The Coming Dark Storm

Somewhere Close The Burial Mounds

Keeping an eye on the seal of the Burial Mounds was more or less a boring job, yet quite necessary for their Clans survival. Each day, a group of cultivators will go up the narrow entrance and check the seal, making sure it was still in place and going strong. They also make sure to dispel the corpses that could randomly gather there wanting to get out.

The day was coming to an end, so the night watchers took over the duty before the coming night, as they usually did each day. No one rushed to go check the seal, they simply took their time to have a look at the seal one more time, as scheduled, as they check on it ten times a day, with five in the daylight and five in the nighttime.

This was so habitually that aside from finding a few corpses trying to get out, they never expect to find more than ten at once, banging over the strong protection keeping their people safe. Thus when the young cultivator finally arrived to the seal, he was utterly shocked to find several dozens of corpses gathering in the small entrance, while the black earth seemed to be covered in black smoke.

"What the..." The young cultivator begin saying, as many corpses started to bang in the invisible barrier at the same time. Judging by the numbers gathered this time, it was quite possible that the barrier will either weaken or shatter.

"Oh hell! Hung! Hung!" The young cultivator yelled as he ran back down. As he did not expect to encounter such scene, he had not go up prepared to warn those in the permanent camp at the foot of the mountain. He ran as fast as his energy allowed him and the others looked up the narrow path, hearing his frenetic calls.

"Send the signal up! The corpses will break the seal! Send the signal up!!" The young man keep yelling and immediately another cultivator was on his feet and took the warning flare to release it into the sky with the black symbol of the Burial Mound exploding high into the sky.

Soon, the emergency signal was sighted by a nearby watching tower, who in turn set its own signal up and the process repeated itself with each watching tower, until it finally reached the warded Clans, activating the emergency seal that took over the previously colorless ward protecting the towns, tainting it with a sparkling black and silver symbol given to the Burial warning.

Wen Siyu, Leader of the Wen Clan was on his way to meet with Wei Lao when he saw the symbol shine brightly high above him, taking him by surprise, as well as the rest of the cultivators that were around doing their daily shores.

"It's the Burial Mounds warning! Look! The corpses are coming!" The people said in panic and Siyu hasted his pace to go find their selected east Leader, now more eagerly than never.

Close to the lover's pavilion, Suibian also saw the shining warning above their town and taking Bichen's hand, he ran back to tell his Master of the warning symbol and that the Burial Mounds was now active and probably about to be breached, but just when they got to the entrance to the garden of their pavilion, Wei Ying open the sliding door and ran out, closely followed by a blushing Wangji.

Their clothes were a bit mess up and more or less barely in place, meaning they had dressed in haste, most probably because Wei Ying had sensed the danger in a middle of doing something hot, then dress out, caring not about doing it properly.

Wei Ying

He had indeed sensed the disturbance inside the Burial Mounds, as he was bathing with his Lan Zhan in the oversized wood tube he found for them to share baths, around a month ago. His Lan Zhan had been kissing him after they had done it twice, when he sense the danger, then sense the activation of the emergency barrier above their Clan.

Knowing that was a real serious matter, Wei Ying had gone out of the still warm water tube, splashing the floor with it, then his feet slipped, making him fall when he was trying to find the towel. Wangji had been alarmed too at first, but after he saw Wei Ying fall in all four, the nice view make him forget that his husband was actually trying to hastily dry himself and dress back.

"Lan Zhan, something is wrong in the Burial Mounds... come out." Wei said as he help him out and even help him dry too, then dressing him in a light blue robe he had secretly buy before for him, just a bit before Suibian had rushed to their pavilion along with Bichen and when he open the door, once Lan Zhan was dressed, he looked up to see what he already knew was showing up there.

"Wei Ying!" Lan Zhan had seen it too, but as Wei Ying had been in such haste to get out, he didn't explained to him what it meant, other than it was related to the Burial Mounds.

"Master, you feel it too right? Yin is getting restless and is sending corpses this way." Suibian told his young Master and Wei Ying agree.

"This is sooner than we expected. Perhaps she feels threatened by our awakening." Wei Ying said as they walked out of their room and into the direction of the main Clan.

"Wei Wuxian! What the hell is happening?" Jiang Cheng yelled, as he ran his way, followed by his sister and Ah Yuan, who was staying with her, until Wangji was 'recover' enough, to stay with them instead. Been in a protective mode, Wangji took little Ah Yuan on his arms and stayed close to Wei Ying, like a sentinel.

"This is the special barrier that activates when the signal of the Burial Mounds is ignited. The ones in charge of the seal judge the situation as dangerous, so the ones in charge of the town barrier activate the second layer of protection to hold off a bigger threat and warning the Clan of the coming troubles." Wei explained as he keep walking toward the main building.

"Ah, that's quite smart... our Clan had also a special barrier, but only my father or mother can summon it and it's as a last resort." Jiang told him, a bit impressed with the implanted system in the east.

"Wei Wuxian!" Zixuan yelled, also feeling lost as to what was happening, but Yanli softly explained to him the meaning of the dark symbol above their heads, the same she did when Huaisang, Mianmian, Song Lan and Xingchen when they showed up as well.

When they reached the main Clan, Wen Qing and Wen Ning were there along with their parents, as they were reunited with other Clan Leaders. His mother was also there along with Xiao Man, now with the appearance of his mother Master, Lady Baoshan and as soon as she saw them coming, she excuse herself and came to meet with them, taking the group to another pavilion in which they could talk without been overheard.

"Master, is this the result of Meng Yao forcing us out, or is it because of something else?" Xingchen asked, once they were alone.

"Yin knows the time had come and she is getting impatient. She had been lost in her madness for far too long and she wants to be set free, so she is pushing you to go to her as soon as possible, otherwise she will destroy the east Clans and have no doubt, she have the power to destroy all lands." Baoshan said quite seriously.

"Then, we go to the Burial Mounds now?" Jiang Cheng asked a bit afraid of what was coming next. He knew both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had grown a lot stronger, but the rest of them were still in the same level and the danger looked now even greater.

"Lan Wangji is still not balance, he just awoke to the white seed, but I'm afraid she will not wait for his power to mature. Wei Wuxian, you will take your group to the Burial Mounds camp and wait there for three days and two nights. The barrier will hold until the third night and when that time come close you will get rid of the corpses gathered there and go inside." She told him.

"Then, why not going in now before more corpses could gather at the seal?" Wei Ying asked.

"Many things most happen during the course of those three days and you are missing an important member of your group right now." Baoshan said, slightly looking up.

"We are all here, you mean Zilin?" Mianmian asked, as she looked around.

"He will join you during those three days of wait, who I mean is Yinse, which is already on his way here." She explained, making Huaisan confused.

"Who's Yinse?" Huaisang asked curiously.

"Idiot, he is Lord Yang white dragon. You fought with him in the Cold Cave, remember?" Jiang Cheng told him, but that only make Huaisang shudder.

"Th... that dragon? He is going to come here?" He asked in even more distress.

"There is no need for you to fear him. You help him get rid of the energy that was tainting him, he is in your debt now, but most importantly, Lan Wangji, you must come to terms with your power and fully assimilate the white seed. For your lover's sake, you must enter deep meditation and accomplish this before the third night falls." She warned him and Wangji slightly bowed to her in compromise.

"It will be done." He said, making her smile and Wei sigh, because he will definitely push himself to the limit to really get it done.

"Good, now go back to your rooms and gather all you may need for your journey and before you ask, not even I know how long it will take you to find her, so prepare yourself well, as if you were to stay there for months." Huaisang swallowed in dread.

"Let's just hope is not that long..." Wen Ning whisper, also nervous.

"Wen Ning, even though you couldn't bare the white seed, you became blessed with it in a degree. You too most stay strong and protect all those you cherish and love. Do not fall into darkness and remember always who you are, a very strong yet gentle soul, which heart shines as bright as gold. Go now and gather outside Wuxian's room in an about an hour, then you can teleport to the camp and wait for fate to guide you all." Baoshan said and the others begin to retreat back to the rooms.

However, as Wei Ying begin walking back, Baoshan stopped him and whisper to him several words that Wangji could not hear. Then she took Wei's Phoenix pendant in her hand and hold it for a moment before releasing it again, then giving the young Master a slight hug.

"Father Zhan, you will come back again, right?" Little Yuan, still in his father's arm asked with a hint of worry.

"Yes. I promise." Wangji told him, as he kissed his son's forehead.

"Then I will wait... because father Zhan never lies." Wangji smiled a little, before the seer took his son from him, so he could go back with Wei Ying and prepare for their long journey of either disaster or salvation, at the mercy of the gods will.

AN: Alright, it coming out nicely, the end is actually taking form. Thanks for reading, my darling. But most of all, thanks for the wonderful support. Writing is not always easy, but we get the energy needed, as well as the passion for writing thanks to all of you, wonderful readers. Now, until next weekend, please take care. As a gift, I will try to upload another eye candy, with the human form of Yang's white dragon, Yinse. 😉😄❤❤💖