The elder monk's words hung heavy in the air.
Jiang Feng didn't like them.
Li Xue had barely caught her breath, her fingers still cold against his arm, but the moment she heard the word war, her expression shifted. Her usual smirk was gone, replaced by something sharper, something unreadable.
Jiang Feng glanced at her. "You're awfully quiet."
She let go of his sleeve, standing straighter. "I'm thinking."
He sighed. "That's never a good sign."
The elder monk watched them both, his face unreadable. "You have seen the truth for yourself, Maiden of the Jade Lotus. Now, you must decide—will you accept your role, or will you turn away?"
Li Xue met his gaze. "And if I refuse?"
The elder smiled faintly. "Then the heavens will still move, with or without your consent."
Jiang Feng exhaled. "You're really bad at making this sound like a choice."
The monk turned to him. "Because it is not a choice for you, swordsman. It is only hers."
Jiang Feng tensed but said nothing.
Li Xue looked at the fading ripples in the mirror of mist and jade.
War. Balance. The heavens awakening.
She wasn't foolish enough to believe this was just fate. No, someone—something—was pulling the strings.
She just didn't know who.
She met the monk's gaze. "Tell me what you know."
The elder's expression softened, as if he had been waiting for those words.
"Then follow me."
—
They were led through another corridor, deeper into the temple's heart. The air here was thick with something ancient, something that made Jiang Feng's instincts scream.
He didn't like this place.
And he liked it even less when they stepped into a vast underground chamber.
The walls were lined with coffins.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of stone coffins stacked high, their lids covered in intricate seals and talismans. The air was stale, yet something lurked beneath it, like a storm waiting to break.
Jiang Feng's fingers twitched toward his sword. "Explain. Now."
The elder monk walked ahead, his footsteps calm. "This is the Hall of Forgotten Souls."
Li Xue's eyes narrowed. "You've been keeping bodies here?"
"These are not ordinary bodies," the elder said. "They are the remains of those who came before you."
Jiang Feng's jaw clenched. "The celestial maidens."
The elder nodded. "Every maiden who bore the mark of the jade lotus. Every woman who wielded the power of the heavens. They all came here. And they all died here."
Silence.
Jiang Feng swore under his breath.
Li Xue didn't react immediately. Her gaze swept over the coffins, her fingers curling slightly. "How did they die?"
The elder's voice was quiet. "Some were killed. Some lost themselves to their power. And some… simply faded away, no longer able to withstand the weight of divinity."
Jiang Feng's grip on his sword tightened.
Li Xue exhaled slowly. "And you expect me to follow in their footsteps?"
"No," the elder said. "I expect you to surpass them."
She let out a soft laugh, but there was no humor in it. "That's a tall order."
The elder stepped forward, placing a hand on one of the coffins. "One of them once said the same thing."
The moment his fingers touched the stone, the seals glowed. The air shifted, and for the briefest moment, Jiang Feng felt something—someone—staring back at them from within the coffin.
Then, just as quickly, the presence vanished.
Li Xue's voice was quiet. "What was that?"
The elder withdrew his hand. "A reminder."
Jiang Feng had seen enough. He turned to Li Xue. "We're leaving."
She looked at him. "You don't want answers?"
"I don't want this," Jiang Feng said, gesturing at the coffins. "They died here, Li Xue. You saw that thing in the mirror. You saw what's coming. Do you really want to end up like them?"
Li Xue was silent.
Then she turned to the elder. "Tell me what I need to do."
Jiang Feng exhaled sharply. "Li Xue—"
She met his gaze. "If fate is already moving, then running won't stop it. If I refuse to act, someone else will take control of my power—and I'd rather not let that happen."
Jiang Feng swore under his breath. "You're serious about this."
Li Xue smiled, though there was something dark in her eyes. "Since when have I ever been the type to run?"
Jiang Feng shook his head. "You're going to get us killed."
She grinned. "Then make sure I don't."
The elder watched them both before nodding. "Then come. There is much to prepare."
And with that, the door to the past closed behind them, and the path to war opened ahead.