The days after claiming the First Seal passed in a blur of exhaustion and fleeting relief. Wu Yue's body ached from the battle, but the fire ignited inside him burned brighter than ever.
He returned to Nanyue, but the town felt different now — heavier, as if a veil had been pulled back and hidden dangers now watched from every shadow.
Wu Yue spent his time pouring over the ancient scrolls and notes from the Primordial Dao fragment, hoping to unlock more secrets. Each symbol seemed to hum with latent energy, promising power to those who could decipher its meaning.
Yet the weight of responsibility pressed down. The seals were not mere artifacts; they were the keys to an ancient war fought between unseen forces. And now, those forces had taken notice.
One evening, as the sun dipped behind the western hills, Wu Yue heard a soft tapping at his window.
He opened it cautiously, finding a small folded paper tied with a crimson thread.
Unfolding the note, his eyes scanned the elegant brushstrokes:
"Meet me at the edge of the Silent Forest. Midnight. Trust no one."
Wu Yue's heart skipped. The Silent Forest was a place of dark legend, a tangled thicket where spirits were said to roam freely and travelers often vanished.
Despite the warning, he felt compelled to go. The message might be a trap, but it could also be his only chance to learn more about the game unfolding around him.
At midnight, cloaked in shadow, Wu Yue made his way toward the forest's edge. The trees loomed tall and twisted, their branches reaching like skeletal fingers into the mist.
The air grew colder, thick with the scent of moss and decay.
A figure stepped from behind a gnarled oak — a man dressed in simple yet elegant robes, his face half-hidden by a hood.
"You came," the stranger said softly.
"Who are you?" Wu Yue asked, voice steady but wary.
"My name is Wei Shen. I once walked the path you now tread — before I was cast out."
Wei Shen's eyes glinted with a mixture of sorrow and determination.
"I know of the seals, and the battle for them. But the elders who watch are not the only players. There are others — darker forces who seek to unravel the world itself."
Wu Yue frowned. "Why tell me this? How do I know I can trust you?"
Wei Shen reached into his robes and produced a small, intricately carved box.
"Because I have no choice. The seals must be protected, and you are the one chosen by fate. Inside this box is a fragment of the Dao — a shard that will aid you in your journey."
He handed the box to Wu Yue.
A sudden rustling came from deeper within the forest. Both men tensed, eyes searching the darkness.
"The shadows come," Wei Shen warned. "You must leave now."
Wu Yue nodded, clutching the box tightly.
As they hurried back toward the town, the whispering wind seemed to carry voices — faint echoes of warnings and promises, of battles yet to come.
Back in his room, Wu Yue opened the box carefully. Inside lay a crystal unlike any he had seen — a shard of shimmering light that pulsed softly.
As he touched it, warmth spread through his fingers, and a new power stirred within his soul.
The path ahead was uncertain, fraught with peril and mystery.
But Wu Yue understood one truth clearly: He could no longer walk alone.