Chapter Seven: The Awakening Path
A scream tore through the forest, raw and filled with anguish, echoing across the silent trees as Li Shen clutched his head and fell to his knees, his entire body trembling violently while the final moments before his death replayed in his mind again and again without mercy.
The blades piercing into his flesh, the cold laughter, the helplessness, and worst of all, Beth's face, filled with fear and despair as everything fell apart before his eyes, and the pain of it all crashed into him like a raging tide, making it impossible to breathe, impossible to think, as if he were reliving death itself in an endless loop.
"Calm down," a voice said inside his mind, its tone filled with clear annoyance, cutting through the chaos like a sharp blade, "your screaming is irritating."
Li Shen froze instantly, his breath hitching as his eyes widened in shock, the pain still lingering but now overshadowed by confusion and disbelief.
Slowly and cautiously, he looked around, his gaze scanning the empty forest as if expecting someone to step out from the shadows, yet there was no one there, nothing but the rustling leaves and the distant cries of beasts that dared not come closer.
"Who are you?" Li Shen asked, his voice hoarse, filled with both fear and uncertainty, his body still tense as he struggled to understand what was happening.
"I am Dao," the voice replied impatiently, as if answering such a question was beneath it, its tone carrying a faint arrogance that did not try to hide itself in the slightest.
Li Shen frowned, confusion deepening as he tried to process the situation, his mind racing despite the exhaustion that weighed heavily on him, "How… how are you inside my head?" he asked, his voice unsteady, still unable to grasp the reality of what he was experiencing.
There was a brief pause before the voice spoke again, this time with a hint of pride that bordered on madness, "Long story short, I am a god, the devourer of worlds, a being that stood above countless realms, but I was defeated by a rascal, a mere insect who got lucky, and my soul was torn apart and used to create an artifact, the Heavenly Armor, which that fool passed down through his lineage as if it were some kind of treasure."
The voice let out a low, mocking laugh, as if the memory itself was both amusing and infuriating, and Li Shen could feel a strange, overwhelming presence behind those words, something vast and ancient, something far beyond his understanding.
"If I have ended up inside a weak mortal like you," Dao continued, its tone dripping with disdain, "then that must mean that rascal has already been defeated, and his precious Li clan has been wiped out, how amusing, how truly amusing."
A burst of laughter echoed within Li Shen's mind, wild and unrestrained, filled with a strange sense of satisfaction as if the downfall of an old enemy brought it great joy, and Li Shen winced slightly, the sound reverberating painfully through his thoughts.
"Anyways," Dao said after a moment, its tone calming slightly though the arrogance remained, "I was sealed, and the condition to break that seal was simple, a descendant of that lineage had to die with overwhelming regret and pain, only then could I awaken, and as fate would have it, you fulfilled that condition perfectly."
Li Shen's fists clenched tightly as those words sank in, his expression darkening as the memories of his death surfaced once more, but before he could speak, Dao continued.
"I am also bound to you now," it said, its voice taking on a more serious tone, "if you die again in your current state, I will perish with you, so whether I like it or not, I have to ensure your survival, which means helping you grow stronger."
For a moment, silence fell between them, heavy and suffocating, as Li Shen processed everything he had just heard, his mind struggling to keep up with the sheer absurdity of it all, yet deep down, he could feel that it was real, that this was not some illusion or dream, but something way more dangerous.
Then without hesitation, Li Shen dropped to his knees.
His head lowered.
"Please," he said, his voice trembling yet firm, filled with desperation that could not be hidden, "save Beth from Master Frank and his family."
There was a pause.
A long one.
When Dao spoke again, its voice carried a hint of irritation, but also something else, something that could almost be mistaken for indifference.
"I can only help you become stronger," it said, "I cannot fight your battles for you, nor can I interfere directly, if you want to save her, then you will have to do it yourself."
Li Shen's hands tightened against the ground, his nails digging into the soil as his body trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the weight of reality pressing down on him.
"I have already seen your memories," Dao continued, its tone calmer now, almost analytical, "I know what happened, I know what you have lost, and I know what awaits that girl if nothing changes."
The words struck deep.
Like a blade twisting within his chest.
Slowly, Li Shen raised his head, his expression no longer filled with confusion or despair, but something else entirely.
Resolve.
"You will help me get stronger," he said, his voice steady despite everything, "but right now, I have to go back, I have to save her."
Dao let out a quiet scoff, clearly unimpressed, yet it did not argue, perhaps because it understood that nothing it said would change his mind, or perhaps because, deep down, it found this determination… interesting.
"Very well," it said, its tone laced with faint amusement, "run toward your death if you wish, but do not expect miracles, strength is not gained in a single moment."
Li Shen pushed himself to his feet, his body still weak but no longer broken, and as he stood there, the forest around him seemed to shift slightly, the air heavier, denser, as if acknowledging the change that had taken place within him.
He took a step forward.
Then another.
Each step carrying him away from the place where he had died, and toward the place where everything had begun.
Toward the city.
Toward the mansion.
Toward the people who had taken everything from him.
His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his eyes burning with a fire that had not existed before, a fire fueled by pain, by anger, by the desperate need to reclaim what he had lost.
Behind that fire, hidden deep within his mind, Dao watched silently.
And for the first time since it awakened, it smiled.
Li Shen did not look back.
He walked out of the forest, step by step, his pace gradually increasing until it turned into a run, his body pushing forward despite the lingering weakness, driven by a single thought that drowned out everything else.
Beth.
No matter what it took, no matter the cost.
He would reach her.
He would save her.
Or he would die trying.