"When the Fallen Star returns to the Sky, the Heavens shall bleed."
The wind howled through the craggy peaks of the Lost North.
Snow spiraled down in thick, blinding sheets, muffling the crunch of boots and the hiss of breath. Feng Chan's robe flapped in the blizzard, its edges soaked and heavy, but he didn't stop. The Temple loomed above—a shadow carved from ancient stone, partially buried in ice and time.
He had finally arrived.
Behind him, Xiao Mei gasped for air, her lips blue, her breath shallow. "This place… it's not just cold. It's draining our spirit energy."
Feng Chan nodded. "This mountain was sealed for a reason."
The Temple stood like a silent judge—its colossal gates etched with symbols older than the Nine Realms. A single sigil glowed faintly: a falling star pierced by a crescent moon.
Feng Chan reached out. As his palm touched the surface, the doors groaned open on their own.
> "You have come… bearer of the broken destiny."
The voice wasn't real—it echoed within his mind.
They stepped inside.
---
Interior – The First Chamber
Pillars of obsidian lined the temple's hallway, each one wrapped in chains made of light. The air shimmered with dormant energy. Spirits whispered in languages lost to time.
At the center stood a stone mirror, cracked, yet still glowing.
> "This is the Hall of Echoes," Xiao Mei said, shivering. "It reflects not your image… but your fate."
Before Feng Chan could speak, the mirror activated.
A vision burst forth—
—An army of masked warriors kneeling before a man cloaked in darkness.
—A young child, covered in blood, carried away from a burning village.
—A woman with Phoenix eyes holding a baby and whispering, "Forgive me…"
Then, finally, a voice.
> "Your destiny was forged in betrayal. Your clan's death… was not an accident."
Feng Chan fell to his knees, clutching his chest. The memories weren't just images—they were emotions, seared into his soul.
Xiao Mei rushed to him. "Feng! What did you see?"
He looked up, his eyes glassy with pain.
> "My parents… they knew. They knew who would come for them. And they chose to hide me."
> "I wasn't born weak. I was sealed."
---
Elsewhere – Ying Yue's Location
At that very moment, Ying Yue's eyes snapped open. In her hand was a scroll… the second half of the prophecy.
> "The bearer shall awaken when the Seal of the North is shattered. But to claim his fate, he must walk through death itself."
Ying Yue clutched the scroll tighter.
> "He's at the Temple… The curse has begun."
She stood, her divine energy gathering like a silent storm. "I must go to him… even if it's not yet time."
---
Back at the Temple
The hall trembled.
The mirror cracked further, and a ghostly figure emerged—it was an Ancestor Spirit, wearing robes of starlight.
> "You have awakened the curse, boy. Now… you must face the Trial of Remembrance."
Before Feng Chan could resist, the ground beneath him disappeared.
He fell—spinning into darkness.
---
Trial Realm: The Past Reborn
Feng Chan opened his eyes in a memory that wasn't his—but it felt like his own.
He stood in a battlefield soaked in blood.
His clan was under siege.
He saw a familiar man—a younger version of his Master—fighting alongside his father.
And then… betrayal.
A man in black stabbed his father from behind.
Feng Chan's breath caught.
The attacker's mask fell—and the face that stared back at him was horrifyingly familiar.
> "No... it can't be. Him?"
Before he could move, the memory shattered like glass.
---
Temple Hall – Present
Feng Chan woke up with a scream.
Xiao Mei was kneeling beside him. "What did you see?"
His voice trembled. "The one who betrayed my family… is still alive. And he's closer than we ever imagined."
Xiao Mei's face darkened. "Who?"
But Feng Chan didn't answer. His fists clenched.
> "I'll find him. And when I do… I'll end the bloodline war once and for all."
The Temple doors began to close on their own.
A whisper followed him out.
> "The first seal is broken. Five more remain. And the heavens… are watching."
Temple of the Lost North (Continued)
"The first seal is broken. Five more remain. And the heavens… are watching."
The Temple of the Lost North had given up one of its many secrets, but it had only begun to test the boy fated to shake the realms.
Feng Chan stood outside the ancient structure, the snowfall now eerily silent. The winds had stopped. The sky above was painted in dull grey, but something had shifted… something ancient had awakened.
---
In the Shadows – Unknown Location
A crystal orb floated mid-air inside a dark cavern illuminated by pulsating blue veins of spirit stones. A figure robed in dark silver, face hidden behind a demonic mask, watched silently.
The vision inside the orb showed Feng Chan leaving the Temple.
A second figure stepped into the chamber—female, graceful, her voice laced with amusement. "So… the boy survived the Mirror of Fate."
The masked figure nodded. "As expected."
She stepped closer. "Shall I eliminate him now?"
"No," the man growled. "Let him walk further. Let him taste the truth. When he finds out what his clan truly did… his spirit will break."
The woman laughed. "Unless... he inherits the final seal."
Silence.
Then a whisper: "He won't."
---
Meanwhile – Xiao Mei and Feng Chan (Campfire near the Frozen Ravine)
Xiao Mei stirred the fire with a branch, warming her palms. Feng Chan sat across from her, gaze fixed on the flames. He hadn't spoken in over an hour.
She finally broke the silence.
"You saw something… terrible, didn't you?"
Feng Chan nodded slowly. "Not something. Everything."
Xiao Mei leaned forward. "Feng… I know we haven't known each other for long. But I'm here with you. No matter how deep this goes."
He looked at her, surprised by the sincerity in her voice.
"I appreciate that," he said softly. "But this journey… is getting darker."
Xiao Mei hesitated, then took something from her satchel—a pendant shaped like a dragon coiled around a lotus. "This belonged to my mother. She told me it once came from the Northern Clans."
Feng Chan's eyes narrowed. "That emblem… I've seen it before. In my vision."
Their eyes met.
"Then maybe we were fated to meet," Xiao Mei whispered.
A sudden roar cut through the mountains.
They jumped to their feet.
From the mist emerged a beast of colossal size—covered in ice, three heads, and crimson eyes burning with hatred.
Frost-Hydra.
---
Cliffside Battle – Against the Frost-Hydra
Feng Chan stepped forward, drawing his sword. "Stay behind me."
Xiao Mei narrowed her eyes. "Like hell I will."
The beast struck with a burst of icy breath, freezing the cliff's edge.
Feng Chan leapt, his sword gleaming with golden flames—Blazing Phoenix Slash!
The hydra screeched, one head falling. But it regenerated instantly.
"Damn," Feng muttered. "Its core isn't in the heads!"
Xiao Mei drew her twin daggers, spirit energy forming around her. "Then let's go for the heart!"
They fought like one—moving with uncanny rhythm.
Every attack from Feng's blade disrupted the hydra's regeneration, while Xiao Mei's piercing strikes danced around its defenses.
Finally, Feng Chan jumped high into the air, channeling all his energy.
"Falling Star Strike!"
His blade came down like a meteor, piercing through the hydra's chest. A blast of golden light exploded through the mountains.
When the light faded, the hydra lay still.
Feng collapsed to one knee, panting.
Xiao Mei knelt beside him, grinning. "You've got to teach me that move."
He smiled faintly. "One day."
---
Later That Night – Under the Stars
Xiao Mei asked quietly, "What did the Temple show you in the end?"
Feng Chan turned to her, voice low.
> "It showed me my mother… sacrificing everything to seal my bloodline. It showed me my clan's fall wasn't because they were weak… but because someone inside betrayed them."
Xiao Mei's expression hardened. "Do you know who?"
"I saw a shadow. I think… I've seen him before, around my master."
Xiao Mei looked confused. "Master Tianyi?"
Feng Chan didn't reply.
He only stared at the stars above, a storm brewing behind his calm eyes.
> "I will find the truth. No matter where it hides."
Temple of the Lost North (Final)
"Destiny is not a path chosen for you... it is a fire you walk through, and either emerge forged or destroyed."
---
Next Morning – Edge of the Icebound Valley
The snow had fallen heavier overnight, blanketing the land in a pale shroud of silence. Feng Chan and Xiao Mei stood on a ridge overlooking a vast, frozen valley. The Temple now stood far behind them, its secrets locked—except for the one it had whispered to Feng Chan.
Xiao Mei pulled her cloak tighter. "So where to now?"
Feng Chan looked ahead, eyes determined. "The Crimson Marshes."
She raised an eyebrow. "That's demon territory."
"I know. But someone there holds answers about the second seal. The one who holds the Book of Reversals."
Xiao Mei blinked. "That's a myth!"
Feng Chan gave a faint smile. "So were my bloodline powers… until I awakened them."
---
Meanwhile – Deep Beneath the Mainland
A massive chamber of glowing crimson runes flickered as a figure entered.
It was Ying Yue.
She stood before a massive jade coffin covered in seals.
A voice echoed behind her, dark and smooth. "Still drawn to your past?"
Ying Yue turned. "Don't speak as if you understand."
The shadowy figure stepped forward. He wore royal black robes with the insignia of the Demon Flame Sect.
"Feng Chan is moving. He'll reach the second seal soon," he said with a smirk.
She didn't respond, only looked at the coffin.
"I warned you," he said coldly. "Stay out of this."
Ying Yue finally spoke. "I will. Until he proves himself."
The man laughed. "And if he fails?"
She looked up, eyes glowing with a storm.
"Then he dies like the rest."
---
Crimson Marshes – Entrance
Feng Chan and Xiao Mei reached the edge of the marsh by dusk. The air was thick, buzzing with demonic Qi. The trees were twisted, the ground soft and steaming.
"This place… reeks of ancient curses," Xiao Mei muttered.
They didn't have to wait long before they were ambushed.
Shadow beasts leapt from the mists—creatures born from corrupted spirit energy, shaped like panthers with molten eyes.
Feng Chan activated his inner flame. "Ready?"
Xiao Mei grinned. "Always."
Together, they fought with flawless synergy. Every swing of Feng Chan's blade purified the corrupted air, while Xiao Mei danced between shadows, leaving only streaks of blood.
But just as they reached the center of the Marsh, they saw it:
A black monolith, floating above the ground, inscribed with ancient characters.
"The Second Seal," Feng whispered.
And in front of it… an old man, meditating.
White beard. Golden robes.
A third eye on his forehead.
The man opened his eyes.
> "So… you are the boy with the mark of the Fallen Phoenix. You've come… but are you ready to face the truth?"
Feng Chan clenched his fists. "I will know everything."
The man's voice echoed like thunder.
> "Then step forward. But know this—once you walk this path, you cannot turn back. Not even death will free you."
---
Elsewhere – Temple of Shadows
Ying Yue sat in meditation, when suddenly… her eyes snapped open.
She clutched her chest, a strange pain blooming inside.
"Feng Chan… what have you awakened?"
The stars above the Mainland began to shift.
A sign that the heavens themselves were beginning to move.
To be continue