The Zhenlong estate bustled quietly at dawn. Servants lined the paths, family members gathered in the courtyard, and the four Saint Dragon ancestors stood with the weight of ages in their eyes. Haotian stood at the center, his robes fluttering lightly in the morning breeze, golden eyes calm.
He had spent several days here — guiding Lianhua, bonding with Tianlan, paying respect to his ancestors — but now the horizon called.
"I must leave," he said at last, voice steady but gentle. "The seal at the Sea Bridge must be reinforced further. And the Moon Lotus Sect must be raised even higher. Every moment matters."
Lianhua's violet eyes flickered, her hand tightening around Tianlan's swaddled form. She said nothing, but her silence spoke volumes.
Jinhai broke it with a booming laugh. "Hah! Then take us with you, boy. I'd like to see this sect of women you've been training. A horde of dao comprehension beauties? Why should only you enjoy the view?"
Meiyun smirked, her tone sharp as a whip. "Indeed. I'd like to see if they really worship you as much as rumor claims."
Even Yangshen's lips twitched. "It would be… educational."
Yuying gave a serene smile. "And entertaining."
Haotian pinched the bridge of his nose. "…Ancestors."
They all tilted their heads innocently.
He exhaled, then gave them a flat look. "No. You will remain here. Prepare for the demon invasion. If the heavens break tomorrow, this continent will need its saints standing firm. If you follow me for amusement, who will anchor the land?"
For a moment, even the mighty Saint Dragons faltered. Then Jinhai sighed dramatically, crossing his arms. "Always the sensible one."
Meiyun chuckled. "Tch. Spoilsport."Yangshen nodded faintly, hiding the faintest smirk.
Yuying simply shook her head in amusement.
Haotian gave them a wry smile. "Trust me — you'll thank me when the demons arrive."
Turning, he stepped toward Lianhua. She held Tianlan close, her violet eyes soft but unyielding. For a moment, the world fell quiet.
He reached out, brushing Tianlan's tiny hand with his fingers. The baby stirred, cooing softly, then clutched his father's finger with surprising strength. Haotian's heart softened, a smile breaking across his face. "Strong already," he murmured.
Lianhua's eyes glistened. "Come back to us, Haotian. Don't vanish into battles without end."
He cupped her cheek gently, kissed her softly, then pressed a kiss to Tianlan's forehead. "I will. This I promise — I will finish what must be done, and I will return. For both of you."
For a long heartbeat, husband, wife, and child stood entwined.
Then Haotian stepped back. His golden eyes flared, and the air bent around him. Space folded like rippling water.
With a single wave of his hand, his figure dissolved into golden distortion — gone without a sound.
The courtyard fell silent.
The ancestors stared at the empty space, their expressions mixed.
"…He bent space again," Jinhai muttered.
Meiyun smirked faintly. "And denied us entertainment."
Yangshen's gaze lingered on the horizon. "The boy walks deeper into a dao none of us have mastered."
Yuying whispered, almost reverently, "And yet he returns to promise love."
In Lianhua's arms, Tianlan stirred again, laughing softly as if unaware of the weight of the world resting on his father's shoulders.
The rippling distortion of space collapsed inward, and Haotian's figure emerged within the Moon Lotus Sect's alchemy lab. The air smelled faintly of herbs and frost, shelves stacked with jars and scrolls gleaming under dim lantern light. He did not call for attention, nor alert a soul.
With calm precision, he laid out the rare herbs taken from the Azure Dragon Sect: shimmering lotus marrow, crystalline roots, and dragon-vein minerals. His golden eyes flickered with restrained brilliance as he prepared to refine.
The sect beyond the walls carried on unaware. Disciples trained in their formations. Elders guided meditations. The sound of chanting and frost techniques echoed faintly through the mountain halls. None knew that Haotian, their Saint Son and Senior Brother, had already returned.
For three days and nights, he remained in seclusion, extracting essences, weaving pills, replenishing reserves. The alchemy hall filled with the quiet hum of dao runes, the fragrance of newly refined medicine hanging heavy in the air.
Only when his work was complete did he step out.
—
The dawn bell tolled, summoning the sect to the central courtyard. Disciples filed in orderly lines, elders taking their places as the morning assembly began.
Then —
A ripple of presence brushed the air. Golden eyes opened among them.
"Haotian?!"
The courtyard erupted in gasps.
"When did you come back?"
"We didn't sense him at all!"
"Senior Brother!"
The entire assembly bowed low in unison, voices carrying across the frost-carved walls.
Haotian only gave a faint, amused smile, his voice calm but warm. "I've been back for some time. Three days, in fact. But work needed to be done before I could greet you properly."
The disciples' eyes widened in awe, whispers spreading like wildfire. Elders exchanged glances, half exasperated, half relieved.
At the center of the assembly, Yinxue and Ziyue both narrowed their eyes at him, recognition dawning. Shuyue, however, blurted, "Three days?! And you didn't even say hello!"
Laughter rippled across the courtyard. Haotian shook his head softly, hiding his grin. "You'll forgive me. I had to refill the vaults first."
The murmurs only grew louder. He had returned… silently, as if he had never left.
And once again, the Moon Lotus Sect stood taller, for its Senior Brother had come home.
After the morning assembly, Haotian summoned Yinxue, Ziyue, and Shuyue to the sect's inner hall. The doors sealed with runes, the bustle of disciples left behind. Only the four of them remained, their auras mingling in quiet anticipation.
Haotian stood at the center, hands folded calmly behind his back. His golden eyes swept the three women he had guided, taught, and carried forward — each powerful in her own right, each tied to him in bonds deeper than simple cultivation.
"I've returned from the Azure Dragon Sky Sect," he began evenly. "The vaults were low, so I replenished them. I refined over four million Crystal Vein Pills — enough to sustain them for years. In addition, I gathered the rare herbs we need for the Undying Dragon Body Sutra. With these, we can create medicines to push your breakthroughs further."
Yinxue gave a slow nod, her expression as calm and poised as ever. Ziyue's eyes flickered with quiet admiration, while Shuyue simply leaned forward eagerly, eyes bright.
But Haotian's tone softened as he continued. "I also… returned to the Zhenlong household."
The women's gazes sharpened instantly.
Haotian drew in a breath. "Lianhua was waiting. And Tianlan. I made them a promise. After I finish stabilizing the grand formation at the Sea Bridge, I will… marry her. Officially. Into the Zhenlong household."
The silence was palpable.
Then all three jolted as if struck.
"Marriage?!" Shuyue gasped first, her voice rising. Her cheeks flushed crimson.
Ziyue's sword-calloused fingers twitched against her robe, her violet eyes narrowing in surprise.
Even Yinxue, serene as ice, blinked once, her composure slipping. Her voice came out quieter than usual: "…Marry."
The weight of the word lingered in the air like a blade hanging overhead.
For a heartbeat, none spoke. Then Shuyue blurted what the others could not: "Then… will you marry us too?"
The words crashed through the hall like thunder.
Haotian froze. His golden eyes darted between the three — Yinxue, face unreadable but her aura tense; Ziyue, lips pressed tightly as if refusing to speak her thoughts aloud; Shuyue, staring at him with raw hope and fear mingled in her voice.
The silence stretched.
Haotian exhaled slowly, lowering his gaze. He had expected this moment eventually, but not so soon.
The hall was silent, thick with the three women's auras. Shuyue's words hung in the air like an arrow loosed without return:
"Will you marry us too?"
Haotian's golden eyes lowered briefly, then rose, clear and unwavering. He planted the butt of his spear softly against the stone, the sound echoing in the chamber like a heartbeat.
"Yes."
The single word rang louder than a shout. All three women stiffened.
"Yes," Haotian repeated, his voice steady, his tone firm. "I will marry you all."
Shuyue's lips parted, hope flashing in her eyes. Ziyue's breath caught, the calm mask on her face trembling faintly. Even Yinxue's aura faltered, a shiver of surprise breaking her usual composure.
But Haotian lifted his hand, silencing their racing thoughts.
"Listen carefully. Marriage is not a cloak to hide behind, nor a trophy to collect. It is a vow. A vow that binds my dao heart as surely as battle. If I say these words, I mean them. Each of you has walked beside me, trusted me, entrusted your hearts, your cultivation, your very futures into my hands. I will not dishonor that trust."
He turned his gaze to each in turn, his golden eyes burning with sincerity.
"To you, Yinxue — steadfast, dignified, my partner in bearing the weight of leadership. To you, Ziyue — sharp, unyielding, your dao already surpassing even saints. To you, Shuyue — tender, courageous, stepping out of your chains into your own path. To all of you: Yes, I will marry you."
The silence deepened, broken only by the quickened breaths of the three women.
"But." His tone grew heavier, like stone grinding. "Not yet."
Their gazes snapped back to him.
"The demon invasion comes first. Nine years is all we have. Until the seal is secured and the invasion is ended, marriage must wait. If we falter, vows will mean nothing in the ruins of a broken world."
He exhaled slowly, voice softening. "Lianhua already understands this. She asked only one thing: that I return to marry her into the Zhenlong household, and that she be recognized as the first wife. I agreed."
Yinxue's eyes narrowed slightly, her breath sharp — but she said nothing. Ziyue folded her arms tightly, her jaw clenched. Shuyue's lips trembled, torn between acceptance and protest.
Haotian stepped closer, reaching out. His hand hovered, then rested lightly atop theirs as they stood before him.
"When the invasion ends… I will marry you all. Before heaven, before earth, before the ancestors. Lianhua will stand as the first wife, as she has carried my child and shared my home. But each of you will stand beside me, not beneath her. Equal in bond, equal in vow. That is my promise."
The three women trembled at his words. Yinxue closed her eyes briefly, then let out a long sigh. "As long as your vow is true… then I will wait."Ziyue's gaze softened at last, her lips curving faintly. "I'll hold you to those words."Shuyue, unable to hold back, blurted through a teary laugh, "Then you'd better live through the invasion, Haotian!"
He smiled, pulling them into his embrace, their auras melting together in warmth.
Above them, unseen but listening, the ancestors stirred. Meiyun smirked. "He's learned how to wield not just a spear, but his heart."Yangshen murmured, "A vow like that… even heaven will test."
The sparring fields of the Moon Lotus Sect rang with qi and steel, the morning mist long since burned away by the heat of exertion. Disciples lined the perimeter, their eyes fixed on the man at the center: Haotian, golden gaze steady, spear in hand.
"Today," he said, his voice carrying clearly, "I will be your opponent. One by one. Then in groups. Your goal is simple — defeat me. My goal is simpler — to show you where you falter."
A hush fell, then the first challenger stepped forward.
⚔ One-on-One
The duel was swift. A disciple charged, dao of frost surging in brilliant shards. Haotian parried with effortless precision, the spear's shaft sweeping her strike aside. He tapped her wrist, forcing her stance to crumble, then her ankle, showing her imbalance.
"Too rigid," he said calmly. "Flow as water, not as ice."
The disciple bowed, breathless, but her eyes glowed with new understanding.
One after another came forward. Some fell in a breath, others lasted longer — but each left with Haotian's corrections ringing in their ears.
⚔ Two-on-One
The sparring escalated. Two disciples attacked in tandem, their daos of water and wind swirling together. For a moment, their teamwork dazzled the crowd. But Haotian stepped between them, his movements flowing with uncanny timing. A single sweep disarmed one, while the butt of his spear halted the other mid-strike.
"Your rhythm is good," he noted, "but you step on each other's tempo. Synchronize not your strikes, but your breathing. The body follows breath."
Gasps rippled through the watching disciples as both bowed and withdrew.
⚔ Ten-on-One
The courtyard trembled with the force of ten auras at once. Frost, ice, lightning, moonlight — daos surged in unison as the ten surrounded him. The onlookers murmured with awe. Could even Senior Brother withstand this?
But Haotian did not yield ground. His spear danced, a blur of golden light. Every strike landed not to wound, but to reveal: a flick to a shoulder to show hesitation, a thrust that halted just shy of an exposed core, a sweep that knocked three aside, proving their formation's weak point.
When the tenth disciple fell back, panting, Haotian's voice was steady. "Numbers mean nothing without purpose. You fought as ten bodies, not as one."
The ten bowed, sweat pouring down their brows, but their eyes burned brighter than before.
⚔ Twenty-on-One
The air shook with power as twenty disciples surged forward together. Formations layered, elements collided, the battlefield filled with frost storms and lightning arcs.
And still, Haotian did not falter.
He flowed through the storm like a phantom, spear whirling in arcs of controlled fury. Each motion corrected, exposed, taught: a strike that froze a careless step, a thrust that collapsed a flawed formation, a sweep that scattered five at once.
The disciples fell back, stunned and awed. Haotian lowered his weapon, eyes calm. "A storm without harmony is only chaos. Even twenty blades can fall to one if they lack unity."
🌙 The Tag Team: Yinxue and Ziyue
Finally, Yinxue and Ziyue stepped forward together. The field hushed. Senior Sister Yinxue — frost and ice incarnate. Elder Ziyue — the Icewind Sword, her dao already spoken of in awe.
They stood side by side, silent, their auras intertwining: wide, crushing frost fields from Yinxue, sharpened lightning-swift blades of icewind from Ziyue.
They did not speak. Neither did Haotian.
The clash shook the courtyard. Ziyue's swords blurred like winter gales, forcing Haotian back. Yinxue's frost sealed the ground, hemming his movements, pressuring his defense. Together, their rhythm was terrifying.
But Haotian said nothing.
Instead, he moved. A subtle shift of his stance revealed Ziyue's overreach in pursuit. A flick of his spear shaft redirected Yinxue's wide-area suppression into a gap behind her. He countered not with words, but with actions — every block, every deflection showing them where they faltered.
The fight stretched longer than any other. The disciples watching held their breath.
At last, Yinxue's frost field shattered, Ziyue's blades slowed, and Haotian disarmed them both with a single sweeping arc.
Silence fell.
Only then did Haotian lower his weapon. He said nothing still — his lesson had been taught through his body, through every exchange of blows.
The crowd erupted, voices rising with awe.
"Senior Brother… he doesn't even need to speak to teach."
"He shows flaws with his spear… it's like he's molding us mid-battle!"
"Even Yinxue and Ziyue… they couldn't overcome him!"
Haotian looked around at the exhausted but blazing faces. His golden eyes softened.
"This," he said, voice resonant, "is how you grow. Not by victory, but by understanding why you lost. Remember your flaws, correct them, and next time… force me to kneel."
The disciples roared their assent, the fire of cultivation burning brighter in every chest.
And so, the Moon Lotus Sect's training was reborn — not under lecture, but under the spear of Haotian, the living whetstone.
The morning bell echoed across the Moon Lotus Sect, its clear tone carrying over the snow-kissed peaks. Disciples filed into the central hall one by one, scrolls and brushes in hand, their faces focused. Today was not for sparring, but for something far more difficult: reflection.
Haotian sat at the front, golden eyes half-lidded, observing in silence as the hall settled. "Begin," he said simply.
Ink brushed parchment. The hall filled with the faint rustle of robes, the scratching of brushes, and the steady rhythm of breathing. Each disciple bent over their scrolls, recording not just the blows they had exchanged the day before, but the feelings, insights, and revelations that had struck them in battle.
"My dao of frost freezes, but in overuse it leaves me brittle. Senior Brother showed me that rigidity is my flaw.""The dao of moonlight blinds as it illuminates. I must learn to distinguish friend from foe within its glow.""Against Senior Brother, I saw that my strength surges well, but my transitions are sluggish. I will correct this."
When the time came, they rose one by one to read aloud. Each voice rang across the hall: confessions of weakness, realizations of strength, insights of how their dao interacted not only with themselves but with others.
Yinxue's voice was calm, composed. "My frost field widens too greatly, leaving gaps I did not see. Haotian's silence revealed them. I will tighten my control."Ziyue's tone was sharp, but thoughtful. "The Icewind Sword flies swift, but in pursuit I overreach. It leaves my core exposed. Against Senior Brother, I was forced to admit this truth."
Even the younger disciples shared earnestly, their words halting but sincere. Haotian listened to each carefully, never interrupting, his golden eyes glinting with quiet pride.
At last, Shuyue stood. Her cheeks were faintly flushed, her hands clutching her scroll. "I… I do not have a dao as refined as my sisters. But I listened to every word. I felt every clash. Their daos… your dao, Senior Brother… I wrote down all of it."
She unrolled her scroll, a flood of words covering the parchment. "Compassion that soothes but can also kill. Justice that judges without plea. Courage that breaks barriers. Loyalty that protects at all cost. Love that reshapes. I see them. I… I want to understand them all."
The hall grew still. Even Yinxue and Ziyue exchanged quiet glances, faintly surprised at the depth of her observation.
Haotian's lips curved into a soft smile. "Good. Insight begins not with power, but with the will to see. Shuyue, continue this path. What you gather today will shape your dao tomorrow."
The day ended in a glow of quiet satisfaction. The disciples filed out, their hearts burning with new clarity, their scrolls carried like treasures.
—
That night, the training halls fell silent, but the bathhouse glowed with mist and qi. Within the soundless barrier, Haotian guided Yinxue, Ziyue, and Shuyue through dual cultivation. Their breaths mingled, their qi flowed, and the resonance of dao deepened.
Shuyue trembled, her aura flaring higher and higher under their combined circulation. Her body arched, her voice caught, and with a final cry her cultivation surged — breaking through the bottleneck.
Her qi stabilized at mid-stage Soul Transformation Realm, light glowing across her skin like rippling moonlight. A smile spread across her lips, tears mixing with laughter as she whispered, "Haotian… I did it…"
Yinxue and Ziyue embraced her, proud and warm. Haotian brushed her cheek gently, his golden eyes gleaming with approval.
"You did more than that, Shuyue. You've proven that insight, when nurtured, can reshape destiny."
And in that mist-filled chamber, surrounded by sisters and Senior Brother, Shuyue's path toward her Dao of Emotions grew brighter than ever.