The ancient chamber groaned as the circular stone door ground open, revealing a passage shrouded in cold, flickering green light. The Temple of Lanxu had not seen human footsteps in centuries, and the air was thick with ancient power, humming through the jade-veined walls like a heartbeat.
Li Wei stepped forward slowly, the Blade of Aether still humming faintly in his hand. The battle with the Vermillion Flame Sentinel had left his muscles aching, but a stronger current pulled at him now. Not pain. Not even curiosity. It was resonance.
"This place..." he murmured, eyes scanning the intricate carvings on the walls. Celestial beasts, spirit gates, and flowing rivers of energy were etched in fine jade and obsidian, glowing faintly with a magic that had never truly died.
Mei Ling's steps echoed behind him. Her fingers brushed over one of the carvings — a dragon coiled around a mountain, with a pearl of light cradled in its claws.
"These aren't just symbols," she whispered. "They're memories. Sealed here by the ancient guardians."
Bo Qian leaned against a cracked pillar, still nursing a gash on his shoulder. "I've seen old temples before, but nothing like this. The whole mountain feels... awake."
Li Wei walked to the center of the chamber, where a raised dais held a circular jade disc. It hovered slightly above the stone, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. The moment he stepped near it, the disc shimmered and spun slowly.
"It's reacting to you," Mei Ling said.
He nodded, heart pounding. He reached out and touched the disc.
A blinding light exploded outward.
---
When the light faded, they were no longer in the temple. At least, not in the physical sense. The air had turned thick with mist and energy. They stood upon an ethereal platform suspended above a sea of starlight.
"This... this is a memory realm," Mei Ling gasped.
From the mist emerged a figure — robed in flowing white and jade armor, his eyes aglow with celestial fire. He was tall, commanding, and bore the same Blade of Aether that Li Wei now carried.
"You have come far, descendant," the figure spoke. His voice echoed with age and sorrow. "But the true trial lies beyond understanding, not strength."
Li Wei swallowed. "Who are you?"
"I am Ji Yuan, the First Guardian of the Jade Realm," the man replied. "This memory is not a message. It is a test of spirit."
Suddenly, shadows erupted around them. Twisted forms of beasts and men, cloaked in void-fire, snarled from the edges of the platform.
Ji Yuan raised his sword. "Only by facing the darkness within, can you bear the light of the Jade Flame."
The shadows attacked.
---
The battle was not physical. It was spiritual — a war of will and soul.
Li Wei found himself pulled into a vision. He stood in the ruins of his village, the cries of his younger siblings echoing as flames consumed their home. A cloaked figure laughed, holding the broken pieces of his father's medallion.
"You failed them," the voice hissed. "You were too weak."
Li Wei's fists trembled. He stepped forward. "No. I was a child. But I swore I'd protect those I could. And I will."
The vision shattered.
Another shadow took its place. Mei Ling's lifeless body, cradled in his arms. The same voice sneered. "And what of her? You'll lead her to death too."
"No!" he roared, his Qi igniting in golden fire. "She is not mine to save or doom. She walks beside me, not behind!"
One by one, the illusions broke.
Bo Qian faced his own trial — the image of a battlefield strewn with the bodies of his brothers, the burden of being the sole survivor. He dropped to his knees.
"I should've died with them," he muttered.
Mei Ling knelt beside him, placing a talisman against his chest. "No. You lived so they wouldn't be forgotten. Stand, warrior. Honor them."
Together, they overcame the specters.
---
When the final shadow faded, Ji Yuan lowered his sword. His expression was softer now, his voice like the wind through leaves.
"You carry the legacy of countless guardians. But you must forge your own path. The Jade Flame is not a weapon. It is a beacon."
The platform cracked, light spilling into the void. As they fell through it, Li Wei heard Ji Yuan's final words:
"The one who walks willingly into shadow shall become the light the world forgot."
---
They awoke in the temple chamber. The jade disc had vanished, replaced by a lotus of glowing light floating above the dais.
Li Wei stepped forward, his heart steady. He reached out and touched the lotus.
Power surged through him — not violent or scorching, but warm, steady, vast. It spread through his limbs like flowing water, awakening the deeper channels of his Qi. His eyes widened as the marks on his forearms shimmered and changed, forming ancient runes of the Jade Guardians.
Mei Ling gasped. "You've awakened the First Flame."
Bo Qian chuckled, though his voice held reverence. "About time."
The temple rumbled.
Far above, the peak of the Skyreach Mountains cracked, revealing an ancient spire carved in the shape of a lotus, glowing green as if answering a long-forgotten call.
Outside, storms gathered.
Far to the south, in the empire's capital, a masked man seated in a hall of shadows opened his eyes.
"The heir has awakened. Begin the purge."
---
In the silence of the temple, Li Wei exhaled slowly.
He was no longer just a seeker. No longer a student.
He was a Guardian now — and the real war was about to begin.
---