The ancient chamber roared with blinding light. Runes flared and shifted like living things, threads of spiritual energy weaving around Tian Shen's body as though trying to strip him bare. The glowing chains binding his limbs pulsed with power, each tug pulling not just at his qi, but at his very soul.
The voice echoed once more, cold and emotionless. "Resistance is futile. Submit your essence for judgment."
Tian Shen gritted his teeth, veins bulging across his arms. His qi surged violently, fire and lightning erupting from within his meridians. The chamber shook under the strain, but the chains only tightened in response, absorbing the energy and feeding it back into the formation.
"Damn it…" he hissed. "It's draining my qi faster than I can recover."
The runes beneath him flared brighter, glowing crimson now—like veins of molten blood. The air grew suffocating, each breath heavy with the scent of metal and burnt ozone. The two unconscious Ironblood Sect disciples lay motionless nearby, their bodies already pale, energy completely drained. The formation was feeding on everything within reach.
Tian Shen's knees buckled under the pressure, but his mind remained sharp. This formation… it's ancient, automated. It doesn't distinguish friend from foe.
He closed his eyes, forcing his breathing to slow. The rhythm of the runes still pulsed beneath him, steady and cyclical—almost like a heartbeat. It's alive, he realized. This formation feeds and adapts, drawing strength from the flow of time itself.
The faint silver light returned to his eyes.
"Then let's see," he muttered, voice steady despite the chaos. "If time can bind me… or if I can bind time."
He gathered what little qi remained and directed it inward—into his core, his dantian trembling under the strain. Slowly, he reached for the flickering resonance he had touched once before, the elusive pulse that had frozen the world for a heartbeat. It was unstable, alien, yet familiar—as if it had always been part of him, waiting to awaken.
The chains trembled.
The runes shuddered violently, flickering from crimson to silver.
Somewhere within the formation's heart, a low hum began to echo, deep and rhythmic—like the tolling of a distant bell. The pressure on his body wavered for an instant.
Now.
With a shout, Tian Shen released all restraint. Silver arcs of energy burst from his body, bending the light around him. For a single instant, everything slowed—the swirling chains, the rippling runes, even the floating dust particles in the air froze mid-motion. The oppressive energy halted as though caught between moments.
Tian Shen took one step forward.
The chains shattered into countless fragments of light, dispersing like mist. The runes on the floor dimmed, their glow fading into faint embers.
He collapsed to one knee, gasping. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his meridians screaming in protest. The brief manipulation of time had drained nearly all his spiritual power. His consciousness flickered at the edges—but he was free.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Then, faint voices echoed from above—distant, but growing clearer.
"Tian Shen! Are you down there?" Mei Ling's voice carried through the cracks in the cavern ceiling, laced with worry. Hao Feng's heavy footsteps followed, shaking loose bits of rubble as he called out, "We found the lower chamber's entrance! Hold on!"
Tian Shen exhaled weakly, a tired smile tugging at his lips. "Took you long enough…"
With the last of his strength, he reached out, drawing one of the unconscious Ironblood cultivators closer. Their spirit rings gleamed faintly — filled with jade bottles, herbs, and glowing stones. Resources left behind by the formation's victims, he realized.
He retrieved a single glowing vial, its contents shimmering faintly with life energy, and downed it in one gulp. Warmth flooded through his limbs, easing the pain.
Moments later, a section of the ceiling burst open as Hao Feng dropped through, landing heavily beside him. Mei Ling followed, flames coiling faintly around her arms for illumination.
Their eyes widened at the sight—the broken chains, the collapsed formation, and Tian Shen at its center, surrounded by a faint silver aura that hadn't yet faded.
"Tian Shen… what did you do?" Mei Ling whispered.
He looked up slowly, exhaustion and calm melding in his gaze. "Nothing much," he said faintly. "Just… pushed back against time."
The chamber trembled once more, as if in response to his words. The runes across the walls flickered weakly, then began to fade completely—dispersing like dust into the air.
Liang Rui descended last, his eyes sharp as he surveyed the remnants of the formation. "This wasn't an ordinary trap," he murmured. "It's a test left behind by the cultivator who once owned this cave… but you've broken its core."
Tian Shen nodded weakly. "Then let's find the heart of this place before it resets."
The others exchanged glances. Mei Ling extended a hand to help him up. "You're not allowed to die before that," she said softly, a faint smile breaking her composure.
Tian Shen took her hand and stood, the silver glint in his eyes fading at last. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "If this cave wants to test me, I'll make sure it remembers my name."