A colossal dragon spirit....appeared.
The colossal dragon spirit towered above the heirs, its obsidian scales glistening like molten glass, its aura pressing down like the weight of a thousand Trucks. The ground itself cracked under the sheer pressure of its presence, and several heirs stumbled back, clutching their chests as their Qi channels screamed in protest.
The Phoenix heir's wings of flame dimmed under its shadow. The Blue Dragon heir's azure scales flickered faintly, as if struggling against a storm. Even the Werewolf heir, wild and frenzied, faltered for half a breath before forcing himself forward with a furious snarl.
Only two stood with clarity.
Veyra Nightveil, Vampire princess, eyes crimson like blood moons, her aura steady though strained. Early Foundation Establishment.
And Jace. Hidden under his hood, shadows coiling faintly around him, his breath slow and measured. Mid Foundation Establishment.
The gulf between him and the others was invisible to most but unmistakable to those with keen senses.
---
The colossal avatar raised its claw, an obsidian hand large enough to blot out the heavens, and swiped down toward Veyra.
Her eyes widened. Her Crimson Shackles rose instantly, chains of blood twisting around the descending claw. They caught, straining, glowing scarlet under the crushing force.
Snap!
One by one, the shackles broke. Her knees bent under the pressure, a bead of blood trailing from her lip.
And then—
"Veilstep: Shadow Break."
A blade of darkness cut into the colossal claw. The crack spread like spiderwebs, the avatar's momentum faltering for the first time.
Gasps rippled from the heirs and the observing elders.
The Blue Dragon patriarch leaned forward in his seat within the viewing platform, sharp eyes narrowing. "What was that strike…?"
The Red Dragon elders exchanged glances, their expressions tight. "Too clean. Too precise. Not the work of a Qi Gathering brat."
Even the Vampire matriarch, Veyra's ancestor, tilted her head, crimson lips curving faintly. "Interesting… very interesting."
---
Below, Jace's hood shadowed his expression, but his eyes burned faintly with power.
[System Notice: Essence Devoured.]
[Obsidian Dragon Fragment +1.]
[Accumulated Fragments: 7.]
A surge of energy went through his meridians. His dantian pulsed violently, as if expanding and reshaping.
The system's cold whisper filled his mind:
[Threshold reached.]
[Foundation Establishment Realm: Mid → Late Advancement in progress.]
Jace's breath caught as power flooded his body. His bones groaned, muscles strained, and his Qi channels stretched wider than ever before. The shadows at his feet deepened, spilling across the battlefield like living ink.
He clenched his blade tighter, grounding himself, even as his aura began to rise.
---
The colossal avatar roared, shaking off the damage, and charged forward. Its eyes locked on him now, as if recognizing its greatest threat.
The Phoenix heir tried to intercept. His wings flared bright.
"Solar Wing Slash!"
Golden arcs of flame cut across the avatar's chest, searing scale and stone alike — yet the dragon shrugged it off.
The Blue Dragon heir followed, fists blazing with azure Qi.
"Azure Scale Barrage!"
Hundreds of strikes battered the avatar's flank, cracks forming but quickly knitting back under its thick aura.
The Werewolf heir leapt, claws flashing.
"Moonfang Tear!"
He slashed through one of its wings, only for another to sprout anew.
Still, the beast pressed forward.
And then Jace moved.
"Silent Fang."
His blade whispered once and the avatar's wing fell apart in silence.
"Phantom Edge."
Another whisper, and the avatar staggered, cracks spreading across its torso.
The heirs froze. Their strongest skills had barely slowed it, yet the hooded shadow had carved into its core.
---
The Black Dragon heir hissed under his breath, eyes narrowed. "He's no Qi Gathering weakling… he's Foundation. Mid, maybe higher."
The Phoenix heir scowled, golden eyes sharp. "Then why hide it? Who fights in shadows among heirs unless—"
"—unless they don't want their name known," Veyra finished softly, crimson eyes fixed on Jace.
She remembered that blade. The speed. The silence. Three times now, he had stepped between her and death, but not out of courtesy or because he was smitten. No he moved like a predator fulfilling instinct.
Her lips curved faintly. "You're not what you seem… are you?"
---
The colossal avatar bellowed once more, but this time its voice was weaker. Jace's strikes had dug too deep.
[System Notice: Devour Opportunity Detected.]
[Absorb Dragon Core? Y/N.]
Jace's eyes flickered. His heart thundered.
"Yes."
He plunged his blade into the avatar's chest. Shadows erupted from the strike, spreading like roots, consuming light and form alike.
The avatar screamed once and then collapsed into fragments of black essence.
[System Notice: Dragon Core Devoured.]
[Peak Foundation Establishment attained.]
[New Skill Unlocked: Draconic Veil – Essence Shroud.]
Power pulsed through him. His aura surged, then snapped into silence, cloaked perfectly by the system's new shroud. To outside eyes, he was nothing but a faint shadow.
But the battlefield knew otherwise.
---
The heirs stood in stunned silence.
The Phoenix heir's flames dimmed.
The Blue Dragon heir lowered his fists.
The Werewolf heir growled but hesitated.
Veyra's crimson eyes narrowed, her lips parting faintly as if to speak ...then she bit her tongue, watching him instead.
And from above, the clan representatives stirred.
The Red Dragon elders whispered among themselves.
"That strike… too sharp."
"That aura… impossible to hide."
"Could he… be ours?"
The Blue Dragon patriarch leaned back, expression unreadable. "If he is not, then he is something worse. And perhaps… something more."
The Vampire matriarch smiled faintly. "My dear Veyra has found herself an interesting shadow."
Even the Werewolf chieftain grunted, eyes glinting with respect.
But not all were pleased.
---
High within the Imperial Heaven Sect's grand hall, the council sat in heavy silence.
Elders clad in golden robes sat in a semicircle, their auras suffocating. At their center, the Sect Master's throne glowed faintly, though the man himself remained cloaked in shadow.
An elder slammed his palm onto the jade table. "Night Shadows dared breach our sacred trial grounds! To touch the heirs of Imperial Heaven is to spit upon our banner!"
Another, calmer, spoke. "And yet they succeeded. The barrier was flawless. No ordinary sect could breach it. Which means…"
"The Night Shadows were aided," the Sect Master finished coldly. His voice carried like thunder. "Find the hand that fed them entry. Drag it into the light."
A third elder leaned forward. "And the retaliation?"
The Sect Master's eyes burned faintly in the darkness. "We will raze three of their branches. Burn them to the roots. If they wish for shadows, then shadows they shall choke on."
The council bowed in unison, their voices low. "As you command."
---
Back in the trial grounds, Jace exhaled slowly. The battlefield was quieting. Lesser dragon spirits faded, though the ground still pulsed faintly as if more awaited.
He kept his hood low, hiding the storm behind his eyes.
But he could feel them. The gazes.
The suspicions.
The hunger.
He had broken through to Peak Foundation Establishment, devouring dragons and growing sharper with every strike. Yet each step forward painted a target on his back.
The heirs whispered. The elders watched. The sects schemed.
And in the shadows of the trial, the system whispered again:
[Path forged. Strength taken. Yet hunger remains.]
[Devour more. Or fall.]
Jace's lips tightened. He raised his blade once more.
The trial was not yet over.
-----
TO BE CONTINUED...