Chapter 10: Echoes of the Forgotten

The silence in the Ancient Dao Palace was unnerving. After the fierce battle with the abyssal guardian, the oppressive darkness seemed to pull back, but the air still felt thick with malice. Li Tian wiped the sweat from his brow, his senses sharp, his mind racing through the events that had transpired.

The seal on the obsidian pillar remained intact, but it thrummed with an ancient, sinister energy, a constant reminder of the dangers locked away. His eyes lingered on the cracked stone, feeling a strange pull toward the pillar. Whatever was imprisoned here wasn't just any forgotten entity—it was something far beyond mortal comprehension.

He turned away from the pillar, knowing he couldn't linger here for long. The more time he spent in this cursed place, the stronger the abyssal forces would become. And while he had overcome the guardian, there were undoubtedly more horrors lurking in the palace's depths.

His thoughts were interrupted by a faint sound, a low, distant hum. It wasn't coming from the pillar, but from somewhere deeper within the palace. Li Tian frowned and pressed forward, following the sound through a narrow passage that twisted and turned like a labyrinth. The walls here were even more ancient than the chamber before, the runes nearly faded beyond recognition, but their faint glow still pulsed in rhythm with the ominous hum.

As Li Tian ventured further, the passage opened into another vast room, this one bathed in an unnatural light. Suspended in the center of the chamber was an orb, shimmering with a pale, ghostly glow. It hovered above a pedestal carved from obsidian, its surface covered in intricate patterns that seemed to shift and writhe as he approached.

Li Tian could feel the immense power radiating from the orb. It was unlike anything he had encountered before—a strange mixture of creation and destruction, as if the orb contained both the birth and death of worlds. His instincts screamed at him to leave, to turn back before it was too late. But he couldn't. This was why he had come here.

His gaze fixed on the orb, and as he moved closer, a voice echoed in the chamber—a deep, resonant sound that seemed to come from the very walls themselves.

"Do you hear it, Sovereign Ascendant?" The voice was smooth and haunting, dripping with power. "The song of the Forgotten Ones. Their whispers have reached the very fabric of reality, and soon, they will awaken."

Li Tian froze, his eyes narrowing as he searched for the source of the voice. "Who are you?" he demanded, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. His heart raced, but his voice remained steady, unfazed by the presence that watched him from the shadows.

The voice chuckled, a cold, eerie sound that sent a shiver down Li Tian's spine. "I am merely a fragment, a reflection of what is to come. The Forgotten Ones have already begun to stir, and soon, they will reclaim what was once theirs. You, Sovereign Ascendant, are but a pawn in a game far older than your understanding."

Li Tian's jaw clenched. "I'm no pawn," he retorted. "And I won't allow the Forgotten Ones to rise again."

The voice grew darker, more menacing. "Your defiance is admirable, but futile. The void is eternal, and all things return to it. Even you, with your power and your Heavenly Qi, cannot stop what is already in motion."

Li Tian took a step forward, his eyes locked on the orb. "We'll see about that."

As if in response to his determination, the orb pulsed with a bright flash of light, and the chamber was filled with an overwhelming surge of energy. Li Tian instinctively raised his sword, channeling his Qi into the blade to form a barrier, but the force of the energy was unlike anything he had ever felt. It pressed against him like a tidal wave, pushing him to his limits.

For a moment, Li Tian thought he would be overwhelmed. But then, as quickly as it had come, the energy receded, leaving the chamber in silence once more. The orb continued to glow faintly, but its power had diminished, as if it had expended some of its strength in the burst.

Li Tian took a deep breath, steadying himself. Whatever that was, it was only a taste of what the Forgotten Ones were capable of. He couldn't afford to linger here any longer.

Before he could turn to leave, a figure materialized from the shadows. It was a woman, her form ethereal and ghostly, her long flowing robes shimmering like starlight. Her face was obscured, but her presence was undeniable—powerful, yet restrained.

"You cannot fight them alone, Li Tian," the woman's voice was calm, almost gentle, but filled with warning. "The Forgotten Ones have already begun to awaken, and their influence will spread far beyond this palace."

Li Tian's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

The woman stepped closer, her features still veiled in shadow. "A guardian, a protector of the balance that you seek to preserve. The path ahead is darker than you can imagine, but there are those who will aid you if you allow them."

Li Tian frowned, his mind racing. "You're connected to the Eternal Empress, aren't you?"

The woman hesitated, her form flickering for a moment. "The Empress's will flows through many, and her reach extends far. But even she cannot stop what is coming alone."

Before Li Tian could ask further questions, the woman's form began to fade, her voice echoing in the chamber as she disappeared. "Remember, Sovereign Ascendant, the shadows are not your only enemy. Trust carefully, for even light can deceive."

Li Tian stood in the empty chamber, his thoughts swirling with uncertainty. The Forgotten Ones were closer than ever to breaking free, and the forces aligned against him were growing. But he couldn't afford to doubt himself now. He had come too far.

As he left the chamber, the ominous whispers of the abyss followed him, growing louder with each step. The Ancient Dao Palace was no longer just a place of hidden knowledge—it was a battlefield, and the war for the balance of the cosmos had already begun.