skilledlistener

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Legacy of Ash and System
By Silent Skilled Listener

In a world buried beneath the ashes of a forgotten cataclysm, the heavens are silent and the sects of old lie in ruin. Amid the wreckage of a once-glorious cultivation era, Shen Liang, a young scavenger haunted by dreams he cannot explain, stumbles upon an ancient artifact—a dormant System that should not exist.

When awakened, the System binds to him, revealing cryptic quests, evolutionary skills, and fragments of a celestial legacy thought lost. As Shen Liang cultivates through deadly ruins and spectral remnants, he uncovers secrets that defy fate and attract enemies both mortal and divine.

But the System hungers. The world is changing. And beneath the cracked skies, the Flame Lotus Sect whispers of prophecy, war, and rebirth.

Torn between vengeance, love, and the pursuit of power, Shen Liang must decide: will he rise as the last cultivator of a dead era—or burn everything to forge a new path?

Legacy of Ashes and System

Chapter 6: The Blade That Fell Twice

The staircase twisted into the dark.

Yue's steps echoed lightly behind him, but Shen Liang barely noticed. His thoughts were turning inward—faster than the descent. He recognized the scent of this place. The heavy tang of spirit iron, burnt talismans, and regret.

When they reached the bottom, they stepped into a circular chamber made of mirrored obsidian. No statues. No doors. Just reflection. The air was thick with pressure—not from Qi, but from time itself.

[Trial of Echoes – Step 2: Bear the Self]

Warning: Collapse of Will Results in Permanent Soul Fracture]

Yue touched his arm. "Are you sure—"

She looked like she might argue, but she nodded and stepped back.

The moment she did, the chamber sealed itself with a resonant hum. The mirrors rippled. A figure emerged.

But younger—maybe seventeen. Clean robes, bright eyes, no scars. Holding a blade that shimmered with dragonfire and moonlight.

The blade twisted in the younger man's hand. "You remember this weapon?"

"…The Azure Judgment," Shen Liang said. "Forged by Master Tianxu from the remains of the Azure Dragon's corpse."

"You broke it," his younger self said.

"You always had a choice," the echo snapped. "You let them die."

The memory struck like a fist. Flames. Screams. Tianxu's final shout before the temple fell.

"You think atonement is cultivation? Is wandering ruins with a girl who can't even draw a blade? You are a coward wrapped in penance!"

Shen Liang said nothing. He let the words cut him—because they were true.

"You're right. I ran. I let Qingxuan fall. But if you were so righteous, why did you never question our path?"

Shen Liang kept walking. "You believed Tianxu was invincible. That righteousness was enough. But righteousness alone doesn't survive Heaven's blade. We failed because we never built anything worth protecting—we only tore things down."

He stopped a breath away from the echo.

"I broke the sword to stop another war."

The echo raised the Azure Judgment.

They moved like mirrors—every strike countered with perfection. Shen Liang's cultivation had grown ragged over the years—shaped more by scars than by scripture—but it had gained something else: instinct. Grit.

When the younger self struck high, Shen Liang dropped low, letting the blade graze his shoulder so he could slam his palm into the echo's chest.

The younger self stumbled, eyes wide. "You let them go."

"You don't deserve Qingxuan's legacy."

"Maybe not," Shen Liang said. "But I will earn it. One life at a time."

His palm touched the echo's chest—and instead of striking, he embraced the reflection. There was a pulse. A fracture. Then stillness.

Soul Stabilized: Trauma Converted to Will]

Reward: Soulblade Technique Unlocked – "Judgment Without Mercy" (Lv. 1)]

+3 Mind | +2 Spirit | New Trait Gained: Will of the Shattered Lotus]

The mirror melted into light. Yue appeared beside him again, eyes searching his face.

He glanced at his arm, where the cut shimmered faintly with Qi. "Just a memory. One that cut deep."

She held out his coat. "Here. You left it on the stairs."

He took it, saying nothing. But the gesture eased something inside him.

Yue pointed to a new path opening in the floor—an ascending platform of cloudstone.

The final gate awaited them—above, not below. Where the stars spiraled in silence.