The tunnel walls began to flicker with sudden flames, illuminating ancient carvings that wavered in the light. At the end stood a massive golden gate, engraved with the image of a meditating Buddha.
Mu Chen stopped in front of it, quietly staring. The sheer size of the door, the strange light around it, the symbols etched deep into the surface was overwhelming.
Carved above were words he could barely make out:
"Only one of true Chen blood may pass, not one who merely bears the name."
He furrowed his brows. The writing made no sense to him, and the strange symbols around it were even more confusing. Still, Mu reached out, placing his palm on the gate. He pushed with all the strength his small frame could offer, but nothing happened.
Gritting his teeth, he tried again.
Suddenly, a sharp needle shot out from the gate and pierced into his palm. Mu gasped, but didn't pull back. Instead, he kept pushing. Blood from his hand dropped onto the door, flowing into the symbols like they were absorbing it. Slowly, they lit up one by one until all of them glowed red.
Without a sign or anything, the giant doors shook… and opened.
Inside was a vast, dust-covered chamber that reeked of age and history. Spider webs stretched from corner to corner, and the air felt thick with silence. But what caught Mu Chen's eyes wasn't the mess. It was the massive library.
Ancient scrolls and books lined tall shelves. On his left was a long, cracked pavement that led to a raised platform. At its center, a massive book lay open. And standing before was a man.
Mu's eyes narrowed.
"That's the same man from before… How did he get in here?"
His thoughts flow.
"But the gate said only someone with the Chen bloodline can enter. Not someone who just claims it. So… does that mean he's really a Chen?"
The man kept flipping through the pages of the large book, as if searching for something urgent. Mu carefully crept forward and hid behind a tall pillar.
But the man suddenly stopped. He turned slightly and, without warning, hurled a spear at the pillar Mu was hiding behind. It pierced clean through the stone, humming with intense vital energy. It shot through the other side, but Mu had already ducked.
"Hmm. No one?" the man muttered, glancing back toward his book.
Mu's heart pounded faster.
"His aura... It's insane. That energy, it feels just like Grandpa Lu's."
His eyes dropped to the man's feet.
"The slippers… the spear… even his height. Wait—don't tell me… that's Grandpa Lu?!"
Just as Mu leaned slightly to get a better look, the man vanished.
"What the—"
A hand gently landed on his shoulder.
He froze. Then voice came from behind, calm and heavy:
"You've come farther than I expected, Mu Chen."
Mu screamed and slapped the hand off his shoulder, stumbling back as he lost balance, and Mu fell hard to the ground.
"It's me, Mu. Grandpa Lu," the man said gently, his voice calm.
Mu let out a long breath and slowly got to his feet. As he looked more closely, the man stepped out of the shadows and into the light. It really was Grandpa Lu.
"Grandpa Lu? What are you doing down here… in this weird tunnel?" Mu asked, frowning.
Lu crossed his arms. "That's my question. How did you even get in here? Not just anyone from the Chen clan can enter this place. Even your father can't. Only I, Uncle Xiao, and Tianyang can."
Mu looked confused. "What do you mean? Why only the three of you?"
Lu's left eyebrow twitched, and his expression was from stern to stunned. "Wait... I almost forgot. How did you get in here? Only those of us with the Promised Bloodline have access. That's the rule."
Mu shrugged and gave a half-smile. "Uh… lucky guess?"
"No, not luck," Lu said firmly. "If you made it in here, then it means... you carry the Promised Bloodline too. You're one of us—but from the next generation."
"Huh? What do you mean, next generation?"
Lu sighed and nodded slowly. "Listen carefully. Sixty years ago, I, Uncle Xiao, and Elder Tianyang were chosen by the bloodline. But over time, its power weakened... and eventually, it vanished. For decades, no one in the Chen clan has inherited it. Until now."
Mu's eyes widened a little. "Okay… so what even is this place?"
Lu waited on his answer a bit. He glanced around the room, then looked back at Mu with a more serious expression. "We don't have time to go deep into it. It's already 3 a.m., and I'm searching for one of the forgotten techniques our ancestors left behind. If I don't find it soon…"
Mu blinked. "Wait, what? It's three in the morning?!"
"Mhm." Lu raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have school tomorrow?"
"Yeah… and if I skip, Mom will definitely kill me,"
"Then go," Lu said, nodding. "You've seen enough. I'll stay here and keep looking."
Mu turned, ready to head back. But then—
SCREEECH.
A loud, eerie sound echoed through the chamber. Mu froze. Just ahead of him, was a giant spider emerged from the dark. Its massive legs tapping against the stone floor, its body covered in black bristles. And Its twelve glowing red eyes locked straight on him.
Mu's breath caught as he screamed.
Lu quickly turned around, his eyes narrowing as they met the creature's.
"That's… the Twelve-Eyed Spider?!" he said in disbelief.
The spider moved in, slow but clearly pissed off.
When it got close enough, it let out a low growl, then roared right in Mu Chen's face, spraying warm, stinking saliva all over him.
"Eeww! Gross, seriously?"
Mu winced, wiping his face with a disgusted frown. "That's just nasty."
Before he could react again, the giant spider suddenly lunged forward. Its jaw wide open, fangs aimed straight at Mu's head.
His legs wouldn't move, heart pounding in his chest. Just as the creature's jaw nearly reached him... it stopped and let out a huge, casual yawn.
"Ah. My apologies. That wasn't polite of me. Am Zhu Feng."
Mu Chen stared. His eyes widened, and lips parted slightly in disbelief.
"A... talking spider?"
"Hello? You hearing me, young man?"
The spider leaned in a little, blinking one pair of eyes after another.
Mu stepped back, brain trying to process what just happened—then everything went black as he fainted.
Lu rushed forward, kneeling beside him. He lifted Mu onto his back with care.
The spider tilted its head, looking down at the boy.
"What's wrong with this tiny human?"
Lu kept his voice respectful. "Please allow us to leave. Thank you, guardian of the secret tunnel."
He gave a small bow.
"Hmph. Anytime."
Without another word, Lu carried Mu out of the chamber, through the archive, and back into the clan. He walked straight to Mu's room and laid him gently on the bed.
"Rest well, grandson," he murmured softly before turning to leave.
Moments later, Mu's world shifted.
He found himself in a place he didn't recognize. Ruins burning all around him. Temples broken, flames rising into the sky. In the center stood a figure, chained, monstrous...and evil.
It laughed.
A cold, bone-chilling laugh.
"Hahaha! You're mine, Mu Chen! Mine!"
The chains shattered and the demon burst forward.
Mu didn't move.
He stood there, eyes locked and no fear. But the demon's claws slashed across his chest, cutting deep.
"You belong to me!"
The ground cracked. Fire exploded beneath him. The whole land melted away into flames. Chains wrapped around Mu's arms, pulling tight—
But then, a golden light blast out. From it stepped a tall man. Calm and radiant. His face like a Buddha's—ancient.
"Come with me," the man said.
Mu nodded silently and followed.
But in reality, his body moved too. Still asleep, Mu got up from bed. His feet moved on their own, step by step, out of the house, past the clan gates, and into the street.
By 3:23 a.m., he was walking barefoot down the empty road, quiet but still asleep.
He followed the man in gold deep into the forest... until he stood alone in its center.