Part 1: The Oath of Reborn Blood
The Jade City, beneath the crimson moon, was an abyss between nightmare and myth. The shadows of war stretched across streets and palaces, but in the Morningstar camp, an unnatural calm reigned. The heirs and pillars—Kael, Violeta, Eris, Cedric, Xylia, Elowen, Lilith, and Samael—formed a sacred circle at the central altar.
The Soul Nexus vibrated: they not only shared thoughts and emotions, but also fragments of memories and techniques, as if they were branches of the same ancestral tree. On their chests, the marks of brotherhood burned softly, resonating with the pulse of the red moon.
Samael gazed at the horizon, the Patriarch's Eye ablaze. "Tonight, we cease to be a feared legend and become living history."
Seraphina, beside him, nodded silently: the vision was clear, the world would witness the rise of Morningstar.
Among the whispers of the wind, Lilith felt the Ashen Phoenix within her beating, eager to break the seals that had bound her for centuries.
Part 2: The Ritual of the Judgment Chest
In the altar chamber, the Judgment Chest floated in the air, covered in living runes and a crimson mist. The system whispered only to Samael:
[Judgment Chest available. —The stolen talent can be assimilated by one, shared, or gambled to transform the clan's destiny. —Possibility to awaken hidden lineage, transfer forbidden talent, or strengthen the Symphony of Destinies Nexus. —Every choice will be observed by ancient forces. Consequences and rewards will be absolute.]
The discussion was intense: "If we share it, we'll never be broken," Violeta proposed. "If we gamble it, we must win or die," said Kael. "If we assimilate it, let the clan know the fallen were not in vain," Xylia decreed.
In the end, the circle decided unanimously: the talent would go to Lilith to break the seal of the Ashen Phoenix and forge a living weapon for the clan.
Samael activated the chest. A ray of blood, void, and ash enveloped Lilith. She fell to her knees, the mark on her chest burning like a star.
[System: —Holy Talent transferred: Fusion of Ashen Phoenix lineage and forbidden imperial heritage. —Lilith: may be reborn once after death, unleashing a fire of judgment capable of destroying ancestral seals and healing allies within a 100-meter radius. —Soul Nexus reaches Symphony of Destinies: the Morningstars can share fragments of power, techniques, and memories during crises. —Judgment Chest: Artifact "Flame of Return" obtained: primordial fire pearl, revives a fallen ally once.]
Lilith rose, shrouded in ash and a crown of black and crimson flames.
"Death is not my limit," she said, her voice double and ancestral. "Today, I pay the debt of the centuries."
The clan, tears in their eyes, howled at the moon: "Morningstar is reborn, even if the continent must burn!"
Part 3: Betrayal, Redemption, and Final Loyalty
As the clan celebrated, the Purple Light Sect and the Valois played their last card: a minor captain, blackmailed, tried to detonate a forbidden formation beneath the camp.
Cedric, with the Eye of Formations, intercepted the signal. Kael and Eris immobilized the traitor; Violeta, using space, sealed the detonation.
Samael looked at him coldly: "Why?"
The young man, weeping: "My family… they couldn't resist."
Lilith, still burning with ash, embraced him: "To betray for love is both redemption and damnation. Today, you are saved. Tomorrow, no one will fall into this trap."
The system notified:
[Internal crisis resolved. —Loyalty bonus increased. —Brotherhood mark reinforced: the Morningstar family can sense danger of betrayal or spiritual manipulation. —The clan is sealed against internal divisions.]
Part 4: The Imperial Proclamation and War Preparations
Dawn roared: the Morningstar names were on everyone's lips. Five heirs in the top 10, two in the top 3, and the final would be announced while the moon was still crimson.
Samael and Lilith, invested as Void Sovereign and Phoenix Mother, presided over the imperial oath. "Today, the Morningstar clan swears before the world: every drop of blood will be vengeance or creation. Every fall, a seed for the future. Today, we declare the Imperial Era."
Lesser Patriarchs came to pledge vassalage; neutral clans sought protection; allies were forming, enemies sharpening their claws.
Samael assigned roles:
Kael and Eris: vanguard generals.
Cedric and Xylia: defense, counterattack, and espionage.
Elowen: healing, war alchemy, and supplies.
Violeta: intelligence, mobility, and sabotage.
The system announced:
[Imperial Mission activated: —Total conquest: overthrow House Valois, besiege the Purple Light Sect, claim the continent's power cores. —Final reward: Clan ascends to Supreme Dynasty, Divine Favor, and access to the world's roots.]
New weapons were forged, war puppets, shields of blood and void. The whole clan trained beneath the Holy Land, accelerating their advances and awakening sealed talents.
Part 5: The Final Tournament — War Begins
The judges, under pressure, altered the rules: the last round would be a Royal Tournament of Empires. Team battles, betrayals allowed, and the right to assimilate or suppress bloodlines with each victory.
The Sect and the Valois unleashed two Saint Puppets, an ancestral beast, and three "blessed" sons of heaven with forbidden arts.
The Morningstar nexus was the only real defense against chaos. "The war begins now," said Samael. "The world will witness the dragon's roar and the phoenix's song."
Part 6: The Battle Beneath the Blood Moon
The battle was apocalyptic. Floating ruins, poison, lava, saint puppets roaring with corrupted Qi.
Kael and Cedric synchronized cuts and formations, stealing power from the puppets.
Violeta and Elowen tamed the ancestral beast, turning its poison into healing.
Eris and Xylia invoked the imperial storm and destruction, annihilating the sons of heaven.
Lilith, dying and being reborn amid ashen flames, incinerated traitors and resurrected allies.
Samael used [Bridge Between Dimensions] and [Usurper's Hand] to seal forbidden techniques and redistribute power among his generals, turning the Morningstar nexus into an unstoppable army.
The audience, Saints, and Patriarchs witnessed the impossible: The Morningstar clan conquered the final, becoming legend!
The system granted:
[Crown of the First Void Sovereign. —Morningstar Clan: Imperial Rank. —Divine Favor: available. —Lilith: Ash and Judgment Phoenix complete. —Kael: semi-saint cut. —Cedric: imperial matrix. —Eris and Violeta: creation and destruction synergy. —All members: advancement, talent, and renown.]
Part 7: Epilogue: The Roar of the Empire
Beneath the crimson moon and amid the coliseum's ruins, Samael raised the crown, the blood of enemies and allies on his hands.
"Today, the continent changes hands. Today, history is written with the name Morningstar."
In the stands, some Saints applauded, others swore vengeance. Alaric Valois, hidden in the shadows, whispered:
"This is not the end... it's just the prologue to the apocalypse."
And in the dreams of the Morningstar children, the dragon and the phoenix wove the melody of an empire destined to challenge the gods.
END OF CHAPTER 34