1. Misty Mountains, a Refuge Among the Clouds
At dusk, the sun cast golden hues upon the mist-laden mountains. Three figures, cloaked in silence, treaded along a hidden path carved by time itself. Lăng Tiêu bore Diệp Vân Sơ on his back, while holding young Bé An's hand. They were like shadows slipping into clouds, leaving behind bloodied memories and half-healed wounds.
"In the world of cultivation, one seeks the Dao to escape karma. Yet karma, like one's shadow, cannot be outrun—even among the clouds."
"Where are we going, Master?" asked Bé An softly."To someone who may save her life," Lăng Tiêu replied, his gaze never wavering. "Even if he despises me for it."
2. Beneath the Pine – the Mad Flute Player
At the end of the winding path stood an ancient pine tree, roots gripping the cliff like claws. Beneath its shade sat an old man dressed in tattered robes, his hair wild like dried twigs. He blew into a flute, a haunting tune that danced with the wind and pried at one's soul.
"You again, Lăng Tiêu?" the old man sneered, lowering his flute. "I don't save people. I let them die."
Lăng Tiêu placed Diệp Vân Sơ gently at the base of the tree and knelt.
"She once saved my life. I beg you, save hers."
The old man tossed the flute into the dirt."In return, I want your true soul memory—raw, unsealed."
"Even immortals have memories they dare not recall. To open one's 'True Soul Memory' is to face not only past lives, but also the truths buried deeper than bones."
Lăng Tiêu hesitated, then nodded.
3. The Broken Dream: Echoes of a Former Life
With a chant, the old man formed a glowing circle beneath Lăng Tiêu. Light swallowed him whole, and suddenly, he found himself floating in a fragmented dreamscape—like shattered mirrors reflecting past horrors.
He saw himself: clad in obsidian armor, astride a monstrous beast, waving a blood-soaked banner over mountains of corpses.
"No… is that… me?" he gasped.
A woman in white approached, her eyes blood-red, screaming:"You killed me! And now you want to save me?"
The dream imploded. He awoke, drenched in cold sweat.
"He now knew the unspeakable truth—he was not only a savior in this life, but a butcher in the last. And the woman he sought to save was the one he once condemned."
"What is love, if built upon a mountain of sins? What is atonement, if one cannot undo the blade once swung?"
4. Diệp Vân Sơ Awakens – Gazes Without Words
Three days later, as dew shimmered on the leaves, Diệp Vân Sơ opened her eyes. Her gaze was calm, yet distant—as if looking through Lăng Tiêu, not at him.
"I don't remember my dreams," she whispered, "but something inside me… hurts deeply."
Lăng Tiêu grasped her hand, his own trembling."If you ever remember what I did… I won't run."
She said nothing. Her eyes searched his, as though seeking fragments of a soul she once knew.
"Love in the immortal realm is not a union of hearts—it is a reconciliation of debts from countless lifetimes. And the deeper the love, the heavier the chains."
5. Bé An's Secret Ritual
That night, as moonlight bathed the clearing in silver, Bé An walked into the courtyard, half-asleep. He began tracing arcane symbols into the dirt.
A ring of light emerged, forming a glowing circle of ancient script. A translucent figure, old and silver-haired, flickered into view—formed from the remnants of Tàn Niệm within the boy.
"Is this… child communing with residual souls?" the healer murmured, watching from afar.
"This boy... if guided properly, could become the Key to Awakening Lost Souls. If misled, he could be the spark that burns three realms."
6. A Distant Glare and Foreshadowed Wrath
High above, hidden within swirling mists, a man in black robes watched from a cliffside.
"So, Lăng Tiêu still seeks healing for others?" he muttered. "We'll see if that nobility lasts… when everything is stripped from you."
"Hatred never dies. It merely slumbers in the bones, waiting for spring. And spring, watered by blood… is drawing near."