They continued their walk around the valley, visiting each of the seven lakes.
At the Fifth Lake, a ring-shaped pond called the Circle of Origin, he saw lotuses with stems that coiled like spirals—said to represent the cycles of rebirth.
At the Sixth Lake, called the Mirror Pond, he saw reflections that shifted oddly, showing faint glimpses of places he had never visited—but which felt strangely familiar.
And finally, at the Seventh Lake, they arrived at a sealed area guarded by four monks with solemn faces. This lake had no name, and no visible blossoms. Its surface was opaque, black like ink.
"This one?" Lin Mu asked, curiously.
Hushu's voice dropped low. "This is where the first Urim Violet Petal Lotus once bloomed. The original. The seed that birthed the entire valley."
"Is it gone?"
"Not gone," Hushu said. "It has moved to another place."
Lin Mu stared into the black waters.
He didn't feel fear or danger. He felt expectation.
