Chapter 8: A Path Chosen

Lian Yu stood firm, his gaze locked onto the hooded man. The words lingered in his mind—"The game has truly begun."

"What do you mean by that?" Lian Yu asked, his tone calm yet sharp.

The man's smile did not fade. "Heaven failed to erase you. But that does not mean it will stop trying."

Lian Yu's eyes narrowed.

"So you're saying… my existence is still a mistake?"

"Not a mistake. A flaw in the grand design." The man took a step closer, and for the first time, Lian Yu felt an unfamiliar power radiating from him. It was neither Qi nor divine energy—it was something beyond the natural order.

"If you do nothing, Heaven will eventually find a way to correct this flaw."

Lian Yu's fists clenched slightly. He already knew this. Heaven was not merciful—it had judged him once, and it would not tolerate his return.

"And if I resist?"

The man's smile widened. "Then you must become more than what you were. More than what Heaven fears."

A gust of wind passed between them, carrying with it a strange sensation. Lian Yu did not need to ask to understand. The choice was his.

"Where do I begin?" he finally asked.

The man raised a hand. A black jade pendant appeared, floating in the air between them.

"This will lead you to your first step."

Lian Yu reached out, and the moment his fingers brushed against the jade, a flood of information surged into his mind—a location, a name, and a memory long buried.

His breath slowed. A place he once knew.

"Go, Lian Yu. Your path will not wait for you."

Lian Yu closed his hand around the jade, his decision made.

"I was never one to wait anyway."

Without another word, he turned and walked forward. The hooded man watched him go, his expression unreadable.

"Let us see if you truly deserve to defy fate."