Dusk settled. The sky in the north was shrouded in rolling dark clouds, cold winds curling like the breath of an ancient nightmare. In a small teahouse tucked within the town of Linxuan, a few daoists in blue robes whispered conspiratorially.
"Have you heard? The great sects are hunting for someone bearing the Emperor's Bone."
A young daoist lowered his teacup, eyes gleaming as if he'd stumbled upon some divine secret.
"Truly? I thought that was just legend! Didn't the Emperor's Bone vanish with the ancient era?"
An older man shook his head solemnly.
"The legend says that one born with the Emperor's Bone possesses a regal destiny – peerless talent, unmatched might. He can defy heaven, command the world. Once in a thousand years... and they say this time... it may be Lang Xiao."
The teahouse fell silent. Even the wind outside paused, as if listening.
Lang Xiao, at that moment, was resting in a secluded cave near the Blood Marsh River, accompanied by An and Diep Yunshu. He furrowed his brows as if sensing the shifting threads of fate.
"The Emperor's Bone..."
He gazed at the crimson river outside, his eyes as deep as an abyss.
If it truly is me… then who was I in my past life?
Diep Yunshu, gently tending to An's wounds, looked up.
"Rumors travel fast. You're no longer a shadow, Lang Xiao. If you really do carry the Emperor's Bone, peace will never follow you again."
Lang Xiao scoffed lightly.
"Emperor's Bone or not, it's just a name. What defines my path… is this sword."
He drew his blade in a smooth arc. The sword's gleam wasn't sharp, yet the air in the cave shifted—dense, heavy.
Diep Yunshu sighed.
"It's not about what you want. To the world, you're either a symbol to worship… or a threat to be destroyed."
An stirred from sleep, his small hand unconsciously carving strange sigils into the air. The cave trembled faintly before returning to stillness.
Diep Yunshu's face paled.
"Did you see? His bloodline… it's responding."
Lang Xiao gazed at An with a deep, unreadable expression.
"So it's not just me. An... too, bears a destiny that cannot be ignored."
Meanwhile, in the Tianxin Pavilion, a secret council gathered under candlelight.
One elder spoke gravely:
"We cannot allow the Emperor's Bone to rise again! If Lang Xiao truly is the reincarnated one, he must be eliminated early!"
Another elder objected:
"But he has saved countless lives during the demonic outbreak. Shall we condemn him based on rumors?"
The first elder sneered:
"Precisely because he is kind, he is dangerous. If he falls… he'll take us all down with him."
Elsewhere, in a hidden mountain manor, a man with his face wrapped in white gauze sat before an ancient zither, eyes glowing with poisonous obsession.
"Lang Xiao… is it really you? Reborn to reclaim what I once stole from you?"
He plucked a single string. The sound echoed like a dagger cutting into flesh.
"If you are truly the Emperor's Bone reborn… then I shall be the one to shatter it."