"Where did this wind co from?!"
Yu Xuan’s voice broke the silence as he gazed up at the sky—golden, yet without a sun. The clouds above moved slowly, and the air felt heavy with moisture, sticking to their skin like a wet blanket.
A strange unease stirred in his chest.
No one knew where the wind had co from.
No one... except for Moyin.
The man stood eerily still, his eyes fixed on Chen Tian, his expression unreadable.
’Another cultivator?! H-How didn’t I sense him?!’
Moyin’s thoughts raced, alard and... intrigued.
There was sothing different about Chen Tian. Unlike Aria or Emilia, whom he could roughly gauge, Moyin couldn’t see through this young man at all. A faint, unfamiliar pressure wrapped around Chen Tian like a silent storm—one that whispered of danger.
’I absolutely refuse to believe a human is making feel this way,’ Moyin muttered inwardly, narrowing his eyes, attempting to discern Chen Tian’s intentions through the still air.
But Chen Tian wasn’t the least bit fazed. His gaze remained locked on Moyin, sharp and cold—calculated. There was no doubt in his expression. The mont Moyin made a move, he would strike without hesitation.
’He’s not attacking...’
Moyin suddenly relaxed his stance, causing Chen Tian’s brows to furrow slightly.
Then, without a word, Moyin turned his attention away from Chen Tian and faced Zhu Lingfeng.
Observing this, Zhu Lingfeng released Han Li from his grip and took a slow step forward.
The unexpected gesture caused Yu Xuan, Liu Zhenhai, and Liu Xuan’s sister to stiffen.
They were all too familiar with Zhu Lingfeng’s arrogance due to past encounters. To see him voluntarily let soone go and approach Moyin respectfully was shocking.
Confusion filled the group. They didn’t know Moyin personally, nor did they understand his ties to the Zhu family, but the way Zhu Lingfeng was acting... it was clear.
Moyin commanded a level of respect none of them had ever seen Zhu Lingfeng give before.
Chen Tian remained silent, observing the subtle shift in tension. He didn’t know what Moyin was plotting, but the atmosphere had shifted, just slightly—less suffocating now.
Zhu Lingfeng stopped in front of Moyin, his voice steady and composed.
"Let’s settle this peacefully. We’re all here for one purpose. There’s no reason to fight amongst ourselves."
Liu Zhenhai snorted from the side, his arms crossed.
"Wow, big talk," he mocked, but still nodded in agreent. Even he didn’t want to fight if it could be avoided.
Yu Xuan’s gaze drifted across the ruins. "So... what is this place?"
A mont passed before Moyin answered, his voice low and distant, echoing slightly in the heavy, golden air.
"This place is ancient... Very ancient. They say the founder of the Budhua Clan—Buddhua himself—set foot here during his final years."
He paused.
"A monk temple once stood at the heart of this land... though now, most of it has been swallowed by ti."
Everyone fell quiet.
Even Liu Zhenhai raised an eyebrow. "Does such a legend even hold any truth? And how would you know about it?"
Moyin simply offered a faint, enigmatic smile.
"Legends are often born from truth—distorted, forgotten, passed through the mouths of the ignorant." His eyes flickered with hidden amusent. "As for how I knew of this place... let’s just say an old book showed the way."
A tense silence followed.
Did they believe him? Hell no.
But the ruins were real. The place is undeniably ancient. That was enough to stir both suspicion and curiosity.
"So what now? This place looks sealed off from all sides." Yu Xuan gestured toward the crumbling architecture around them.
Shattered stone walls and broken columns ford a ring around the area. The remains of the once-grand temple now lay in ruins, worn down by the passage of ti and the forces of nature.
"Maybe we’ll find sothing over there?"
One of Yu Xuan’s companions pointed toward the center of the grounds.
A massive statue towered at the heart of the ruins, partially covered in moss and gri. It was a majestic figure seated in a lotus position, hands raised in a gesture of blessing, its features worn by ti but still exuding a powerful presence.
Everyone’s gaze was drawn toward it. Without a word, they began making their way forward, stepping carefully over uneven stones and fallen beams.
As they neared, they noticed ancient carvings along the statue’s base—elegant symbols spiraling around its foundation.
"Hey, there’s sothing written down here!"
A voice called out.
They all gathered as one knelt near the base, trying to decipher the eroded text. It took a mont before they could piece together the fragnted ssage.
"Before the gaze of the Eternal One, five sacred lotuses bloom—each a vessel of destiny. Let each choose but one, for the path it unveils shall shape their fate for generations to co."
The words echoed through the silence like a riddle lost to ti.
"What the hell does that even an?" Ming Ming asked, brows furrowed.
Liu Zhenhai turned to Moyin. "You said you knew about this place—any idea what that’s supposed to an?"
Moyin shook his head. "No. I only know this place was once a monk temple. The rest... is new to ."
Everyone exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of whether to trust Moyin’s explanation. They didn’t fully trust him, but they had little else to go on.
"Then let’s search the area," Liu Zhenhai said. "We might find sothing that gives us a clue."
With nothing else to do, the groups split up and began exploring. Ti beca aningless. The sky remained the sa—golden and still. There was no sun, no shift of day into night.
"Wait!" Lin Xue suddenly called out.
Everyone turned toward her.
"Look at the pond—there are five lotus flowers floating there!"
Chen Tian stepped closer, his gaze landing on the small pond nestled near the back of the statue. Five lotus flowers floated on the surface, each of them glowing faintly with a different hue.
He narrowed his eyes, activating his Chaos Insight.
At first, he saw nothing. But the mont he focused deeper, he saw it.
Thin streams of Spiritual Qi flowed from each lotus, forming faint, glowing threads that intertwined with one another—an intricate web of energy connecting them like silent whispers.
He hadn’t sensed it earlier. The Qi was subtle, hidden. But now it was clear as day.
The lotus flowers were... so kind of chanism.
"Five lotus flowers... doesn’t that resemble the Five Wisdom Buddhas?" Ming Feng suddenly exclaid.
"Five what?" Ming Lei blinked.
Ming Feng’s eyes lit up as he explained quickly. "The Five Wisdom Buddhas! They’re representations of different aspects of enlightennt in Buddhism. Each one tied to a direction, a color, and a ntal transformation."
As they examined the lotus flowers, they noticed that each one was indeed a different color—white, blue, yellow, red, and green.
Though the inscriptions on their bases were old and weathered, faint characters remained visible, hinting at their original aning.
"Wow, Ming Feng, you actually know your stuff!" Emilia gasped in awe.
"Sister Emilia, Ming Feng’s always been the curious one. It’s no surprise he knows this kind of thing," Ming Ming smiled.
"So... what should we do now?"
That question hung in the air like a silent bell.
The lotus flowers floated serenely. The statue watched over them with its eternal gaze.
And sothing deeper, older, began to stir within the ancient temple—awaiting the choices that would soon be made.
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