Ye Chenyu took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping rapidly between the dim light of the chamber and the runes etched into the walls. The warning left by the mysterious woman cut into his mind like a blade: "This place will collapse soon." His heart pounded violently in his chest, and sweat had already dampened his palms. With each step, the gravel beneath his feet emitted faint creaks, as if reminding him that every second could be his last.
The air inside the chamber was thick with dust and smoke. The dim light filtering through the shattered ceiling illuminated the mottled stone walls, and the runes seemed to writhe, murmuring ancient, ineffable incantations. Ye Chenyu felt the entire ruin trembling; the air seemed heavy and viscous, each breath sapping his strength.
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed from above. Rocks on the ceiling began to loosen, and small fragments fell like rain, striking his shoulders and arms with sharp pain. He dropped down instinctively, grabbing a heavy slab of stone nearby as a shield. Each tremor was accompanied by a deep echo, and the chamber seemed slowly torn apart by an invisible hand. Hollow walls groaned as if mocking the helplessness of mortals.
His heartbeat surged, blood coursing through him as if boiling. He forced himself to remain calm, eyes locked on the distant exit, but the corridor ahead resembled a bottomless abyss, so dark he could barely see its end. Cracks spread across the walls; the glow of the runes flickered erratically, casting shadows of fallen rocks that resembled countless twisted faces glaring at him.
A thunderous crash shook the chamber violently. Stones rained down from all directions, the impacts ringing in Ye Chenyu's ears. Gritting his teeth, he sprang up from beneath the stone slab, bracing one hand against a suspended boulder to maintain his balance. The ground beneath him quivered as if about to collapse at any moment. Despair surged within him—one wrong move could crush him under the falling rubble, erasing him without a trace.
He chose to run down the corridor. Stones flew around him, dust obscured his vision, and he relied purely on instinct to move forward. Every roar and rumble seemed to emanate from the bowels of the earth, rattling his eardrums. His chest felt as though hammered continuously, each breath thick with dust and bitter fear. His arms scraped against falling debris, blood mixing with sweat into a sticky slurry.
Deeper in the passage, massive boulders suddenly plummeted from above, forcing him to dodge sharply. Rocks smashed against the ground, kicking up clouds of dust and fragments. Space itself seemed to compress; each breath felt suffocating. Ahead, a haze of gray and white obscured his path, and he wondered if he could ever escape this hellish labyrinth.
Just when despair threatened to overwhelm him, a faint glimmer of light appeared at the far end of the passage. Was that the exit? Clenching his jaw, Ye Chenyu mustered every ounce of strength and sprinted forward. Stones tumbled around him, cracks widened in the walls, and the ruin seemed to roar, trying to swallow him whole. His heart nearly leapt from his chest, fingers clutching the stone as though grasping the last lifeline.
Finally, Ye Chenyu burst out of the corridor, collapsing onto a soft mountainside. He rolled to avoid the falling rocks, chest heaving violently, dust covering his entire body, sweat and blood blending into a thick mud. He looked back: the ruins of South Mountain were collapsing like a colossal beast, boulders, dust, and ghostly light intertwining as if trying to devour the world itself.
Slowly, Ye Chenyu stood, pain and grime making every breath a struggle, yet his eyes burned with stubborn resolve. He knew he must keep moving. West Mountain lay ahead, unknown and dangerous, but after experiencing such despair, he now truly understood the cruelty and depth of the Spirit Realm. The collapse of South Mountain made him realize that every ancient ruin, every rune, every stone slab concealed unimaginable threats.
A breeze swept through, carrying the chill of distant valleys, mingled with the faint scent of smoke and dust. Clenching his fists, Ye Chenyu stepped forward toward West Mountain. Fear still pressed against his chest, but determination had taken its place. No matter the dangers ahead, he knew he had to uncover more of the Spirit Realm's deepest secrets.