Morning sunlight slowly spilled across the roofs of Yuelan City, painting the stone streets with a warm golden glow.
The city was already awake.
Merchants were setting up their stalls along the main avenue, the rhythmic sounds of wooden carts rolling over stone echoing through the streets. Groups of cultivators walked through the city gates, their robes carrying the marks of distant sects and clans. Some had come for trade, others for opportunities, and many simply to witness the place that had quietly begun drawing attention across the continent.
Yuelan had changed.
Five months ago, the city had already been prosperous, but now there was something different in the air. The spiritual energy felt richer, smoother, as if the land itself had become more alive. Even ordinary people could feel it, though few understood the reason.
A pair of merchants walking near the central plaza slowed their steps.
"Another caravan arrived from the western route yesterday," one of them said while adjusting the cloth bundle on his shoulder.
"Not surprising," the other replied. "Everyone wants to trade in Yuelan now."
They continued walking, eventually stopping when the large structure at the center of the plaza came into view.
It was impossible to miss.
The building stood taller than the surrounding halls, constructed from dark stone reinforced with formation arrays that shimmered faintly under sunlight. Elegant yet practical, it carried an air of authority that drew attention even from experienced cultivators.
Above the entrance, engraved deeply into polished stone, were the words:
Continental Institute of Fundamental Arts — Yuelan Branch
The plaza around the building was crowded.
Young cultivators stood in lines near the entrance, many holding small tokens or documents. Some appeared nervous, others excited. Nearby, a group of craftsmen discussed something heatedly while pointing at diagrams spread across a table.
Several individuals walked out of the building wearing emblems on their robes.
Different shapes.
Different colors.
Each representing a different profession.
An elderly man glanced toward them and whispered quietly.
"Those are Institute emblems."
His companion nodded.
"I heard the Yuelan branch opened not long ago."
"Already attracting so many people?"
The older man chuckled.
"This place is becoming a center for auxiliary professions. Alchemists, formation masters, spiritual chefs… everyone wants certification now."
Just then, two young cultivators exited the building while speaking excitedly.
"Did you hear?" one of them said.
"Hear what?"
"The results of the cooking assessment were announced this morning."
His friend raised an eyebrow.
"Already? I thought the exams were difficult."
"They are. But someone apparently reached the sixth level."
The second cultivator stopped walking.
"Sixth level?"
His voice lowered in disbelief.
"That's already considered high rank."
They continued talking as they disappeared into the crowd, leaving the plaza buzzing with quiet speculation.
Yet the Institute building was only one of many signs of Yuelan's transformation.
Further down the street, newly constructed shops displayed rare herbs and spiritual materials. Blacksmiths hammered spirit metals in workshops that had appeared over the past few months. Even the city walls had been reinforced, subtle defensive formations embedded within the stone.
Visitors from distant regions could sense it immediately.
Yuelan was growing.
And not slowly.
Inside the city gates, a group of cultivators paused as they looked toward the direction of the Lin Clan territory, located just beyond the inner districts.
One of them narrowed his eyes slightly.
"The spiritual energy feels stronger in that direction."
Another shrugged.
"Probably formation arrays."
"Maybe."
They didn't investigate further.
Most people in Yuelan had already learned an unspoken rule.
The Lin Clan's territory was not a place to pry into casually.
Even so, the influence of that territory had already begun spreading through the entire city.
Farmers working outside the eastern fields had noticed the change months ago.
The soil had become richer.
Medicinal herbs matured faster.
Even ordinary crops seemed healthier than before.
A middle-aged farmer wiped sweat from his brow while looking at the vibrant rows of plants before him.
"Strange," he muttered.
His son looked up from the ground.
"What is?"
"The soil keeps improving."
The boy tilted his head.
"Isn't that good?"
The farmer laughed softly.
"It is. I'm just not sure why."
He didn't know the answer.
Almost no one in Yuelan did.
Yet the effects were undeniable.
Across the city, inns were full, markets were lively, and caravans arrived almost daily.
But perhaps the most noticeable change was not the buildings or the crowds.
It was the atmosphere.
There was a quiet sense of stability spreading through the city.
Confidence.
People believed Yuelan would continue growing.
And for good reason.
Beyond the busy streets and thriving markets, past the inner districts and the outskirts where ordinary citizens rarely ventured, the territory of the Lin Clan stretched across a vast area.
From the outside, it appeared calm.
Tall walls surrounded elegant halls and training grounds. Trees swayed gently in the morning breeze, and the faint sound of water flowing could occasionally be heard.
Yet beneath that calm exterior, the true heart of Yuelan's transformation lay hidden.
Within those walls, power was quietly accumulating.
Cultivators trained day and night.
Formations circulated spiritual energy across the land.
Rare herbs grew within carefully maintained gardens.
And deep within the clan's territory stood a place that only a few truly understood.
The Training Hall.
To most outsiders, it was merely a facility for cultivation.
But to those who had experienced it, the hall was something else entirely.
A place where spiritual energy gathered like a living tide.
A place where cultivation speed far surpassed normal environments.
A place that, in time, might evolve into something even greater.
Inside that hall, the group that had changed Yuelan's fate was currently finishing another intense training session.
For the city outside, the morning was just beginning.
But within the Lin Clan, the day's true activities had already started.
And soon—
A decision that had waited five months would finally be made.
Deep within the territory of the Lin Clan, the sound of clashing energy slowly faded.
The vast Training Hall stood silent for a moment after the final shockwave of the session dissipated into the air.
The hall itself was enormous. Pillars of dark stone rose toward the high ceiling, each engraved with intricate formation patterns that faintly pulsed with spiritual light. Spiritual energy circulated through the chamber in smooth currents, drawn from deeper sources beneath the ground and guided by complex arrays hidden within the structure.
Even experienced cultivators could feel it immediately.
Cultivating here was different.
The energy was denser. More refined. Easier to absorb.
And in the center of the hall, a faint mist drifted above the surface of a tranquil lake formed entirely of condensed soul power.
The Soul Power Lake.
Ripples moved slowly across its surface as the last traces of battle energy settled.
Several figures stood near the edge of the lake, their auras gradually calming after the intense training session.
Ma Xiaotao rolled her shoulders, flames briefly flickering across her arms before disappearing.
"That was better," she said with a grin. "But we should increase the pressure next time."
Across from her, Qiu'er rested the butt of her spear lightly against the floor.
"You say that every time."
Xiaotao laughed.
"And every time we actually do it."
Nearby, Wu Feng wiped a small line of sweat from her neck.
"Your definition of 'increase the pressure' usually means trying to burn the entire hall."
"Not my fault if you can't keep up."
Wu Feng snorted.
Before the conversation could escalate further, Zhang Lexuan stepped forward calmly.
"That's enough."
Her tone wasn't loud, but it carried a quiet authority.
"We just finished training. Save the next argument for tomorrow."
Xiaotao shrugged but didn't continue.
A short distance away, Jiang Nannan sat near the edge of the lake, her legs lightly touching the water's surface as she absorbed the refined soul power drifting through the air.
The calm currents around the lake made cultivation unusually smooth.
She slowly opened her eyes.
"This place feels stronger again."
Her voice carried a hint of surprise.
Beside her, Ye Guyi nodded.
"The energy density increased."
A faint golden glow lingered around her back where her light wings had briefly manifested during training.
The power of the hundred-thousand-year light deer contract had clearly settled into her body over the past months.
Further back in the hall, Xu Tianzhen stretched her arms overhead.
"Every time we train here it feels different."
She looked toward the lake.
"This thing keeps getting stronger."
Near the center of the group, Ning Tian lowered the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda she had been using during support training.
Her eyes moved across the hall thoughtfully.
"The formations are stabilizing."
"Of course they are."
The calm voice came from Lin Huang, who stood near the edge of the Soul Power Lake with his arms loosely crossed.
He looked relaxed despite the intense session that had just ended.
His aura had long since stabilized.
For him, the training had barely been warm-up.
A few steps behind him, Ju Zi finished recording several notes on a small jade slip.
She glanced up.
"The energy circulation improved again."
Lin Huang gave a small nod.
"Good."
Silence lingered for a moment as the group gradually relaxed.
The mist above the lake drifted lazily through the hall, carrying traces of pure soul power.
Then Ning Tian suddenly spoke again.
"Speaking of which…"
Her eyes moved toward Lin Huang.
"How much did the veins contribute this month?"
The question immediately caught several people's attention.
Even Xiaotao looked over.
Ju Zi checked the jade slip in her hand before answering.
"Just the Soul Power Lake alone produced two hundred thousand soul crystals last month."
The hall fell quiet.
Wu Feng blinked.
"…Two hundred thousand?"
Jiang Nannan looked back at the lake with renewed curiosity.
"From this?"
Ju Zi nodded calmly.
"Yes."
She tapped the jade slip lightly.
"That's only the output from the lake in the training hall."
Xu Tianzhen raised her eyebrows.
"Only?"
Ju Zi continued.
"It doesn't include the gains from the other energy flows, and it also doesn't include the influence of the clan formation beneath the territory."
That sentence drew several curious looks.
Wu Feng glanced at Lin Huang.
"The formation under the clan…"
She tilted her head slightly.
"Is it finished?"
Lin Huang answered simply.
"It's running."
Ning Tian pushed her glasses slightly higher.
"Fully stabilized?"
"Almost."
That was all he said.
Yet the calm confidence in his tone made it clear that whatever he had built beneath the clan territory was already functioning exactly as intended.
The group had long since learned something about Lin Huang.
If he said something was "running," it meant the foundation had already been completed.
Xiaotao stretched her arms again and glanced at the lake.
"So this thing produced two hundred thousand soul crystals in a single month…"
She grinned.
"That's ridiculous."
Qiu'er remained quiet for a moment before speaking.
"The growth speed is accelerating."
Her golden eyes swept across the hall.
"The environment here keeps improving."
Lin Huang didn't deny it.
"The circulation is stabilizing."
Another short answer.
But everyone understood what that meant.
The training hall was evolving.
Even if no one said it out loud, the thought had crossed several minds over the past months.
One day…
This place might become something far greater than a training facility.
For now, however, it remained simply the most extraordinary cultivation hall any of them had ever seen.
And judging by the calm flow of soul power drifting through the chamber, its evolution had only just begun.
A quiet set of footsteps suddenly echoed from the entrance of the hall.
Several people turned instinctively.
The sound was light.
Uneven.
Almost like someone still learning how to walk.
And a familiar childish voice followed.
"Gege!"
Lin Huang's calm expression softened slightly as he turned toward the entrance.
Because the small figure toddling into the massive hall was none other than Lin Yuxin.
The massive doors of the Training Hall stood partially open, allowing warm sunlight to spill across the polished stone floor.
The small figure walking inside looked almost comically tiny compared to the enormous chamber.
"Gege!"
Lin Yuxin toddled forward with unsteady but determined steps, her small shoes making soft tapping sounds on the floor.
Her balance still wasn't perfect, but compared to a few months ago, the difference was obvious.
She could walk.
And she was clearly proud of it.
Lin Huang watched her approach with the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes.
The terrifying cultivator who could calmly face powerful enemies now crouched slightly as his little sister approached, arms already prepared to catch her if she stumbled.
But Yuxin didn't fall.
She made it all the way to him before raising both arms triumphantly.
"Gege!"
Lin Huang lifted her effortlessly.
"Careful."
His voice was calm, but noticeably gentler than when speaking to anyone else.
Yuxin grabbed the front of his robe with tiny hands and looked around the hall with bright curiosity.
Her eyes moved from person to person.
Then she waved enthusiastically.
"Xiao-tao!"
Ma Xiaotao burst out laughing.
"She can say my name now?"
"She's been practicing," Zhang Lexuan said with a small smile.
Yuxin then pointed toward Qiu'er.
"Qiu!"
Qiu'er remained as composed as ever, though the corner of her mouth lifted slightly.
"She's improving."
Yuxin's gaze continued wandering across the room before suddenly stopping on the shimmering surface of the Soul Power Lake.
Her eyes widened.
"Water!"
She stretched her small hand toward it.
Lin Huang calmly pulled a small jade bottle from his sleeve.
Inside, clear liquid glowed faintly with a soft silver light.
Several people immediately recognized it.
Ning Tian blinked.
"…Is that condensed soul power?"
Lin Huang opened the bottle and poured a small amount into a cup.
"Yes."
He handed the cup to Yuxin.
"Drink slowly."
The little girl held it with both hands and obediently took a sip.
The surrounding cultivators exchanged looks.
Xu Tianzhen rubbed her forehead.
"You're feeding condensed soul power to a one-year-old."
Lin Huang didn't even look at her.
"It's good for her body."
No one could really argue with that.
Still, the casual way he used something so valuable left several people speechless.
At that moment another familiar figure entered the hall.
Su Mei carried a small wooden tray.
Several delicate dishes rested on it, each releasing a gentle fragrance mixed with spiritual energy.
Yuxin immediately noticed.
"Food!"
Su Mei smiled as she walked closer.
"I knew she'd be here."
She set the tray down beside Lin Huang.
"Try this one."
The dish contained a small portion of soft, glowing rice mixed with finely chopped spirit herbs.
The spiritual aura surrounding it was obvious.
Wu Feng leaned forward slightly.
"That's… spiritual cuisine."
Su Mei nodded casually.
"Of course."
Xu Tianzhen raised an eyebrow.
"What rank?"
Su Mei hesitated for a moment before answering.
"…Six."
The hall went quiet.
Ma Xiaotao blinked.
"Sixth level?"
Su Mei scratched her cheek.
"The Institute exams were this morning."
Ning Tian pushed her glasses upward.
"That was fast."
Su Mei shrugged.
"I passed."
Meanwhile Yuxin had already grabbed a small spoon.
"Eat!"
Lin Huang calmly fed her while the others watched.
The scene was strangely peaceful.
Powerful cultivators, terrifying beasts, and future legends all gathered in a hall filled with dense spiritual energy…
Watching a toddler eat spiritual cuisine.
But that peaceful atmosphere shifted slightly when a new presence entered the room.
Cold air quietly spread across the hall.
A tall figure stepped forward.
Xue Di.
Her silver hair flowed softly behind her as she approached.
Something about her aura had clearly changed.
Even the circulating energy of the hall seemed to react subtly to her presence.
Qiu'er noticed immediately.
"You broke through."
Xue Di nodded calmly.
"Seven hundred thousand years."
Silence followed.
Even among this group, that number carried weight.
700,000 years.
Her tribulation had already passed.
Not far behind her walked Bingdi, arms crossed.
"I passed four hundred thousand," she said casually.
Then she glanced at Xue Di.
"And I'm already approaching five."
Xue Di looked at her briefly.
"You still talk too much."
Bingdi snorted.
"You're just jealous."
A deep laugh echoed from the side of the hall.
Lie Yang stepped forward, golden energy faintly radiating from his body like heat from the sun.
"This place really is unbelievable."
His aura had clearly changed as well.
The oppressive pressure surrounding him was far stronger than before.
"Two hundred thousand years," he said calmly.
"Passed without much trouble."
Beside him, a quiet figure appeared.
Qi Luo.
Her aura was far more restrained, but the power hidden beneath it was unmistakable.
"Same here," she said softly.
"Two hundred thousand."
A faint ripple of dark energy followed as Mo Yu stepped out of the shadows.
"Tribulation completed."
And finally the heavy footsteps of Di Long echoed through the chamber.
The massive dragon-blooded beast's presence filled the hall with a powerful sense of weight.
"Two hundred thousand years."
His deep voice rumbled like distant thunder.
"For all of us."
The four beasts had crossed the same threshold.
They were now officially Ferocious Beasts.
Even among ancient spirit beasts, beings at that level were considered terrifying.
The hall fell into thoughtful silence for a moment.
Within the territory of the Lin Clan now stood:
a 700,000-year Ice Empress
a 400,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion approaching 500k
four 200,000-year ferocious beasts
And that was only counting the spirit beasts.
Xu Tianzhen shook her head slowly.
"This place is ridiculous."
Yuxin looked around the room, seemingly fascinated by all the powerful figures gathered nearby.
Then she suddenly pointed at Xue Di.
"Pretty!"
Xue Di froze for a moment.
Bingdi immediately burst into laughter.
"You got complimented by a child."
Xue Di calmly ignored her.
Meanwhile Lin Huang finished feeding Yuxin and stood up.
His gaze moved slowly across the hall.
Everyone was here.
The entire group.
The past five months had changed all of them.
Strength had grown.
Cultivation had advanced.
The territory had stabilized.
Everything had progressed exactly as planned.
Which meant there was only one question left.
Behind the calm expressions of the group, one person stepped forward.
Tang Ya.
Her eyes met Lin Huang's.
And her voice broke the quiet atmosphere of the hall.
"The five months we agreed on…"
She paused.
"…are over."
The vast Training Hall slowly grew quiet after Tang Ya's words.
"The five months we agreed on… are over."
The sentence lingered in the air.
For a moment, no one spoke.
The faint currents of soul power drifting above the Soul Power Lake moved gently through the hall, brushing past the gathered group like a silent reminder of how much had changed during those months.
Five months.
In that time, the Lin Clan's territory had transformed.
Yuelan City had flourished.
The Institute had established its first branch.
The group's strength had grown dramatically.
Even the spirit beasts had crossed terrifying thresholds of power.
Yet despite all that progress, there was still one matter that had remained quietly waiting.
Tang Ya.
Her gaze remained steady.
There was no anger in her eyes.
But there was resolve.
Lin Huang studied her for a moment.
"Are you certain?"
His voice was calm, as always.
Tang Ya nodded.
"Yes."
Her hands tightened slightly at her sides.
"I've had enough time."
Her voice wasn't loud, yet every word carried weight.
"I don't want revenge driven by hatred."
She paused briefly.
"I just want to end it."
Silence followed.
Ma Xiaotao was the first to break it.
She cracked her knuckles lightly.
"Finally."
A grin appeared on her face.
"I was starting to get bored."
Qiu'er rested her spear against her shoulder.
"Then we move."
Her golden eyes were steady.
There was no hesitation.
Zhang Lexuan spoke next.
"We should prepare before leaving."
Her voice was calm and practical.
"If we're heading to the Tianhun Empire, we'll need to move quickly."
Ju Zi nodded slightly.
"I'll handle the route."
Her strategic mind was already calculating distances, supply points, and possible information networks.
Nearby, Ning Tian adjusted her glasses thoughtfully.
"The Iron Blood Sect likely has no idea what's coming."
Wu Feng smirked.
"They won't even know what hit them."
Despite the light comments, the atmosphere in the hall had clearly shifted.
The peaceful tone from earlier was gone.
Something sharper had replaced it.
Lin Huang remained silent for a moment.
Then he glanced down.
Lin Yuxin was still in his arms.
She had finished eating and now looked around curiously at the serious faces surrounding her.
Her small fingers tugged lightly at his sleeve.
"Gege?"
Lin Huang's expression softened slightly.
He reached into his sleeve again and retrieved a small jade box.
The moment the box appeared, several people instinctively noticed the faint medicinal aura surrounding it.
Ning Tian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That aura…"
Lin Huang opened the box calmly.
Inside rested a single pill.
It was deep golden in color, with faint runic patterns swirling across its surface like living energy.
The hall grew quiet again.
Even the spirit beasts recognized its value immediately.
Xu Tianzhen blinked.
"…Is that a Foundation Establishment Pill?"
Lin Huang nodded.
"Rank eight."
Several people stared.
Rank eight.
That was not a pill that ordinary alchemists could produce.
In fact, very few alchemists on the continent could even attempt such a thing.
But Lin Huang simply took the pill and crushed it gently into fine powder before mixing it with the remaining spiritual rice on Yuxin's tray.
Ma Xiaotao rubbed her forehead.
"You just…"
She gestured helplessly at the tray.
"…gave a rank-eight pill to a one-year-old."
Lin Huang didn't look concerned.
"It'll strengthen her foundation."
The casual way he said it made the scene even more absurd.
After all, everyone present knew something else as well.
Lin Huang himself had already reached the eighth rank in alchemy.
In fact, he wasn't the only one.
Not far away, Zi Ji leaned lightly against one of the pillars, her expression calm as she watched the scene.
She had reached Rank Eight Alchemist as well.
Two eighth-rank alchemists within the same group.
If that fact spread outside, it would shake the entire continent.
Yet here they were.
Using a rank-eight pill to strengthen a toddler's body.
Yuxin happily ate the food without any idea of its value.
"Good!"
Lin Huang wiped a small bit of rice from the corner of her mouth.
Then he looked back up.
His gaze moved across the entire hall.
Everyone was here.
Tang Ya.
Xiaotao.
Qiu'er.
Lexuan.
Ning Tian.
Wu Feng.
Jiang Nannan.
Ye Guyi.
Xu Tianzhen.
Ju Zi.
Su Mei.
The spirit beasts.
Even Zi Ji.
Their strength had grown.
Their foundations had stabilized.
Five months had been enough.
Lin Huang finally spoke.
"Then we leave."
The words were simple.
Direct.
Just like him.
Tang Ya took a slow breath.
"Thank you."
Lin Huang shook his head slightly.
"No need."
Qiu'er lifted her spear.
"Where first?"
Ju Zi answered.
"Tianhun Empire."
Her voice was calm but precise.
"The Iron Blood Sect's territory is several days inside the empire."
Ma Xiaotao stretched again, flames flickering briefly around her shoulders.
"Good."
She smiled.
"I was getting restless."
The group slowly began moving toward the exit of the Training Hall.
Their expressions were calm.
But their presence alone felt overwhelming.
After all, the people walking out of that hall now included:
multiple top-tier cultivators
several ferocious beasts
a 700,000-year Ice Empress
a nearly 500,000-year Ice Jade Scorpion
two Rank Eight Alchemists
And the man standing at the center of it all.
Lin Huang.
Five months ago, they had paused to grow stronger.
Now—
The time to settle old debts had finally arrived.
By the time the group stepped out of the Training Hall, the sun had already begun descending toward the horizon.
Golden light washed over the Lin Clan's territory, illuminating courtyards, gardens, and training grounds that had grown increasingly lively over the past five months.
News traveled quickly.
The group was leaving.
Within a short time, people had gathered near the central courtyard of the clan.
Disciples stood respectfully along the edges of the stone plaza. Elders of the Lin Clan had arrived as well, along with several trusted retainers and workers who had helped maintain the territory.
Even a few members from the Yuelan branch of the Continental Institute of Fundamental Arts had quietly appeared nearby.
The atmosphere wasn't chaotic.
Instead, it carried a calm sense of respect.
Everyone present understood that the people preparing to depart were no ordinary cultivators.
They were the core of everything the Lin Clan had built.
And now they were leaving the territory.
At the center of the courtyard, Lin Huang stood calmly, holding Lin Yuxin in his arms.
The little girl looked around curiously at the crowd.
She didn't fully understand what was happening, but she could sense that today was different.
Behind Lin Huang stood the others.
Tang Ya.
Qiu'er.
Ma Xiaotao.
Zhang Lexuan.
Ning Tian.
Wu Feng.
Jiang Nannan.
Ye Guyi.
Xu Tianzhen.
Ju Zi.
Su Mei.
Zi Ji.
And behind them, towering presences that made even experienced cultivators instinctively tense.
Xue Di.
Bingdi.
Lie Yang.
Qi Luo.
Mo Yu.
Di Long.
The courtyard fell silent.
An elder of the Lin Clan stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Young Master."
Lin Huang nodded slightly.
"We'll be gone for a while."
His voice was calm and steady.
No further explanation was necessary.
Everyone already knew the reason.
The Iron Blood Sect.
Tang Ya's past.
The elder lowered his head.
"The clan will remain stable while you are away."
Lin Huang glanced briefly around the courtyard.
The underground formation beneath the clan pulsed quietly, circulating spiritual energy smoothly through the land.
The herb gardens thrived.
The territory was stable.
Everything was running as intended.
That meant he could leave without worry.
Yuxin tugged lightly at his sleeve.
"Gege…"
Lin Huang looked down.
Her small hands gripped his robe.
"Go?"
He crouched slightly so they were eye level.
"Yes."
His hand gently brushed her hair.
"I'll come back."
Yuxin stared at him seriously.
Then she nodded with surprising determination.
"Come back."
Ma Xiaotao laughed softly.
"She's already giving orders."
Lin Huang ignored the comment.
He carefully handed Yuxin to a waiting maid.
The little girl waved both hands excitedly.
"Gege!"
Lin Huang raised a hand briefly in response.
Then he turned.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Ju Zi stepped forward and raised a small communication device.
A short pulse of soul power spread through the air.
Moments later—
A deep humming sound echoed across the sky.
Several disciples looked up instinctively.
A large shadow moved across the clouds.
From above the Lin Clan territory, a massive soul-tool airship slowly descended.
The vessel was sleek and imposing.
Metallic plating reinforced its long body, while several large propulsion arrays glowed faintly along its sides. Multiple formation circles rotated slowly beneath the craft, stabilizing its descent.
The airship's hull carried the crest of the Lin Clan.
Wind swept across the courtyard as the ship lowered itself above the landing platform near the clan gates.
Several smaller thrusters released bursts of compressed energy, slowing its descent.
With a final controlled movement, the airship settled smoothly onto the platform.
The humming engines gradually quieted.
Xu Tianzhen whistled softly.
"Still impressive every time."
Wu Feng grinned.
"This thing could probably fly across half the continent without stopping."
Ju Zi nodded.
"It can."
She turned slightly toward the group.
"The route is already set. Once we enter Tianhun airspace, we'll switch to low altitude."
Qiu'er adjusted the position of her spear.
"Good."
Ma Xiaotao cracked her knuckles.
"Finally."
One by one, the group walked toward the airship.
The boarding ramp lowered with a soft mechanical sound.
The moment the spirit beasts stepped forward, the surrounding disciples instinctively moved back slightly.
The sheer pressure radiating from beings like Xue Di and Bingdi made it difficult for ordinary cultivators to stand nearby.
Lie Yang laughed quietly.
"Relax."
"We're not staying long."
Within moments, everyone had boarded.
Lin Huang was the last to step onto the ramp.
Before entering, he turned once more.
From this angle he could see much of the territory.
The growing clan.
The flourishing city of Yuelan beyond the walls.
The land that had changed so much over the past five months.
Everything was stable.
Which meant it was time to deal with the past.
Lin Huang stepped inside.
The ramp slowly lifted.
Formation circles beneath the airship began glowing brighter as the propulsion arrays activated.
A deep mechanical hum spread through the courtyard.
Wind swept outward as the airship slowly rose into the air.
Below, the people of the Lin Clan watched in silence.
Higher and higher the vessel climbed, until the territory of the clan became smaller beneath it.
Inside the airship, Ju Zi studied the navigation array.
"Course locked."
She looked forward calmly.
"Tianhun Empire."
The airship's engines roared to life.
A moment later—
The vessel shot forward across the sky like a streak of light.
Far ahead, beyond distant mountains and endless plains, the lands of the Tianhun Empire awaited.
And somewhere within them…
The Iron Blood Sect.
Unaware that the storm heading toward them had already begun moving.