Author's Note: Do Not Unlock Yet. Chapter Is Still Under Construction.
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Elder Qin Han, battered and bleeding, struggled to his feet, stumbling toward the newcomer. "Master… it is Fang Chen. He—"
The newcomer's eyes flicked to Victor—sharp, ancient, and assessing. Recognition sparked. A soft, menacing smile curved his lips.
Victor straightened, shadow qi gathering around him like living smoke. He met the elder elder's gaze without flinching.
"I am Fang Chen," he said, voice echoing with the power of his bloodline. "And I came to end the tyranny of your heirs."
The courtyard's torches trembled as the great elder raised a single hand. The wind roared, swirling fire and frost and earth into a vortex. The assembled disciples ducked. The next battle, Victor realized, would be against a master far beyond any he had faced that night—and perhaps, for the first time, he felt genuine anticipation.