The mountain wind was sharp now—carrying whispers from forgotten graves.
Lin Xian stood where the shadows had faded, both hands now occupied—Embersoul Blade on his back, Whisperfang at his side. The two swords pulsed faintly, resonating with his reborn soul.
But his gaze was fixed above.
Where that girl had vanished.
The silver-haired enigma who should not exist in a realm like this.
> [System Warning: Unknown Entity Left Behind Traces of Divine Time Qi.]
[Possibility: Dimensional Outlander or Timeless Being.]
"Timeless…" he muttered. "That explains the eyes."
He climbed the cliff where she stood. No footprints. No signs. But something remained:
A single petal.
Frozen. Unmelting. Still alive.
> [Item Obtained: Frostpetal from the Lotus Beyond Time]
— Bound Item.
— Use: Unknown
— "A piece of a soul that's watched the end more than once."
Then, footsteps echoed behind him.
Not hers.
A figure emerged—clad in obsidian armor, bearing a banner marked with the crest of the Celestial Church.
"The traitor has returned…" the knight growled. "By order of the Sacred Tribunal, Lin Xian is to be judged again. Permanently."
Lin Xian's hand moved toward his blade.
"Did you come alone?"
The knight sneered. "I am all that's needed to slay a ghost like you."
> [System Analysis: Enemy: Holy Knight – Level 25 – Divine Reinforcement Detected.]
[Note: Combat Disadvantage – Recommend Strategy Shift]
Lin Xian didn't wait.
He disappeared in a flicker of smoke.
> [Shadowstep: Activated]
Appearing behind the knight, sword raised—
> [Hellfire Draw: Engaged]
Flames clashed against divine light as sparks rained across the cliffside.
Steel met hate. Fire met holy. But neither backed down.
Until a sudden wave of frost surged through the air, freezing both blades mid-strike.
Both turned.
Aurelia stood on a branch nearby, unmoving.
"Enough," she said, voice as cold as prophecy. "He is not ready to die. And you… are not allowed to kill him."
The knight stumbled. "Y-You…! Oracle of the Seventh Seal?! But you vanished—!"
Aurelia ignored him.
Her eyes locked on Lin Xian again.
And softly, she said—
"When the ninth temple awakens… I will be your end. Or your beginning."
The frost vanished.
She was gone.
Leaving only silence…
…and a heartbeat that echoed in Lin Xian's ears long after.