Chapter 29:Ye Qingmo

Chapter 29: Secrets of the Relics

The world trembled as the rift sealed shut behind Ye Qingmo and the cloaked figure.

The stolen relics pulsed in Ruoyan's mind—the Abyssal Heart, the Dreamfire Mirror, and the Voidfang Blade. Their names alone carried history, but their true power was shrouded in mystery.

And now, they were in enemy hands.

Her fists clenched.

If she didn't uncover their secrets soon, the traitor would have the power to twist fate itself.

---

The Origins of the Relics

Ruoyan knew the relics weren't ordinary artifacts.

They had chosen masters in the past, powerful figures who had changed history itself.

She turned to Jing Zeyan. "We need answers. Now."

Jing Zeyan arched an eyebrow. "And where do you suggest we start?"

Ruoyan didn't hesitate.

"The Forbidden Archives."

---

The Forbidden Archives

Deep beneath the sect lay the ancient vault, a place even elders rarely entered.

Ruoyan and Jing Zeyan moved quickly, their footsteps echoing against stone walls lined with golden runes. As they approached the sealed door, Ruoyan pressed her palm to the engraved phoenix sigil.

The runes flared to life.

With a low rumble, the doors parted.

Inside, the air was thick with ancient power. Scrolls, jade slips, and relics from past eras filled the chamber. But Ruoyan's eyes were drawn to the three pedestals at the center.

The places where the relics should have been.

Empty.

She approached the first pedestal, tracing her fingers over the ancient inscriptions.

Jing Zeyan stood beside her. "So what's the plan? We can't exactly read an empty stand."

Ruoyan smirked. "You lack patience."

She closed her eyes and let her spiritual energy flow into the inscriptions.

A sudden pull gripped her mind.

And then—she saw.

---

Visions of the Past

The world around her blurred.

When the vision cleared, she was no longer in the archive.

Instead, she stood in a grand palace, golden flames burning in the sky above.

Before her, three figures stood in a circle.

The first, a woman in flowing white robes, held a silver mirror. Her eyes were blindfolded, but her presence commanded absolute authority.

"The Dreamfire Mirror," Ruoyan whispered.

The second, a towering man clad in obsidian armor, held a beating heart of pure darkness. Shadows coiled around him, whispering secrets into his ears.

"The Abyssal Heart."

The third, a warrior with bloodstained robes, gripped a jagged blade. Lightning crackled along its edges, splitting the air with raw power.

"The Voidfang Blade."

The figures spoke in voices that echoed through time.

"These relics were not meant to be wielded by mortals," the woman warned.

"And yet, we have no choice," the armored man said. "Fate is already shifting."

"We will become legends," the warrior declared, "but the price will be eternal."

Suddenly, the vision fractured—

The flames turned to ruin. The palace collapsed. The three figures fell—betrayed.

And standing amidst the destruction was a fourth figure, hidden in shadows.

The first traitor.

Before Ruoyan could see their face, the vision shattered—

And she was back in the archive.

---

The Truth About the Relics

She gasped, her heart racing.

Jing Zeyan steadied her. "What happened?"

Ruoyan swallowed hard. "The relics… they were created to stop fate from being rewritten."

Jing Zeyan frowned. "Then why would someone steal them?"

Ruoyan clenched her fists. "Because the true purpose of these relics isn't to protect fate. It's to control it."

Jing Zeyan's smirk vanished. "So whoever has them now…"

Ruoyan exhaled. "They aren't just trying to change destiny. They're trying to rule it."

---

A Name from the Past

Ruoyan turned back to the inscriptions.

If the relics had masters in the past…

Then their new master was the key to everything.

She focused, pouring her spiritual energy into the script again.

This time, the name burned into her mind.

"Shen Lianxu."

Ruoyan froze.

Jing Zeyan's eyes widened. "Wait. The Shen Lianxu? The one erased from history?"

Ruoyan nodded.

Shen Lianxu. The only cultivator who had ever been exiled from the heavens themselves. A man so powerful, so feared, that his very existence had been wiped from records.

A legend. A myth. A nightmare.

And now, he was back.

And he had the relics.

Ruoyan's blood ran cold.

The true war had begun.

She has a vision of the past, revealing the relics' true origins and purpose.

The relics were created to prevent fate from being rewritten, but in the wrong hands, they could control destiny itself.

The traitor's identity remains hidden, but their true leader is revealed—Shen Lianxu, an erased legend.

Chapter 32: Confrontation with Ye Qingmo

The night was thick with tension as Ruoyan stood at the precipice of the valley. The air crackled with latent power, heavy with the secrets she had unearthed.

Shen Lianxu.

A name that shouldn't exist. A force buried in history, now clawing its way back into the world.

And Ye Qingmo—her former ally, now an enigma cloaked in shadows.

She could no longer ignore the doubts gnawing at her. Was he truly loyal to the sect, or had he already pledged himself to the enemy?

There was only one way to find out.

She would confront him.

The Silent Battlefield

Ruoyan's footsteps barely made a sound as she approached the cliffside pavilion where Ye Qingmo often trained. The place was eerily empty, the usual disciples absent.

Her spiritual sense sharpened.

He was already waiting for her.

Beneath the glow of a celestial lantern, Ye Qingmo stood at the center of the pavilion, his robes swaying in the night wind. The silver embroidery on his sleeves gleamed, but the shadows clung to him like a second skin.

When he turned, his golden eyes met hers, unreadable.

"You came," he murmured.

Ruoyan didn't lower her guard. "Did you expect me to run?"

A faint chuckle. "No. You've never been the type to run."

She took another step forward. "I need answers."

He exhaled slowly. "And if you don't like them?"

"Then I'll take them by force."

Lightning cracked in the sky, mirroring the storm in her heart.

Ye Qingmo studied her for a long moment before speaking.

"The relics are gone," he said. "But you already knew that."

Ruoyan's eyes narrowed. "And I know who took them."

His expression didn't shift. "Then you also know what's coming."

"Stop talking in riddles," she snapped. "Are you with Shen Lianxu?"

Ye Qingmo's silence felt like a confession.

Her heart pounded. "You betrayed us."

Still, he said nothing.

A cold fury took hold of her. "Why? Were you always working with him? Was everything a lie?"

Ye Qingmo finally moved. His fingers ghosted over the hilt of his sword, but he made no move to draw it.

"I never lied to you." His voice was quiet, but there was an edge to it. "Not once."

"Then explain," Ruoyan demanded.

Ye Qingmo's jaw tightened. "I made a choice."

The words cut deeper than any blade.

He had chosen. And not her.

The Battle of Wills

Ruoyan's pulse thundered. "Then let's see if you can live with it."

With a flick of her wrist, flames erupted around her. The phoenix sigil on her wrist flared to life, the heat warping the air.

Ye Qingmo didn't flinch. "You want to fight me?"

She launched forward.

Their swords clashed, sending a shockwave rippling through the pavilion. The lanterns shattered, darkness swallowing them whole.

Ruoyan pressed forward, fire coiling around her blade like a living thing. Ye Qingmo countered with ease, his movements smooth, practiced—as if he had expected this.

"You're holding back," she accused.

He sighed. "So are you."

Their blades met again, sparks dancing between them. But Ruoyan wasn't interested in a fair fight.

She shifted, summoning an explosion of golden flames at her feet. The force sent Ye Qingmo skidding back, his robes scorched at the edges.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face.

Ruoyan didn't hesitate. She thrust her sword forward—

Only for Ye Qingmo to vanish.

Her breath hitched. "What—"

A voice murmured behind her. "You're not the only one who's changed, Ruoyan."

Before she could react, an invisible force seized her.

Her body froze, her limbs bound by an unseen pressure.

Space manipulation.

Ye Qingmo had always been strong, but this—this was something else.

She struggled, but the force only tightened. Her breath came in shallow gasps.

"Let me go," she growled.

Ye Qingmo's voice was soft. "Not until you listen."

The Truth of His Betrayal

Ruoyan's flames flickered as she stilled.

Ye Qingmo released her, stepping back. His golden eyes held something she couldn't place—regret, or something deeper.

"I didn't betray you," he said. "I betrayed the sect."

Ruoyan's blood ran cold.

"Why?"

His expression darkened. "Because the sect is lying to you."

She clenched her fists. "Lying about what?"

Ye Qingmo hesitated. Then—

"The relics were never meant to be protected. They were meant to be used."

Ruoyan's breath caught. "You're saying—"

"The Star Lord knew," Ye Qingmo continued. "He knew what would happen if the relics fell into the wrong hands. But instead of destroying them, he hid them. Because he wanted to use them himself."

The world tilted beneath her feet.

She had suspected there was more to the Star Lord's motives, but this—

This changed everything.

"You don't believe me," Ye Qingmo murmured.

Ruoyan gritted her teeth. "I don't know what to believe."

"Then let me show you."

Ye Qingmo extended his hand. A pulse of energy rippled through the air, forming a crystal-clear memory fragment.

Ruoyan watched as the vision unfolded.

The Star Lord stood in the shadows of the archive, his hands wrapped around the Abyssal Heart.

"Soon," he whispered. "Soon, fate will be mine to command."

The vision faded.

Ruoyan staggered back.

"No…"

The Star Lord—the man she trusted—was after the relics too.

And Ye Qingmo…

He wasn't the traitor.

He was trying to stop him.

A New Alliance

Ruoyan swallowed hard. "If the Star Lord is after the relics… then why work with Shen Lianxu?"

Ye Qingmo's jaw tensed. "Because I had no choice."

She searched his face. He was keeping something from her.

But for now, she had to make a decision.

Trust him…

Or fight him.

The silence stretched between them.

Then, slowly, Ruoyan lowered her sword.

Ye Qingmo's shoulders eased.

"Smart choice," he murmured.

Ruoyan exhaled. "Don't make me regret it."

Ye Qingmo gave a small, humorless smile. "I won't."

But deep down, Ruoyan knew—this was just the beginning.

And the next time she faced the Star Lord, there would be no holding back.

To Be Continued…