The Ember Lotus Sect was no longer the sanctuary Jayden remembered.
As he and Lena descended the mountain path into the valley where the Sect's towering crimson gates stood, a strange silence hung in the air. No chants. No clashing swords. No bustling disciples tending to their cultivation gardens.
Instead, dozens of eyes watched from the shadows, silent and unsure.
"They're afraid," Lena whispered.
Jayden nodded. "Of me… or of what follows me."
Return to the Sect
Inside the sect's central courtyard, Grandmaster Hiro knelt before the sacred lotus altar, incense wafting around his aged frame. He turned slowly as Jayden approached.
"You've changed," he said, voice low, gruff.
Jayden bowed deeply. "I've grown."
"Power doesn't always come with wisdom."
"I'll earn both," Jayden replied.
Hiro stood, his sharp gaze meeting Jayden's. "You may have awakened the second seal, but Kael's name now spreads like wildfire across the clans. The Frostiron Bloodline was buried for a reason."
"He's from my father's line," Jayden said. "I need to know why he resurfaced now. And why he's killing the old families."
Before Hiro could answer, a loud gong rang through the compound — a call for an emergency sect assembly.
The Assembly of Thorns
Jayden stood on the stone dais as hundreds of disciples and elders gathered in a half-circle around him. The wind stirred the red banners, but the mood was tense. Many had heard of Jayden's trials. Some respected him. Others… feared what his return meant.
Master Kito, one of the senior elders, stepped forward, his voice sharp. "Jayden has awakened the Dragon Form's second seal. Impressive. But should we place the fate of the Ember Lotus Sect in the hands of a teenager—one tied by blood to the very enemy who now slaughters our allies?"
Murmurs rippled across the crowd.
Jayden didn't flinch. "I didn't choose my bloodline. But I'll choose how I use its power."
Elder Rana, a stoic woman with frost-gray hair, spoke next. "And if your cousin offers truce in exchange for your life? What would you do?"
"I'd refuse."
"And if we offer you to him?" Kito added.
Lena stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Try it, and I'll burn this sect to the ground."
"Enough!" Hiro barked. "This isn't a courtroom. This is a battlefield dressed in silence."
His eyes scanned the elders. "We must prepare. Jayden will lead the Pillar Guard during the Northern Advance. He's earned it."
Some elders objected. Others remained silent. But none openly defied the Grandmaster.
Fangs in the Shadows
Later that night, Jayden sat by the koi pond, meditation beads in his hand. His chi was calm, his heartbeat steady — until he felt the faintest flicker of killing intent.
Without moving, he whispered, "You forgot to mask your killing breath."
A dagger flew from the shadows — fast and silent.
Jayden spun, catching it mid-air. With a flick, he reversed the weapon's momentum, pinning it to the tree behind him.
A hooded figure dropped from the rooftop, landing on one knee.
"Impressive," she said.
Jayden narrowed his eyes. "Jade?"
She pulled down her hood, revealing the sharp-jawed rogue he'd grown up with — once a fellow orphan, once his closest sparring partner.
"I thought you left the sect."
"I did. But they offered me something I couldn't refuse."
"You were always ambitious," he said flatly. "Now you're working with Kael?"
"No," she snapped. "I'm working against him. Just… not with you."
Jayden studied her eyes. They were tired. Conflicted. Haunted.
"I'll ask once," he said. "Are you here to kill me?"
She hesitated. Then she dropped her dagger.
"No. I'm here to warn you."
The Double Game
Jade told him of a splinter faction within the sect. Elders, disciples, even captains of the inner guard — all working in secret. Some had struck deals with Kael already. Others feared the old ways would fall unless they acted.
"They think sacrificing you will buy them safety," she said.
"It won't," Jayden replied. "Kael doesn't deal in mercy."
"They don't know that. They only see your father's face in you. And it scares them."
Jayden closed his eyes. "Then it's time I gave them something else to see."
Refining Under Fire
That same night, Jayden retreated to the Flame Pavilion — a chamber of ancient fire runes used for forging pills.
He set out a dozen herbs across the refining circle: azure nightleaf, crimson stalkroot, spirit moss, and phoenix orchid — all volatile, high-grade materials.
His goal: to refine a Fourth Grade Qi Condensing Pill, something that would push his cultivation to the edge of the next tier.
He summoned the god-tier flame with a flick of his wrist. The flame curled around his fingers like a dragon greeting its master.
As the herbs melted in sequence, Jayden whispered incantations he'd learned from the rune scroll in the mountain rune weeks ago.
The room trembled.
A spark erupted.
Then — bang! — the cauldron cracked.
Jayden stepped back, coughing from the smoke. "Too much stalkroot," he muttered.
He tried again.
The second time, the condensation held longer… but collapsed at 80%.
The third time, he slowed the wind inside the cauldron — guided it with the Windblade Breath, threading his chi into the process like silk through a needle.
The result:
A perfect Fourth Grade Qi Condensing Pill, glowing faint gold.
He smiled. "Let them come."
The Gathering Storm
Before dawn, a whistle pierced the valley air.
Jayden walked into the training field. Three elite pill forgers from rival sects stood in a triangle, surrounded by a crowd. The air sizzled with competition.
Kito stepped forward. "To prove his value, the Dragon Heir must win today's Pill Refining Battle. Or yield his claim."
Jayden rolled his neck. "Fine. Let's see if they can handle heat."
One by one, the forgers ignited their flames.
Jayden, however, didn't start immediately. He knelt, closed his eyes, and drew a breath so precise, so sharp, that the cauldron responded without touch.
His flame didn't roar — it danced.
His herbs fused without violence — they sang.
The audience watched in awe as Jayden's cauldron glowed with seven color tones, signaling perfect fusion and high purity.
The others sputtered, coughed, fumbled.
Jayden's pill emerged flawless, its scent causing low-grade disciples to fall into meditation from ten paces away.
A young alchemist whispered, "That's not a pill… that's a treasure."
Jayden stepped down from the platform, crushing one of the opponent's half-fused pills underfoot.
"You're not even in the right league."
Final Scene: The Price of Victory
That night, two assassins attempted to poison Jayden's tea.
They failed.
One died instantly. The other had a blade held to her throat by Lena before she even blinked.
"Jayden," Lena said, eyes cold. "You need to start killing them before they kill you."
"I'm trying not to become the monster they think I am."
"You're trying too hard."
Jayden looked out at the red moon rising. His hand clenched.
"I have one more trial to unlock before I face Kael. One more seal."
Lena placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then let's not waste time."