Chapter 14: Embers of Rivalry, Sparks of Ascension
The wind had grown heavier.
Not just with sand or soot, but with pressure. Qi in the region compressed like a coiled spring, humming with unrest. Shen Liang felt it on his skin, like stormwater waiting to burst. His system interface flickered erratically as they traveled east from the restored Imperial Sanctuary.
Beside him, Yue's gaze was tense. "We're being watched."
Shen Liang didn't argue. Even without her heightened spiritual sense, he could feel the shift in the Trial Road's rhythm. Something was stirring—old forces and new competitors.
Echoes Beneath Stone
They arrived at a gorge called the Hollow Stair—a sunken canyon lined with statues and glowing runes that whispered faintly in forgotten dialects. Shen Liang traced one carving with a gloved hand.
"Primordial Script," he muttered. "Predates modern cultivation by millennia."
The System chimed softly:
[New Region: Hollow Stair of Aeon Roots] [System Node Detected: Root Archive (Access Available)] [Warning: Competing System Presence Detected… Scanning for Interference]
Yue raised a brow. "Archive?"
Before Shen Liang could answer, a distant thrum pulsed through the canyon. They both turned. Out of a mist-filled corridor, several figures approached. At least five—each wearing armor etched with biomechanical glyphs and face-plates resembling owls or insects.
The leader stepped forward. A woman, her voice muffled through a helmet filter. "So. You're the native anomalies."
Shen Liang narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
"We are [Verdict Protocol: Ember Cell], sent by the Dominion Nexus to assess and neutralize competing legacies." She removed her helmet, revealing sharp eyes and skin inscribed with micro-circuit sigils. "My name is Riven Tal. Heir of Core World Scour-Theta."
Yue stepped slightly in front of Shen Liang. "You've got one chance to walk away."
Riven smiled, amused. "We don't destroy all competitors. Just the unstable ones. Tell me, Shen Liang, how long until your ash-borne system fractures under pressure?"
Shen Liang didn't respond. The system responded for him:
[Competing Legacy Detected: Nexus Protocol — Verdict Ember Cell] [Cross-System Anchor Conflict Imminent] [Temporary Combat Lock — Sanctuary Zone Active]
"You're in a sanctuary," Yue said coolly. "You can't start a fight here."
"Yet," Riven replied. "But the moment we reach a neutral sector… you'll understand what Dominion refinement truly means."
She turned to leave with her unit, but not before offering a chilling smile. "Grow stronger. We want your system fully developed before we dismantle it."
The Root Archive
Once the Ember Cell was gone, Shen Liang exhaled slowly. "We've got real enemies now."
"And they're not even native to this world," Yue added. "Their power's refined, but cold. Artificial."
They proceeded into the canyon's inner sanctum, where the Root Archive floated in a sphere of light suspended over petrified roots. A ring of system glyphs spiraled endlessly around it.
As Shen Liang stepped forward, the interface surged:
[Accessing Root Archive…] [Legacy Protocol Confirmed. Access Level: Heir-Class] [System Lore Unlocked: Genesis Layer I — "The Seed of Systems"]
A low hum filled his ears. A memory not his own:
"The first systems were born from dying celestial minds—fractured gods who sought survival beyond entropy. They encoded their essence into logic-constructs, seeding them into willing mortals across decaying worlds. Each system bears traces of its progenitor: wrath, mercy, balance… or vengeance."
Then another line flashed:
[Your System Core: Ashborn Lotus – Seeded by the Celestial of Last Flame] [Original Directive: Rebirth through Annihilation]
Shen Liang staggered back, heart pounding. "My system… it's not just a tool."
"It's a dying god's will," Yue whispered. "And now, it lives through you."
Trial of Roots and Flame
The Archive flared again, offering a new trial:
[Challenge Unlocked: Trial of Root Flame — Integrate Core Subsystem] [Reward: Skill Tree Evolution — "Ashen Sovereign Path"] [Condition: Survive 12 Cycles in the Hollow Flame Grove without External Support]
"No external support?" Yue frowned.
Shen Liang nodded. "This part is mine."
He entered the grove alone. It was a hollow sphere beneath the canyon floor, filled with towering root-pillars aflame with illusion-fire. Time bent strangely here. Minutes stretched into hours.
The moment he stepped in, the flames surged toward him.
[Initiating Integration Trial…] [Phase 1: Core Compatibility Test]
A thousand phantom voices roared in his ears—memories not his own. He saw cities burn, gods kneeling in chains, lotus petals blooming in nuclear fire. His mind threatened to fracture.
He clenched his jaw and roared. "I'm not your slave. I don't follow your end—I forge my own!"
The lotus brand on his chest ignited. Ash and soul-flame twisted into a spiraling sigil above his heart.
The system responded:
[Core Alignment Confirmed] [Phase 2: Sovereign Will Trial]
A clone of himself appeared—calm, powerful, merciless. It attacked without hesitation. Sword arcs split fire and earth. Shen Liang's limbs burned with fatigue, but something deeper rose within him—not strength, but direction.
Every blow exchanged was a confrontation between what he could become… and what he refused to be.
In the final strike, he disarmed his double and drove his palm into its core. "I don't need to become perfect," he gasped. "Just real."
The clone shattered.
The Path Evolves
The Grove dimmed.
[Trial Complete] [System Path Unlocked: Ashen Sovereign — Tier 2 Lotus Flame System] [Skill Gained: Flame Rebirth Mantle – Passive: +35% Qi Regen near death; Active: Full-body flame-form for 20 sec] [System Authority Level Increased: Sect Founding Eligible]
Shen Liang stepped out—burned, ragged, but glowing with newfound power.
Yue ran to him, relief flashing across her face. "You made it."
He met her eyes. "The system... it's tied to something ancient. And dangerous."
"Then we dig deeper," she said firmly. "Together."
Looming Pressure
That night, camped by a ruined spirit spring, Shen Liang reviewed his interface. The system showed branching skill nodes: [Ashen Path], [Sovereign Qi], and a sealed one labeled simply:
[?] — "When Dominion Falls"
Yue sat nearby, carving something with her blade—a new token of their travels.
"I remember the Celestial Realms when they were still whole," she said softly. "But even back then, rival legacies clashed. System wars tore everything down."
Shen Liang looked at the stars, remembering the Ember Cell. "It's happening again."
"But this time," Yue said, "we're not bystanders."