Immortal Paladin

197 The Seven That Remain

In the fragmented realm of the False Earth, where time flowed in unnatural rhythms and the sky bore witness to centuries of conflict, seven figures known as the Sages once reigned supreme. To call them sages, however, was an overstatement. At their core, they were prisoners who were stripped of their freedom and barred from true ascension.

Driven by desperation, they pooled their knowledge and power to create the Ascension Game, an elaborate mechanism designed to break the world's restraints. Among them was Ru Qiu, the man history had known as the Heavenly Demon, a being who was known for his might and divine powers.

Ru Qiu sat cross-legged on an obsidian dais, surrounded by cascading curtains of qi. His aura was barely restrained by the jade talismans orbiting him. Silence filled the chamber until a rasping voice shattered the stillness.

A rotting crow perched atop a brazier cawed three times, each cry steeped in rancor.

“Wen Yuhan has betrayed us. Wen Yuhan has betrayed us. Gather! Gather in the Throne Hall!”

The crow's cries dissolved into the air like ash on the wind. Ru Qiu opened his eyes, crimson streaks shimmering within his pupils.

“Annoying,” he muttered.

Flexing his fingers, he extended his spirit into the projection medium embedded within the Sealed Island.

His awareness was drawn to the meeting place. It was the ruins of fortress adrift within a phantom archipelago, veiled by endless fog and hidden beneath layers of illusion. Inside its crumbling throne room stood seven colossal statues arranged around an empty obsidian throne. Each radiated an eerie presence, their eyes glowing with flickering power.

All except one.

The blindfolded marble woman, a likeness of the Destiny-bound Seer Wen Yuhan, stood silent and cold.

“You’re the last to join,” intoned a skeletal figure crowned with rusted gold.

It was the Yama King. His dominion over death granted him authority over decay and finality. His voice echoed like a funeral bell, heavy with solemn mockery.

“And here I thought tardiness was your most defining trait, King,” replied a reedy voice.

The Divine Physician appeared as a hunched elder gripping a dragon-wood cane. He leaned forward slightly, eternal curiosity carved into his stone features.

“Ru Qiu, this is unlike you.”

A burst of deranged laughter followed from the serpentine effigy of a half-naked woman draped in a coiling viper. It was the Dark Witch. “Enough posturing,” she hissed. “Wen Yuhan has broken the pact. She swore neutrality, yet now she has entangled herself with Da Wei, another player in the board that we've not foreseen. We all know what that means. Wen Yuhan must pay the price. She must die!”

“That would be a waste of effort,” came a calm reply.

The speaker was the Enlightened Scholar, sculpted as a bald monk holding a broom. Recently, he had taken to calling himself the Game Master.

“She is the Seer. She avoids consequences by design. If she has moved, then she has done so with precision. The real question is why now, and why that boy?”

“It matters little,” The Grand Exorcist remarked idly. He was cloaked in stone veils, and radiated a strange presence. “She is compromised. And this 'Da Wei' is a threat by association. Eliminate both. The Game proceeds cleanly.”

Silence followed.

Ru Qiu studied the statues. These six had once been forces of creation and destruction in the Hollowed World and many of the Lesser Universe. Their names had become myth. They were the origins of entire archetypes: the first Seer, Demon, King, Witch, Exorcist, Physician, and Scholar. Their deeds had shaped generations of cultivators.

Their imprisonment had shaped them even more.

“All of you seemed to have forgotten,” Ru Qiu murmured.

Though spoken softly, his words echoed through the spiritual link.

“This changes nothing,” Ru Qiu said, his voice carrying through the hall like distant thunder. “Have you all forgotten where we stand? We are prisoners, every one of us, trapped beneath the same heavens and bound by the same chains. Yet here you are, already sharpening knives for one another over a single move on the board.”

His gaze swept across the gathered figures.

“Do not mistake my words for mercy or restraint. When the time comes, we will still fight. We will scheme, betray, and tear at each other's throats if that is what it takes to reach the end. That has always been our nature. But never forget who our true enemy is. The cage remains. The laws remain. The world that denies us ascension remains.”

He paused before continuing coldly.

“So save your outrage and your self-righteousness. We are monsters clawing toward eternity, not children squabbling over scraps. Whatever Wen Yuhan has done, whatever Da Wei may represent, none of it changes the truth. We will kill each other.”

The Game Master chuckled.

“Is that a warning, Demon?”

“It is a reminder.”

Ru Qiu's gaze settled on Wen Yuhan's statue.

“She should know her place. For all her foresight, she remains the most shackled among us. Her power depends upon neutrality. The laws binding this world prevent her from directly altering fate. Force her hand, and she loses everything. Ultimately, she's inconsequential. Feel free to waste your resources, dealing with her. Destroying Da Wei would leave her utterly defenseless. This 'new player' is strong, but he's severely limited when it comes to resources, considering the time of his arrival to this world.”

The Dark Witch giggled.

“Oh, I like the sound of that. Crush the little mortal and watch the blind Seer weep in frustration. But tell me, dear Demon, who is going to do it?”

Her amusement faded into disdain.

“We're all too busy trying not to lose our heads to play assassin.”

She wasn't wrong.

The Ascension Game was no simple clash of power. It was a war fought through schemes, proxies, avatars, dreams, and blood. Every move required precision. A single miscalculation could shift the board forever. Something that Ru Qiu had warned them so plainly.

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The Divine Physician tapped his cane against the stone floor. Though the statue remained motionless, the sharp crack of wood against stone echoed throughout the hall. “Since this Da Wei has entered the Yama King's territory, the answer seems obvious. He is best positioned to deal with him.”

The Game Master's voice remained calm and measured. “Before we start assigning blades to throats, tell me... what do we truly know about this Da Wei?”

A scoff echoed from the veiled statue of the Grand Exorcist. “That he gave the Heavenly Demon a run for his money, for one.”

A long silence followed.

The Dark Witch blinked. “Wait... Ru Qiu, you're not denying it?”

Soft laughter spread through the hall.

Ru Qiu's expression darkened. “And where did you hear that from, you third-rate exorcist?”

The faint irritation in his voice only strengthened the accusation.

The Grand Exorcist sneered. “From the way you're reacting, I'd say it doesn't matter. Perhaps you've finally found someone who doesn't tremble at your name. Why not face him yourself? Reclaim your pride, if that's still a concern. Information about this Da Wei is scarce, however if we take account of your experience, I dare say you are the perfect fit.”

Ru Qiu would have his revenge on Da Wei, but now was not the time. Moreover, if someone else dealt with it, he didn't really mind either way.

The Yama King finally spoke, his voice deep and deliberate. “There is no need for petty challenges and provocations. I will deal with him. This Da Wei is not a typical cultivator. His soul bears marks I have never encountered. It does not belong to this world's order.”

The Dark Witch snorted. “Of course he isn't normal. None of us were. It takes a special kind of madness to attract the attention of a Supreme Being... or earn their wrath.”

“You are all wrong,” the Game Master said.

The room fell silent.

Though he now called himself the Game Master, those who knew him in ages past remembered why he had once been known as the Enlightened Scholar. His wisdom had bent cause and effect itself, and even Supreme Beings had listened when he spoke.

“There is more to this.”

He paused.

“He wasn't cast here like us. He came of his own will.”

The statement struck the gathering harder than any accusation.

Even the Dark Witch stopped smiling.

The Game Master continued.

“I have charted the heavens since the day we were sealed here. Each of us arrived with signs, like comets, storms, and celestial omens. Da Wei came differently. He entered through the Reincarnation Method. His arrival was deliberate, unlike ours.”

Ru Qiu narrowed his eyes.

“Are you suggesting a God sent him?”

“I don't know,” the Game Master admitted. “Perhaps Her. Perhaps another. But he is not bound by the same shackles we are. If he recovers his power, and he will, it won't take long before he surpasses what any of us can currently access.”

“And yet,” the Divine Physician murmured, “he still behaves like a mortal.”

“For now.” The Game Master nodded. “But if he truly serves something higher, his existence threatens the balance of the Game itself. I am inclined to eliminate him for that reason alone.”

No one disagreed.

...

..

.

A Paladin and a Seer walked along a lonely dirt path.

“So,” I said, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion, “you're telling me they'll misread my origin, mistake me for some divine agent, and then try to kill me for it? And if I want to avoid being crushed under the combined paranoia of this ancient monsters, I need to go with you so you can 'protect' me while I recover my strength?”

Wen Yuhan didn't flinch.

For the last fifteen minutes, she had painted a bleak picture of the future, introducing me to the figures behind the Ascension Game. The Heavenly Demon. Yama King. Divine Physician. Dark Witch. Game Master. Grand Exorcist. Titles so absurdly grandiose they sounded like characters from a children's story.

Unfortunately, she wasn't joking.

We were heading back to Willow Village, walking side by side beneath a canopy of whispering leaves. The peaceful scenery felt strangely out of place after everything she had told me.

I looked at her again. “What do you think I'm thinking?”

“That you can't be convinced.”

Her answer came instantly.

I grunted. “If you already knew that, why bother explaining any of this?”

A faint smile touched her lips. “Because the second time I ask, you'll agree.”

I frowned.

“Especially after watching your loved ones die,” she continued. “Painful, yes. Necessary, too. Some lessons can only be learned through loss. Attachments make you vulnerable.”

I narrowed my eyes. “At least I have attachments.”

She hummed softly. “What makes you think I don't?”

I raised a brow. “I didn't say anything.”

A smirk tugged at my lips. “Feeling defensive?”

Wen Yuhan exhaled sharply and stepped ahead of me, either annoyed or trying to hide the look on her face I briefly glanced at.

“My powers are the most restricted among us,” she said, her voice quieter but firmer. “Even when I know the future, I can't change it directly. I can't save people. But you're different. You weren't born beneath my Eye. You're not bound like the rest of us. That's why you can change things. Your fate is your own.”

She turned to face me, golden eyes shimmering like twin amber flames. For the first time, I found neither manipulation nor certainty in them. Instead, there was only desperation in her eyes, the quiet ache of someone who wanted her actions to matter.

I stopped walking and let out a sigh.

“Alright,” I said. “You're hired.”

She blinked. “Hired?”

“Welcome to Willow Village, Strategist Wen Yuhan.”

She pouted. “Hmmm? What are you even talking about?”

“In five years,” I said, looking toward the village gate beyond the trees, “I'll kill the Heavenly Demon. In exchange, you'll tell me everything you know about the other prisoners. Every detail. And you'll serve as my strategist. Sound fair?”

A grin spread across her face. “You're certainly demanding. But I suppose there's no harm in staying a little longer.”

I scoffed. “Don't play coy. You either saw this coming or you're pretending you didn't so you can act surprised.”

The trees thinned as we approached the familiar wooden walls of Willow Village.

A hunter standing atop the ramparts instinctively drew his bow. “Who goes there?! This is—wait. Wei? Da Wei, is that you?! Your twin sister told us to keep the gates closed. And who's that woman?”

I raised a hand. “Relax. She's with me.”

“Da Wei's back!” someone shouted from behind the wall. “Open the gates! He brought a woman with him! About time, too!”

"Not funny," I sighed.

Heavy wood and iron groaned as the gates slowly parted. Villagers stood gathered behind them, their anxious expressions quickly giving way to relief. Beside me, Wen Yuhan remained silent, her gaze sweeping across the horizon as though calculating a thousand futures at once.

“How long before they move?” I asked quietly.

“A year,” she replied with unsettling calm. “Maybe less.”

The gates had barely opened when Da Ji came sprinting toward me.

“Brother!”

She skidded to a stop just short of tackling me, but the moment her eyes shifted to Wen Yuhan, her smile vanished.

“Who's the old lady?”

Wen Yuhan's lips twitched, her expression caught somewhere between forced politeness and homicide as she slowly turned toward me, golden eyes narrowing; for someone who had likely watched civilizations rise and fall, she looked remarkably human in that moment.

I cleared my throat. “Show some respect, sis. This old lady is going to be our village's consultant.”

“Who are you calling an old lady!?” snapped Wen Yuhan at me.

Da Ji blinked. “You must be older than you look. You're already going deaf.”

I coughed, failing to suppress a laugh.

Wen Yuhan's expression darkened further. Her eyes practically screamed that she was considering turning both of us into stone. The absurdity of the moment clashed sharply with the conversation we'd had only minutes ago about ancient monsters, war, and death.

But that was Da Ji.

She could cut through tension like a blade through silk. More importantly, she kept me grounded. Her irreverence was like a shield against the madness of the world.

“I'll have you know,” Wen Yuhan said with measured dignity, “I've been mistaken for a goddess more times than I can count.”

Da Ji tilted her head. “Must be a really old goddess, then.”

That broke me.

I laughed outright.

“Alright, enough. Strategist Wen Yuhan, this is my twin sister, Da Ji. Da Ji, meet our newest advisor. She sees the future, manipulates fate, and depending on her mood, might kill us all in our sleep.”

Da Ji folded her arms. “Great. Another crazy person. Just what this village needed. Yuen Fu is already enough trouble.”

I froze.

“Yuen Fu? He's here?”

Over the past two months, many soldiers from the 112th had found their way to Willow Village. Some arrived with families in tow. Others came carrying grief in their eyes. A few wandered in half-starved and exhausted, remnants of a unit that had once stood proud.

I welcomed every one of them.

Da Ji nodded. “He said he needed to talk to you. He arrived just before noon.”

“Where is he?”

She looked away, and that brief hesitation told me enough as her expression tightened, caught somewhere between worry and guilt.

“Mother's taking care of him,” she said quietly. “She told us not to call for you. Said he needed rest.”

I fell silent.

Mother wouldn't say something like that lightly.

If Yuen Fu was in her care instead of the medics', then whatever had happened to him wasn't just physical.

“I see.”

I nodded once.

“Even so, take me to him.”