By dawn, the forest had thinned into a sickly expanse of gnarled trees, their roots half-submerged in murky water. The air reeked of rot, and a pale green mist clung to the ground— 瘴气 (miasma), thick enough to blur the trees ahead. Lin Chen's bronze key hovered lower now, its golden light dimming to a faint flicker, as if struggling to pierce the poison in the air.Uncle Wei stumbled beside him, his breathing ragged. The black taint on his chest had spread to his shoulder, his skin cold to the touch. "This is the Marsh of No Return," he gasped, pausing to lean against a dead tree. "The Shadow Sect uses it as a trap—no one gets through without a guide… or guardian blood."Su Xiao knelt to dip her finger in the water; it hissed when it touched her skin, leaving a red welt. She pulled her grandmother's journal from her backpack, flipping frantically to a page marked with a pressed blue flower. "Grandmother wrote about this marsh!" she said, her voice urgent. "The miasma is made of corrupted dragon breath—only starwort and 'guardian's light' can repel it. But we're almost out of starwort."Lin Chen looked at his key. Its light was so faint, he could barely see it. "My bloodline," he said, gripping the key tighter. "If guardian blood can guide us… maybe I can amplify the key's light." He sliced his palm with the silver dagger—blood welled up, and he pressed it to the key.The key blazed. Golden light burst from it, forming a dome around the three of them, pushing back the miasma like a physical barrier. Uncle Wei's eyes widened. "Your father did this once," he said, his voice softening. "When we were chasing Zhou Feng through the marsh ten years ago. He cut his hand, and the key's light protected us… but the taint still got to him. Left a scar here." He tapped his ribs, where a faint white mark peeked above his shirt.Lin Chen stared at him. "You knew my father well?"Uncle Wei nodded, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "We were like brothers. We trained together, guarded the bone together. He met your mother here, in this forest—she was a healer, sent to help us with the taint. She saved his life. Later, when they had you… he told me he wanted to quit being a guardian. To give you a normal life. But the Sect found us. They burned our cabin. Your parents sent you to live with your aunt, but they stayed to fight. I thought they died that night… until I found your father's diary, hidden in the cave at Suolong Village. He wrote about 'protecting the heir'—about you."The mist around them stirred. A low, guttural growl echoed through the marsh. Su Xiao's head snapped up. "They're here," she said, grabbing the last of the starwort. "The Sect's puppets—they're in the water."Something broke the surface: a hand, made of rotted flesh and bone, its fingers tipped with black claws. Then another, and another—dozens of them, rising from the marsh, attached to bodies that half-submerged, their eyes glowing green."Miasma puppets," Uncle Wei snarled. "Worse than bone puppets—their touch spreads taint faster. Stay in the light!"A puppet lunged at the dome. Its claws scraped against the golden barrier, leaving black marks that faded instantly. Lin Chen's palm burned—maintaining the light was draining him. "We can't fight them all," he said, his voice shaking. "We need to move—find higher ground."Uncle Wei pointed ahead. "There's an old stone altar, half-buried in the marsh. The Sect uses it to channel miasma. If we destroy it, the puppets will weaken."They ran, the dome of light shrinking as Lin Chen's strength faded. The puppets chased them, their bodies splashing through the water, their growls getting louder. When they reached the altar, Lin Chen collapsed to his knees—the light flickered, then died.The miasma rushed in. Su Xiao threw the last of the starwort, but it only repelled the nearest puppet. A claw swiped at Lin Chen's leg—Uncle Wei pushed him out of the way, taking the hit. The puppet's claw sank into his thigh, black taint spreading across his skin in seconds."Uncle Wei!" Lin Chen yelled. He grabbed the silver dagger, stabbing the puppet in the skull. It dissolved into black smoke, but Uncle Wei fell to the ground, unconscious.Su Xiao knelt beside him, tears in her eyes. "The taint's reached his heart," she said, her voice breaking. "We need the tomb's spring—now." She looked up at the altar. Carved into its surface was a symbol: a dragon and a healer's pouch, intertwined. "The altar," she said. "It's not just for channeling miasma. It's a seal—from the old covenant between guardians and healers."Lin Chen stood, gripping his key. "What do we do?""Your blood and my tears," Su Xiao said. "Grandmother's journal said the covenant seal needs both to break. If we destroy the altar, the miasma will clear. But we have to hurry—Uncle Wei doesn't have much time."Lin Chen sliced his palm again, pressing his blood to the altar. Su Xiao closed her eyes, a glowing silver tear rolling down her cheek. She let it fall onto the altar—where blood and tear met, the stone cracked. A burst of blue light shot out, clearing the miasma in an instant. The remaining puppets dissolved, their green eyes fading to black.The marsh fell silent. Lin Chen collapsed beside Uncle Wei, his palm throbbing. Su Xiao pulled a small herb from her pouch—resurrection moss, she called it—and pressed it to Uncle Wei's wound. The black taint receded slightly, but his breathing was still shallow."We need to get to the tomb," Su Xiao said, helping Lin Chen to his feet. She pointed to a path ahead, now visible without the miasma: it led to a cluster of black rocks, behind which loomed the entrance to a cave— 幽骨冢 (Shadow Bone Tomb), its mouth carved into the shape of a dragon's skull.But as they walked, Su Xiao's expression darkened. She pulled a crumpled note from her backpack—one she'd found in her grandmother's journal, hidden between the pages. "I forgot this," she said, her voice quiet. "Grandmother wrote it before she died. 'The Healer's Clan has a traitor. They leaked the tomb's location to the Shadow Sect. They want the armor to wake the dragon… and use the healer's blood to bind it.'"Lin Chen froze. "A traitor? In the Healer's Clan?"Su Xiao nodded, her hands trembling. "Grandmother didn't name them. But she said they'd be 'close to the heir'—close to me. To us."The tomb entrance loomed ahead. Its dragon skull eyes glowed green, and the sound of chanting drifted from inside—low, rhythmic, the voices of the Shadow Sect. They were already inside, preparing the ritual.Uncle Wei stirred, opening his eyes. "The armor," he whispered. "It's not just for protection. It's a trap. The Sect doesn't want to wear it—they want to offer it to the dragon. To gain its trust. Then, when the dragon wakes… they'll sacrifice the healer's blood to bind it. To control it."Lin Chen looked at Su Xiao. She was the last of the Healer's Clan—they wanted her.He gripped his key, its light flickering back to life. "We stop them," he said. "We get the armor first. We save Uncle Wei. And we find the traitor."Su Xiao nodded, her fear replaced by resolve. She pulled out her herb pouch, now almost empty, and the silver dagger—Lin Chen had given it to her, just in case.They approached the tomb entrance. The chanting grew louder, and the green glow from inside intensified. Lin Chen could see figures moving in the darkness—members of the Shadow Sect, wearing black robes, their faces hidden by hoods. One of them stood at the center, holding a key fragment—the one they'd stolen from Suolong Village.The three key fragments. The armor. The healer's blood.The pieces fell into place. The Shadow Sect's plan wasn't just to wake the dragon—it was to control it. To use it to destroy the guardians, the healers, and anyone who stood in their way.Lin Chen took a deep breath. He looked at Uncle Wei, now leaning on Su Xiao for support, and at Su Xiao, her eyes shining with determination."Let's go," he said.They stepped into the tomb. The dragon skull's eyes blazed green, and the chanting stopped. Every head turned toward them—including one hooded figure, who stepped forward, pulling back their hood.Lin Chen's blood ran cold.It was the old village woman— the one who'd given Su Xiao the herb pouch at Blood Moon Lake. The one who'd spoken of her husband's death in the temple."The traitor," Su Xiao whispered.The woman smiled, her teeth sharp and yellow. "Hello, little healer. Hello, guardian heir. Did you really think you could stop us? The dragon wakes tonight. And you two—you're the final pieces."She raised her hand. The Shadow Sect members lunged forward, their claws outstretched.Lin Chen raised his key. Its golden light burst forth, pushing back the first wave of attackers. Su Xiao threw her last herbs, creating a wall of blue flame. Uncle Wei, still weak, pulled his own key from his backpack, its light merging with Lin Chen's.The battle for the Shadow Bone Tomb had begun.And this time, there was no turning back.