The fire of the Sixth Petal still lingered in Jin Mu-Won's veins.
He stood beneath the stars of the Searing Wastes, shirtless, body glowing faintly with the afterburn of his newly awakened Lotus Flame. Each breath he took pulsed with energy. The ancient temple now lay behind him—sealed once more, its guardian gone, its relic claimed.
He had six petals now.
Only one more remained.
But as Jin closed his eyes to feel the energy settle, a whisper came from the Lotus Seal on his back.
"He has returned."
---
Elsewhere, high above the mortal realm, on the snow-capped edge of the Winter Serpent Mountains, he opened his eyes.
Hair white as moonlight. Eyes like frost. A body reborn from another world.
Kang Ryul.
Another reincarnated soul.
Unlike Jin, Kang Ryul remembered his past life not with longing—but with rage.
He had been a hero once, in a different world. A general. Betrayed. Killed by his own emperor.
And now, in this world of martial arts, he had clawed his way to power through blood and manipulation. He, too, had awakened a unique energy—Frost Core Vein—a power that rivaled even the Lotus itself.
He stared at a map. Seven Lotus Petals. Six acquired.
Only one remained.
And it was time... to meet Jin Mu-Won.
---
Back in the Wastes, the group gathered around the fire. Jin sat silently, sharpening his blade. The others were quiet, exhausted from the fight.
Shi Mei sat closest to Jin. Not quite touching. But near enough that her presence was unmistakable.
Hye Rin passed her a bowl of soup. "You're getting bolder."
Shi Mei glanced up, confused. "What?"
"With him," Hye Rin smiled, gesturing toward Jin. "I can see it. You're opening up."
Shi Mei didn't deny it. "He sees me," she whispered. "Not just my sins."
Yu Fei listened from across the fire. Her eyes flickered toward Jin, then back to Shi Mei. A flicker of emotion passed through her chest.
Jealousy.
---
Ren was quiet that night. Unusually quiet.
He stood alone on a cliff, staring into the wind.
Jin approached him.
"You're hiding something."
Ren didn't look back. "I'm hiding many things."
Jin narrowed his eyes. "Tell me about Kang Ryul."
Ren's breath caught.
"I know he exists," Jin said calmly. "Another reincarnator. Strong. Dangerous. Why haven't you mentioned him?"
Ren sighed. "Because I thought he died. I fought him once, years ago. He was already in his second life. Already building an army."
"And now?"
"He's back," Ren muttered. "And he wants the Seventh Petal."
Jin's expression hardened.
"So it begins."
---
The next morning, they departed the Wastes.
Shi Mei rode beside Jin. Occasionally, their shoulders brushed. She still didn't smile, but her eyes were softer now. More... curious.
Lin Xue teased her constantly.
"So, have you poisoned him yet?"
"No."
"Stabbed him?"
"No."
"Kissed him?"
Shi Mei nearly fell off her mount.
Lin laughed hysterically.
---
They stopped at a mountain spring on the way north. As the others bathed or cooked, Jin sat alone beneath a waterfall, letting its weight press against his shoulders.
Suddenly, Shi Mei appeared.
She stepped into the water beside him. Silent.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then she asked, "Do you dream?"
Jin opened his eyes. "Often."
"Of your past life?"
"Sometimes."
She touched the waterfall's surface. "Do you ever regret coming back?"
He turned toward her. "No. Because I get to protect people like you."
She looked away quickly, ears red.
Then, very softly: "Thank you."
---
They left the spring at dawn.
But not before Jin noticed something odd in the sky—a flickering of light. Like a tear in the clouds.
He narrowed his eyes.
And realized—it was a message.
A frozen sigil.
"Come to Frostveil."
---
Frostveil Fortress was an ancient city carved into a glacier. It sat at the northern edge of the world, surrounded by blizzards and cliffs that never thawed. Only the strongest warriors could survive its cold.
And at its heart, stood Kang Ryul.
Jin's rival.
---
As they approached the city gates, they found it already open. No guards. No resistance.
Inside, the city was silent.
Too silent.
Snow fell in perfect spirals. No footprints. No smoke. No people.
Ren whispered, "It's a trap."
Jin stepped forward. "I know."
And then—
Boom.
An explosion of frost erupted from the ground.
And standing at the center of it was Kang Ryul.
Tall. Pale. Wearing robes of white and blue, embroidered with the sigil of the Ice Phoenix.
"So," he said. "You're the famed Jin Mu-Won."
Jin stepped forward. "And you must be Kang Ryul."
They studied each other in silence.
Jin spoke first. "You've gathered power."
Kang smirked. "And you've gathered girls."
Yu Fei stepped forward, bristling. "You want to die that badly?"
Kang ignored her. "I'm not here to fight you. Yet. I want something else."
"The Seventh Petal," Jin guessed.
Kang nodded. "We'll race. You and me. First to claim it... decides the fate of this world."
Shi Mei stepped beside Jin. "And if we refuse?"
Kang's eyes glinted. "Then I slaughter your little harem, one by one."
---
That night, the group camped on the outskirts of Frostveil. No one slept.
Jin stood watch.
Shi Mei joined him.
"He's strong," she admitted. "But you're stronger."
Jin didn't reply.
Instead, he asked: "If I lost my power, would you still follow me?"
She looked at him. "Yes."
He turned. "Why?"
She blushed. "Because... you make me feel alive."
He smiled.
And, without warning, she leaned in.
Their lips met.
Soft. Quick. But real.
Then she pulled back, flustered.
"I... I'm going to bed!"
She ran.
Jin stood there, stunned.
Then Lin Xue's voice called from a nearby tent.
"Took you long enough!"
---
The next day, they began the race.
Kang Ryul and his group vanished into the northern crags.
Jin's party headed south, toward the Ruins of Azure Sky—a fallen city where the final petal was said to sleep.
But as they moved through a narrow gorge, they were ambushed.
Ice warriors.
Kang's forces.
They came like a blizzard—silent, deadly.
Yu Fei engaged them first, blades flashing. Lin Xue spun like a cyclone. Hye Rin used her chants to freeze time for moments, giving them openings.
Shi Mei fought with lethal grace, her chain dagger dancing.
But it was Jin who turned the tide.
He unleashed the Sixth Petal's full power—Lotus Inferno—a storm of golden fire that melted the ice warriors in seconds.
After the battle, they regrouped.
And found something buried in the snow.
A scroll.
Ancient. Wrapped in lotus silk.
Inside, a map.
The Seventh Petal's location.
Hidden deep beneath the Valley of Echoes.
Jin clenched his fist.
"It's time."
---
As they made camp that night, Yu Fei sat alone.
Jin found her.
"You okay?"
She didn't answer right away.
Then: "Do you love her?"
Jin blinked. "Who?"
"Shi Mei."
He hesitated. "I'm not sure. But I... care about her."
Yu Fei nodded.
"I loved you," she said softly. "Still do."
He looked down. "I know."
She smiled bitterly. "But I was never the one, was I?"
He reached out, touched her hand. "You were the first."
She leaned against him.
Not kissing.
Just... resting.
And for that night, that was enough.
---
As the final stars vanished behind the clouds, Jin Mu-Won looked toward the Valley of Echoes.
Only one petal remained.
But Kang Ryul was close.
And the final battle—the true war for the fate of Murim—was coming.