The winds on Kun Island had stilled, not in silence, but in reverence.
Three days after the summit, Su Mengtian convened the first full internal council of the Heavenly Spear Alliance. The Hallmasters stood in a wide circle atop a massive plateau, one that now cradled the beginning of something that would outlive them all.
Beneath their feet, the foundation stones for what would become the Twin Guardian Mountain Gate had been laid. Two symmetrical peaks—one thunder-scarred and the other rooted in crystalline tranquility—now rose in twin symmetry from the center of Kun Island. Between them, a passage formed, carved by elemental forces and the architectural might of the Hall of Aegis and Hall of Astral Command.
This gateway was no ordinary path—it was the entrance to a dimensional fold, an entire secret realm born of ancient spatial runes and Xu Tian's manipulation of atmospheric leylines. They named it the Realm of the Heavenly Spear Alliance.
Within the realm's heart, rising with sharp elegance and silent authority, would be the Heavenly Soul Palace—a synthesis of traditional artistic Chinese majesty and modern martial minimalism. Towers with flying eaves stood beside sleek alloy-fused bridges. Meditation halls opened to starlit domes. It would be the private sanctum of Su Mengtian and Yueying, and the true seat of the Sovereign.
But Su Mengtian's vision didn't stop with aesthetic sanctity. It was time to structure a realm that could endure.
He began by announcing the rise of a tenth Hall, to the surprise of the other Hallmasters. The Hall of Dawnriders—led by Kaisen, Su Mengtian's old brother-in-arms, once the sole survivor of the forgotten Hall that had been erased in a prior age of betrayal. Now free and vindicated through Mengtian's will, Kaisen stepped forward, his armor adorned with the sky-laced insignia of mounted wings. His Hall would specialize in elite cavalry warfare, thunder charges, and mobile strike formations—an ideal complement to the defensive and magical core of the other nine Halls.
The realm would be divided into three concentric zones, each forming a defensive perimeter around the Tianzhen Core—the capital and center of Mengtian's new world.
The Outer Zone would comprise the first ring: four massive territories aligned to the cardinal directions—Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western. Each would house a fortified settlement of significant size: Tharnholt in the north, Elorome in the south, Mistvale in the east, and Ashveil in the west. These towns would serve as open gateways for displaced beastkin, rogue cultivators, and refugees—welcomed with care but screened with rigor. To ensure discipline and peace, these towns would be protected by the SkyRangers Battalion, an elite mobile force operating directly under the newly formed administrative body—the State of Records.
The second ring, the Inner Zone, would be divided into ten equal territories, each handed to a Hallmaster to build and govern their strongholds. In the center of each domain, they would construct walled square cities, bastions of culture, command, and power.
Ji Yeyan's Hall of Shadows would raise Nyxenhold, a city cloaked in mystery. Rao Lin's Hall of Valor would build Valdrenor, a monument of pride and martial prowess. Inara's Ironblood would construct Viregrim, a bastion of relentless fortitude. Baojin of Aegis would raise Aurelshade, a city where walls breathed defense. Kai Chan's Echoes would sing Sonarion into being, a realm of harmony and deception. Xiaoyun's Wyrmcallers would establish Bastion, a city alive with tamed wyrms. Lan Qiu's Tempests would raise Zephyros Reach, where thunder walked with man. Yue Mei's Luminousveil would give rise to Miralume, the city of veils and radiance. Xuan Le's Astral Command would chart Stellaris, a celestial haven of tactics and calculation. And finally, Kaisen's Dawnriders would thunder into Solara's Edge, a frontier city that moved with the wind.
Each of these cities would be guarded and run by regiments unique to their Halls: the Nightshard Regiment for Shadows, the Ironvow Regiment for Valor, Crimson Anvils for Ironblood, Shieldborne for Aegis, Whispersteel for Echoes, Wrathclaw for Wyrmcallers, Dawnbound Phalanx for Tempests, Veilborne Radiant for Luminousveil, Starchart for Astral Command, and the Emberlance Phalanx for the Hall of Dawnriders.
The regiments would defend, patrol, and administer justice—but they were forbidden, under solemn oath and the core edicts of the alliance, from engaging in any trade, business, or diplomatic exchange with powers outside the Heavenly Spear Alliance. The realm was to stand united, equal, and incorruptible by external temptations.
At the very center of this nested world stood the Core Zone, reserved solely for Tianzhen City—capital of the Heavenly Spear Alliance and soon, the spiritual and administrative heart of their world. Tianzhen would be unlike any other city. Twice the size of its counterparts and watched over by the Heavenrends Regiment—a force twice the strength of any other—it would host the halls of statecraft, archives of truth, and the balance-point of power. From Tianzhen, the entire realm would be coordinated, monitored, and preserved.
To that end, Su Mengtian established the State of Records, a body directly under his leadership. It would function as the central supervisory institution—overseeing the ten Halls, the outer settlements, and the capital itself. The State of Records would audit policies, budget requests, inter-Hall disputes, and ensure the ethical governance of the entire realm. With it came a new fiscal decree: each Hall's budget would be determined annually, following thorough review of its contributions, requirements, and performance. No Hall could claim more than it served.
And finally, to keep this great realm from fracturing under its own weight, Su Mengtian announced the formation of eight centralized departments to reside within Tianzhen City. The Pavilion of Missions would assign tasks and quests based on alliance needs and cultivator development. The Battle Arena would host duels and competitions for growth and glory. The Library of Treasures would protect the legacy of the Alliance's techniques, artifacts, and sacred knowledge. The Tower of Order and Judgment would uphold justice, mediating conflicts and enforcing law. The Sanctuary of Beasts would protect and guide the spiritual beasts who aligned with their cause. The Shrine of Echoing Souls would oversee bloodline awakenings and spiritual heritage. The Sanctuary of Eternal Remembrance would honor the fallen, preserving their memory in crystalled halls of silence.
And lastly, the Truehold Financial Bastion—the only department allowed to manage trade—would oversee internal economics and handle all external business strictly under collective oversight.
With these proclamations, the first real structure of the Heavenly Spear Alliance took shape—not a gathering of warriors, but a sovereign realm bound by code, city, sword, and soul.
As the Hallmasters knelt in affirmation and Kaisen bowed for the first time since his Hall had fallen, Su Mengtian looked out from the Twin Guardian Mountain Gate toward the rising horizon. What had begun as conquest now stood as foundation.
The Realm of the Heavenly Spear Alliance had been born.