The world turned upside down, literally.
One moment Ethan was sprinting, Mia's hand clutched in his, the next he was staring at the cobweb-festooned underside of the apothecary's floorboards.
Mia's vine, thicker than he remembered, had yanked him down with surprising force into a musty, earthen-smelling cellar.
He landed with a thud that knocked the wind out of him.
"Okay, what the actual—" he gasped, pushing himself up on his elbows.
"System, a little heads-up next time wouldn't hurt," he muttered, brushing dirt off his tunic.
The faint scent of ginseng tickled his nose, mingling with the dankness.
*Ping!*
\[System Notification: Detecting ancient manuscript fragment… Analyzing… Match found: *The Azure Cloud Origin*.
Probability of relevance: 99.
99%.
Recommendation: Investigate.
*]
Ethan blinked.
*The Azure Cloud Origin*?
That was the legendary founding text of the Azure Cloud Sect, said to be lost centuries ago.
He squinted into the dimness.
Sure enough, nestled beneath a pile of crumbling pottery shards, a scrap of parchment glowed with a faint, ethereal light.
He crawled towards it, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
This felt… big.
As he reached for the parchment, an icy chill snaked down his spine.
He hesitated.
This felt like one of those classic horror movie moments where the unsuspecting idiot touches the cursed object and unleashes hell on earth.
But curiosity, that pesky little devil, won.
The parchment was cool and smooth beneath his fingertips.
As soon as he touched it, images flooded his mind: a sprawling bamboo forest, a young man with kind eyes meditating beneath a waterfall, a woman with hair like spun moonlight… and then… betrayal.
Fire.
Blood.
A shadowy figure twisting the narrative, reshaping history…
The shadowy figure…looked a lot like Lucas's granddaddy.
"Holy moly," Ethan breathed.
This wasn't just a historical document; it was evidence, proof that Lucas's family haded the sect's history, usurped power, and buried the truth deeper than Elder Chen's wrinkles.
Suddenly, the earthy scent of the cellar was overwhelmed by the sharp, metallic tang of fear.
The vine that had pulled him down snapped back up, vanishing into the ceiling as if it had never been there.
Above, a familiar voice boomed, dripping with malicious glee.
"Found you, you little rat."
Ethan scrambled to his feet, pulling Mia up with him.
Elder Chen's face, contorted in a triumphant sneer, peered down from the apothecary floor.
Behind him, a ring of Azure Cloud disciples, their faces grim, blocked their escape route.
Trapped.
Panic clawed at Ethan's throat.
"System, options!
" he hissed, his voice tight with desperation.
\[System Recommendation: Utilize upgraded Rubber Body Technique: Rubber Shield.
Impact absorption increased by 500%.
Probability of successful escape: Moderate.
Note: Potential for unintended trajectory adjustments.
]
"Trajectory adjustments?
" Ethan muttered, eyeing the low cellar ceiling.
He didn't have time to ponder the cryptic warning.
Elder Chen and his goons were already descending, their expressions a delicious cocktail of anger and anticipation.
Ethan channeled his Qi, visualizing a shimmering, translucent shield erupting around him.
He poured every ounce of panic-fueled energy into it.
The shield expanded with alarming speed, filling the cramped space.
*BOING!*
The cellar ceiling met Ethan with a resounding crack.
Then, propelled like a human cannonball, he ricocheted off the stone walls, a dizzying blur of limbs and flailing hair.
He could hear Elder Chen yelling something about "unorthodox techniques" and "disciplinary action," but the words were lost in the roaring rush of air.
Below, in the chaos, Mia coughed, a delicate spray of shimmering green mist erupting from her lips.
The mist spread rapidly, filling the cellar with a strange, sweet aroma.
The disciples, caught off guard, began to cough and stumble, their movements growing sluggish.
Ethan, still bouncing around like a pinball, saw his chance.
He focused, channeling the erratic energy into his Drunken Immortal Steps.
He careened towards the nearest disciple, his foot connecting with a satisfying *crunch* against the man's jade tracking talisman.
\[System Reward: Antidote Powder.
Recommendation: Ingest immediately for optimal performance.
]
Ethan, still mid-air and slightly disoriented, fumbled with the small pouch that materialized in his hand.
He ripped it open and, without a second thought, shoved the contents into his mouth.
The world exploded in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Taste buds screamed in protest.
Ethan gagged, a rainbow of… something… erupting from his lips in a spectacular technicolor arc.
"What in the…" Elder Chen's voice trailed off, a strange flicker of… was that *fear*?
…crossing his face.
"Tastes like… rainbows," Ethan choked out, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
He swayed on his feet, the room tilting precariously.
Then, from within the swirling emerald mist, a voice, ancient and powerful, whispered…
Right, System?
Always with the dramatic flair.
Though, to be fair, "Run like hell" *was* pretty solid advice.
Ethan burst through the back door of the apothecary, Mia stumbling along behind him.
The alley was narrow, choked with overflowing bins of discarded herbs and… was that a half-eaten turnip?
Ew.
He really needed to have a word with the Head Chef about waste disposal.
If he lived that long, of course.
"This way!" Ethan hissed, veering left down a twisting passage that smelled vaguely of fermented… something.
He had absolutely no idea where he was going, relying purely on the age-old strategy of 'away from the angry shouting'.
They ended up in what looked like a forgotten storage cellar, the air thick with dust and the scent of damp earth.
Cobwebs draped like macabre tapestries, and the only light source was a sliver of moon filtering through a crack in the boarded-up window.
Romantic, right?
Mia, bless her silent heart, pointed a trembling finger towards a section of the wall that seemed… off.
It was the same stone as the rest, but the mortar was newer, a slightly different shade.
Ethan, ever the inquisitive (or maybe just reckless) type, pressed his hands against the wall.
"System, any brilliant insights?" he muttered under his breath.
**[Analyzing...
Possibility of concealed passage: 78.
3%.
Recommendation: Push.
Preferably not with your face.
]**
"Gee, thanks for the tip," Ethan grumbled, though he did heed the advice, using his shoulder instead.
With a grinding groan, a section of the wall swung inward, revealing a dark, narrow passage.
He peered inside.
"Ladies first?" he offered to Mia, with a slightly shaky grin.
Mia, instead of responding (because, you know, *mute*), gave him a look that could curdle milk and shoved him forward.
So much for chivalry.
The passage led downwards, spiraling into the earth like a giant corkscrew.
The air grew colder, carrying a faint, almost musical hum.
As they descended, Ethan noticed strange symbols carved into the walls, glowing faintly with an ethereal blue light.
**[Ancient script detected.
Language: Pre-Celestial Draconic.
Translating...
Partial translation available: "…the Path… Twisted… Truth… Concealed… Beware…"]**
"Well, *that's* not ominous at all," Ethan muttered, swallowing hard.
The passage finally opened into a vast, cavernous chamber.
In the center, a single, enormous vine pulsed with the same eerie blue light as the symbols, its tendrils reaching out like grasping claws.
The air crackled with energy.
It was...
beautiful, in a terrifying, "I might get eaten by a giant plant" kind of way.
"Wow," Ethan breathed, completely forgetting about Elder Chen and his impending doom for a moment.
"This is… unexpected."
Mia, however, was staring at the vine with an expression of… was that recognition?
Longing?
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the chamber, dripping with oily charm.
"Ah, Ethan. So glad you could join us."
Elder Chen stepped out from behind the vine, flanked by two burly disciples, their faces grim.
Behind him, barely visible in the shadows, stood Lucas, a smug smile playing on his lips.
"I must say," Elder Chen continued, his voice laced with false concern, "I'm terribly disappointed. Sneaking around, consorting with… *that*," he gestured dismissively at Mia, "and now stumbling upon a sacred place you have no right to be in. It seems you've left me no choice."
Ethan glanced at the vine, then at Mia, then back at the rapidly approaching disciples.
He was trapped.
Utterly, hopelessly trapped.
Except...
He felt it again, that strange warmth, that blossoming sensation.
It resonated with the vine, with Mia, with the very air around him.
And he had a sudden, completely insane idea.
"You know what, Elder Chen?" Ethan said, a slow grin spreading across his face.
"I think you're right. I *have* left you no choice."
He looked at Lucas, who was staring at him with pure, unadulterated confusion.
And good.
Confusion was good.
Confusion meant he wasn't expecting what was coming next.
The chapter end with this sentence.
Ethan took a deep breath, and channeled every ounce of his newfound, utterly bizarre connection to… well, everything.