Chapter 14: Shadows of the Past
The group journeyed north, toward the Ruins of Xianshen, once the capital of the Soul Emperor's domain. Jin Yue sought answers—ancient records, lost techniques, and truths buried in rubble.
As they entered the crumbling city, a thick miasma of memory qi blanketed the streets. Faint silhouettes walked phantom paths, re-living echoes of a long-dead age.
> "This place remembers everything," Yue'er whispered. "Including betrayal."
Inside the Hall of Echoes, Jin Yue touched a cracked mural. At once, visions surged—images of a past life where he ruled with compassion… until his closest brother plunged a blade into his back, driven by envy and fear.
> "I was betrayed…" he murmured. "By my own blood."
The others watched, stunned, as the mural flared and revealed a name: Xuanyuan Qiu—the Soul Emperor's fallen brother… and now the Demon King.
> "He was you," Lianhua said, voice trembling. "And now, he's your enemy."
The realization hit hard. Jin Yue wasn't just fighting a dark force—he was facing the corrupted remnant of himself.
A shattered mirror nearby glowed, drawing him to a hidden chamber beneath the ruins. There, sealed in crystal, was an ancient scroll—the Art of Dual Rebirth. A forbidden technique that could either save him… or consume him.
> "I have to finish what I failed to do last time," Jin Yue said.
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Above the ruins, dark clouds swirled.
The Demon King laughed, feeling the resonance from afar.
> "Good… remember me. Let regret ripen."