Hei Lin San Sect
A heavy tension hung over the entire sect.
Even the biting cold could not absorb the sweat of unease.
Whispers spread like restless shadows....
some children had gone missing.
Every face was still,
but beneath that stillness was a silent, suffocating terror.
---
Then, Mo Yan and Yu Sui stepped out with the others.
The moment the eyes of the crowd caught sight of Yu Sui,
they froze.
There, resting upon his hair,
was the Xuan Ming Guan Crown...
the living crown itself.
In that instant,
they understood:
their true High King had now taken his rightful place.
The restless air fell silent.
One by one,
those who saw High King Yu Sui dropped to their knees,
bowing deeply in reverence.
Soon,
the entire sect was kneeling before him.
Heads bowed everywhere....
not just bodies,
but souls bending in awe.
It was as though,
after a heavy rain,
a flower, burdened with water,
droops gently toward the ground.....
not from force,
but from the sweet weight of the gift it carries.
The hearts of the people were like that flower,
filled with the same heavy, overflowing emotion
that made them bow without hesitation.
---
Not only the common disciples.....
but Su Nian, Duie, Wuzu, Wey Xiong,
Master Lee Wen, Master Zu Gushion, and Master Chang Shi
were all kneeling as well.
And finally,
Mo Yan himself…
He looked at Yu Sui
with deep respect,
with pride,
and with the lake-like depth of his love.
Then he too bowed before Yu Sui...
not only out of honor,
but out of love.
---
For Mo Yan,
his heart and soul had already been bowing to Yu Sui from the very beginning.....
just as a branch heavy with sweet fruit
lowers itself toward the earth,
not from force,
but from the natural weight of its sweetness.
---
The sight of High King Mo Yan bowing to Yu Sui
shook the hearts of all who saw it.
They realized how pure this love truly was.....
that the two would bow to each other publicly,
with no shame,
no hesitation.
Even though Mo Yan was a High King himself,
before Yu Sui,
he was simply his true companion.....
his lover.
This love,
this mutual respect,
melted every heart that witnessed it.
A quiet yet beautiful atmosphere
filled the surroundings
with the fragrance of love.
---
Yu Sui's eyes welled with tears.
He could hardly believe.....
even as a High King from a dangerous dimension.....
that he was receiving such respect and love.
For the first time,
he felt complete.
With a gentle touch,
he raised Mo Yan to his feet
and embraced him.
---
In that embrace,
he felt divine peace....
like a seed that had finally sprouted after long, hard labor
and was now touched by the first ray of the morning sun.
And in that very moment.....
The Su Tao Jue Mantra activated once more,
as if it were the one true seal of their love....
a bond that awakened each time their emotions surged in unison.
Today, for the first time,
the Su Tao Jue Mantra awakened before all eyes.
It was breathtaking.....
like a divine thread of soft, rose-colored silk
binding not their wrists,
but their souls and destinies together.
Today,
he had become whole.....
not only because he had Mo Yan,
but because he had earned the trust of an entire sect.
---
Yu Sui clasped Mo Yan's hand tightly,
and with a voice that rumbled like thunder,
he spoke.
The crowd rose to their feet,
and the rest followed.
"You have accepted me…
and shown that a true heart holds truth within,
no matter what lies on the outside.
Today, I honor the honor you have given me.
I present to you my most magnificent Twin Phoenixes.....
to serve you,
to serve Hei Lin San Sect in my absence.
They will face any crisis without fear.
Now… grant us leave to depart."
---
A serene, beautiful calm spread.....
but in the depths of every heart,
a storm of emotions still stirred.