Warm light slowly washed over them.
The Empress, Fen Yu, Li Shen, and Wei Rong felt a soft vibration under their feet as consciousness pulled them out of the dark trial. Their bodies felt lighter, stronger—almost weightless.
Then—
Boom.
A surge of energy hit their chests at the same time.
Fen Yu gasped and clutched her heart.
Li Shen's eyes widened like lanterns.
Wei Rong flexed his fists, stunned at the new strength flooding his arms.
The Empress felt her inner energy swirl like a newly awakened river.
They had grown.
Grown beyond anything they had felt before.
Their souls were no longer weak flickers—
they were blazing flames.
The four opened their eyes together.
They were still standing inside the orange-lit sigil in the old lady's ritual room.
But something had changed.
A soft metallic glow circled in the air before each of them.
The light spun faster… then solidified into weapons.
Swords.
Each unique.
Each glowing with their individual spiritual energy.
