The Weight of Choice

Yi Lian stood in the trial ground, his senses disoriented as the world around him shifted and warped, then slowly settled. The weight of everything that had just transpired pressed down on him like an invisible burden. He had expected to face consequences for what he had unleashed, but instead, here he was—back at the entrance. The world itself seemed to reject what he had become.

His thoughts raced in chaotic circles, struggling to grasp his situation. He had lost control. He had become a force of destruction, erasing everything in his path without a second thought. He clenched his fists, but no words came to him. What could he say? How could he explain the mess he had made of everything?

As if in response to his turmoil, a presence descended upon him. The air grew thick with tension, and the space around him trembled. Jing Xuan appeared, her golden eyes cold and unreadable, locking onto him with an intensity that made him feel both exposed and insignificant. She was as ethereal as ever, her robes fluttering in the stillness around them.

"You have returned," she said, her voice heavy with something Yi Lian couldn't quite place—curiosity, perhaps, or something deeper.

Yi Lian opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. He wanted to explain, to apologize, to beg for another chance—but nothing felt right. The truth was too simple, too harsh. He had crossed a line. He had gone too far.

Jing Xuan's eyes remained on him, unwavering. After a long pause, she finally spoke again. "I once promised you that I would give you a choice. Now, I ask you—what do you seek, Yi Lian?"

The weight of her question hit him hard. It was simple, yet it made his heart pound. What did he seek? Power? Peace? Redemption? His mind circled in endless confusion. But his recent actions loomed large in his thoughts. Is this what I truly want?

He felt lost. There had been a time when the path forward seemed clear—when survival had been the goal, when strength was the answer. But now? After all this… what was he really looking for?

He took a step back, the weight of her gaze making him feel smaller. "I—I'm not sure," Yi Lian said quietly, the words sounding weak even to him. "I thought I knew what I wanted. But now... I don't know anymore."

Jing Xuan's eyes softened, though only for a moment. She looked around, her gaze lingering on the ruined trial ground, the destruction he had caused. "The task was simple," she said, her tone neutral. "To survive, to eliminate the demonic beasts. Yet, you went beyond that. You destroyed them all."

Her words weren't harsh. They weren't a scolding. But they felt like a blade cutting deep into him. I didn't just kill. I... I reveled in it, he thought bitterly. What does that make me?

"It is one thing to kill for survival," she continued, her voice calm but firm. "But when you begin to enjoy the process, when you lose yourself in it, you step onto a path of no return."

Yi Lian swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in deeper. He had known this already, but hearing it spoken aloud by her made it feel real. Made it impossible to ignore. The fear that he had crossed a point of no return settled deep in his chest.

"And yet," Jing Xuan's expression softened, ever so slightly, "I see that you have come to understand this. That is why I will let you go—to the mortal realm."

Yi Lian's breath caught in his throat. "The mortal realm?" he repeated, the words tasting foreign in his mouth.

Jing Xuan nodded, her golden gaze steady. "For twenty years, you will walk among mortals. Seek your own way. If, by the end of those years, you have not chosen a path, then you will follow the one I set for you."

The weight of her words settled over him, not just as a punishment, but as a challenge. The stakes were high. He could feel the pressure bearing down on him. What will I find in the mortal realm? The question echoed in his mind, and yet he still couldn't answer it. Am I running from something, or seeking something?

She raised her hand, and an amulet appeared in her palm. It glowed faintly with energy. "Take this," she said.

Yi Lian hesitated before taking the amulet. The moment his fingers touched it, he felt a surge of energy. It was smooth, almost weightless, yet it hummed with an ancient power.

"This amulet has three functions," Jing Xuan explained. "First, it will shield you from cultivators' senses when activated. Second, it will protect you in battle, forming a barrier around you. And third, if you do not return on your own after twenty years, it will teleport you back to me. If you are near death, it will do the same."

Yi Lian gripped the amulet tighter. "Even the mortal realm is not safe," she added. "Demonic beasts still roam, and demonic cultivators will not hesitate to kill mortals—for sport or for sustenance. You must be prepared."

He nodded, the gravity of her words sinking in. The mortal realm was dangerous, and he would have to be stronger than ever before.

A heavy silence stretched between them, the weight of everything unsaid filling the air. Yi Lian looked down at the amulet in his hand. It was a symbol of the responsibility he now carried—a symbol of the uncertain journey ahead.

"I accept," he said finally, his voice steady, the resolve clear in his words.

Jing Xuan gave a small nod. "Then go. The world awaits."

For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, without turning, she flicked her sleeve, and a spatial tear formed before them, a gateway shimmering with ethereal light.

"Go, then. See what the world has to offer. But remember—" she finally faced him, her golden eyes piercing through him, "understanding alone will not save you."

Yi Lian stood still, the weight of her words sinking into him. The idea of walking away from the comfort of certainty, to embrace a path so uncertain, was both terrifying and liberating. She didn't wait for him to respond, and as he stepped through the rift, the last thing he saw was her standing there, unmoving, the wind tugging at her robes.

The shift between realms was jarring, his senses reeling as he emerged into the unknown. The mortal realm stretched before him, vast and unfamiliar. The air smelled of damp earth and woodsmoke, distant voices carrying over the breeze. He had truly begun anew.

His feet touched solid ground, yet something within him wavered. This was not just another trial; this was life unshackled from everything he once knew. No sect, no power, no safety net. He was just another man, indistinguishable from the countless others who struggled beneath the heavens.

Yi Lian adjusted his robes, their once pristine fabric now dull and worn from the remnants of his past choices. A path stretched ahead, winding through a dense forest that led to the unknown. He took his first step forward, the weight of his decision settling in.

For the first time, he felt the quiet hum of the world around him, a vastness that beckoned him. He wasn't here to seek power, fame, or glory—those things had already proved hollow. What he sought was beyond the norm, beyond the usual definitions of strength and survival. He was after something intangible, a deeper understanding of the world and himself, something that transcended the constant battle for control. The very essence of what it meant to be alive, to simply exist in harmony with the world.

Back in the sect, Jing Xuan stood alone, watching the space where he had vanished. Her fingers twitched at her side, a small vial of medicinal essence flickering into existence for a heartbeat before she dismissed it with a sigh.

"Foolish child," she murmured, her voice barely audible against the wind. "If you break, I won't be there to mend you."

Yet, she lingered, her gaze fixed on the empty air, as if searching for something unseen. Finally, with a deep breath, she turned away. The world was vast, and the path ahead uncertain. But even as she let him go, a part of her continued to watch over him.