Ghostly energy flickered inside the Whisper Bowl as the evening settled across the sky. The three ghosts floated in a circle in the training yard, pushing their spiritual power to its next limit.
Fen Yu practiced forming spiritual threads from her fingertips, each thread glowing like moon-silk.
Li Shen drilled forms with his sword, creating sharp arcs of icy-blue spiritual energy.
Wei Rong stood like a mountain, silently drawing spirit force into his core—stable, powerful, relentless.
When they finished their final meditation and returned to the main hall, the Empress felt proud. They had grown faster than she ever imagined.
But fate had no intention of giving them time to enjoy the progress.
Because at the same time—
the Emperor received secret documents from the capital.
Reports of barbaric attacks.
People disappearing.
Shops destroyed.
Villages losing livestock and money.
And the strangest part—
Even powerful martial masters could not detect the attackers.
