The northern archway of the grand writing hall had remained sealed behind three feet of linked dark rock plates for three hundred thousand years.
Da Shi stepped before the massive barrier, his twenty-three-foot chassis moving with smooth, silent grace. Raising his right hand, the titan pressed his broad black glass palm against a recessed star-patterned medallion in the center of the wall. A ripple of warm golden-azure qi flowed from his core into the stone.
With a deep, clockwork chime that rang through the bedrock, the locking pins disengaged. The dark rock partition split along seamless sharp-angled seams, gliding backward into the floor without a whisper of dust.
Beyond the threshold lay a vaulted highway broad enough for four war chariots to ride abreast. Bronze sconces lining the hall ignited in set as the group passed, their wick-less bowls flaring with pale cerulean spirit-fire that cast long, dancing shadows against the polished stone walls.
Da Shi led the way with heavy, measured strides. His starlight-inlaid armor glowed softly in the dim hall. Lin Xiao strolled beside him, hands tucked comfortably into his azure linen sleeves, whistling an easygoing tune while admiring the pre-historic stonework.
At the end of the grand highway, the tunnel opened into a huge domed tiered arena carved directly into the living granite roots of the mountain.
