The Boundless Ascendant

The air in the chamber had thickened, growing heavier with each passing second. Ling Xiao could feel the oppressive weight of the Source's presence in his very bones. It wasn't just a power—it was a force that sought to twist reality itself, to redefine the laws of the world. And now, it was drawing Xuan Wei into its embrace.

"Xuan Wei!" Ling Xiao shouted, his voice sharp with urgency, but it was as if his words were swallowed by the void. His friend's eyes, once full of clarity and fire, were now glazed over, distant. His hand hovered above the altar, fingers trembling, but not from fear. No, it was something else—something deeper. 

Xuan Wei had always been a complex individual, driven by a quiet strength that could weather storms, but now, in the face of the Source, he seemed to be unraveling. There was no longer a trace of the Xuan Wei they had known. The connection between them was severing, as if his very soul had been lured into the clutches of the Source.

Zhen Xue's breath hitched beside him, her face pale, her sword raised in a defensive stance. "We need to stop him! He's not himself!"

But Ling Xiao's mind raced. This was no simple manipulation. The Source wasn't just affecting Xuan Wei's mind—it was reaching deeper, touching something primal within him. Something he had hidden for years. The Source was playing on his desires, his doubts, his fears. It was offering him a power beyond anything they could understand.

"Xuan Wei!" Ling Xiao took a step forward, but the ground beneath him suddenly trembled, the very earth seeming to respond to the Source's awakening. The temperature dropped further, the air thick with an unnatural cold that settled deep in his chest. It was like a winter storm inside his body—cloying, suffocating.

The statues around them shifted, their stone faces now contorted in grotesque expressions, their eyes glowing with the same malevolent light that suffused the altar. The carvings on the walls seemed to writhe, their shapes shifting into monstrous figures that mirrored the Source's power.

The voice of the Source resonated again, its words ringing in Ling Xiao's skull, invasive, insistent. **"Come, Ling Xiao. Zhen Xue. Do you not see? This is the true path. Power beyond the heavens. Dominion over life and death."**

Ling Xiao's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel it now—its influence was gnawing at the edges of his mind, trying to take root, trying to plant seeds of doubt. But he had fought too long, too hard, to let something like this claim him.

He turned to Zhen Xue. "We have to stop him. We can't let him fall completely into this."

Her eyes were wide with fear, but her resolve never wavered. "What do we do? He's beyond reach."

Ling Xiao's gaze snapped back to Xuan Wei. The pulse of energy around his friend was growing stronger, his body now shaking violently as the Source consumed him. For a brief moment, Xuan Wei's eyes flickered toward Ling Xiao—just a brief flash of recognition. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by an eerie blankness.

Suddenly, the ground cracked, splitting open beneath their feet. From the abyss below, a dark, swirling energy began to rise—a torrent of shadows and smoke, coiling and writhing like a living thing. The air seemed to scream in protest, and the very stone beneath them began to twist and deform, as though the temple itself was being pulled into the Source's vortex.

Ling Xiao raised his sword, the light from its blade cutting through the shadows. "Xuan Wei! This is not you! Fight it!"

But Xuan Wei's lips curled into a faint smile—a smile that was both haunting and sorrowful, as if he had already accepted what was to come.

**"It's too late, Ling Xiao,"** he whispered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the Source. **"I've seen what lies beyond. There is no going back."**

A massive shockwave of energy erupted from the altar, throwing Ling Xiao and Zhen Xue backward. They crashed into the walls of the temple, the impact rattling their bones. The world seemed to tilt, spinning as the overwhelming power of the Source surged through the chamber, filling every inch of space with dark energy.

Ling Xiao staggered to his feet, his mind reeling from the force of the blast. Through the haze of smoke and debris, he saw Xuan Wei standing alone before the altar, his arms raised high. His eyes were wide with an almost maniacal gleam, as if the power he had embraced had consumed him completely.

And then, something happened.

The dark energy swirled around Xuan Wei, coiling like a serpent. It surrounded him, a vortex of blackness that seemed to suck in the very light around it. For a moment, Ling Xiao couldn't even see his friend through the tempest.

Then, the energy exploded outward in a flash of blinding light.

When the light faded, Xuan Wei was gone.

---

**An Unseen Change**

The temple was silent for a long moment. Ling Xiao and Zhen Xue remained on the ground, both gasping for breath, their bodies aching from the blast. The air was thick with the smell of burned stone and something more—something foul, like the scent of decay.

Ling Xiao slowly rose to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked around, but there was no sign of Xuan Wei. The altar was now empty, its power still crackling with dark energy, but it no longer pulsed with the same intensity.

"What happened?" Zhen Xue whispered, her voice full of disbelief. "Where is he?"

Ling Xiao's gaze remained fixed on the altar, his mind churning with a thousand thoughts. He had seen Xuan Wei fall into the Source's grasp, but had it truly claimed him? Or had Xuan Wei chosen this path of his own volition? 

**"Xuan Wei…"** Ling Xiao whispered the name, but it sounded like a prayer, a plea that was never meant to be answered.

Suddenly, the Source spoke again, its voice colder than ever, reverberating through the very foundation of the temple. **"He has become one with me now. There is no turning back. But you… you will follow soon enough. The cycle has already begun."**

Ling Xiao's heart raced, but he didn't flinch. He wouldn't let this be the end. Not for Xuan Wei. Not for the world.

**"We'll see about that,"** he muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on his sword.

Zhen Xue stood beside him, her expression resolute. "We can't let this power go unchecked. If Xuan Wei is gone, then we are the only ones left to stop this."

Ling Xiao nodded, his gaze never leaving the altar. "We have to destroy the Source. No matter the cost."

The journey ahead would be one of unimaginable danger. But Ling Xiao knew one thing above all else: They had to stop the Source, or the world would fall into darkness. There was no other choice.

End of Chapter 84

In Chapter 84, the trio faces the terrifying power of the Source of the Black Lotus. Xuan Wei succumbs to its influence, and despite Ling Xiao's desperate attempts to bring him back, Xuan Wei becomes consumed by the Source, vanishing into its dark embrace. The temple is thrown into chaos as the Source's energy erupts, and Ling Xiao and Zhen Xue are left to pick up the pieces. With Xuan Wei lost, Ling Xiao is determined to destroy the Source and prevent it from consuming everything in its wake, even if it means facing impossible odds. The true battle has only just begun.

If you'd like more chapters, I can continue to build the story step by step, expanding on Ling Xiao's journey, his growing power, and the world he seeks to reshape.