The stone door exploded. Fragments flew like arrows loosed from the string, whistling through the air toward Daoyinzi and Ling Ran.
Light and shadow shifted as they each raised their defenses.
But the fragments carried tremendous force. At the first clash, they broke through layer after layer of resistance. Ling Ran gave a muffled groan and was hurled backward.
Amid a tearing sound, Ling Ran's thoughts fell into chaos. She had suffered a grievous wound!
Daoyinzi's expression changed. He swept up the countless fragments with his Fly-Whisk, then flicked it to envelop Ling Ran, whose thoughts were still in disarray. Rather than retreat, he advanced, reaching the stone chamber in a single stride.
His expression was grave, his eyes filled with doubt.
Faint thoughts spilled from the Stone Chamber, tangled and chaotic, setting everything nearby trembling.
"The thoughts aren't strong, but they disturb their surroundings. Any cultivator below Longevity who touches them will have their mind infiltrated!"
Smoke billowed out. Stray thoughts clung to every mote of dust. Before Daoyinzi even reached the entrance, he sensed fine threads of them trying to seep into his body and mind.
Dao Yin paid them no heed and let them in. His Mindfield was like the sea; the stray thoughts could not raise the slightest ripple. Instead, they gave him a glimpse of what lay within.
With a sigh, he stepped inside.
The Stone Chamber was dim and dry. Long, thin marks now covered its once-smooth walls.
Some marks were straight, others winding and irregular. Their depths varied.
After examining them closely, Daoyinzi realized with a shock that they were claw marks, gouged out by someone's bare hands!
Unease gripped him. Dao Yin swept his gaze across the chamber and found a curled-up figure in a corner.
Shrouded in shadow, the figure had