The leader of the Black Lotus Sect stood tall, his dark robes rippling slightly as the air within the sanctum thickened with tension. His eyes locked onto Lin Yu, a predatory smile curling his lips. The jade tablet behind him pulsed faintly, its ominous light casting eerie shadows across the room. Lin Yu could feel the power radiating from it—a dark, ancient energy that seemed to resonate with the serpent's mark on his wrist.
"I've been waiting for this moment, Lin Yu," the leader said, his voice smooth but laced with malice. "The serpent's heir, come to claim his destiny."
Lin Yu tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes narrowing as he stepped forward. "I'm not here to claim anything. I'm here to stop you."
The leader chuckled softly, as if Lin Yu's words were nothing more than the idle boasts of a child. "Stop me? You misunderstand. You and I are the same. We are bound by Xiangliu's will. The power you fight so hard to resist—it's part of you. You were born for this, just as I was."
Elder Wu, standing just behind Lin Yu, stepped forward. His gaze was stern, his voice calm but filled with authority. "You've twisted the teachings of cultivation to serve your own greed. This ritual you're planning—it will not end in power but in destruction. Xiangliu's resurrection will bring chaos to the world."
The leader's smile faded, his eyes narrowing with disdain. "Old man, you speak of what you do not understand. Xiangliu's power is not destruction—it is rebirth. A new world will rise from the ashes of the old, and those who control the serpent's power will shape it as they see fit."
Lin Yu's heart pounded in his chest, the serpent's whispers growing louder with each passing moment. He could feel the pull of the jade tablet, the ancient energy thrumming in the air around him, calling to the power within his blood. The temptation to give in, to embrace the strength of Xiangliu, was overwhelming. But he knew what that would mean—he would lose himself, become a vessel for the serpent's will.
"I won't let you bring Xiangliu back," Lin Yu said, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him. "I'm not your puppet."
The leader's expression darkened, his patience wearing thin. He raised his staff, and the air around them seemed to pulse with dark energy. "So be it. If you will not join me, then I will take what is mine by force."
In an instant, the leader thrust his staff forward, and a wave of black energy erupted from its tip, surging toward Lin Yu and his companions. Lin Yu barely had time to react. He raised his sword, channeling all of his focus into deflecting the attack. The impact sent him stumbling backward, his feet sliding across the cold stone floor as he fought to maintain his balance.
Zhao Feng and Elder Wu darted to the sides, narrowly avoiding the blast of dark energy that crackled through the air. The force of the attack left a jagged scar in the stone floor where it struck, a testament to the raw power the leader commanded.
"Lin Yu!" Elder Wu shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "You must destroy the tablet! It's the key to their ritual!"
Lin Yu's eyes darted to the jade tablet, glowing ominously on its pedestal. The energy it radiated seemed to pulse in time with the serpent's mark on his wrist. He could feel it calling to him, urging him to take it, to wield the power it contained.
Take it, Xiangliu's voice whispered in his mind, more insistent than ever. It is ours by right. Together, we will be unstoppable.
But Lin Yu shook his head, fighting back the voice. He couldn't let the serpent control him. Not now. Not ever.
The leader of the Black Lotus Sect moved swiftly, raising his staff again, preparing for another strike. But before he could unleash another attack, Zhao Feng charged forward, his dagger flashing in the dim light. He aimed for the leader's side, hoping to catch him off guard.
The leader, however, was quicker. With a flick of his wrist, he deflected Zhao Feng's strike with a barrier of dark energy, sending the young cultivator sprawling across the floor. Zhao Feng groaned, clutching his side, but he quickly regained his footing, determination burning in his eyes.
"You're wasting your time," the leader sneered, his eyes gleaming with arrogance. "You cannot stand against me. The power of Xiangliu flows through this place. It belongs to me!"
Lin Yu's chest tightened as the leader's words echoed in his mind. The serpent's power did indeed flow through the sanctum, and he could feel it pulling at him, tugging at the edges of his resolve. The longer they fought, the harder it became to resist the temptation to unleash the full extent of his strength. But he couldn't—he wouldn't let himself be consumed by the serpent.
Elder Wu stepped forward, his staff glowing faintly with spiritual energy as he prepared to counter the next attack. "Lin Yu, now is the time! The tablet must be destroyed!"
Lin Yu took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto the jade tablet. The dark energy swirling around it seemed to intensify as he approached, the pull of Xiangliu's power growing stronger with every step.
The leader of the Black Lotus Sect noticed Lin Yu's movement and his smile twisted into something cruel. "You think you can destroy it? Foolish boy! That tablet is bound to the Nine Cursed Rivers themselves! It is the heart of Xiangliu's resurrection! You cannot stop it—you are a part of it!"
Lin Yu's heart raced as he drew closer to the tablet. The whispers in his mind grew louder, more insistent, the serpent's voice mingling with his own thoughts, blurring the line between who he was and what Xiangliu wanted him to be.
Do it, the serpent urged. Unleash my power. You cannot defeat him without me.
Lin Yu raised his sword, the blade trembling in his grip. The weight of the decision before him pressed down like a mountain. If he destroyed the tablet, he could stop the ritual, but he also knew that Xiangliu's power would never leave him—not completely. And if he embraced that power, even for a moment, there was no telling what it would do to him.
Suddenly, the leader raised his staff high, gathering dark energy for a final, devastating blow. The entire sanctum seemed to tremble under the force of the magic he was summoning. The air crackled with power, and Lin Yu knew that if he didn't act now, it would be too late.
With a shout, Lin Yu brought his sword down on the jade tablet.
The sound of the blade striking the tablet echoed through the sanctum like a thunderclap. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The dark energy swirling around the tablet recoiled, and the serpent's mark on Lin Yu's wrist flared with searing heat. He cried out in pain as a surge of power exploded from the shattered tablet, throwing him backward.
The room was filled with a blinding light as the relic disintegrated, its dark magic unraveling in an instant. The force of the explosion knocked the leader of the Black Lotus Sect off his feet, sending him crashing into the far wall. His staff clattered to the ground, its dark glow fading as the magic within it dissipated.
Lin Yu lay on the cold stone floor, gasping for breath, his body trembling from the aftershock of the explosion. The jade amulet around his neck had protected him from the worst of the blast, but he could still feel Xiangliu's presence writhing inside him, furious and raging.
Elder Wu rushed to his side, kneeling beside him. "Lin Yu! Are you hurt?"
Lin Yu shook his head, struggling to sit up. "I'm fine… but the tablet…"
Elder Wu smiled, relief washing over his features. "It's gone. You did it."
Across the room, Zhao Feng staggered to his feet, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at the remnants of the jade tablet. The once menacing glow was gone, leaving behind only shattered fragments.
But the leader of the Black Lotus Sect was not finished. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his face twisted with fury and disbelief. "You… you think this is over? You think you've won?" He staggered forward, blood dripping from his mouth, but his eyes still burned with hatred. "You've only delayed the inevitable. Xiangliu's power will rise again. And when it does, there will be no stopping it."
Lin Yu stood, his sword still in hand, his body aching from the battle. He met the leader's gaze, his expression grim but resolute.
"This ends now," Lin Yu said.
With a final, determined strike, Lin Yu swung his sword, and the leader of the Black Lotus Sect fell, his body crumpling to the ground, lifeless.
The sanctum fell silent.
Lin Yu sheathed his sword, the weight of what he had just done settling over him like a heavy cloak. The threat of Xiangliu's resurrection had been stopped, but the serpent's power still remained inside him, waiting for the right moment to strike.