Chapter 67 – The Burden of Legacy
The core of the Black Tomb glowed faintly, as if its last breath was trapped inside the chamber. The sulfur stench of demonic energy clung to the walls, thick enough to sting the eyes. Shards of bone and broken glyphs littered the jagged stone floor, remnants of a battle that had shaken the earth itself.
At the center, the fragment of Qorath pulsed weakly. Once a towering manifestation of corruption, it now flickered like a dying ember, its crystalline surface cracked and bleeding shadow. What little power remained struggled to cling to form, shrinking into something no greater than a man's height. The oppressive weight of its aura was gone, replaced with a hollow echo.
Lin Xuan stood before it, shoulders rising and falling with every breath. His crimson eyes glowed faintly under the dim lantern light, sharp yet exhausted. Sweat plastered his jet-black hair against his temples, and beneath the fabric of his robe his chest heaved, each inhale shallow but defiant.
The ritual he had enacted moments ago had drained more of him than he wanted to admit. His Severed Unity Body held firm, bones humming with a faint jade resonance, but his muscles trembled. Still, he raised his hand.
The Celestial Unity Crest on his back flared. A crimson arc condensed in his palm, humming with suppressed ferocity.
"Severed Crimson Unity Slash!"
The blade of energy tore across the chamber with a violent whoosh, its resonance rattling the cracked lanterns. When it struck the fragment's core, the explosion that followed nearly deafened them. A burst of light swallowed the dark, echoing with a thunderous boom. The ground split, cracks snaking across the stone with a sharp snap, and the crystalline body of the fragment shattered into hundreds of glowing shards.
Lin Xuan staggered back a step, teeth clenched, his body threatening to give. His voice rang out, raw and ragged:
"It's over. Fall, you monster!"
The remnants of Qorath dissolved into a dark mist, swirling for a brief moment before dissipating into nothingness. The pressure that had weighed on their chests lifted, replaced by a ringing silence.
Then the silence broke.
A low hum filled the chamber. From the collapsing core rose a structure—a tower of obsidian, smooth and gleaming as if freshly forged, its surface alive with shifting runes. Its presence carried no malice, yet the power it radiated pressed down on the soul, heavy and endless.
And then it happened. Another fragment of Qorath blinked into being, faint and fleeting. Before anyone could react, the fragment and the tower surged forward like lightning, their forms collapsing into streams of energy that slammed into Lin Xuan's forehead.
Thud!
He fell to his knees with a strangled gasp, clutching his skull. The world blurred, his vision consumed by a torrent of alien energy. A rhythm, foreign yet familiar, pounded against his mind—like a second heartbeat trying to match his own.
"What—what is this?" His breath hitched, voice hoarse.
"Senior Brother!"
Liu Yue rushed forward, her long raven hair trailing behind her. Her moonlight eyes widened as she saw him trembling, sweat dripping down his jaw. Frost gathered on her fingertips as she unleashed Frost Phoenix Cry, the chilling wave cutting through the lingering tendrils of corrupted qi with a sharp crack. The frosty air shimmered, cleansing the suffocating gloom.
"Stay with us!" she cried, pressing a steadying hand to his shoulder. "What's happening to you?"
"Elder Sister, he's shaking too much!"
Liu Yang came running, his glaive already glowing with scarlet light. The boy's young face was pale, but his eyes blazed with determination. He swung the weapon in a practiced arc, channeling Energy Devour. The blade hummed as it absorbed loose currents of demonic qi, slicing through the remnants with wet, sizzling snaps.
"I don't know what to do," he admitted, lowering the glaive. His hands shook, but his voice held steady. "Should we get him out? Elder Sister?"
Liu Yue bit her lip, forcing calm. "We can't move him. Just clear the qi—hold the line until it stabilizes!"
Lin Xuan forced his breath into rhythm, even as the alien pulse clashed against his soul. He looked up at their worried faces, his crimson eyes flickering with a fragile smile.
"I… I'll be fine. Just—give me a moment."
But his voice was weaker than he wished.
At the Dawnriver Palace, far above the tomb, the kingdom stirred with relief. Ji Yunjing stood in the throne hall, silk robes flowing as he raised a hand for silence. His aura, steady and refined, washed over the gathered ministers and guards.
"The immediate threat has been contained," he declared, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Honor their victory. Dawnriver stands because of them."
The courtiers bowed deeply. Murmurs of relief and awe spread like ripples in still water.
"Prepare their welcome," Ji Yunjing added, his usually stern brow easing. "They have saved us all."
Bai Ningxue, standing at his side, exhaled softly. Her aura had risen since entering the tomb; she now stood firm at the 2nd Layer Profound Heavenly Realm. With a graceful gesture, she weaved Thousand Lotus Seal Art, lotus sigils blooming in the air like fragile light. They drifted down into the Black Tomb below, purifying the last traces of corrupted qi until even the shadows seemed to sigh in relief.
"The core is cleansed," she reported, her voice gentle but resolute. "Still, we should not underestimate what lingered. I'll continue the seals until nothing remains."
Ji Yunjing gave a single nod, his gaze already turning toward the distant horizon. "And we will check on the victors ourselves. They have endured too much."
Within the tomb, Lin Xuan rose slowly to his feet. The energy inside him had not settled; it coiled like a serpent, waiting. He clenched his fists, forcing steadiness into his frame.
"Let's leave this place," he said. His voice was quiet, but it carried authority.
Liu Yue looped an arm under his, her touch cool against his burning skin. She glanced at him with eyes full of worry. "Senior Brother, we're not done until you're safe."
Liu Yang tightened the strap of his glaive, forcing a grin though fatigue dragged at him. "Yeah, no more surprises, okay? My glaive's tired of eating this filth."
Lin Xuan almost chuckled. Almost.
The group climbed back to the surface, the air brightening with every step. When they emerged, sunlight greeted them, sharp and blinding after the tomb's darkness. A cheer rose from the gathered soldiers. Dawnriver's people had been waiting.
Ji Yunjing himself stepped forward, lowering his head in solemn respect. "You've exceeded all expectations. Dawnriver owes you everything."
Applause rolled across the field. The victory was theirs, but only Lin Xuan knew the truth: what had entered him in the tomb was no blessing. It was a burden.
Dawnriver City glowed with new life as the team returned. The cobblestone streets were alive with rebuilding, hammer strikes ringing out like celebratory drums. The scent of lotus incense drifted from shrines hastily erected in gratitude.
Liu Yue and Liu Yang basked in the welcome, greeting citizens who pressed flowers and bread into their hands. Bai Ningxue walked beside them, her calm presence soothing the chaos.
Lin Xuan trailed slightly behind, his crimson eyes shadowed. The pulse of the tower inside his body had not faded. Each beat of his heart carried with it a second thrum, alien and unyielding.
"I need to understand this," he muttered under his breath, unheard by the others. "Is it power… or poison?"
But when a child ran up to hand him a lotus blossom, his lips curved into a reassuring smile. "Thank you," he said softly, tucking the flower into his belt.
The boy beamed and ran off, never knowing that the warrior he idolized carried within him a shadow darker than the demon they had just slain.
That night, the palace celebrated. Banners of white silk fluttered in the breeze, and lanterns lit the royal plaza in gold and scarlet. The people gathered, their cheers rising in waves.
Ji Yunjing addressed the crowd with a raised goblet of wine. "Bow to their courage. These cultivators turned despair into hope!"
The city roared its approval.
But even as laughter and celebration filled the plaza, Lin Xuan sat apart in quiet reflection, his eyes turned toward the stars. The warmth of victory brushed against him, but could not settle the unease in his chest.
For within him lay a legacy not of triumph, but of burden.