For a brief moment, Lin Yu considered running, but he knew that wouldn't solve anything. The sects would never stop hunting him. The only way forward was to face them head-on—and to embrace the power that had been thrust upon him.
"I'm not going anywhere," Lin Yu said, his voice firm. "If you want the power of Xiangliu, you'll have to take it from me."
The leader's eyes gleamed with dark amusement. "So be it."
With a flick of his wrist, the leader signaled his men, and they lunged at Lin Yu, their swords flashing in the moonlight.
Lin Yu drew his own sword in a swift motion, his heart pounding as he prepared to fight. The power of the serpent stirred within him, and for the first time, he allowed himself to embrace it.
The clang of steel echoed in the night air as Lin Yu's blade met the Black Lotus Sect's assault. His movements were swift, almost instinctual, as if something deep within him had awakened. He parried one strike, ducked under another, and in a fluid motion, sent his sword arcing toward the nearest attacker. The man barely managed to block, but the force of Lin Yu's strike sent him staggering backward.
The other two fighters pressed their attack, circling Lin Yu like wolves around prey. Despite their numerical advantage, Lin Yu felt an eerie calm settle over him. The serpent's mark on his wrist pulsed in time with his heartbeat, and with each beat, he could feel a surge of power coursing through his veins.
But that power came with a price. Even as he fought, he could hear the faint whispers in his mind, growing louder, more insistent.
Embrace it… the voice hissed. Unleash the power. Show them what you are.
Lin Yu gritted his teeth, pushing the voice aside. He couldn't lose control—not now, not in front of them. If the Black Lotus Sect realized just how unstable his power was, they wouldn't hesitate to exploit it. He had to stay focused.
The leader of the sect, the man with the scar, hung back, watching Lin Yu with calculating eyes. His lips curled into a smile as Lin Yu dispatched one of his men, knocking him to the ground with a well-placed strike to the chest. The man groaned and clutched his ribs, but Lin Yu didn't have time to check if he was out of the fight.
The remaining attacker came at him with renewed fury, his sword a blur of motion. Lin Yu blocked the first few strikes, but the force behind them was relentless, pushing him back toward the edge of the river. His feet slipped on the wet ground, and he felt the cold splash of water as he stumbled.
The attacker seized the opportunity, bringing his sword down in a powerful overhead strike. Lin Yu barely managed to raise his blade in time to block, but the impact drove him to one knee. The man loomed over him, a savage grin on his face as he pressed down with all his strength.
Lin Yu's arms trembled under the pressure. He could feel his strength waning, the serpent's whispers growing louder in his mind.
Let go, the voice urged. Give in to the power. They will never stand a chance.
"No!" Lin Yu growled through gritted teeth. He couldn't let the serpent control him. Not yet.
With a surge of effort, Lin Yu twisted his body, deflecting the attacker's blade to the side. The man's momentum carried him forward, and Lin Yu took the opportunity to thrust his sword upward, catching the attacker in the side. The man gasped, his eyes wide with shock, before collapsing to the ground.
Lin Yu stood, breathing heavily, as the leader of the Black Lotus Sect clapped slowly, a mocking smile on his face.
"Well done, Lin Yu," the leader said, stepping forward. "But don't think for a moment that you've won."
Lin Yu wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes never leaving the leader. "You're next," he said, his voice steady despite the exhaustion weighing on his limbs.
The leader chuckled, his scar twisting grotesquely as he smiled. "I admire your spirit, but you're not ready for this fight. Not yet."
With a flick of his wrist, the leader produced a talisman, glowing with dark energy. The ground beneath Lin Yu's feet began to tremble, and the air around them thickened with the weight of the sect leader's power.
Lin Yu braced himself, his sword ready, but he knew he was in trouble. The two attackers had been strong, but this man was on another level entirely. The power radiating from the talisman sent a chill down Lin Yu's spine.
"You have no idea what you're dealing with," the leader said, his voice low and dangerous. "Xiangliu's power is not something you can control, boy. It will consume you, just as it consumed those before you."
Lin Yu's grip on his sword tightened. He had heard the warnings before, but he wasn't about to let fear stop him. "I won't let that happen."
The leader smirked. "We'll see."
In a blur of motion, the leader charged at Lin Yu, his talisman blazing with dark energy. Lin Yu raised his sword to block, but the force of the attack was overwhelming. The impact sent him skidding backward, his feet barely managing to stay grounded.
The leader's strikes were fast, precise, and unrelenting. Each blow seemed to sap Lin Yu's strength, pushing him closer and closer to the edge of the cursed river. He could feel the water lapping at his heels, the cold, dark presence of the Nine Cursed Rivers pressing against him.
Let me in, the voice hissed in his mind, louder than ever. You can't win this fight without me.
Lin Yu's vision blurred, his arms trembling under the weight of the leader's attacks. He could feel the serpent's power just beneath the surface, waiting, begging to be unleashed. But he knew that if he let it out now, there would be no going back.
The leader's sword came down in a vicious arc, aimed directly at Lin Yu's chest. With a desperate surge of energy, Lin Yu sidestepped the blow, narrowly avoiding the strike. But as he moved, his foot slipped on the wet ground, and he fell backward—into the river.
The icy water swallowed him, pulling him under. Lin Yu gasped, choking as the cold enveloped him. The weight of his sword dragged him down, deeper into the cursed river, the darkness closing in around him.
And then, in the silence of the deep, the voice spoke again.
Now you understand, it whispered, calm and patient. You cannot fight alone. You are mine, Lin Yu. My blood flows in your veins. My power is yours. Embrace it.
Lin Yu's lungs burned as he struggled against the pull of the river, his mind racing. He could feel the serpent's presence all around him, coiling through the water like a shadow. He was drowning, and the only way to survive was to let the serpent in.
Do it, the voice urged. Let go. Let me guide you.
For a moment, Lin Yu hesitated. His whole life, he had been told to resist, to never give in to the serpent's power. But now, with his strength fading and the leader of the Black Lotus Sect waiting to strike above, what choice did he have?
You don't have to be afraid, the voice soothed. We are one, Lin Yu. Together, we are unstoppable.
With a final, desperate breath, Lin Yu closed his eyes and reached out to the power within him.
The transformation was immediate. The serpent's mark on his wrist flared to life, glowing with an intense, otherworldly light. The water around him seemed to respond, swirling and churning as if alive. Lin Yu's body felt lighter, stronger, as if the river itself was lifting him from its depths.
He broke through the surface of the water with a gasp, his eyes blazing with newfound power. The leader of the Black Lotus Sect, who had been waiting on the riverbank, took a step back, his expression shifting from amusement to shock.
"You…" the leader whispered, eyes wide. "You've embraced it."
Lin Yu stood tall, the serpent's energy thrumming through his veins. His sword, once heavy in his hand, now felt like an extension of his own body. The power of Xiangliu surged within him, wild and dangerous, but controlled. For now.
"I won't let you use me," Lin Yu said, his voice steady and filled with resolve. "This power is mine to control, not yours."
The leader's shock quickly turned to anger, and he raised his talisman once more. "Fool! You think you can control Xiangliu? The serpent will consume you, just as it consumed your ancestors!"
Lin Yu didn't flinch. He could feel the serpent's presence, coiled and waiting, but he was in control now. At least for the moment.
With a swift motion, Lin Yu raised his sword and charged. The leader met him head-on, their blades clashing with a deafening ring. But this time, Lin Yu was no longer on the defensive. The serpent's power flowed through him, enhancing his speed, his strength, his reflexes. Every strike he made was precise, powerful, and the leader of the Black Lotus Sect was quickly being pushed back.
The talisman in the leader's hand flared with dark energy, but Lin Yu's sword cut through it with ease, shattering the dark magic that had once seemed so invincible. The leader stumbled, his defenses crumbling under Lin Yu's relentless assault.
"You're nothing without that power!" the leader snarled, desperation creeping into his voice as he swung wildly, trying to fend off Lin Yu's attacks.
Lin Yu sidestepped the wild strikes, his movements effortless and fluid. He could feel the serpent's presence, urging him to finish the fight, to deliver the final blow. But he hesitated, his mind wrestling with the decision.
Kill him, the serpent hissed. Show him what we are capable of.
Lin Yu's sword hovered above the leader's neck, the blade glinting in the moonlight. He could end it right here, right now. The power was his to wield.
But he wasn't a killer.
"No," Lin Yu whispered, lowering his sword. "I won't become like you."
The leader of the Black Lotus Sect gasped for breath, his eyes wide with disbelief as Lin Yu stepped back, his sword at his side.