Chapter 3281: Awakening After 5 Years
Chapter 3281: Awakening After 5 Years
The price Lin Mu had paid was therefore not physical, but otherwordly.
The Sword Spirit had not taken his energy. It had not drained his lifeforce. The power it had used came from itself, from its own ancient reserves.
No, what it had taken from Lin Mu was far greater: the price of breaking the rules of the Heavenly Dao itself.
Even now, neither the Saintess nor the Lotus Spirit could discern exactly what that price had been. They sensed no curse, no mark, no damage to his cultivation base. His soul was whole, his meridians strong, and yet his vitality wavered like a candle in the wind.
He continued to sleep, perhaps trapped within a dream that even the Saintess could not pierce.
At first, she suspected the influence of the Great Slumber Bear Bloodline within him, but no trace of that energy remained. The sleep he was under now was something entirely different.
Something deeper.
The Lotus Spirit gently brushed her fingers along Lin Mu’s forehead, her touch glowing softly. "His heart still beats strong," she whispered. "Whatever slumber he is in, it is not death, nor decline. It feels... like a great stillness, waiting to awaken."
The Saintess closed her eyes briefly. "Perhaps the price was not his life... but his time."
The Lotus Spirit looked up, confused.
The Saintess continued, "If his existence transcended the flow of mortal time during that final battle, the Heavens may have demanded balance and thus placed him in stasis, until the debt of eternity is paid."
Silence fell between them, broken only by the gentle rustle of lotus petals.
Neither spoke again for several minutes.
The Saintess gazed upon Lin Mu, her expression softening. Despite her divine composure, there was warmth... and perhaps guilt in her eyes.
She reached out a hand and touched one of the glowing petals. "Rest well, Lin Mu," she said softly. "You’ve carried this world upon your shoulders. Let it carry you now."
The Lotus Spirit nodded in agreement. "He will wake when the world needs him again. Until then, I will guard him as he once guarded us."
Far below, the prayers of the monks echoed up the mountain, their chants forming a golden halo that shimmered faintly around the clouds.
The Silent Lotus World had entered an age of peace.
The Saintess turned away, her robes flowing like mist as she disappeared into the horizon, leaving behind the lotus and its slumbering guardian.
And as the wind blew across the Green Urim Peak, the giant lotus pulsed with gentle green light, a heartbeat of hope that reminded the world that its savior still lived.
Even if asleep, Lin Mu’s presence was felt in every breeze, every blooming flower, and every dawn that graced the land.
The Silent Lotus World would never forget.
.
.
.
Time passed and the long awaited day finally came.
The sun rose gently over the Green Urim Peak, its golden light filtering through a veil of jade clouds. The lotus petals shimmered with dew, each droplet glowing like a star suspended in the morning mist.
It had been five years since Lin Mu’s battle with the Ephemera Tree, five years since his body had fallen into its deep, mysterious sleep. For half a decade, the world had waited with bated breath for its protector to awaken, unsure if he ever would.
But today, something changed.
The lotus pulsed once.
Then again.
The air trembled faintly, and the energy that flowed around the peak shifted, spiraling inward toward the giant lotus that cradled Lin Mu.
Inside the lotus’s heart, Lin Mu’s body stirred for the first time in years. His fingers twitched slightly, and a faint sound escaped his lips, like the first breath of a man waking from a lifetime of slumber.
His eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes that gleamed faintly in the soft green light.
For several moments, Lin Mu stared blankly at the glowing petals surrounding him. His mind felt sluggish, as though it was still trapped somewhere between dream and waking. The air felt warm, heavy with the scent of vitality and earth.
Was this... real?
He blinked, and slowly turned his gaze. The first figure he saw standing before him made him pause in disbelief.
A woman stood near him, glowing faintly with green light. Her long hair flowed like silk threads of emerald, and her eyes shimmered with kindness. Her beauty was serene, otherworldly, and impossibly familiar.
For a moment, Lin Mu thought he was still dreaming.
But then, as he drew in a breath, he felt the air fill his lungs, heavy and alive with Qi. He could feel the warmth of the lotus petal beneath him, the rhythm of the energy that surrounded him. It was not a dream.
"...Lotus Spirit?" he asked softly, his voice rough from disuse.
The Lotus Spirit’s eyes widened slightly before her expression softened into a radiant smile.
"Thank the heavens," she said, her voice carrying both relief and joy. "You are awake."
Lin Mu tried to move, but the moment he did, a wave of weakness swept through him. His arms trembled, and his muscles screamed in protest. He groaned quietly, sinking back down.
"Careful," the Lotus Spirit said gently.
She moved closer, supporting his back with her delicate hands as a petal curved up behind him to serve as a cushion.
"Do not rush yourself. Your body is still fragile. You’ve been asleep for a very long time."
"How long..." Lin Mu paused, his breath shallow. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Five years," she replied.
Lin Mu’s eyes widened slightly, though there was no shock in them, only understanding.
’Five years.’
He had once slept for twenty-five, after burning away his vitality to save Lady Kang. Compared to that, five years seemed almost merciful. He closed his eyes and let out a quiet breath.
"I see," he murmured. "Then I suppose I’m rather lucky this time."
The Lotus Spirit chuckled softly. "Only you would call waking after five years ’lucky.’"
Lin Mu smiled faintly but said nothing. His gaze drifted upward, to the swirling clouds above the lotus. For a moment, he could almost see flashes of memory; light, destruction, the blinding brilliance of the Xian Sword Spirit descending upon the Ephemera Tree.