The night Rui Shen touched the lotus petal, the sky above Jinzhou changed.
Clouds parted without wind. A thin beam of white-gold light fell upon the Lotus Pavilion, illuminating the statue of Wang Lin. For the first time in a thousand years, the runes at its base glowed on their own—soft, steady, alive.
Every cultivator in the city felt it. Qi trembled in their meridians, and the heavens shivered as though acknowledging something ancient had awoken.
Rui Shen stumbled back, clutching his chest. The black-and-white mark there pulsed like a living heart. Inside his mind, visions poured in—fragments of battles, faces, galaxies folding in upon themselves. And through them all, one figure stood at the center: Wang Lin, smiling faintly as he dissolved into starlight.
> "The Abduction Path… was never meant to end," Rui whispered.
"It waits for someone who can steal peace… not power."
---
The Lotus Pavilion — Dawn
The next morning, the Pavilion's Grand Elder, a serene woman named Mei Qian, summoned Rui to the inner sanctum. Her silver hair flowed down her robe like rivers of moonlight. She studied him silently, eyes sharp but kind.
> "The statue reacted to you," she said. "Tell me what you saw."
Rui hesitated, then explained everything—the lotus petal, the visions, the voice.
For a moment, Mei Qian's expression darkened. "Those words… balance and theft—only one man in history spoke them." She rose, walking toward an ancient mural behind her. With a gentle push, the stone wall shimmered, revealing a hidden chamber filled with soft white light.
> "This was sealed by the founder himself," she said. "No one could open it."
"Until now."
The door pulsed once, recognizing the mark on Rui's chest, and slowly parted.
Inside floated an orb of pure qi, serene yet immense. Within it burned a lotus—the same white lotus that caught Wang Lin after his final battle. It turned slowly, scattering petals of light.
> "He left it behind," Mei Qian whispered. "The Seed of Balance. But its energy was dormant… until you touched the statue."
Rui stepped closer, feeling warmth wash through him. His fingers brushed the orb—and his soul was pulled into an endless void of starlight.
---
Inner Vision Realm
He stood upon a mirror of glass suspended in eternity. Stars revolved around him, each carrying faint whispers. And from among them, a voice—gentle, calm, unmistakable—rose.
> "So… you heard me."
Wang Lin stood before him, appearing as he did before his ascension—simple robes, unassuming aura, but eyes that carried galaxies.
> "Senior… are you—?" Rui began.
> "A memory," Wang Lin said. "A fragment left to guide whoever would come after. Tell me, boy—what do you seek?"
Rui hesitated. "I… don't know. The world is peaceful. Yet lately, the heavens tremble again. Something watches us from beyond."
Wang Lin smiled faintly.
> "Then it begins sooner than I thought."
He lifted a hand, and between his fingers formed a symbol—half black, half white, ringed by light. "The Abduction Path was reborn as the Cycle of Balance. You must master it not to steal, but to protect the choice to be free."
Rui's eyes widened. "But why me?"
> "Because you carry both hunger and mercy," Wang Lin said. "Just as I once did."
He stepped forward, pressing a hand over Rui's heart.
> "When the heavens stir again, remember this: balance is not peace—it is struggle accepted without hatred."
The vision began to fade. Stars collapsed into his chest, merging with the mark.
> "Go," Wang Lin's voice echoed. "A new war will rise—one not of gods and men, but of ideals. Be ready to steal fate again… for the world's sake."
---
Rui gasped and opened his eyes. The orb had vanished. Only a faint lotus symbol glowed where it had floated.
Outside, the wind had changed again. Clouds swirled unnaturally, forming a spiral that reached beyond the atmosphere. The heavens themselves were awakening.
> "Then it's true," Mei Qian whispered beside him. "The Second Thief has returned."
Rui looked toward the sky, the light of determination burning in his gaze.
> "No," he said quietly. "Not to steal… to protect what he gave us."
And far above the clouds, beyond mortal sight, a colossal pair of eyes opened in the void—ancient, cold, and watching.
The era of peace was ending.
The legend was beginning again.