The Heir of the Celestial Diagram

Chapter 27: The Guardian's Trial

While Han Feng examined the fragment of the Celestial Diagram, a deep sound echoed through the cave. The altar shone intensely, and a hidden presence awakened.

— Who dares to profane this sacred place?

A voice echoed through the cave walls. From within the shadows, an imposing being emerged. His eyes glowed like embers, and his aura was suffocating. Han Feng took a step back, feeling the growing pressure of the Qi that enveloped the room.

"A guardian?" He narrowed his eyes, his mind already formulating strategies.

The guardian raised his hand, and a rune floated to him.

— Only the worthy may touch the fragment. Prove yourself or perish.

With no other choice, Han Feng adopted a combat stance. He couldn't use his true strength, as he still needed to hide his true power. Instead, he activated the Celestial Veil Art, minimizing his presence and waiting for the right moment to act.

The guardian attacked first. His palm moved like lightning, and a wave of destructive Qi exploded towards Han Feng. With agility, he dodged, using the minimum amount of energy necessary to avoid suspicion.

"I can't defeat him directly, but maybe there's another way..."

His eyes fell upon the symbols of the altar. They seemed to react to every movement of the guardian. An idea arose in his mind. Instead of counterattacking, he began to manipulate the symbols with threads of Qi, trying to unravel their meaning.

The battle continued fiercely, but Han Feng remained on the defensive. Each attack from the guardian was stronger than the previous one, and he knew he couldn't maintain that pace for long without raising suspicions.

So, he found the answer.

He inserted a trace of his own Qi into the symbols. For a brief moment, everything fell silent. Then, the guardian froze, his aura dissipating.

— You passed the exam...

The being retreated, its figure dissolving into the air. The altar shone intensely, and the fragment of the Celestial Diagram floated towards Han Feng.

He held it in his hands, feeling the vastness of the power contained within.

But before he could absorb the victory, a sound in the distance alerted him.

Someone was approaching.