The jade pillar still shimmered faintly in the sky above, its pulses now irregular—more like a flicker than a beacon.
The clash at the breach had left the atmosphere tense but unbroken.
The team regrouped silently, catching their breath amid the lingering haze of spiritual distortion.
Tian Shen wiped a trickle of sweat and blood from his brow. His robe was torn, and bruises marred his arms, but the fire of determination still burned in his eyes.
"We will move forward."
He said simply, voice steady despite exhaustion.
"We've come too far to turn back."
Feng Yin disagreed, adjusting the seals on her sleeves.
"Our data is incomplete. The Secret Realm isn't what we expected. We need to see more."
Little Mei, licking a fresh wound on her shoulder, crouched low.
"I don't like this place... it's unstable. Like a heartbeat skipping beats."
Drowsy floated nearby, her eyes narrowed in thought.
Xu Wei rubbed his jaw, wincing as he flexed his fingers.
