The Moment of Seizure
When Liu Feng's Coiling Serpent Grip wrapped around his arm, Shen Lian felt the bones creak, the venom burn, the world narrowing to pain. His body should have broken. His qi should have scattered.
But the lotus in his dantian surged.
The world around him blurred. The noise of the crowd fell away.
And suddenly—
He was standing in a vast, endless field of black water. From it rose a lotus of shadow, huge and terrible, its petals unfurling like blades.
⸻
The Four Petals
The first petal opened—Lu Chen. He lounged against the lotus, smirking, his eyes mocking.
"Why resist? You've tasted it already. Let him fall. Drain him like you drained me."
The second petal—the dagger-boy—crouched on the ground, weeping.
"They'll kill you, Shen Lian. Even if you win, they'll kill you. Better to take him. Better to feed us."
The third petal—the wolf—snarled, blood dripping from its fangs.
"Hunt! Tear! He is prey! Rip his throat! Drink!"
And the fourth—Zhao Kun—screamed, his face twisted in rage.
"Thief! Usurper! You stole my life! You'll steal his too! You can't stop—you're already one of us!"
Their voices crashed together, battering his skull.
Shen Lian clutched his head, staggering. "Shut up—!"
⸻
The Struggle
He looked down. Liu Feng stood in front of him in this inner world too, bound by the lotus's roots, thrashing, his eyes wide with horror. His qi bled from him in streams of green, drawn into the black petals.
"No," Shen Lian gasped. His hands shook. If he let it continue, Liu Feng would be devoured completely—soul, body, everything.
The lotus pulsed. The voices laughed.
Yes. Take him. One more petal. One more voice.
Shen Lian staggered forward, slamming his hand against the lotus's stem. "You are mine! You obey me!"
The petals trembled. The roots writhed. But the voices only grew louder.
No. We are you.
⸻
The Breaking Point
For a moment, Shen Lian saw it—saw himself letting go. The lotus blooming fully, black tendrils ripping Liu Feng apart, the voices multiplying until he drowned in them. The crowd screaming, the elders calling him a demon, his own body no longer his.
He saw himself vanishing, becoming only another petal.
"No," he snarled. His eyes blazed. "I am Shen Lian. Not you. Not yet!"
He slammed his will into the lotus, forcing the petals closed, one by one.
Lu Chen's smirk twisted into a snarl as his petal folded shut.
The dagger-boy screamed as darkness swallowed him.
The wolf howled, fangs snapping before silence fell.
Zhao Kun cursed, his voice cut off mid-shout.
The lotus shuddered, its roots retreating from Liu Feng. The disciple collapsed, gasping, his qi half-torn but his soul intact.
And Shen Lian stood alone in the black water, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his face.
The lotus pulsed faintly, almost sulking.
You can't hold us forever.
Shen Lian smiled bitterly. "Then I'll hold you until I can't. And when that day comes… may the heavens choke on what I become."
⸻
Back to Reality
The roar of the crowd slammed back into his ears.
Smoke drifted across the arena. Liu Feng lay sprawled on the stone, trembling, veins faint but unbroken.
And Shen Lian stood above him, his hand still raised, blood dripping from his arm, his eyes steady, cold.
The petals were silent—for now.
⸻
Cliffhanger
He stepped down from the platform, the crowd's whispers swirling around him like snakes.
"Demonic…"
"No technique moves like that…"
"What did he do?!"
Above, Mo Xuan's smile widened. Hei Zong's scowl deepened.
And inside his chest, the lotus pulsed again, faintly, as if laughing.