Chapter 24: Celestial Inferno

The Harvester's shadow swallowed the horizon, its lattice of dying stars pulsing with a hunger that warped the air. Lin Wei's Qi Refinement senses recoiled as the ground beneath them splintered, fissures spreading like veins of decay. Yuelin staggered under Lin Mei's weight, her corrupted flames flickering erratically.

"We can't outrun this," Yuelin shouted over the cacophony of collapsing earth.

Lin Wei gripped the shattered urn of Ash of Eternity, its remnants cold in his palm. "The sanctuary—there's more to the carvings. We need to go back!"

Above, the Harvester's arm—a constellation of blackened stars—swept downward. Lin Mei's ghostfire erupted in a desperate shield, cobalt and void clashing against celestial annihilation.

[Harvester's Presence: Realm Stability - 45%.]

[First Flame Activation Protocol: Available (Risk: Lethal).]

The sanctuary's geometric spirals glowed faintly as they stumbled back inside, the air thick with the weight of ancient prayers. Yuelin traced the carvings, her mortal-scarred fingers igniting faint sigils. "Here—the mortals didn't just wield the Flame. They merged with it. Became it."

Lin Mei collapsed against the altar, her veins now glowing like fissures in molten rock. "That's what Astralon meant by 'kindling.' They want me to… burn."

"No," Lin Wei said, but the system's prompt mocked his denial:

[Lin Mei's Corruption: 97% (Critical).]

[Survival Probability: 3%.]

A cold laugh echoed. Astralon materialized, their form flickering as if strained. "You cling to scraps of hope. The Flame demands a soul. Hers… or yours."

Yuelin lunged, but Astralon vanished, leaving behind a final taunt: "The Harvesters feast on realms, not relics. Choose wisely."

The sanctuary trembled. The Harvester's tendrils pierced the valley, reducing mountains to dust. Lin Mei's flames sputtered, her voice fraying. "Do it. Before I'm… gone."

Yuelin seized the Ash of Eternity, mixing it with her blood. "Not alone." She pressed her palm to Lin Mei's chest, mortal qi surging. "We burn together."

[First Flame Activation: 100%.]

[Warning: Symbiotic Protocol (Irreversible).]

Light erupted. Lin Mei's form dissolved into a supernova of cobalt and gold, her ghostfire merging with Yuelin's mortal essence. The Flame roared, a pillar of primal defiance tearing through the Harvester's shadow.

[Harvester's Integrity: 85% → 62%.]

[Realm Stability: 45% → 18%.]

The Harvester recoiled, its star-lattice fracturing. But the Flame guttered as Yuelin collapsed, her body ash-gray and brittle. Lin Mei reappeared, her form radiant yet hollow—more force than flesh.

"It's not enough," she whispered, the Flame dimming.

Lin Wei grabbed the sanctuary's altar stone, carving it into a dagger with the last of his qi. "Then we give it more."

The Harvester's core loomed—a black sun veined with dying light. Lin Wei leapt, the dagger plunging into its heart. The system blared:

[Celestial Weakness Exploited.]

[Sovereign Residue Detected: Purged.]

The Harvester screamed, its form imploding into a vortex of light and void. But the cost was written in Lin Mei's hollow eyes and Yuelin's still chest.

[First Flame Extinguished.]

[Lin Mei's Status: Ascendant (Humanity - 12%).]

[Yuelin's Vital Signs: Null.]

The stars blinked back into alignment, their light clean and cold. Astralon reappeared, their cloak singed. "A valiant effort. But the Harvesters are infinite. You've merely… delayed them."

Lin Mei's voice echoed with the Flame's final whisper: "Find the others. The mortals who remember."

As dawn broke, Lin Wei cradled Yuelin's body, her dagger clutched in his grip. The horizon shimmered—a city untouched by corruption, its spires piercing the sky.

[New Objective: Seek the Last Mortal Bastion.]

[Threat Level: Celestial.]