The Vale of Ashes was nothing like the legends had described.
There were no blackened trees or scorched soil. No toxic fog or whispering ghosts. Instead, it was unnaturally quiet—trees still and heavy with moisture, the ground soft with moss. The sky above was pale, as though even the sun feared to burn too brightly here.
And yet, every instinct in Shen Li screamed danger.
"We're being watched," he said softly.
Yue Qian nodded. "There's something old here. Too old."
They'd been walking for hours, following the map's fading lines through forgotten trails and dried riverbeds. The Shadow Lotus was said to bloom only beneath moonlight, and only at the edge of a ruined lake that once held divine water—long since corrupted.
Entering: Forbidden Zone – Vale of Ashes
— Spiritual Flow: Unstable
— Beast Threat Level: Tier 3 and above
— Bonus Trait Active: Shadow Resonance (Stealth Boost)
"I hate how the System sounds excited every time I'm about to die," Shen Li muttered.
"You talk to it like it's a person," Yue Qian said, glancing at him.
"I have to. It's the only thing that hasn't lied to me."
She looked away. The air between them hung with unsaid things.
---
They reached a crumbled archway just before dusk. Ancient stone steps led down into a low basin surrounded by cracked statues—beast forms with too many eyes, wings folded like leaves.
"This was a sacred site once," Yue Qian whispered. "Before the Heavenly War."
"And now?"
"It's said anything that remembers Heaven either dies… or goes mad."
They descended in silence.
The air turned cooler, and faint mist curled from the lake ahead—silver, strange, and too thick for twilight.
Then the trees shifted.
No, not the trees—the ground.
A long shadow peeled itself from the forest floor, massive and silent. Six legs. No face. Its hide glistened like obsidian, runes pulsing dimly beneath its skin.
Beast Identified: Ash Devourer
— Classification: Tier 4 Anomaly
— Status: Dormant predator
— Warning: Provoked by loud sound, high heat, or light energy
Yue Qian exhaled. "We need to go around—slow, quiet. Even at our full strength, we can't kill that."
"Agreed."
They crept forward, steps feather-light. The Ash Devourer remained still—like stone. But Shen Li's heartbeat thundered in his ears, loud enough that he feared the beast could hear it.
Then—behind them—a branch snapped.
The Ash Devourer surged upward with horrifying speed, its limbs scraping over trees like blades through silk.
"Run!"
Shen Li grabbed Yue Qian's wrist and sprinted, twisting through vines and roots. The creature gave no roar—just a whispering hiss, like dying fire.
They cleared the basin's edge—and Shen Li skidded to a stop.
Before them was the lake. A small island rested at its center, visible through the mist. And there—glowing faintly—was a single black lotus with silver-tipped petals.
The Shadow Lotus.
But there was no time to admire it. The beast behind them slammed into a tree, splitting it like a twig. A second later, it lunged.
Shen Li didn't think.
He turned and threw out both hands.
Balance Pulse!
Light and darkness spiraled from his palms, smashing into the beast's chest. It staggered—but it wasn't enough. The pulse was meant to blind and bind, not kill.
And this thing had no eyes. No soul Shen Li could sense.
But the second attack bought them seconds.
He turned to Yue Qian. "Can you get to the lotus?"
She didn't hesitate. "Yes."
"Then go. I'll distract it."
Her expression twisted. "You can't win—"
"I just need to not lose for a minute."
Before she could argue, he spun and sprinted the opposite direction—drawing the creature away, deeper into the ruined basin.
Branches snapped behind him. Earth shattered beneath the beast's weight.
Spiritual Reserves: 43%
Fatal Injury Imminent
Emergency Evolution Triggered
Shen Li's vision blurred. His steps slowed. The world bent around him—light twisting, shadows lengthening.
Duality Seed Ready for Evolution.
Conditions: Prolonged exposure to unstable energy, life-risk event, emotional resonance confirmed.
Evolve now?
"Yes!" he shouted.
The air exploded.
For an instant, Shen Li's entire body became a conduit of raw energy—light and shadow twining around his limbs like snakes. His wounds vanished, replaced with glowing threads of energy.
The Duality Seed cracked.
Then bloomed.
New Trait: Twin Spiral Core
— Allows light and darkness to rotate independently
— Boosts energy recovery, strengthens balance techniques
Shen Li gasped. His aura flared like a beacon.
The beast reared back.
He extended his arm, and this time, he didn't hesitate.
Evolved Technique: Spiral Severance.
Light and dark curved into a helix and shot forward—ripping through the creature's shoulder in a clean, searing arc. It howled—soundless but terrible—and collapsed into the mist.
Shen Li dropped to his knees, coughing blood.
A moment later, Yue Qian returned, cradling the Shadow Lotus in both hands.
They stared at each other.
"You're insane," she said breathlessly.
He smiled, blood staining his teeth.
"Maybe. But it worked."