The chamber shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling as the Black Lotus warriors forced their way inside.
Kael tightened his grip around the black ring.
The older version of himself was gone.
But his final words remained.
Never awaken the eighth memory.
Kael stared at the ring.
“What does that even mean?”
A sword suddenly pierced through the doorway.
BOOM!
Stone exploded.
Three Black Lotus cultivators entered the chamber.
The one in front looked at Kael.
“There he is.”
Kael stepped backward.
His heart raced.
The strongest one was at Qi Gathering, Third Layer.
The other two were at the First Layer.
Kael was only at Body Tempering.
He had no chance.
Not alone.
“Where is the old man?” the masked cultivator asked.
Kael said nothing.
The man raised his sword.
“Then die.”
He disappeared.
Kael barely moved in time.
CLANG!
The sword struck the wall beside his head.
Kael rolled across the ground.
Another sword came from behind.
His body moved before his mind could react.
He ducked.
The blade passed over his head.
How did I know that?
The answer came immediately.
A flash of memory.
A battlefield.
Blood.
A man attacking from the exact same angle.
Kael's eyes widened.
He remembered.
Not everything.
Just fragments.
But they were enough.
The third cultivator charged.
Kael stepped forward instead of backward.
His fist struck the man's chest.
BOOM!
The cultivator stumbled.
“What?”
Kael stared at his own fist.
Golden energy flowed beneath his skin.
His Human Flame had activated.
The masked cultivator's expression changed.
“So the rumors were true.”
Kael's palm burned.
The golden mark appeared.
But this time...
something was different.
A second line appeared beneath the mark.
Then a third.
The cultivator froze.
“That pattern…”
His voice trembled.
“Impossible.”
Kael looked at him.
“What?”
The man immediately shouted,
“Kill him!”
All three attacked at once.
Kael's body moved.
Left.
Right.
Duck.
Step.
Strike.
Every movement felt strangely familiar.
He wasn't stronger than them.
He wasn't faster.
But he knew what they were going to do.
One punch.
Two punches.
A knee.
A sweeping kick.
The first cultivator fell.
The second attacked from behind.
Kael turned.
His fist met the man's sword.
CRACK!
The sword broke.
The cultivator stared at the shattered weapon.
Kael didn't give him time.
He struck his stomach.
The man flew across the chamber.
Only the leader remained.
The masked man slowly lowered his sword.
“You're remembering.”
Kael's breathing became heavy.
“What do you mean?”
The man smiled beneath his mask.
“You really don't know.”
He raised his sword.
“Then let me show you.”
A terrifying killing intent filled the chamber.
Kael's legs became heavy.
His instincts screamed.
Run.
The masked man disappeared.
Kael couldn't see him.
Then—
A voice whispered inside his mind.
Left.
Kael moved left.
The sword missed his neck by an inch.
Behind you.
He ducked.
Another slash passed above his head.
Three steps forward.
Kael obeyed.
The masked man's expression changed.
“Who is guiding you?”
Kael suddenly heard another voice.
Not the older Kael.
Not the voice from his memories.
This voice sounded...
like himself.
“Don't fight him.”
Kael froze.
The masked man's sword stopped inches from his chest.
“Too late.”
The blade moved.
Kael closed his eyes.
The golden mark exploded with light.
BOOM!
The entire chamber shook.
The sword was pushed away.
The masked man flew backward.
Kael opened his eyes.
Golden flames surrounded his body.
But they weren't burning him.
They were burning the air itself.
The black ring in his hand became hot.
A symbol appeared on its surface.
Kael stared at it.
A single word appeared.
REMEMBER.
His head suddenly exploded with pain.
He screamed.
Images flooded his mind.
A city burning.
A giant black mountain.
A sword covered in blood.
A woman crying.
A battlefield filled with corpses.
And finally—
Kael standing before thousands of dead bodies.
Older.
Stronger.
Broken.
A sword was buried through his chest.
The same sword.
The same death.
The same ending.
Seven times.
Seven lives.
Seven deaths.
Kael fell to his knees.
“No…”
The masked man slowly stood.
He stared at Kael with fear.
“You saw it.”
Kael looked up.
“What?”
“The end of your seventh life.”
Silence filled the chamber.
The masked man stepped backward.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
“You weren't supposed to remember that yet.”
Kael clenched his fist.
“Who are you?”
The man didn't answer.
Instead, he turned toward the entrance.
“Retreat.”
His men looked confused.
“But—”
“I said RETREAT!”
They immediately followed him.
Kael watched them leave.
He could have chased them.
But something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
He looked at the black ring.
The word REMEMBER was fading.
Then another word appeared.
RUN.
Kael's expression hardened.
Footsteps echoed outside the chamber.
Hundreds of them.
The Black Lotus wasn't retreating.
They were surrounding the entire mountain.
Kael slowly stood.
“So that's your plan.”
A familiar voice came from behind him.
“Kael!”
He turned.
Master Jian stood at the entrance, blood covering his clothes.
Kael's eyes widened.
“Master!”
Jian looked at the black ring in Kael's hand.
His face became pale.
“You found it.”
Kael stared at him.
“You know what this is?”
Jian didn't answer.
“Master?”
Jian looked directly into Kael's eyes.
Then he said quietly,
“That ring is the reason your father died.”
Kael's breathing stopped.
Outside, the sound of thousands of footsteps grew louder.
Jian pulled out his sword.
“We have to leave.”
Kael didn't move.
“My father…”
Jian looked away.
“He wasn't running from the Black Lotus.”
He paused.
“He was running from you.”
Kael's eyes widened.
Before he could ask another question—
The entire mountain began to collapse.
BOOOOOOM!
And beneath the falling stone...
something ancient opened its eyes.