Dawn broke over Yan City, though the light struggled to penetrate the smoke and debris that littered the streets. The clash of battle still echoed, distant shouts and the metallic clang of weapons carried through the alleys. Lin Dong and Li Yan stood atop a crumbling rooftop, surveying the aftermath — yet the danger was far from over.
From the shadows, Shen Luo emerged once more, daggers glinting with residual dark energy. His body moved like liquid shadow, precise, controlled, predatory.
"You've grown bold, boy," Shen Luo said, voice low and menacing. "But courage alone will not win battles."
Lin Dong's eyes glowed golden. The Seal pulsed in response, radiating warmth and power. He raised the jade blade, runes shimmering, coiling around his arm like living serpents.
"Then let's test that theory," Lin Dong said, stepping forward.
Shen Luo struck first — a blur of motion, daggers spinning like twin moons of death. Lin Dong's Seal flared violently, golden arcs deflecting the blades with sparks cascading into the dawn-lit streets.
"The Seal is stronger than I imagined," Shen Luo muttered, rolling back to reassess.
Lin Dong pressed forward, the golden aura trailing behind his blade like a comet's tail. He moved with fluid precision, the Seal reacting not as a force to wield, but as an extension of his own body. Each strike created shockwaves that shattered rooftops and cracked streets.
From the streets below, more assassins appeared, attempting to flank him. Lin Dong spun, a brilliant arc of golden energy cutting through their formation.
"Li Yan! Cover the perimeter!" he called.
Arrows streaked through the morning haze, finding marks with deadly accuracy. Lin Dong felt the Seal's energy coiling tighter, more controlled, as if feeding off the city's rhythm. Stone cracked beneath his feet, lanterns shattered, and the wind itself seemed to twist to his movements.
Shen Luo's eyes narrowed. He leapt high, somersaulting over Lin Dong and landing behind him. The twin daggers glinted, energy spiraling outward.
"Impressive," Shen Luo said, smirking. "But raw power is nothing without foresight."
Lin Dong's pulse quickened. He realized this duel was not just about physical strength — it was about anticipation, strategy, and mastery over the Seal itself.
Closing his eyes for a brief instant, Lin Dong attuned himself to the city — the vibrations of stone, the whispers of wind, the pulse of hidden alleys. The Seal responded instantly, golden light expanding outward, mapping the battlefield in a radiant lattice.
When his eyes opened, Lin Dong moved with supernatural precision. Every step predicted Shen Luo's movements before they happened. He sidestepped, parried, and countered with seamless grace. Golden arcs of energy cut across the dawn sky, painting the city in flashes of light and shadow.
Shen Luo's attacks grew desperate, erratic. Lin Dong saw the pattern — every lunge, every feint, every strike — and flowed around it. He thrust the jade blade forward, the Seal's energy coiling like a dragon, striking Shen Luo with a force that lifted him off the rooftop.
Shen Luo crashed into a crumbling tower, the impact shaking the surrounding walls. Dust and debris filled the air. He struggled to rise, but Lin Dong's golden aura flared, energy streaming outward like a tidal wave.
"Yield," Lin Dong said, voice calm but commanding. "The Seal will not allow harm to come to innocents if I cannot control it fully. Step down."
Shen Luo looked up, his eyes glinting with a mixture of fury and respect. Slowly, he lowered his daggers.
"You've grown… more than I expected," Shen Luo admitted. "The Seal… it chooses well."
Lin Dong's chest heaved. The golden light around him dimmed slightly, stabilizing, the Seal's pulse syncing perfectly with his own heartbeat. He had won the first true test — not by brute force, but by control, intuition, and unity with the Seal.
Li Yan climbed to his side, her eyes wide with awe. "That… that was incredible. You've really mastered it… at least for now."
Lin Dong nodded, looking over the city below. Streets scarred, rooftops shattered, but the people hidden, safe. The first battle had been survived, but the warning was clear: Lei Tian's plans were far from over.
"This is only the beginning," Lin Dong murmured, voice firm. "Lei Tian, the clans… Yan City itself… they are all moving. And when they strike fully, we must be ready."
Above, the sky darkened again — clouds rolling in, streaked with faint golden lightning, as if the Seal itself had awakened a storm. Shadows flitted across the city's rooftops, watching, waiting.
Lin Dong tightened his grip on the jade blade. The Seal pulsed with golden light, steady, alive, and unyielding. A rising storm was coming — one that would test every ounce of power, strategy, and courage he possessed.
The first episode of Lin Dong's journey — the awakening, the battles, the discovery of his heritage — reached its crescendo. Yet, beyond the horizon, Lei Tian's eyes glinted with malice, already plotting the next move.
The city, alive and watchful, seemed to whisper: "The true storm has only just begun."