The mist still shrouded the area surrounding the Star Mine, that newly discovered spiritual vein which had suddenly become the center of attention. The clinks of pickaxes, the pounding of iron on stone, and the hiss of energy emanating from the walls formed a strange symphony echoing deep underground. The men of the Jun Clan, along with hired mercenaries, worked day and night, driven by strict orders and promises of great reward.
Jun Mo Xie stood at the edge of the tunnel, his eyes fixed on the faint blue glow beginning to emerge from the stone's depths. Beside him stood Clan Elder Jun Tian, his eyes flickering between awe and unease.
"This mine… it isn't natural," the elder murmured. "These spirit stones… they're not just pulsing. They're breathing."
Jun Mo Xie nodded. He could feel it too. Something in this place held energy far beyond what it should. Raw power, yes—but not just resources. Secrets.
From inside one of the shafts, the head foreman—a burly man named Gao Li—climbed up with a grim expression. "We found a gate," he said. "Behind the stone wall. It's not man-made. It looks like a sealed formation."
Jun Mo Xie's eyebrows rose. "A seal? In a mine? This isn't just a spiritual vein… it's a tomb—or something worse."
Suddenly, a scream rang out from within the tunnel, followed by a violent tremor. The workers below fled in panic, their faces pale as if they had seen death itself.
"Something moved… we saw it inside the wall!" one of them shouted.
Du Bo, arriving late, drew his sword as he approached. "Shall we evacuate?"
Jun Mo Xie shook his head. "No. Fortify it. Activate the defensive formations. No one enters or leaves without my command."
As tension thickened, a delegation from the Ling Clan arrived, demanding their ancestral share of the mine. At the head of the group stood Ling Bai, a proud man with a condescending glare.
"By our ancient agreement," Ling Bai declared loudly, "this mine is shared. Isn't it time we discuss the profits?"
Jun Mo Xie walked toward him slowly, each step heavier than the last. He met Ling Bai's gaze and said coldly, "Old agreements don't apply to new realities."
Ling Bai narrowed his eyes. "Is that a threat?"
"No," Mo Xie replied, his eyes gleaming like tempered steel. "It's advice. If you think you'll take even a single stone from this mine… then you haven't yet heard the cries of those who came before you."
Silence fell—then chaos erupted.
The square transformed into a battlefield in an instant. Swords unsheathed, spiritual energy exploded, and blood spilled like water. Jun Mo Xie stood unmoving at the center, yet his enemies dropped one by one—as if the shadows fought in his name.
He was ruthless. Precise. Each strike clean, each movement efficient. He didn't overexert, he simply ended lives.
From the sidelines, Yang Yue watched calmly. A challenger approached her—she didn't flinch. Her dagger slashed across his throat before he could blink.
She spoke clearly: "Anyone who covets what belongs to this man will meet the same fate."
As the fight faded, dark clouds gathered over the mine, swirling slowly. Within them, violet flashes shimmered like silent lightning.
One of the spiritual technicians called out, "Sir! There's an ancient energy signature… it resembles a demonic seal. We're awakening something not seen in thousands of years."
Jun Mo Xie replied, "Continue carefully. One reckless breach could unleash disaster."
Back at the Jun camp, Luo Lin watched from afar. A servant whispered, "My lady… shall we reconsider our allegiance? This grows dangerous."
Luo Lin's tone was firm. "Only he can walk into this darkness. We will not retreat."
That night, as most slept, Mo Xie sat alone by the pit's edge. He stared into the abyss, silent and still.
He whispered, "It's awakening… the shadow that slept here for centuries. And I… will not run."
Behind him, Yang Yue appeared without a sound and sat beside him.
"You seem different tonight," she said.
"Maybe because something down there… knows my name," he murmured.
She hesitated. "And if it comes out?"
Mo Xie looked into the abyss. "Then this land… will never be the same."
He stood slowly and looked to the horizon where faint thunder echoed—though no clouds were visible in that direction. The air felt thicker now, heavier with meaning. The very land around the mine was beginning to change—grass wilting, birds silent, the earth humming low and steady like a sleeping beast.
In his tent, Elder Jun Tian sat before a scroll covered in ancient writing. His hands trembled as he traced a passage with his finger. "So it's true," he whispered. "The gate of the seventh seal lies beneath us."
Outside, the spiritual formation began to glow faintly as if responding to some unseen command. A breeze picked up—unnatural and cold.
Yang Yue rose beside Mo Xie. "So, what's the next move?"
Mo Xie's voice was calm, but resolute. "We keep digging. And we prepare… for wh
atever answers when that gate opens."
Next Chapter… When the Gate Opens.