The Boundless Ascendant

The temple trembled, its ancient stone walls groaning as if in pain. Ling Xiao stood at the center of the ruin, his eyes fixed on the altar where the Source had once called to them. Now, there was nothing but emptiness—an absence so vast it swallowed the room whole. The swirling dark energy that had once surrounded Xuan Wei was gone, and in its place was a thick, suffocating silence.

Zhen Xue remained at his side, her face as pale as the moon. Her eyes were distant, her grip tight on the hilt of her sword. There were no words for what they had just witnessed. No words for the betrayal, the horror, and the loss. Xuan Wei, their friend, their comrade, had been taken by the Source. It wasn't just the loss of a person—it was the loss of the hope they had pinned on him. The hope that he might somehow be the key to ending the Black Lotus, to ending the Source.

But now…

Ling Xiao closed his eyes for a moment, pushing down the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. He could not afford to falter. Not now. Not when the world teetered on the edge of oblivion.

**"We have to go,"** Zhen Xue said softly, her voice cutting through the stillness. **"We can't stay here. We need to find a way to stop this."**

Ling Xiao nodded, his thoughts momentarily drawn to the ruins of the temple, the vast expanse that had once been a place of worship—and of power. It had been the birthplace of the Black Lotus, the source of all the suffering that had followed. He could feel the weight of its history pressing down on him, suffocating him with its darkness.

**"We can't let Xuan Wei's death be in vain."**

Zhen Xue's eyes softened, but there was no pity there. She was a warrior, a survivor. She knew that this path would not be easy. That there were no guarantees, no assurances. But there was one thing they both knew: they couldn't stop fighting.

Ling Xiao turned toward the exit of the temple, his heart heavy with resolve. The Source still pulsed in the very foundation of the temple, a constant reminder that their battle was far from over. It was waiting. Watching. It would not be defeated by the loss of one man, no matter how close he had been to its power.

---

**A Path Toward the Unknown**

The journey to find a way to destroy the Source would take them far from the temple. But where could they go? What path could they take that would lead them to victory?

They had no answers.

The sky above had darkened, as though the very heavens mourned the loss of Xuan Wei, or perhaps the coming of something worse. Ling Xiao and Zhen Xue traveled in silence, the weight of their defeat pressing down on them. They had no map, no plan. Just the vague hope that somewhere, somehow, there might be an answer—a way to undo the damage, to stop the endless cycle that the Source promised.

As they walked, Ling Xiao's thoughts turned inward. His mind replayed every moment of their journey. Every conversation, every encounter. Every battle. Xuan Wei's gradual shift, the way he had seemed to fade into something unrecognizable as they grew closer to the Source. Ling Xiao had always known Xuan Wei to be a strong-willed person, a man who valued loyalty above all else. But in the end, was it his desire for power that had led him astray? Or had the Source simply been too strong for him to resist?

**"It's not your fault,"** Zhen Xue's voice broke through his thoughts, as though she had read his mind. **"We all knew what we were up against. No one could have foreseen this."**

Ling Xiao glanced at her, his expression unreadable. But the truth of her words settled in his chest like a weight. He had blamed himself, thinking there was something he could have done differently. But Xuan Wei had made his choice. And that choice had led them here.

As they walked further into the wilderness, the landscape grew increasingly desolate. The trees, once full of life, were now twisted and barren, their branches reaching skyward like gnarled fingers. The wind howled through the empty forest, carrying with it a chill that seemed to seep into their very bones.

It was clear now that whatever had been unleashed with the rise of the Black Lotus was spreading. The world itself was starting to wither, to rot from the inside out. No place was untouched. The Source's influence was far-reaching, and if they didn't act soon, there would be no stopping it.

Ling Xiao gritted his teeth. There had to be a way. There had to be something that could stop this. He couldn't—wouldn't—let Xuan Wei's sacrifice be for nothing.

---

**The Stranger's Offer**

As they passed through a clearing, the scent of decay was thick in the air. Ling Xiao's senses were on high alert, every muscle tense, ready for anything. It was Zhen Xue who noticed it first. A figure standing at the edge of the clearing, cloaked in tattered robes, their face hidden beneath a hood. The figure seemed out of place, like a mirage, a shadow in the midst of the dying world.

Ling Xiao instinctively reached for his sword, but Zhen Xue's hand stopped him. **"Wait,"** she said, her voice wary. **"Let's see what this is about."**

The figure stepped forward, the air around it swirling with an eerie, unnatural calm. As it approached, it spoke, its voice smooth and ethereal, yet carrying an edge that sent a chill down Ling Xiao's spine.

**"I know what you seek."**

Ling Xiao's grip on his sword tightened. **"Who are you?"**

The figure tilted its head slightly, as if amused by the question. **"I am someone who has walked paths you cannot yet comprehend. I have seen what the Source can do. And I know how to stop it."**

Zhen Xue's hand was still on her sword, but she lowered it slightly, her expression cautious. **"You claim to know how to stop the Source. Why should we trust you?"**

The figure's lips curled into a faint, cryptic smile. **"Because I offer you the only way forward. The only way to destroy the Source. But it comes with a price. A price that you may not be willing to pay."**

Ling Xiao felt a surge of suspicion and caution. **"What price?"**

The figure did not respond immediately, instead stepping closer, its presence almost overwhelming in its coldness. **"To stop the Source, to rid the world of this plague, you must make a choice. A sacrifice."**

Ling Xiao's heart skipped a beat. He had been prepared to sacrifice everything to destroy the Source, but this? This was different. It was a deeper, more personal sacrifice.

**"What sacrifice?"** Zhen Xue asked, her voice low but firm.

The figure's smile deepened. **"The Source cannot be defeated without a vessel to contain it. A soul to anchor its power. One of you must offer yourselves as the vessel."**

Ling Xiao's mind whirled. A vessel to contain the Source's power? Was this even possible? To bind it within oneself, to carry the burden of the Source's infinite power? 

**"Are you saying one of us has to become the Source?"** Ling Xiao demanded, his voice rising. He could not fathom the price being asked of them.

**"No,"** the figure replied, its tone soft, almost sad. **"You would not become the Source, but you would carry its essence. You would bind it within you, and in doing so, protect the world from its corruption. But that is the price. A life, a soul, to bear its weight."**

Ling Xiao's chest tightened. He turned to Zhen Xue, but he knew that neither of them could carry this burden alone. The decision would have to be made.

The figure's words lingered in the air, a promise and a warning. "The world's fate rests on your choice. Choose wisely."

End of Chapter 85

In Chapter 85, Ling Xiao and Zhen Xue continue their journey through a dying world, facing the growing influence of the Black Lotus and the Source. The loss of Xuan Wei weighs heavily on them as they search for a way to stop the Source's devastation. They encounter a mysterious figure who offers them a chance to defeat the Source, but at a dire cost: one of them must become the vessel for the Source's power, bearing its weight to prevent the world's destruction. The choice they must make is unclear, and the price is unimaginable.

If you'd like more chapters, I can continue to build the story step by step, expanding on Ling Xiao's journey, his growing power, and the world he seeks to reshape.