(Author: Hello all. Remember in my story, mana and qi are different aspects of spirit energy. Affinities are attributes based on mana or qi. Last time, Elgar and Zhao attained their spirit abilities and will be weakened for a few days. Still, they press on to acquire the treasures in the formation. Enjoy.)

Chapter 16: Hidden Passageway

Lingqi supported Zhuang until he was strong enough to walk on his own, using his halberd as a staff as he walked. They made several turns as the neared the center of the 'skull' of the earth titan demon. At last, a white stone door appeared in front of them. Several yards behind them, they could hear the echoes of voices in the 'skull.' Without the map of Elder Shan, there was no need to worry about others reaching the white door. Instead, they heard horrible noises and roars from magical beasts. Every so often, a crunch was heard after a scream was suddenly cut off.

" Man I am glad to be with you guys," Chang said as he tried to ignore the screams and noises. "Who knows how many magical beasts or hordes of them are in here? Geez."

"The map has only gotten us to the white door. Elder Shan last came here a few dozen years ago when he was an inner sect disciple, but he never found out how to open the door," Lingqi said as she observed around the white door. "There are no switches, levers, or hidden panels. The door is completely white with a small hole as large as a fist in its center."

Zhuang's eyes opened and he looked at the Rebirth Tear on his left hand. Somehow, it made sense. The Rebirth Tear did originate from the earth titan demon and was found in the fourth level of its 'heart' by Elder Shan. Was it possible that the Rebirth Tear was the key?

"Stay back," Zhuang said as he approached the door and held out his left hand.

"We don't know what will happen," Lingqi cried as she realized what he was planning.

"It's our best bet. We need power. We came here for treasures that would grant us that power. I won't let you do this in my stead," Zhuang said and closed his hand into a fist as he put it in the door.

The door suddenly shined with a white light and white energy. The stone door started to shrink as it converted into a white energy that constantly entered the Rebirth Tear. Everyone else stepped back in shock as the door decreased in size and levitated in the air. Zhuang put his right hand on the door and it went through as if it didn't exist.

"Quickly! Run through the door! As soon as I pull my fist out and run through, it should return to its original state!" Zhuang shouted.

"Man it feels creepy," Chang muttered as he was the first to run in.

Exactly as Zhuang said, the door materialized in its original state after he pulled his left arm out and ran through. Lingqi put the map away as it was useless from that point onward. Zhuang stared at the Rebirth Tear on his left hand and felt no change in it. After going through six similar doors, he began to feel the white energy in his body. It felt as if it was alive, seeping into his meridians and flowing all over his body. Zhuang suspected it was the catalyst to activate the power of the Rebirth Tear, but there was still no response from the crystal.

Suddenly, something changed. Zhuang felt as if he was connected to the earth titan demon somehow. He could feel faint traces of the Rebirth Tear in the walls and realized the black stones were actually the crystalizing effects of the Rebirth Tear. His head felt dizzy as he felt a disturbing presence up ahead. It was as if it was drawing him to it.

Zhuang resisted and led the others to fifteen rooms full of spirit pills and spirit grass. Zhuang took nothing as he only benefited from spirit energy and demonic cores. He sat down and began cultivating his spirit energy to accelerate his healing while the others collected the treasure. Some swords and other weapons made of holy metal were found and Zhao and the others rejoiced at the loot. Zhuang didn't care as he was preoccupied healing and resisting the summons from the presence. Lingqi noticed something was wrong and hurriedly ran to his side.

"Something happened didn't it? It was that white energy," Lingqi whispered as she sat in front of him, seeing sweat drip down his forehead as he played the zither and cultivated.

"Something is calling me. Something ancient. It must do with the Rebirth Tear. So far, all it did was give us massive amounts of spirit energy that allowed us to break several qi condensation levels. That isn't the only benefit though. The others should head back first. There is a single white door that leads to the formation to our left," Zhuang began.

"I'll do it. The white energy is already almost past your limit," Lingqi said and ran to the others.

Shuang stared silently at its master as Zhuang finally managed to resist the summons without needing to cultivate and clear his mind. Zhuang picked up his halberd as he replaced the zither on his back. After a half hour, Lingqi had returned, Yingzi finally making an appearance and watching in its full form on her shoulders.

"My lady has absorbed the white energy and the humans have successfully left the formation. They looted a few dead bodies around the white door. Apparently they were trapped and killed by a horde of magical beasts," Yingzi said in the human tongue.

"You can speak now?" Zhuang asked.

"Yes. My lady has given me some of the demonic cores to eat and I have become strong enough to converse in human tongue," Yingzi said.

"I feel a trace of it within me, but I don't hear the call," Lingqi said. "Shall we go now? I know you want to visit the presence."

"There's a hidden passageway below us," Zhuang said. "All it takes to open it is to place my palm on it. Take out the jade talisman and get ready to escape. I don't know if the presence is hostile or not. If it is, as members of the Venomous Serpent faction, we can use our jade talisman to teleport to the entrance of the sect without requiring to make a formation array. The treasure within should be great, but so will the danger."

"Okay. If anything happens, I won't leave you," Lingqi said silently, only Yingzi hearing what she said.

Zhuang let the white energy in his body flow to the Rebirth Tear. He placed his hand on the ground and the black stones parted, a small tunnel revealing itself heading downward to the heart of the 'skull.' The tunnel was ominously lit with a crimson glow similar to the crimson and black liquid crystalized on his left hand.

The tunnel closed behind them as they walked inside. The whole inside of the 'skull' seemed to shake, scaring all of the magical beasts hiding and feeding on the dead disciples and forcing them to flee outside of the formation.

The Rebirth Tear tingled and finally made a reaction as Lingqi and Zhuang walked deeper down the tunnel. The crimson glow seemed to distort around the Rebirth Tear and Lingqi held on to Zhuang's back as she also felt the reaction from her Rebirth Tear.

Finally the tunnel showed a bright light, signifying the end and they hurriedly ran through it. They arrived in a large clearing of black walls with strange runes made of the Rebirth Tear. Zhuang and Lingqi stared at a large, human shaped rock formation at the end of the room standing at eighty feet in height.

"What is that?" Lingqi gasped as she stared at the humanoid rock.

"That is a husk of an earth titan demon," Zhuang said, remembering seeing one before in his memories.

Chapter 15: Discovering Power Main Page