Deep within the passage, those lantern-like eyes slowly opened, their ghostly blue light reflecting off the ice walls and casting a wash of cold color.
Chen Wuya immediately raised a hand, pressing the remaining Misaligned Force into his palm. A dark red sheen spread across his fingertips. Without looking back, he said in a low voice, "The door's about to open. Get ready to go in."
Bai Zhi sheathed her sword, her right hand resting against her waist as she softened her breathing. She could feel a faint twitch in her abdomen, as though something had tugged at her from within, but she said nothing.
Mo Feng had already put away the copper plate. His mechanism brush was tucked behind his ear, while his other hand gripped the bronze case he carried. "The jade pendant still works. The groove in the mural matches this crack perfectly."
The three hurried forward, bone dust crunching softly beneath their feet. Those eyes did not pursue them, yet the tremors continued, as if the entire ruin were sinking.
When they reached the ice door, Chen Wuya stopped. A vertical crack ran down its center, its edges etched with twisted patterns identical to the outline of the half jade pendant in his hand. He hesitated no longer and embedded the pendant into it.
Crack.
With a soft click, the jade pendant fitted flawlessly into the groove. Then the entire door began to shudder. The crack widened, and ice chips came pattering down.
A stream of ghostly blue frost burst from the gap, carrying bone-piercing cold. The air instantly stiffened. Frost formed over Mo Feng's eyebrows, and he hurriedly retreated two steps, raising his mechanism shield before him.
``` System tremor: [Mysterious Ice Baleful Qi detected. It can freeze the circulation of true qi. Host's vital