Chapter 14: Choosing the Path
Bhoumik stepped forward, his expression tense but resolute. "You keep mentioning cultivation, fate, and power. What does that even mean? We don't understand any of this. Can you explain it to us?"
The figure's oceanic eyes softened, and her ethereal voice carried both patience and authority. "Cultivation is the art of harnessing the power of the heavens and earth. It is the path to transcendence, the key to unlocking strength beyond mortal limits. Through cultivation, one can ascend to realms undreamed of and master the forces of the universe."
She paused, studying their reactions. "As for the fate and power I speak of… that is for time to reveal. I cannot answer questions that only your journey can."
Riddhi stepped closer, her voice tinged with desperation. "Then can you at least tell us how to get out of this star? How do we return to where we came from?"
The figure shook her head, a faint smile on her lips. "There is a way, yes, but not to the star you came from. The world you once knew is beyond my reach its link to this place severed. However, I can guide you to another world, one where you can cultivate, survive, and perhaps uncover the answers you seek."
Bhoumik frowned, clenching his fists. "No. We don't want to go anywhere else. Just send us back to where we belong."
The others exchanged uncertain glances before one by one voicing their agreement with Bhoumik.
"That's right. We don't want to be stranded in some unknown world," Yashvi said.
"Yeah, just send us home," Atul added.
The figure sighed, her gaze resting on Bhoumik. "If it were that simple, I would. But the presence of this dark lotus pendant, combined with your arrival here, means fate has chosen otherwise. The path before you has already been set. I can help you leave this star, but not return to your previous world."
The group fell silent, the weight of her words sinking in.
Riddhi broke the silence, walking up to Bhoumik and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Bhoumik, I think she's right. Wherever we go, we'll face it together. Staying here isn't an option."
Sachi stepped forward as well, her voice gentle but firm. "Riddhi's right. This place is too dangerous for us. If we can leave and find safety, it's worth it."
One by one, the others echoed their agreement.
Finally, Ubika walked up to Bhoumik, gripping his arm tightly. "Brother… I know you're thinking of protecting all of us. But we'll be together no matter where we go. Please."
Bhoumik looked at her, then at the others. Their hopeful faces, despite the fear in their eyes, swayed him. After a long pause, he gave a small smile and nodded. "Alright. We'll go. Whatever comes, we'll face it together."
The figure's faint smile returned, and she floated closer to Bhoumik. "Wise. Then prepare yourselves. This is not a decision to take lightly, but it is the only way forward."
The figure raised her hand, and a soft, glowing mist of spiritual energy surrounded the group. The energy flowed into their bodies, filling their veins with a warmth unlike anything they had felt before.
The group gasped as the sensation spread, their bodies trembling with newfound strength.
"This," the figure said, "is the power of cultivation. I have unlocked your meridians, allowing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to flow through you. This is only the first step on the path to power. From here, it is up to you to cultivate and grow stronger."
Bhoumik stood silently, his expression unreadable. He could sense the energy being absorbed into his body, but unlike the others, he didn't feel it coursing through him. There was no rush of power, no warmth in his veins.
Ubika ran up to him, her face glowing with excitement. "Brother! I can feel it! There's energy running through me it's amazing!"
Bhoumik forced a smile. "That's great, Ubika."
The figure approached Tsering, placing two fingers on her forehead. "As my descendant, you bear the responsibility of continuing my legacy. I am passing down my techniques and secrets directly into your mind. As you grow stronger, the knowledge will unlock itself."
A faint light flashed as a mysterious mark appeared on Tsering's forehead, matching the figure's own.
Tsering touched the mark, her eyes wide. "Ancestor… thank you."
The figure floated toward the far side of the hall and gestured for them to follow. She opened a hidden door, revealing a narrow passage that led to another chamber.
In the center of the chamber stood a grand altar, inscribed with glowing runes and surrounded by faint wisps of energy.
"This is the teleportation altar," the figure said. "It will take you to a different world where you can cultivate and grow. But first…" She turned to Bhoumik. "Give me the energy crystal."
Bhoumik hesitated before handing it over. The crystal floated into the figure's palm, glowing brightly as she placed it on the altar.
"Step onto the altar," she instructed. "The journey will be disorienting, but it will take you where you need to be."
As the group began stepping onto the altar, the figure's voice grew serious. "One more thing you will not all arrive in the same place. The teleportation process may scatter you across the world. You might be far apart or close together, but you will remain on the same star. Trust in fate to guide you back to each other."
"What?" Bhoumik exclaimed. "You didn't tell us that earlier!"
The figure smiled faintly. "Some things are better revealed when the time is right."
Before he could argue further, she raised her hand and activated the altar. Bright energy swirled around them, lifting each person slightly off the ground.
The figure turned to Tsering one last time, returning the Silver Lotus Pendant. "Keep this safe. It will guide you in your journey."
With a blinding flash of light, the group vanished from the chamber.
The hall fell silent once more, the altar's glow fading. The figure floated above it, her expression serene yet melancholic.
"They are strong," she murmured to herself. "Perhaps strong enough to survive what lies ahead."
She looked at the now-empty hall, her gaze lingering on the spot where Bhoumik had stood. "And you… the Dark Lotus bearer. Your fate will change everything."
With that, she dissolved into mist, her soul fragment returning to slumber.
In different world.
In the frozen expanse of the Northern Continent, where the ground was coated in sheets of glistening ice and the air was sharp with cold, a brilliant beam of light pierced through the sky. The light descended onto the barren land, melting the frost in a circular area.
As the beam faded, three figures lay on the ground, unconscious: Ubika, Sachi, and Riddhi. Their forms were faintly illuminated, and a soft hum of spiritual energy lingered in the air around them.
Far from this location, in a grand icy palace of towering spires made entirely of glacial crystal, a powerful female cultivator stood on her balcony. Draped in robes of shimmering silver and white, her striking icy-blue eyes narrowed as she observed the strange beam of light in the distance. Her beauty was ethereal, her aura commanding, and her very presence seemed to chill the air around her.
"What was that…?" she murmured, her voice like the soft crackle of frost.
Without hesitation, she disappeared in a blur of icy wind, appearing moments later at the site of the fallen figures. Her sharp gaze scanned the area before settling on the unconscious trio.
"Three strangers… from an ancient space teleportation formation," she muttered, kneeling beside them. Using her spiritual sense, she probed their bodies and gasped softly.
"They have extraordinary spiritual veins. This is a fortune beyond measure," she murmured, a rare smile gracing her lips. "It seems fate has brought me these children."
With a wave of her hand, an icy mist enveloped the trio, lifting them gently into the air. The powerful cultivator rose and, with her charges floating behind her, disappeared into the snowy horizon.
At the western edge of the Eastern Continent, where jagged cliffs towered over dark, dense forests, another beam of light descended. It struck a mysterious forbidden area, illuminating the weathered ruins of a long-abandoned temple. As the light faded, three figures were left lying unconscious on the ground: Tsering, Yashvi, and Vishal.
Nearby, an elderly cultivator sat cross-legged on a rocky ledge, overlooking the ruins. His beard flowed like a white river, and his robes fluttered in the cold wind. His closed eyes snapped open as he sensed the burst of spiritual energy.
"An ancient formation… awakening after so many years?" he muttered, rising to his feet with surprising speed for someone of his age. His spiritual aura flared as he leaped into the air, flying toward the source of the disturbance.
When he arrived, his sharp gaze fell on the trio. The elder stroked his beard, a mix of curiosity and concern etched into his features. "What strange arrivals. Their spiritual veins are exceptional, but their cultivation is non-existent. What brought them here?"
He extended his hand, and a gentle wave of energy lifted the unconscious figures. "Best to take them to my abode. Perhaps they hold the key to the mysteries of these forbidden lands."
With the trio in tow, he vanished into the depths of the cliffs.
On the other side of the Eastern Continent, in a region of rolling green plains and golden skies, another beam of light descended, striking a secluded valley. The light dissipated, leaving behind Hitesh, Vedant, vedika ,Atul, and Vivek, sprawled on the soft grass.
The area was eerily quiet, save for the rustling of leaves and the distant call of birds. The group's weapons and belongings lay scattered around them, untouched by the world's strange energy.
Unaware of the dangers lurking nearby, the unconscious figures remained still, their breathing shallow but steady.