yue's technique—placing the herb into the dark blue bong, igniting it with the flick of a finger. As he inhaled, the star-patterned surface began to stir. Tiny orbs of light circled him, as if the very galaxy within the bong had awakened.
*SHHHH… WHOOOM…*
The smoke curled up and around him. The scent was rich and ancient, like memories of freedom bound in leaf and flame.
"This is the first time…" he murmured, voice light. "That I've truly felt relaxed inside this cursed place."
Leng Yue laughed, a rare musical sound.
"Then keep puffing, Young Master. We've a gallery of clouds yet to meet."
They both continued.
The dragons drank the excess smoke greedily. Every time one took in enough, its eyes ignited, glowing from within with a deep crimson fire. One. Two. Three…
Four dragons had already transformed.
The room, however, was becoming dense. The smoke now blanketed the air, thicker than fog on a mountain ridge. The mist shimmered, catching the glow from crystal lights above, turning the entire chamber into a realm of swirling spirits.
"A few more pulls should suffice…" Li Wei spoke cautiously now, wary of overdoing it. Even he was not immune to the fog of bliss clouding his mind.
Leng Yue nodded lazily, reclining back slightly as her consciousness began to wander. Yet she remained upright, her breathing steady. A maiden born in battle could not be so easily undone by a soft, verdant herb.
"We need to awaken the rest," she muttered. "Ten dragons. Ten trials. One gate."
They pushed on.
*CCHHH—FWOOOOSH—GLUGGLUGGLUG…*
The sound of smoke being drawn through water filled the chamber like a divine chant. Every exhale brought more vapor, every inhale brought clarity within chaos.
Li Wei tried a second pipe—this one carved from obsidian and laced with silver veins. The herbs within this bowl shimmered faintly gold. He could feel the spiritual heat rising from them even before he lit them.
"This one burns hotter," he noted aloud, lighting it anyway.
*FLARE—BOOOOFFFF!!*
A burst of fiery smoke exploded from the bowl, curling like a dragon's breath. He inhaled deeply, eyes glowing faintly.
Another dragon statue stirred. Its eyes turned red.
*FIVE.*
*SIX.*
*SEVEN…*
The air was thick with smoke and mist, and the dragons responded.
"They're feeding on the fumes," Leng Yue said. "This entire room… was built to reward patience and excess."
"A trial of indulgence," Li Wei grinned. "Fitting."
Yet, even within the euphoria, they remained alert. For now, it was smoke and serenity. But once the tenth dragon stirred…
The chamber would show its true nature.