Chapter 19: The Crimson Lotus Blooms Again

The moon hung high over the Bloodshade Peaks, its pale light spilling across the jagged stones and mist-filled ravines. The wind whispered secrets of forgotten wars, but within a quiet crevice at the mountain's base, a different storm was brewing.

Li Fan stood barefoot at the edge of a secluded spring, steam coiling around him like a living serpent. The ancient formation circle beneath his feet pulsed faintly—runes carved by his former self during the final days of the Crimson Lotus Sect. This place had been sealed for centuries, hidden from even the most seasoned cultivators. And now, as if summoned by fate, he had returned to it.

He dropped to one knee and placed his palm on the cold stone. The ground trembled slightly in response. Memories surged forward—ghosts of past lives, screams of fallen brothers, the laughter of Biyu, his sworn sister, who had died defending this very spring. His expression darkened.

"Crimson Lotus Revival… Stage One," he whispered.

The spring flared crimson.

From his storage ring, he retrieved a jade vial. Inside shimmered a drop of Vermillion Phoenix Blood—an ancient essence stolen from the Zhao Clan's secret vault during his recent infiltration. Only someone who had once forged the Crimson Lotus Technique could wield it without being devoured by its might.

He drank it in one breath.

A searing pain ripped through him. His bones cracked. Veins glowed red. His body convulsed, eyes rolling back as the phoenix blood clashed with his own. But he gritted his teeth, clutched the formation runes, and endured.

Minutes passed. Then hours.

When the light finally faded, Li Fan emerged from the steam, shirtless, eyes glowing like molten gold. A faint crimson lotus sigil now marked the center of his chest—evidence that Stage One had succeeded.

He was stronger—faster. His spiritual sea had expanded, and his core burned with newfound intensity. He had reclaimed a fragment of what once made him feared across the Six Realms.

Yet this was only the beginning.

A soft rustle broke the silence. Someone was approaching.

He turned, hand poised near his blade. A shadow detached itself from the trees. Slim. Agile. A girl in dark blue robes. Her face hidden beneath a hood, but the air trembled with the weight of her cultivation.

"Who are you?" he demanded, voice low.

The figure paused, then slowly removed the hood.

His eyes widened.

"Biyu?"

But it couldn't be. She had died—he had buried her with his own hands.

The woman tilted her head. "You still remember me, Brother Li?"

Her voice. Soft, almost melodic. But twisted with something else—something darker.

Li Fan stepped back. "You… You're not Biyu. What sort of illusion is this?"

"Illusion?" she laughed softly. "I was reborn the same night you died, tethered to your soul. But unlike you, I didn't forget who I was. I remembered everything—how you abandoned us, how you chose power over your family, how you left me to burn."

"No," he growled. "That's not what happened. I—"

She raised a hand, and a blade of black Qi slammed into the spring beside him, sending steam skyward.

"I don't want your excuses," she whispered. "I want retribution."

Li Fan's breath caught in his throat. His body tensed, every instinct screaming. But as he reached for his sword, something stopped him.

Her eyes.

They were filled with pain… and tears.

Before he could react, she vanished into the mist, leaving only the echo of her words:

"Meet me at the Forgotten Vale on the night of the Crimson Moon. If you have the courage."

Then silence.

Li Fan stood alone, staring at the fading ripples on the spring's surface. His past had returned—not just in memory, but in flesh and blood.

But was she truly Biyu?

Or something far more dangerous?

As the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon, Li Fan tightened his fists.

He would find out.

Even if it meant facing the darkest secret of his former life.

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[End of Chapter 19]