The storm of fate had only just begun.
High above the mortal realm, atop the floating shrine known only to a select few—Heaven's Vein Pavilion—a cloaked figure stood before an ancient mirror inscribed with silver glyphs. The image in the mirror shimmered: Xuantian, unconscious, resting on a jade bed as Ruyue and Jing Hao stood vigil by his side.
The cloaked man raised a porcelain cup, filled not with tea, but with spiritual blood drawn from the roots of the Lotus of Corruption. He sipped slowly, as if savoring the bitterness of destiny itself.
"Your rebirth was expected, Xuantian," he whispered, his voice layered—two tones overlapping. "But your awakening… that was ahead of schedule."
From the shadows behind him, a figure emerged—a woman clad in crimson robes, her eyes pure white with no pupils.
"Master," she said softly, "the second Seal has broken. The Celestial Vessel is accelerating. If the final Seal awakens…"
"…then not even the divine heavens will be able to suppress him," the cloaked man finished.
He turned to face her. "Inform the Grand Council. Begin Phase Two of the Convergence. The Demonic Lotus Sect shall rise again—at the heart of the Central Domain."
The woman bowed and vanished into black mist.
---
Void Spirit Temple – Inner Sanctum
Xuantian awoke to the scent of moonflowers and the soft rustle of wind chimes. He was surrounded by the familiar aura of spiritual runes—barriers designed not just for healing, but for containment.
He sat up slowly. Pain bloomed in every joint.
Ruyue noticed first. "You're awake."
Her tone was calm, but her eyes were tired. Red from worry.
Jing Hao leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Took you long enough. You've been out for three days."
Xuantian exhaled. "We made it back… then?"
"Barely," Jing Hao muttered. "Six out of twenty. The elders are calling it divine selection. But there's something off."
He tossed a scroll onto Xuantian's bed. "That came while you were sleeping. It's from Grandmaster Yunlong himself."
Xuantian unrolled the scroll.
> Xuantian,
The realm you entered was not part of the sect's plans. It was an anomaly, a realm fragment left behind from the age of gods. Your survival indicates… fate has marked you once again.
I request your presence at the Grand Conclave in seven days. Prepare yourself. Secrets long buried are about to surface.
– Yunlong
Ruyue watched his face carefully. "Are you going?"
"I have to," Xuantian said.
---
Three Days Later – City of Serene Cloud
The Grand Conclave of the Four Great Sects was held once every ten years—but this time, it came early, hastily organized in the sacred grounds of Serene Cloud City, a neutral ground untouched by wars and sect rivalries.
Hundreds of flying ships docked above the floating terraces. Flags of Heaven's Echo Sect, Void Spirit Temple, Iron Sky Fortress, and Jade Moon Pavilion fluttered in solemn silence.
Xuantian walked through the gates flanked by golden guardians. Ruyue and Jing Hao flanked him, now seen by many as heroes. Whispers followed them.
"Those are the survivors…"
"…the ones who walked the Fallen Realm…"
"…especially him—that's the one who killed the Flame Avatar."
At the center of the Grand Hall stood a massive spiral platform, where the four Grandmasters sat. Elder Yunlong stood in the center, hands behind his back.
When Xuantian approached, Yunlong's eyes locked with his. "You carry the burden of the heavens, yet walk with a mortal's heart. That is dangerous."
"I never asked for it," Xuantian replied quietly.
Yunlong nodded. "And that is why you may yet survive it."
He raised his hand.
The platform glowed.
A projection appeared—an image of an enormous black lotus suspended in the void, its petals dripping with blood. Floating around it were chained corpses of long-dead gods, their eyes still open.
"This," Yunlong announced, "is the source of all the recent disturbances. A relic of the Era of Rebellion, when gods and mortals warred. It is called the Corrupted Lotus of the Void, and it has awakened."
Gasps erupted around the chamber.
Xuantian's heart clenched.
He had seen it—in his dreams. In the trial. In his past life.
"The Lotus," Yunlong continued, "was sealed by the ancient sects one million years ago. Your ancestor, Xuantian of the Sky Flame Sect, led the final battle. It seems… history has chosen to repeat."
He turned to Xuantian directly.
"You were reborn carrying one of the three Celestial Seals—each forged to suppress the Lotus. Two are already awakened within you."
Xuantian's eyes darkened. "And the third?"
A pause.
Then, to everyone's shock, Yunlong gestured.
A cage rose from below.
Inside it was a young man—barely older than Xuantian—with silver hair, eyes like glass, and chains wrapped around every limb.
He glowed with spiritual energy so dense it warped the air around him.
"This," Yunlong said gravely, "is the third seal. Or rather… the vessel carrying it."
---
Prisoner of the Seal
Xuantian stared at the prisoner. Their eyes met.
A strange recognition passed between them—like looking into a mirror reflecting lifetimes.
The prisoner smirked.
"So, the first and second seals walk again. Took you long enough."
"Who are you?" Xuantian asked.
"I'm the one who died last, so I remember the most."
His smile vanished.
"They've already begun, you know. The Demonic Lotus Sect. They've infiltrated your sects, your cities, even this very conclave."
Jing Hao reached for his blade. "That's a bold accusation—"
"Not an accusation," the prisoner snapped. "A warning."
He turned his eyes to Yunlong. "You think your barriers can hold back what's coming? The Lotus doesn't just corrupt spirit. It corrupts truth. Your memories, your loyalties, even your fate."
Ruyue's voice was a whisper. "Then what do we do?"
The prisoner grinned. "You don't stop it. You consume it."
All eyes turned to Xuantian.
"You were made for this," the prisoner said. "The seal chose you because you can devour fate itself."
---
Elsewhere – A Broken Temple
In the ruins of a temple deep beneath the ground, dozens of robed figures chanted. Their hoods bore the sigil of a bleeding lotus. Around them, corpses floated—bloodless, their souls twisted into red mist.
A massive seed pulsed in the center—black and veined, crying out with every beat.
"The convergence is near," whispered a voice from within the seed.
"The three seals are in place. Soon, the Lotus shall bloom again."
A monstrous eye opened at the center of the seed.
And through that eye… it stared directly at Xuantian, halfway across the world.
---
Back at the Conclave
Yunlong's voice cut through the tension. "We have no choice. The only way forward is unity. I propose a Celestial Alliance, led by the Seal Bearers, to seek out and destroy the Lotus before it fully blooms."
Many elders protested.
"He's just a boy—"
"He's too unstable—"
"He's a reincarnation of a god-killer—"
Xuantian stepped forward.
"I accept."
His voice carried across the entire hall. Calm. Resolute.
"But know this," he added, "if you hesitate… if you doubt too long… the Lotus will not just consume your enemies. It will consume everything."
Silence.
Then Yunlong nodded. "So be it. The Celestial Alliance is born."
But in the shadows above, an invisible figure whispered a curse:
"Let the game begin, devourer of fate."