The inner chamber of the ruin was a cathedral of forgotten power. Starlight filtered through fissures in the domed ceiling, illuminating walls carved with reliefs of the Magic Emperor standing atop a mountain of shattered constellations. At the room's heart, suspended in a shaft of pallid light, hovered the Primal Core—a gemstone the size of a clenched fist, its surface a swirling maelstrom of gold and obsidian. The air vibrated with its pulse, a bass note that resonated in Li Tian's molars.
"Well," Jin said, sheathing his daggers, "that's either the answer to all our problems or the start of new ones."
Xia stepped forward, her healing qi instinctively recoiling. "Its energy… it's alive. And hungry."
Old Guo traced the carvings with trembling fingers. "The texts spoke of this. The Magic Emperor forged the Primal Core to harness the raw essence of creation. But it demanded a price he couldn't pay." His milky eyes found Li Tian. "It consumes as much as it empowers."
Li Tian approached the core, the Codex's corruption in his veins writhing like a caged animal. Since absorbing the golem's heart, the black veins had retreated to his forearm, but the Primal Core's proximity made them flare anew. "We don't have a choice. The Flame Emperor's breathing down our necks, and this—" He reached out.
"Wait!" Xia grabbed his wrist. "What if it merges with the corruption? What if you become something… else?"
Li Tian's gaze hardened. "Then I'll be something else with the power to protect you."
His fingers closed around the core.
---
**The Storm Within**
The chamber vanished.
Li Tian stood in a void, the Primal Core floating before him like a miniature sun. From its depths emerged the Magic Emperor's echo, his features blurred by time.
**"To wield the core, you must survive its truth,"** the echo intoned. **"What are you without your rage? Your pain?"**
The void fractured.
Li Tian relived his parents' disappearance—the Flame Emperor's soldiers dragging them into the night. He felt the village burning, heard Mei Ling's scream as the Spirit Gathering Array failed. The corruption in his arm surged, feeding on the memories.
**"You cling to vengeance like a crutch,"** the echo hissed. **"Stripped of it, you are nothing."**
"No." Li Tian's voice cut through the visions. "I fight for those still standing."
The core brightened. The corruption recoiled.
---
**Convergence**
Reality snapped back. The Primal Core seared into Li Tian's chest, fusing with flesh and bone. Light erupted—golden threads weaving through the Codex's black veins, forcing them into a brittle truce. His meridians burned, then *expanded*, primal energy flooding them like a river breaching a dam.
Renshu staggered under the pressure wave. "What's happening to him?"
"Evolution," Old Guo whispered.
Li Tian's scream shook dust from the ceiling. When it faded, he stood transformed. The corruption now lay dormant under a lattice of golden light, and his eyes glowed with starlight. The air around him hummed, every particle of qi bending toward him.
Xia reached for him. "Li Tian?"
He turned, his voice layered with echoes. "The core… it's a lens. It magnifies primal energy but demands balance. The corruption—it's counterweight now."
Jin snorted. "So you're part god, part demon. Convenient."
A tremor interrupted them. Bo pressed his palm to the floor. "Qi disturbances east. Massive movement—hundreds of cultivators. They're heading toward the village."
The Primal Core's light dimmed. Li Tian's resolve solidified. "Then we move faster."
---
**The Calm Before**
Nightfall found them camped in a dead forest, the trees petrified by long-void qi. Xia brewed a tincture of Spiritmend petals, her hands steady but her gaze troubled. "The core's energy is stabilizing you, but it's a fragile balance. One misstep…"
Li Tian studied his palm, where golden and black energies coiled like serpents. "I know. But fragile balance beats certain annihilation."
Old Guo approached, his staff glowing faintly. "The core's visions—did you see the attack?"
Li Tian nodded. "The Flame Emperor's vanguard arrives at dawn. They'll hit the village with siege constructs and bonded fire demons." He stood, primal energy crackling. "We'll be there first."
As the others slept, Li Tian climbed a bluff overlooking the Wastes. The Primal Core's power sharpened his senses—he could taste ash on the wind, see the distant flicker of Flame Emperor torches.
The Hollow Star's voice slithered through his mind: *"You could burn them all. One spark, and their screams would nourish us."*
Li Tian clenched his fist, smothering the corruption's whisper. "I'm not your puppet."
*"Not yet."*
---