Guardian: The Broken World

-Shen Wei-

The next morning Shen Wei was pleased to find his lover still by his side. He looked so calm and peaceful that he didn't wanted to wake him up, but pressing matters were at hands, as they still have to retrieve the remaining artifacts and find the lost one.

"Yunlan... wake up. We have a hard day ahead of us." Shen said by his side, but Zhao only pull him closer, resting his head over Shen's b.a.r.e shoulder. The pendant on his neck shining brightly just inches from his handsome face, as it did during the night before, keeping Shen free of the pain caused by his curse. Precisely because the golden light emitted from the pendant should have been enough to wake him up, Shen panic for a second, thinking that perhaps something had gone wrong.

"Yunlan, are you okay? I didn't hurt you, right?" Shen asked, touching his forehead to see if he still had that fever.

"I said it before, nothing coming from you will ever hurt me. Is morning already? Ah, I wanted to be like this for a while..." Zhao said opening his eyes to look at his beloved, whose face was brightened by the fire inside his pendant. Shen Wei, however looked at Zhao a bit worry.

"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" Zhao asked curiously.

"Your eyes are golden again. Just how much of your former self did Rong and Kunlun wake up? You are more than a human now..." Shen whisper.

"To face these trouble times, I need to be more than a human, don't worry, babe. I'm still myself, just a bit upgraded." Shen smiled.

"It's more than a bit. I worry that too much power will end up causing your human body to weaken in no time." Shen said.

"It will not fail me when I needed it the most, I assure you that. If my body had been the same as a week ago, then I wouldn't be talking to you so easily after a night of passion with a very powerful ghost." Shen looked away.

"So you know..."

"Ah, yes. Ghosts of all kind feed on people's life energy, that's how they can become stronger and sometimes became demons. You were born strong, so you have no need to feed on humans, but as it is in your very essence, after losing yourself to your own d.e.s.i.r.es, you would have unconsciously suck my energy away, leaving me in a poor shape. Luckily for us, that's not our case now, as the little divinity Kunlun grant me is more than enough to be fully yours with no worries." Shen blushed.

"That's good... let's go out now. We still need to go to Nuwa's temple and the Rainbow Mountains, to retrieve the others artifacts. Nuwa's judgment should not be an easy one, so the sooner we go there the better." Shen said, going out of their bed.

"But with such a magnificent view in front of me, how can I concentrate in anything else?" Zhao said pervertedly, while looking at Shen's n.a.k.e.d body, which make Shen Wei blush even more. However, a dark cloud cover his entire body, then it was replaced with his less formal clothes. Then, Shen simply took a pillow and throw it to Zhao.

"Get out now, you shameless pervert..." Shen said with humor and Zhao laughed.

"That's no fair... I can't dress like that. By the way, did I told you that you looked hotter when on the fire god's temple? I love seen you with long hair..."

"Yunlan..." He laughed again.

"Yeah, yeah... how come you can still be shy after last night? I had seen and taste it all."

"Zhao Yunlan, you really are something else. Get out or I won't give you a morning kiss."

"Alright, let's go save the world." Zhao said getting out to collect his kiss and after he dressed, they joined the rest of the team and the guest.

-Yunlan-

As they had gather together and have a short discussion of the previous day even, from which Zhao was a little elusive to answer certain questions, they had decided that a selected member of each tribe will accompany the Guardians to Nuwa's temple. They didn't know what kind of challenge they will be facing, so Shen Wei portal them to Nuwa's village first, in order for Shen to have a better picture of what to expect. In there, just like in the River Village, Wei used his wide senses to detect the exact location of the hidden temple.

As he concentrate in getting the needed information, the rest of the tribes and his Guardians, rested in an extraordinary Inn that the Uncle Four provided for them free of cost for as long as it takes. However, they had gone out, fully prepared to be transported to the temple as soon as Shen Wei found it. Surprisingly enough, the Ghost Slayer search, took longer than usual and after a few minutes, he open his eyes with a frown on his lovely face.

"Did you find it?" Yunlan asked first, a bit worry for the effort it took to find it.

"Yes... but it's quite different from Kunlun's temple or judgment. Kunlun wasn't set on testing those who seek his temple. He only wanted to have a personal conversation with his human self, but Nuwa is quite different. Actually I don't even think it is a temple at all." Shen said.

"How so?" Da Qing asked, now in his human form, his sister, a step away from him.

"Nuwa's judgment it quite... impressive for the lack of a better word. There is a very heavy barrier in the mountains hundreds of miles away, but this barrier is simply too huge to hold a simple temple. It covers the entire valley between the mountains for miles and if I sense it right, whatever is inside, doesn't exactly belong to this world." Shen said as he wonder just what kind of thing Nuwa have set to ward the ancient artifact.

"The labyrinth of tribulation..." Zhao said without thinking. His old memories were beginning to surface little by little, but his companions looked at him with surprise.

"What did you said?" Tao the lion asked.

"Yunlan?" Shen also asked a bit surprised. Had he regained his lost memories? Just how much had he manage to remember?

"Hey, it just come off my tongue, I don't really know what it is, I swear." Which was true, because he only remember the name, not what it meant.

"Are you sure?" She pressed.

"Yes. Does it ring a bell to any of you? Most of you tribe members have live for hundreds of centuries, so what is this labyrinth that suddenly pop up inside my head?" Zhao asked. The tribe members looked at one another with a hint of fear, with only make both Zhao and Shen even more curios.

"Before Nuwa created humanity and GongGong created the underworld, the fairies who became too wicked and acted to cruelly or killed without restrain were punished by the gods in something similar to what you know as Hell. However, our personal Hell was quite different that yours. Those who had offended the god were trapped inside a labyrinth, full of guardian beasts of all types and sizes. Those few who manage to scape, were consider purged and set free, but most of those who face the challenge, perish in horrible ways. After Nuwa sealed Hell, the labyrinth became just a nightmare and a story to scare the little kids, so they will never become wicked." Da Qing explained and Zhao whistle to break the sudden silence after the human cat speech.

"Oh, ho... so you fairies have it rough too, huh? How big is this labyrinth?" Zhao asked to Shen.

"Very, very big and extremely dangerous too. This time, I think we all could enter, including me, but as going out is... uncertain." Shen added.

"Well, it's not like this path was easy for the better beginning. I'm in, my Lord Wei, you already know that whatever you go I go too. Besides, this should be a good training to get stronger to face Hell in due time." Zhao said with confidence. Right at that moment, a big deep crimson flame manifest out of nowhere and from it emerged the fire god.

"Well said, Guardian. Hell is no different than Nuwa's labyrinth an if you can't handle this, then Hell is out of the question. Just so you know, the time doesn't exactly work the same inside the labyrinth than in the human world, for which I advise you to send messages to your tribes and watch over those who cross the border while you are gone. This is no longer a work done by Guardians alone, you all must unite if you want to save your homes." There was agreement among the presents.

"Just to give you a fair start, wear this..." The fire god extended his hands and a few long silver travel cloaks materialize over them.

"This are enchanted, of course, and it will keep you warm while traveling to the center of the labyrinth in which the artifact can be found. If you use your third eye, you will be able to find a lost comrade that wears this cloak, as the fibers emitted a very particular shine you can't miss, even with your eyes closed." Lord Rong came to stand before Lin.

"Your third eye can become stronger and also your magic to summon and control." He put a finger over Lin's head and a dragon who was standing by his side, held him, when the monk stager. Then the stood in front of Zhu.

"You have quite the talent, but are still inexperienced in battle of this kind. Those inside the labyrinth are more than just mindless demons acting only on instinct. The guardian beasts are on a kind of their own and the fairies that had manage to survive, yet not get out, have evolved into something else I hope none of you come across. I will grant you what you need to survive." The fire god said, as he also put a finger on her forehead. Shen Wei was the closet, so he helped the woman to remain standing.

"Zhao Yunlan, you are already strong and probably will come out stronger, so no gifts for you."

"Ha! As if have want it anyways." Zhao reply back.

"Ah, the lovely ghost also don't need a gift, make him stronger will mean a new god will born and that's kind of forbidden these days..." At this Zhao gave the fire god a nasty look that only make Lord Rong smile. He did the same with the rest of the gathered, including Guo, in which he stayed longer.

"Good luck to you all and keep each other safe, because I not able to go inside her labyrinth. Just remember that not only your strength will be tasted, but also your will and mind. Stay together and you will prevail, fall apart and it will be your doom." And with that, he was gone.

"Alright, as for the notes..." Zhao begin.

"I will take care of that, my Lord." A fox tribe man said, as he took out a special talisman and summon his fox fire. He passed the talisman to the other tribe members and Zhao, so they could write their messages and then sent it up to the sky as blue fire birds.

"That's a nice trick." The young fox, bowed, looking pleased.

"Thank you my Lord."

"Oh, Lord my b.u.t.t... Shen Wei, if you please..." Zhao turned to look at him and his lover understood him completely. He gather his dark energy and engulf them all in it. When they were released from it, they found themselves at the border of a huge stone labyrinth, with two huge statues in the middle, representing Nuwa and her husband Fuxi. Although they couldn't see the labyrinth in full, they did watch a few creatures' resembling dragons flying over it with awful screeches.

"I'm so dead..." Guo whisper very softly, but still Chu hear it loud and clear.

"You are not as weak as you believe. Stay strong. You know I will always protect you." Chu encourage him, making Guo deeply blush.

"I hope this end of the year bonus came up to be huge, because if I die here I will hunt you down as a vengeful ghost, Chief." Lin said jokingly, although all he felt was pure fear.

"Don't worry, you will be filthy reach after this." Zhao reply, moving closer to Shen. "Can you lend me some money?" He whisper to his lover who once again softly elbow him in the ribs.

"Seriously Yunlan, this is no time for jokes. Just make sure you never leave my side, okay?" Shen ask him and Zhao took his hand on his.

"Got it, babe. I will not leave you out of my sight, I promise." Zhao said as he gently pressed Shen's hand and they walked forward, to face their biggest challenge to date.

AN: Thanks for reading, hope you like it. The adventure is coming next, so stay tuned until then.