Chapter 1 — "The Fall of the Iron Lotus"
"Every great tree once began as a seed buried in darkness."
The sky burned crimson. Clouds churned like boiling blood above the Iron Lotus Sect, and the scent of smoke mixed with the metallic tang of blood. From the highest peak of the Sect to its deepest training grounds, chaos had become the law of the land.
In the courtyard, bodies lay strewn like broken dolls. Broken weapons glinted faintly under the last rays of a dying sun. At the center knelt a figure — Lei Shen. His crimson robe was shredded, and his long hair was tangled with dust and blood. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, but there was no fear in his eyes — only burning shame.
"You have failed the Sect… and yourself."
The voice was cold, carrying the weight of final judgment. Elder Wu, the Iron Lotus Sect's grand elder, stepped forward. Behind him stood the surviving disciples, their faces pale masks of shock and fear. None dared speak. None dared move.
Lei Shen's gaze met Elder Wu's. "Why?" His voice cracked, thick with suppressed emotion. "Why strip me of everything without proof?"
Elder Wu's face remained unreadable. A slow wind swept through the courtyard, carrying whispers from unseen corners. The elder lifted his hand, and a black lotus — a symbol of betrayal — appeared in the air, burning with dark energy. It was the Sect's ultimate mark of disgrace.
The lotus pulsed with malevolent light. When it vanished, Lei Shen's forehead bore its branded imprint: a mark that would never fade.
A hush fell over the courtyard. The sound of breathing felt louder than the war before it.
Lei Shen slowly rose to his feet. Around him, the crowd began to murmur, but Elder Wu silenced them with a flick of his hand. His voice echoed over the courtyard:
"You are cast into exile. Beyond the Eastern Wastes lies the Void Expanse — where cultivators go to die. There you will rot and be forgotten. This is the judgment of the Iron Lotus Sect."
A thousand eyes turned to Lei Shen. Some burned with contempt. Others hid pity. Yet no one stepped forward to challenge the verdict.
Lei Shen's lips curled into something close to a bitter smile. "I will return," he said quietly. "And I will ascend beyond your reckoning."
With that, he turned and strode toward the eastern gate.
Scene Transition — The Wastelands
The Eastern Wastes were a land of ruin — endless plains of cracked stone under a pale, cold sun. Cultivation was forbidden here, or so the exiled sect disciples believed. The air was heavy with ancient energy, a silent warning to trespassers.
Lei Shen walked for three days without encountering life. His energy core burned with pain from the mark, and his body ached with every step. Still, he pressed forward, guided by a strange pull in his chest — a calling he could not explain.
On the third night, beneath a bleeding moon, he stumbled upon an ancient ruin. Towering stone pillars rose like skeletal hands from the earth. In their shadow lay a lotus blossom carved entirely of black crystal.
As Lei Shen approached, the air grew heavy. A voice echoed in his mind — not a sound, but a feeling.
The path awaits… the Lotus Core shall awaken.
His heart thundered. He stepped closer, and the air around him vibrated like a drumbeat. Somewhere deep within, the seed of destiny stirred.
As Lei Shen reached out to touch the lotus, a thunderous voice echoed across the wasteland:
"Intruder… the Celestial Path is forbidden!"
Lightning split the sky. Shadows danced. And Lei Shen knew his exile had only just begun.
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