Lloyd led Calen through winding corridors underground until they reached his private quarters—a quiet chamber where the air was heavy with memory yet calm, a place where secrets could be spoken without fear.
"Now tell me what is so important that you came all the way here to find me," Lloyd said, gesturing to a low table. His storm‑gray eyes studied Calen with a mixture of curiosity and unease.
Calen accepted the gesture, sitting across from him. Then, with steady resolve, he recounted the revelations from Rai's spirit sense in the crypt: his father's true identity as Rai, King of the Sun Empire in the Upper Realm, betrayed and slain; the sealed soul fragments and spirit core hidden within the Eternal Grade spirit tool, Sun Blazer; and the truth of Lloyd's existence—his near‑death in the womb, saved only by Rai's spirit core. Calen's voice trembled at times, but his determination never faltered.
As the words poured out, Lloyd's composure cracked. Especially when his mother was mentioned, his hands clenched and his jaw tightened. Memories of her suffering and loneliness surged back, wounds he had buried deep now torn open. Calen's revelations were not just shocking—they were painful truths that demanded acceptance.
Silence stretched between them as Lloyd digested everything. At last, he spoke, his voice firm despite the turmoil within.
"Very well. Let us see what destiny awaits."
Calen drew a deep breath, then raised his hand. With practiced precision, he began inscribing runes into the floor, each stroke glowing with golden radiance. The formation spread outward, a lattice of light and flame designed to contain the eruption of power that was about to unfold.
At the center he placed Sun Blazer, the Eternal Grade spirit tool. Its hilt shimmered like a miniature sun, and as it settled into the formation, the runes pulsed in resonance. The chamber trembled faintly, as though the walls themselves recognized the presence of a king's weapon.
"Uncle," Calen said softly, his voice steady despite the storm brewing within him. "This will hurt. But it is the only way to awaken what lies sealed inside you."
Lloyd nodded, his eyes unwavering. "Do it. I am ready."
Calen pressed his palms together, channeling his qi into Sun Blazer. The weapon flared, releasing a torrent of golden blaze that intertwined with Calen's own light. Threads of energy coiled around Lloyd, wrapping him in a cocoon of radiance.
At first, the glow was gentle. Lloyd's body shimmered faintly, his veins glowing white beneath his skin. His clothes dimmed, edges fraying as if gnawed by invisible flames. Then the light intensified. His forehead burned with brilliance, and a sigil appeared—a mark of the spirit core awakening within him.
Inside Lloyd's mind, visions surged. He saw fragments of what Calen had spoken of—an imposing figure seated upon a throne of fire, Rai himself, radiating sovereign might. The image was overwhelming, a king whose presence burned with a sovereignty that dwarfed all mortal realms. Lloyd trembled, not in fear, but in awe. The vision seared itself into his soul, proof that Calen's words were truth.
Back in reality, Lloyd gasped, his body convulsing as the sealed core in his dantian stirred. The chamber shook violently, the formation straining to contain the surge. Calen gritted his teeth, pouring more qi into the runes, reinforcing the barrier.
Within Lloyd's dantian, the sealed spirit core began to merge with his primary light core. The fusion was agonizing, a collision of essence and identity. The two cores twisted together, compressing, condensing, until they became one—an orb the size of a cricket ball, blazing with pure light.
Lloyd screamed, his voice raw and unrestrained. His veins burned white, his flesh seared, and his body trembled as transformation consumed him. The light physique he had carried all his life shattered, replaced by something greater—the Ultra Light Physique, a body forged to channel the might of Rai's legacy.
Calen's own clothing was scorched in the process. The blaze from Sun Blazer intertwined with his qi, biting into his garments, leaving marks as though pieces had been torn away by unseen jaws. Sweat poured down his brow, but his focus never wavered. He was the anchor, the guide, the one ensuring Lloyd survived this rebirth.
Hours passed like minutes. The chamber roared with energy, the formation glowing brighter than the sun itself. Outside, the Raine Sect stirred. Disciples and elders felt the tremors, their senses jolted by the surge of power. Whispers spread through the halls—what force was shaking the sect, and what storm was being born within their walls?
On the second day, the energy grew unbearable. Lloyd's screams echoed endlessly, his body writhing as the Ultra Light Physique carved itself into existence. Calen's qi faltered, his reserves dwindling, but he refused to stop. He poured everything into the formation, into Sun Blazer, and into his uncle.
By the third day, the storm began to calm. The runes dimmed, the blaze receded, and silence returned to the chamber. Calen collapsed to his knees, exhausted beyond measure. His clothes were tattered, his body trembling, but his eyes remained fixed on Lloyd.
Lloyd lay bare and unconscious, his body transformed. His skin glowed faintly, veins shimmering with residual light. The sigil on his forehead pulsed once, then faded, leaving only the quiet hum of power within him. His cultivation had broken through, soaring past limits that once bound him.
Sun Blazer was gone. The Eternal Grade spirit tool had fused completely with Lloyd, becoming one with his awakened core. Its sacrifice was complete; its essence was now inseparable from the man it had chosen.
Calen exhaled slowly, his chest heavy with both relief and awe. "It's done," he whispered. "Father… your will lives on."
He then took from his pocket world a traveling bed and laid Lloyd upon it to rest. Calen sat nearby, folding his legs into meditation. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to recuperate, guarding his uncle's reborn form as the chamber finally fell into tranquil silence.