**CHAPTER 21 — Into the Moonshadow Crypt**
The trio stood before the entrance of the Moonshadow Crypt. Its stone archway slanted inward like the maw of an ancient beast, with faint wisps of silver mist swirling out. Lanterns failed to illuminate the inside; light seemed to be swallowed whole once it crossed the threshold.
Leon Fong shivered dramatically. "I hate it. I absolutely hate it. Why do power-hungry villains always hide in creepy places?"
Jason Wu stepped forward calmly. "Because no one else wants to visit."
Lily Chen rolled her eyes. "Jason, stop enabling his nonsense."
Leon pointed accusingly at her. "Nonsense? I'm the only one respecting horror-movie logic here!"
Jason placed a hand on Leon's shoulder. "Relax. If anything jumps out, you can hide behind me."
Leon gasped. "Rude! Accurate, but rude."
Lily stopped at the entrance, closed her eyes, and extended her spiritual sense. "Be careful. There are overlapping formations—illusion arrays, sound distortions, and… something else. Something older."
Jason nodded. "Stay close."
They stepped inside.
Instantly, the world shifted. The walls twisted in impossible angles. The stone floor pulsed with faint luminescence, forming patterns that changed with every step. Echoes bounced unpredictably; their own footsteps sounded distant and distorted.
Leon whispered, "Okay… I'll admit… it's kinda pretty."
Lily corrected, "Pretty deadly."
Jason slowed his pace. "Different path logic. The crypt is testing perception."
He stopped suddenly.
A figure appeared ahead—Jason himself.
A perfect mirror duplicate.
Leon swore. "Nope. Nope! I refuse to fight your evil twin."
The mirror-Jason smirked darkly and drew a spectral blade.
Jason Wu cracked his neck. "I'll handle myself."
He rushed forward. Their blades collided with a metallic *ring*, though Jason wielded no physical sword—his spiritual energy formed a shimmering edge around his hand. Mirror-Jason's attacks were aggressive, mirroring Jason's earlier fighting habits with perfect precision.
Jason's eyes narrowed. *It copies my techniques… but not my growth.*
He shifted his stance suddenly—one he had developed only recently. Mirror-Jason lagged a fraction of a second.
That was enough.
Jason swept his leg low, knocking the doppelgänger off balance, then struck its chest with a focused palm. The illusion shattered like glass, leaving nothing but drifting spiritual fragments.
Leon clapped. "Jason Wu just beat Jason Wu. That's peak narcissist achievement."
Lily giggled despite herself. "Focus, Leon."
They continued deeper into the crypt. The illusions grew more ambitious: shifting corridors, false bridges, phantom beasts. But Lily dismantled arrays with her intelligence and steady hands; Jason neutralized threats; Leon complained entire paragraphs but fought bravely.
Finally, they reached a stone chamber carved with crescent motifs.
A stone pedestal stood in the center, covered in dark mist.
Jason approached carefully.
Inside the mist was a **message tablet**.
He brushed away the haze.
A line of carved words revealed itself:
**"To the one who threatens the future of the Patron—
He awaits you in the Hollow Abyss."**
Leon groaned. "Another place?! Can't villains send addresses like normal people??"
Jason frowned. "Hollow Abyss… that's far outside Qinghe."
Lily whispered, "Then this was all a diversion. A test to see whether you were worth eliminating early."
Jason tightened his fist.
"Then we keep going."
He slid the tablet into his sleeve.
The world around them suddenly trembled.
The crypt began collapsing.
"RUN!" Jason shouted.
Leon screamed. "WHY DOES EVERYTHING WE ENTER TRY TO KILL US?!"
Jason grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her forward as the floors cracked, ceilings crumbled, and illusions snapped violently.
They sprinted toward the fading entrance.
Jason burst out first, dragging Lily with him. Leon dove out and rolled across the dirt, coughing and covered in dust.
The Moonshadow Crypt collapsed completely behind them, sealing itself shut.
Leon lay flat on the ground. "I'm done. Turn me into a corpse. Bury me somewhere with snacks."
Jason offered a hand. "Come on. We're just getting started."
Leon stared at him in betrayal. "I knew being your friend would shorten my life."
Lily looked at Jason quietly. "The Hollow Abyss… that's not a place ordinary people survive."
Jason turned toward her, eyes burning with determination.
"Then I'll just have to become someone extraordinary."