Part 1: The Oath Under the Mist
The night before the Battle of Heritages, the Jade Celestial City was restless. Through the streets, rumors and bets ran like overflowing rivers; in the boxes and small palaces, Patriarchs conspired, Saints meditated in silence or exchanged sealed messages.
In the Morningstar clan room, the atmosphere was solemn. The ethereal chest continued to float, pulsing like a heart of lightning.
Samael, surrounded by the heirs, spoke quietly:
"Tonight we choose not only what power to use, but who we want to be. The world is watching. Are we devourers of heritages... or those who transform them?"
Kael, still sweating from battle, looked at his brothers and sisters. "Destiny is stolen, yes. But legacy is cultivated."
Cedric, eyes red with fatigue and ambition: "The impossible is only achieved if we bet more than we can lose."
Violeta, embracing the mark on her chest: "I don't care about sacrificing potential if we stay together."
Xylia, the reincarnated empress, was clear: "The ancient world must die. If assimilating a bloodline brings us danger, let it come. The Morningstars were never cowards."
In the end, and after a tense vote, Samael made the boldest decision: Invest the stolen bloodline as a root and catalyst for the entire clan. The system vibrated.
[Absolute Investment Confirmed.]
[The Stolen Saint Bloodline fuses with the Morningstar Matrix.]
[Result: Awakening of the "Crimson Moon Link".]
Part 2: The Betrayal of the Allies
Just before dawn, the "Blood and Void Alliance" proposed by the Dark Moon Sect showed its true face.
An assassin infiltrated the base, trying to poison the water supply with "Soul Rot." But Malak, the shadow guardian, was waiting.
"Shadows do not betray the darkness," Malak whispered as he decapitated the traitor.
Samael appeared, observing the corpse.
"They sent a message," he said. "They want us weak."
He looked at the Dark Moon messenger, who was trembling.
"Go back to your masters. Tell them that tomorrow, Morningstar will feast on traitors first."
Part 3: The Crimson Moon Rises
The Battle of Heritages began under an unnatural sky. The moon turned the color of dried blood.
The Morningstar Clan entered the arena. The audience gasped: they were not wearing armor, but ceremonial robes woven with runes of blood and void.
First duel: Cedric vs. The Formation Master of the Purple Light.
Cedric didn't use arrays. He used the [Emperor's Forge] to turn the enemy's own formation against him, crushing him under his own weight.
"My heritage is control," Cedric declared.
Second duel: Kael vs. The Valois Sword Saint.
It was a clash of speed. Kael, pushed to the limit, allowed the stolen lineage to resonate. His sword turned red and black.
"[Cut of the Setting Sun]."
He broke the Saint's sword and stopped the edge millimeters from his neck.
Third duel: Samael vs. The Ancestor of the Forbidden Puppet.
The enemy unleashed a horror: a puppet made from the corpse of a Half-Saint, powered by forbidden souls.
The pressure was overwhelming. But Samael smiled.
"You play with corpses. I command the Void."
[System: Crimson Moon Link Active.]
[All Heirs share Qi and Vitality to protect the clan.]
Samael chose to invest. Void and blood devoured the enemy tide; the ancestor was sealed in a prison of darkness, but Samael stepped back half a step on his path to Half-Saint.
The audience watched as the black and crimson dragon of Morningstar roared, even in the face of the fury of ancient saints.
Part 4: Politics, Rumors, and Stolen Heritages
The allied sects gathered upon seeing the defeat of their champions and the theft of bloodlines.
"If the Morningstars continue, the entire balance will fall," warned a veteran Saint.
Alaric Valois swore to destroy Samael with his own hands; the Purple Light Sect prepared a forbidden weapon for the final round.
The System notified:
[Judgment Chest unlocked.]
One of the heirs can assimilate a stolen talent or transfer it to the next generation.
Luck Bonus: x10 for the final round.
Lilith's hidden bloodline has been disturbed... possible imminent awakening.
Part 5: Cliffhanger — The Awakening Under the Crimson Moon
That night, while the clan rested, the moon turned crimson and the city was covered in red mist.
The judgment chest vibrated before Samael and the heirs.
An ancestral voice, half dragon, half phoenix, whispered:
"The end is a new beginning. The next battle will decide not only the future of the clan but the destiny of the entire continent."
Underground, forbidden runes began to burn. And in dreams... the Dragon opened its eyes.