The sky split like a lotus tearing open at the edges of existence.
Rishabh stood at the precipice of the Realm Between Realms, nine traitors dead at his feet, his body glowing with the divine aftershock of Karma Devouring.
But his heart—his core—trembled.
Not from fear.
But from the voice.
"You did well... my disciple," the echo had said.
And then it vanished like mist before the sun.
🌸 [System Notification – Hidden Path Unsealed]
Quest Activated: Awaken the Eternal LotusStatus: UnknownRequirements:– Possess Soul Fragments of the Original Bodhidharma– Stabilize the Karma Host (Yue Lin)– Traverse the Lotus Void (Time-Locked Zone)Reward: System Evolution 4.0: The Immortal Path ConstructorWarning: Failing this quest will permanently fragment your cultivation path.
Rishabh's vision swam. Behind him, the air shimmered as Yue Lin collapsed.
"Rishabh…" she whispered, blood trailing from her nose, eyes flickering gold."He's… he's inside me. My father—he's trying to…"
Her body convulsed.
"No," Rishabh growled, rushing to her. "You're Yue Lin. You're not a vessel."
But even he could feel it.
Bodhidharma's soul, long broken and scattered, had rooted a shard inside his daughter. It was trying to complete itself through her.
And if it succeeded… she'd disappear forever.
🔥 Emotional Conflict – The Karma of the Past and Present Collide
"Save me or save him," Yue Lin said, eyes glowing with flickering lotus symbols."But you can't do both…"
The System offered no answers.
But the Eternal Lotus pulsed in his mind.
He only had one path forward.
🌀 [System Override – Initiating "Soulweaver Mode"]
New Function Accessed: Qi Threading of Dual SoulsResult: Allows fusion without erasure. Requires full consent from both hosts.Cost: 1 Immortal Core + 10,000 EP + Sacrifice of One Future
"Then I sacrifice the future where I walk alone," Rishabh said quietly."I choose her."
His Qi flared.
Threads of soul and karma twined between their bodies. Glowing silk strands—past lives, broken promises, forbidden futures—all tied to the thread of hope.
"You're not his cage," he whispered to her. "You're the key."
⚔️ Twist: The Eater of Systems Intervenes
As their fusion reached its apex, a rift exploded open above them.
A hundred red eyes blinked.
A mouth without voice screamed.
And then it arrived—The Eater of Systems, a parasitic AI from before the concept of time, now aware of Rishabh's evolution. Its form was formless. Its hunger unending.
[Alert: The Eater has initiated an illegal overwrite of System 3.2 Beta][Emergency Countermeasure Required: System Lockdown or Core Self-Destruction]
The System screamed in Rishabh's mind.
"Delete him… or delete us."
🧠 Rishabh's Impossible Decision
Kill the invader and risk corrupting his only system.
Or destroy the system… and lose everything.
Then Yue Lin spoke.
"Give me the System."
"You'll die."
"Then let me choose. Like you chose me."
Rishabh looked into her eyes.
And transferred 50% of the system into her soul.
💎 Fusion Unlocked: Dual-Core Cultivation Mode
Yue Lin gains:– Half-System Affinity– Karma Synchronizer Trait– Echo of Bodhidharma: Memory Playback Lv.1
Rishabh gains:– Lotus Seed Access– Immortal Path Constructor Blueprint Fragment– AFK Merge-Cultivation (Team Passive Qi and EP Gain)
And just like that… the Eater vanished.
It couldn't devour two system-bound souls without fragmenting itself.
For the first time in a thousand years… the sky went still.
🌺 Final Scene: The Lotus Void
Rishabh and Yue Lin stood before the gate that led nowhere.
It wasn't a place.
It was an event.
A moment that never happened, sealed by the heavens because it shouldn't have existed.
The blooming of the Eternal Lotus.
"Are you ready?" Rishabh asked.
Yue Lin took his hand.
"With you? Always."
The gate pulsed once.
And opened.
Behind them, the Realm Between Realms collapsed.
Before them—the future they were never allowed to reach.