Riu Xian stood in the opulent chamber, a silent observer in a space that hummed with ancient power. Spirit stones embedded in the walls cast a shifting, kaleidoscopic light across the smooth jade floor, a spectacle that would have captivated him under different circumstances. Now, however, a cold knot of unease tightened in his stomach. He felt watched, scrutinized.

  He took a slow, deliberate step deeper into the chamber, his gaze fixed on the obsidian boat. It was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, sleek and menacing, etched with runes that seemed to writhe under his gaze. An artifact of immense power, he understood, and likely the key to his current predicament.

  His eyes shifted to the skeleton leaning against the boat's hull, a macabre guardian of this hidden sanctuary. The bones glowed with a faint, golden luminescence. "The Supreme Elder?" he murmured, the title tasting like ash on his tongue.

  As if in answer, the temperature in the room plummeted. A ripple of energy, like a wave of unseen water, pulsed through the chamber, and a figure materialized before him. The man was of medium build, with streaks of gray in his otherwise dark hair and beard, his azure robe, emblazoned with the word "CLOUDSPRING", whispering against the jade floor.

  Riu Xian's hands instinctively clenched into fists, but he remained still. Violence here would be pointless. He clasped his hands and bowed, a shallow, respectful gesture. "Senior, are you the Supreme Elder of the Cloudspring Sect? The founder of this place?"

  The figure nodded, a faint, almost imperceptible smile touching his lips. "I am. Though what stands before you is but a fragment, a soul bound to this place. My body perished long ago." He chuckled, a dry, brittle sound. "But you, you are very much alive. And you will not be leaving."

  Riu Xian straightened, his mind racing. Trapped. He maintained a neutral expression. "Senior, if I may ask, why am I being detained? Have I committed some offense?"

  The elder's eyes gleamed with what might have been amusement. "Offend? No. You have, in fact, been most helpful. You see, I brought you here."

  Riu Xian's gaze narrowed. "The cave was a trap," he stated, his voice low. "And you used the Bright Snow Sect to drive me right into it. You orchestrated everything, didn't you?"

  “When you entered the forest to escape from the Bright Snow Sect, the cave abode that appeared before you was no coincidence," the elder continued, confirming Riu Xian's suspicions. "You were under my watchful eye long before your encounter with the Bright Snow Sect, your path subtly influenced by my design. And now you are here, right where I want you.” The elder’s laugh echoed through the chamber, sending a shiver down Riu Xian’s spine. "Now, give me your body, and I will grant you one wish."

  Riu Xian felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. This was it, then. His body was the prize. He forced himself to remain calm, to think. "Why me, Senior?" he asked, his voice even. "Surely there are others..."

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  The elder laughed, a full, booming sound that seemed to shake the very air. "Sharp, aren't you? Very well. Since your body will soon be mine, I see no harm in indulging your curiosity."

  The elder's expression darkened, his voice hardening. "Tell me, do you have any memories before the age of thirteen?"

  Riu Xian frowned. The question was unexpected, but he answered truthfully. "No. My memories begin at thirteen. Before that... nothing." He had always assumed it was due to his reincarnation but never had he thought about it in detail.

  A slow, satisfied smile spread across the elder's face. "Precisely. Now, let me tell you a story. One that begins twelve hundred years ago. In the upper realms, I was a renowned alchemist, entrusted with treasures beyond your comprehension - the blood and core of a Dragon and a Phoenix. My ambition? To create a vessel of unparalleled power."

  He paused, his eyes, two chips of obsidian, fixed on Riu Xian. "Then I discovered your mother. She was pregnant with a child of divine potential - a Qilin bloodline, and possessing the legendary Supreme Eyes. A perfect vessel. I took her, of course."

  "How did you even know about my mother?" Riu Xian asked, his voice tight with a mixture of apprehension and disbelief. He had always felt his life was strange, ever since he had reincarnated he had felt out of place in this world, and now he was beginning to understand why. "Or her pregnancy?"

  The elder smiled, a hint of arrogance creeping into his voice. "The heavens themselves proclaimed it. A celestial Qilin, vast and majestic, blazed across the sky, heralding the arrival of a being of immense power. Such an event could not be ignored, especially not by one as attuned to the celestial energies as I." Riu Xian's eyes widened, his mind struggling to grasp the image. A heavenly Qilin?

  The elder paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "Naturally, such a momentous event drew my attention. As you said, it is well known that the Riu lineage carries the blood of the Qilin. But it manifests fully in only one individual every few centuries. When that celestial Qilin appeared, it became evident that this generation's Qilin had been conceived. The question was, who among them was carrying the child?"

  "I have resources, shall we say, in many places," he continued, a sly smile twisting his lips. "Even among the seemingly untouchable Riu. It did not take long to discover, through strategically placed bribes and a few discreet inquiries among the guards and other members of the household, that your mother was the one. She was the one carrying that child of power, the one who would give birth to the next Qilin."

  Riu Xian recoiled slightly, a shiver running down his spine. It was one thing to hear about ancient plots and powerful artifacts, but to learn that his own existence was marked by a celestial event, that his very being was the subject of such intense interest from a being like the Supreme Elder, it was overwhelming. The thought that his own mother's identity was revealed through such underhanded tactics, through bribery and betrayal, filled him with a cold dread. It felt as though the weight of this entire bizarre tale was pressing down on him, threatening to crush him.

  "But if you took my mother twelve hundred years ago," Riu Xian interjected, his voice sharp, "how is it that I was born only recently? And why do my memories only start at thirteen?" He needed answers, not for the sake of the past, but for any chance at a future.

  The elder smiled, a chillingly patient expression. "Ah. Those are excellent questions. And since you are trapped, with no hope of escape, I will answer them... in due time. All in good time." He paused, savoring the moment. "Now where was I?"

  Riu Xian stood in silence, his gaze unwavering, his mind a whirlwind of calculations. Every word, every detail, was a potential weapon, a possible weakness. He would listen, he would learn, and he would find a way to survive. He had to. He was playing against a being who had schemed for over a millennium. He wouldn't make it easy.