The next morning, the world seemed brighter — but for Su Mengyao, the light felt different.
Every sound, every movement, every heartbeat around her resonated with strange rhythm. She could sense life itself — faint threads of energy connecting everything.
She sat in her room, staring at her glowing wrist.
The lotus sigil pulsed softly with each beat of her heart.
What's happening to me?
When she closed her eyes, she saw visions again — towering palaces made of jade, floating islands, moonlight bathing a silver lake.
And there she stood — in white robes, serene, divine — surrounded by spirit beasts bowing in reverence.
A voice echoed faintly in her mind:
"Moonlight shall never fade, even in the realm of mortals."
Su Mengyao gasped, snapping her eyes open. Her room lights flickered. The air shimmered with faint spiritual particles.
Across the city, Lin Tian opened his eyes abruptly. He had felt it — her awakening.
He stood and vanished in a blur, reappearing moments later on her balcony.
She jumped at his sudden appearance. "L-Lin Tian? How did you—?"
He held up a hand, scanning the air. "Your aura just surged. You nearly broke the boundary between realms."
"I didn't mean to," she said quickly. "It just… happened."
Lin Tian looked at her wrist, the lotus mark glowing steadily. "The Moon Lotus Seal has reached its first phase. You are beginning to remember your celestial essence."
She frowned. "You keep saying that… but I'm not her. I'm not a fairy or whatever you think."
Lin Tian's expression softened. "Perhaps. But her soul sleeps within you. And if the seal continues to awaken, you will become her — whether you wish it or not."
Suddenly, a distant explosion shook the ground. Windows rattled, alarms blared. A cloud of black smoke rose from the direction of downtown.
[Ding!]
System Alert: High demonic concentration detected near East City Plaza.
Host participation recommended.
Lin Tian's eyes flashed. "So soon…"
He turned to Su Mengyao. "Stay here. Do not step outside."
She grabbed his arm instinctively. "Wait—if it's those things again, I can help! I feel… stronger now."
He looked at her for a moment, then shook his head. "Strength without control is a danger — not a blessing."
He leapt off the balcony, vanishing into the distance.
At East City Plaza, chaos ruled. Cars overturned, people screamed and fled as a monstrous figure emerged from the smoke — a Shadow Fiend, tall as a building, its body made of writhing darkness.
Elder Mo's sinister energy pulsed faintly through it — his projection.
The Shadow Fiend roared, tearing through the air. Police gunfire was useless. Bullets passed through it like mist.
Then, from the far side of the plaza, a single figure walked forward — calm, unhurried.
Lin Tian.
He looked up at the towering creature, his expression unreadable. "Even your puppets are uglier than before, Elder Mo."
The monster's head twisted, its mouth opening unnaturally wide. From within, Elder Mo's voice boomed:
"Still arrogant, Heavenly Sword Immortal. Without your full power, you cannot defeat even my shadow."
Lin Tian's lips curved into a faint smile. "We'll see."
He raised his hand, gathering qi into the wooden sword. The blade glowed brighter than ever before, the air humming with energy.
Sword Art: Crescent Moon Slash!
A wave of pure, silver light erupted from his sword, cutting through the fiend's shadowy body. The monster shrieked, its form distorting violently before collapsing into mist.
But Lin Tian staggered slightly, blood at the corner of his lips. His cultivation wasn't strong enough to fully sustain that technique.
Still, the crowd around him — though dazed — began to cheer.
"Who is that guy?"
"He took down the monster!"
"Was that… some kind of magic?"
Lin Tian ignored them all, vanishing before anyone could record his face clearly.
Back at her apartment, Su Mengyao clutched her chest, pain rippling through her body. Through her vision, she saw it all — the battle, the light, the demon's fall.
Then she heard that same celestial voice whisper once more:
"He fights again for the mortal realm… just as he did before."
Her lotus sigil pulsed brightly. Power surged through her veins, her eyes glowing faintly silver.
And far away, in his demonic lair, Elder Mo opened his eyes.
"So… the Moon Lotus awakens. Good. Let her power rise — for when it reaches its peak, I shall take it for myself."
Later that night, Lin Tian stood on a hill overlooking the city. He could feel the world shifting — Earth's spiritual field growing restless.
"The balance is breaking," he murmured. "If more portals open, this world will drown in chaos."
[Ding!]
System Notification:
Warning: Dimensional instability increasing. Host should seek Celestial Nexus within 30 days to stabilize Earth's ley lines.
"Celestial Nexus…" Lin Tian whispered. "So even this world has one."
He looked up at the moon — radiant and full, bathing the city in soft light.
Under its glow, he could feel her aura — faint but steady, intertwining with his once again.
"Yue Ling… or Su Mengyao… whoever you are now," he said quietly, "the heavens may have torn us apart, but even fate cannot keep us from crossing paths again."
The wind carried his words into the night — a promise and a warning both.
End of Chapter 8: "The Moon Lotus Awakens