Chapter 27: The Shan Abyss Key is the twenty seventh chapter of Longma Warriors.
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The Shan Abyss Key[]
The next day...
Mazhanshi and her friends woke up ready for the new day. They had reached the island of Yan Dao with Yu Ma's help and were ready to tackle the next shrine. At breakfast, the group had some fish caught from the ocean and cooked. During breakfast, Mazhanshi discussed the location of the next shrine. "The next shrine is in a cave on one of the higher parts on the mountains of this island. We will need to do some hiking to reach it." she finished talking. "That doesn't sound too hard." Quantou said. "Then let's get ready." Daoren said. Everyone finished eating and after that, they went to gather their tents. Once all of them were ready to go, they set off.
Mazhanshi and her friends made their way through the jungle. It seemed ordinary at first. But once they reached the edge of the forest and started hiking, they began seeing caves and old mining equipment. "What was going on here?" Zei asked. "This island was a mining hotspot. There are valuable gemstones on this island, and these mines were created to help with the mining." Daoshi explained. They kept hiking and saw some prisoner jumpsuits. "Ok, this is freaky." Jian said. "Yan Dao served as a prisoner camp. Sometimes prisoners were sent here to work in the mines as punishment for various crimes." Daoshi explained. The group kept hiking up and saw the mining city of Yan Dao, situated on the island below. Mazhanshi looked in the other direction of the city and saw the tallest mountain on the island. "That is where we need to go." she said. She had the group move right towards the mountain.
It took an hour and a half of hiking up the mountain. When Mazhanshi and her friends ascended the mountain, they saw a large cave. The cave looked larger than the mines made lower down. She and her friends went inside. The cave was dimly lit by torches and had a shrine entrance of black stone that didn't look like it was made by the miners. Off to the sides of the entrance were statues of a black dragon and a black horse. "This is the shrine entrance. Let's set up our tents here." Mazhanshi said. Everyone pitched their tents inside the cave. They left their backpacks in the tents and just took their weapons. After they finished, they proceeded inside the shrine.
Walking into the shrine, they walked through a tunnel with bright orange torches that lit up on their own the deeper they went in. After walking for 2-3 minutes, they entered a larger chamber. Inside this chamber there was a black horse statue without a mane or tail. On the base of the statue was a plaque with symbols that read "Heishi Ma". Around the floor of the chamber were multiple bones. One of the skeletons in the chamber still had an orange prisoner jumpsuit that hadn't faded to the elements. "I'll check the door on the other side of the chamber." Mazhanshi said. She walked over to the door on the other side. There was an orange jewel on the door, and a plaque off to the side of the door had symbols that read: "If you want to proceed into the next chamber, you must defeat the Heishi Ma. Touch the jewel to proceed." She got ready to touch the jewel. "Is everyone ready?" she asked. She looked back and saw everyone give her a nod. They were ready.
She touched the jewel on the door. There was a rumble as the door they entered through closed. The statue sprouted an orange mane and tail made of energy. 6 orange cores appeared on its legs, chest, and forehead. A pair of orange eyes opened. The Heishi Ma leapt off of its base and let out a loud neigh. "This is the next Heishi Ma. Get ready." Daoshi said. The Heishi Ma breathed an electric attack at everyone, causing them to scatter. Mazhanshi ran up to Jian while the Heishi Ma was distracted. "Just like we practiced." she said to him. Jian took aim at the core on the rear left leg and loosed an arrow at it. This took the core out. The Heishi Ma neighed in pain and turned to face them. It charged at them, but Mazhanshi had her sword drawn. She stabbed her sword into the core on its chest, taking it out. The Heishi Ma reared back. Mazhanshi protected Jian from any harm. Zei ran up to the front right leg of the Heishi Ma and took out its core there. The Heishi Ma shot a jolt of electricity at her, which got her. Mazhanshi took out the core on the front left leg with her sword and then ran over to Zei. "Finish fighting it." Mazhanshi said. Daoshi nodded and did a lunge for its core on its rear right leg, taking it out. The Heishi Ma neighed and began charging around. Mazhanshi did her best to shield Zei from any further harm. Quantou was near the skeleton with the orange outfit. He saw the core on its head and got an idea. He grabbed the skull from off of the skeleton and waited until he had a clear view of the Heishi Ma's forehead core. He threw the skull at the forehead core, taking it out. The Heishi Ma staggered at the loss of all of its cores and crumbled to rubble. The doors at both ends of the chamber opened up.
"We did it." Jian said. He then looked over at Zei and Mazhanshi. "Is she ok?" Jian asked. "I don't know if I can do the next fight." Zei said. "I will walk her back to the tents and give her some medicine." Mazhanshi said. "Get the next key." she told everyone. "Understood." Daoshi said. Mazhanshi lifted Zei's wounded body up. "I've got you." she reassured her. She and Zei walked out of the chamber. Once they were back into the cave, Mazhanshi placed Zei in her tent. Then she got some medicine from the backpack in her tent and gave it to her. "You'll feel better, but it's still best to rest for now." Mazhanshi reassured her. She then saw Yu Ma exiting the shrine. "Yu Ma." Mazhanshi said. "Daoshi asked me to help keep you two company." she said to her. The three of them waited outside.
Meanwhile back inside the shrine, Daoshi was with Jian, Daoren, and Quantou. "Let's proceed into the next chamber." he said to the boys. They walked through the tunnel. It took 2 minutes to walk through the new tunnel. Inside they saw a giant black dragon statue. On the base of the statue was a plaque with symbols that read "Heishi Long". Scattered around the chamber were a few bones, but not as many as the previous chamber. Daoshi went up to the door on the other end. He looked at the door. There was an orange jewel on the door, and looking to the right he saw a plaque that read: "You have done well to defeat the Heishi Ma. If you want the Abyss Key, you must defeat the Heishi Long as well. Touch the jewel on the door to proceed. "Are you boys ready?" he asked. He looked, and saw the three of them get their weapons ready.
He touched the jewel on the door. There was a rumble as the door they came through closed behind them. The dragon statue sprouted and orange mane and tail made of energy. 6 orange cores sprouted on its legs, chest, and forehead. It opened its orange eyes and leapt off of its base. It then let out a huge roar. "Get ready everyone!" Daoren said. The Heishi Long breathed fire at the boys, causing them to scatter. Quantou did a dive for the two core on the rear legs while it was distracted. He punched at both core on the rear legs with his metal knuckles. He succeeded in taking both of them out. The Heishi Long roared in pain and turned to try to find Quantou. It turned around to face Quantou, but Daoshi was also on the other side of the chamber. The Heishi Long breathed fire at Daoshi, but he did a roll to dodge it and get in position of its chest core. He drove his staff at its chest core, destroying it. Jian saw Quantou and Daoshi in trouble and ran up to try to help them. He got out an arrow and took at with his bow at its forehead core. He loosed one of his arrows at the forehead core and took it out. The Heishi Long roared in pain and came after Jian next. It chased him alongside its stone base, unaware that Daoren was hiding out of its line of sight. Daoren had his sword drawn and used it on the Heishi Long's foreleg core on the right. The Heishi Long stopped as if in pain. It then turned to face Daoren and got ready to breathe fire. Jian saw its final core on its left front leg and seized the opportunity. He took out another arrow and shot the final core taking it out. The Heishi Long staggered around the chamber in pain and crumbled to rock. The doors at both ends of the chambers opened up.
After the defeat of the Heishi Long, Daoshi and the boys proceeded into the final chamber of the shrine. Inside the final room was an altar with a black key in it. It looked identical to the previous Abyss Key, but with an orange jewel on the hilt. Daoshi went to the altar and pulled it out. "That's four keys now. Let's head out.". He and the boys exited the shrine.
Meanwhile, Mazhanshi was waiting next to Zei's tent and keeping an eye on her. Yu Ma had also decided to come out and wait with them. After what felt like forever, she saw Daoshi and the boys exit the cave. "You made it." Mazhanshi said. "Yes and this is for you.". He handed the key to her. "That was a good thing that you did, watching her like that." he told her. "How is she doing?" Jian asked Mazhanshi. "I gave her some medicine and she is resting. She will probably be better in the morning." Mazhanshi told everyone. "Let's rest here for the night." Daoren said.
Everyone helped make some dumplings for dinner. Mazhanshi brought one to Zei's tent and gave it to her. She ate it and felt a little bit better. After dinner, everyone went to their tents. Mazhanshi put the new Abyss Key in her large backpack with the other ones and then went to sleep as well.
Meanwhile, back in Caoyuan, Nulieren and her friends made it to the southeast corner of the continent where the Spirit Key shrine was. "Remember, if we don't find the key we are to head back to Nangang.". she said to Cike and Suojiang. The three of them entered the shrine. The three of them entered the first chamber and saw the Baishi Ma destroyed. They then walked into the second chamber and saw that the Baishi Long had also been bested. Nulieren walked into the final chamber and saw the altar empty. The three of them left the shrine. "Let's head back to Nangang and see what Junfa wants." Cike and Suojiang nodded in understanding. The three of them mounted their horses and rode back to Nangang.
