NOVEL NEXT Chapter 121: Ambush
The old man blinked, his sword lowering slowly, his aura stabilizing as he studied Kael with a mix of awe and recognition.
"You're… not from the sects," he said, his voice hoarse but steady, his spiritual senses probing Kael's radiant presence.
"No," Kael replied, sheathing Abyssal Fang, its edge still humming with residual qi. "I'm following a mark. A Lotus."
The old man's eyes lit up, a spark of hope igniting within his weathered gaze. "You bear the Flame?" he whispered, his voice trembling with reverence. "Then the stories were true—the Warden of the Lotus walks again."
He reached into his tattered robe, producing a half-burnt scroll, its paper shimmering with ancient runes that pulsed faintly with primal qi, their patterns resonating with the crimson mark on Kael's forearm.
"This is a map to the Lotus Path, or what remains of it," the old man said, his voice heavy with the weight of history. "Buried beneath Mount Lianxu, sealed behind formations lost to time. Many have sought it—rogue cultivators, sect elders, even divine practitioners—but most perished, their spirits consumed by the path's trials. But you… you carry the Silver Lotus Flame, purified and untamed. You may be the only one who can open it."
Kael stepped forward, his silver eyes fixed on the scroll, the Silver Lotus Flame within his dantian pulsing in response, its silver-violet light harmonizing with the runes' ancient qi. "Give it to me," he said, his voice calm but resolute, a vow to face whatever lay ahead.
The old man nodded, pressing the scroll into Kael's hands, its weight more than mere paper—a legacy of blood and sacrifice. "Take it, Warden," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But beware—the Lotus Path is not merely a trial. It is a graveyard of ancient cultivators who sought the final Dao, their spirits bound to its secrets. To walk it is to challenge fate itself."
Kael tucked the scroll into his robe, its runes resonating with the crimson mark, a quiet confirmation of his path. "Then I'll walk through their graves," he said, his voice steady, his Crescent Requiem Dao sharpening his resolve to a razor's edge.
He turned, his steps carrying him toward the next peak, the wind's howl a chorus that echoed his defiance. The old man stared after him, his breath catching, his voice a faint murmur carried by the gale. "The Warden walks again… may the heavens tremble."
The Howling Spine Mountains groaned under the wind's weight, their peaks shrouded in snow and shadow, a testament to the trials that awaited.
Kael's journey was far from over—it had only just begun, the Lotus Path a beacon in the darkness, calling him to face the legacy of the Forbidden Lotus and the destiny of its Warden.
Kael trudged through the deepening snow, his boots crunching against the icy crust that clung to them. The trail had vanished under a thick white blanket, but he pressed on, driven by the faint pulse of the scroll tucked inside his robes. Its primal qi whispered directions, a silent rhythm only his Silver Lotus Flame could follow.
Mount Lianxu loomed distant, a five-day trek through the cursed Howling Spine Mountains, where danger lurked in every frosty breath.
A fierce gust slammed into him, whipping ice crystals across his face like tiny blades. Kael leaned into the wind, shielding his eyes with one arm, his skin stinging from the cold's bite.
The storm raged, but something deeper guided him now, a pull stronger than the scroll's faint hum—the crimson mark on his forearm, throbbing like a second heartbeat.
He froze mid-step, his body low, eyes narrowing through the swirling snow. A rustle broke the storm's howl, not wind but something heavy, deliberate, crunching through the snow.
Kael closed his eyes, tuning out the gale, letting his Silver Lotus Flame flare within his dantian. Its silent light sharpened his senses, revealing three presences: one crouched behind a boulder to his left, another hidden by a wind-bent tree ahead, and a third perched above, watching like a predator.
An ambush.
His hand dropped to Abyssal Fang, drawing the blade in a smooth arc. Silver-violet flames surged along its edge, their soft glow swallowed by the storm's chaos.
A shadow leapt from above, a black-cloaked figure diving with a raised blade, their qi sharp with killing intent. Kael pivoted sideways, slashing upward without looking, his Crescent Requiem Dao guiding the strike.
A howl tore through the air as the figure split in two, their qi consumed by the Lotus Flame, blood vaporizing into mist before it touched the snow.
The other two attacked. From behind the tree, twin daggers laced with shadow qi flew toward him, their edges humming with malice.
From the boulder, a figure charged with a curved saber, their Wind-Stepping footwork blurring their form. Kael turned toward the daggers, raising his left hand.
The Silver Lotus Flame formed a shimmering barrier, incinerating the projectiles mid-flight, sparks hissing as they melted into the snow.
He vanished, his Silent Eclipse Dao cloaking his presence, reappearing behind the saber-wielder. Abyssal Fang arced downward, meeting the man's desperate parry, but the Lotus Flame overwhelmed his weapon, shattering it into fragments.
Kael's second strike sliced through the man's spine, silver fire spreading, reducing him to ash before a scream could escape.
The dagger-wielder hissed, stepping back, eyes wide behind a dark mask. "Wait! I didn't know you were—" His words cut off as Kael pointed Abyssal Fang, unleashing a spiral of silver flame like a comet. It engulfed the fleeing figure, their form dissolving into ash, the snow around them steaming.
Kael exhaled, his breath clouding in the cold, the Lotus Flame calming within his dantian. He studied the fallen, noting the black robes with twin crimson spirals on their chests—marks of the Ghost Lotus Sect, a rogue faction infamous for hunting ancient legacies.
They knew of the Lotus, drawn by the scroll's primal qi, a beacon to those who craved its secrets. Kael resumed his trek, his steps slower, eyes scanning the storm for more threats.
The Sect's presence meant others would follow, their greed a flame that burned brighter than fear.