Chapter 83 – Forging the Soulbrand
Morning mist rolled across the Liu Clan courtyard, turning the stone tiles into mirrors of pale silver. The air shimmered faintly with spiritual energy, calm, yet edged with power.
Lin Xuan stood at the center, his black robe fluttering in the cool wind. His eyes, black, with faintly glowing white pupils, reflected the rising sun like fragments of a distant star. Opposite him, Liu Yang gripped a wooden training glaive, his shoulders shaking from fatigue.
"Your strikes are faster," Lin Xuan said evenly, his tone neither sharp nor kind. "But faster doesn't mean sharper. You lack intent."
Liu Yang panted, wiping sweat from his brow. "Intent?"
Lin Xuan stepped forward, taking the glaive from him. He swung once, slowly, yet the motion carried a strange pressure that stirred the mist. The strike ended with a whisper, not a sound.
"There are two types of intent," Lin Xuan explained, lowering the weapon. "The Killing Intent — born from fear, fury, and blood. And the Will to Protect — the strength that moves when everything else breaks. Both can cut. But only one can endure."
He handed the weapon back. "Again."
Liu Yang's jaw tightened. His next strike was firmer, the flow steadier, but still imperfect. Lin Xuan corrected his stance, adjusting the angle of his arms with careful precision. "Feel the rhythm. Don't fight the weapon — let it breathe with you."
From the veranda, Luo Shuang and Liu Yue watched quietly. The morning light painted them in gold, and for a fleeting moment, pride flickered in Luo Shuang's eyes.
After hours of practice, Lin Xuan finally nodded. "Good. You're ready for the next step."
He motioned for Liu Yang to follow him into the underground forge chamber — a cavern carved beneath the Liu Clan grounds. The air was heavy with heat, the scent of metal and spirit herbs mingling. Crystals glowed along the walls, illuminating a vast forge powered by spiritual flame.
"This," Lin Xuan said, spreading his hand over the molten basin, "is the Eternal Soul Ember — a fragment of Anika's essence flame. It can forge more than metal. It forges life."
He handed Liu Yang a lump of black spirit ore. "We'll make your first true weapon — the Soulbrand Glaive. Your blood will bind to it, your will will shape it."
As they began, sparks filled the chamber like falling stars. Lin Xuan guided the hammer strokes, each strike resonating with controlled Qi. Liu Yang's breathing grew ragged as the heat pressed against him, his life force drawn into the ore.
The metal trembled, glowing crimson-gold. The forge pulsed with a faint heartbeat.
Lin Xuan's eyes glowed faint white, his hand forming a seal. "Energy Flow Art — Life Stabilization."
The essence flame twisted into ribbons of violet and gold, spiraling into the weapon. A deep hum filled the chamber, followed by a burst of light. When it faded, a new weapon rested on the anvil — long and dark, runes glowing faintly along its shaft, the blade gleaming with living brilliance.
Liu Yang knelt, placing his palm on the glaive. The weapon pulsed once — and answered. A surge of Qi linked them, sharp yet warm. The Soulbrand Glaive had awakened.
Lin Xuan watched quietly, a rare smile touching his lips. "You did well. From now on, it's your companion. Treat it as an extension of your soul."
Liu Yang bowed deeply. "Thank you… Master."
The word lingered between them — a bond sealed not by formality, but by shared fire.
That evening, Lin Xuan returned to the courtyard. The mist had cleared, leaving only the soft scent of rain and metal. From the veranda, Liu Yue sat carving small talismans, her obsidian-violet flames glowing faintly around her fingers.
Anika stood nearby, leaning against a pillar, watching the fading sun. When Lin Xuan approached, she smiled faintly.
"You've been teaching from dawn till dusk again," she said softly. "You'll wear yourself out before your disciple does."
Lin Xuan chuckled, setting his glaive aside. "He learns quickly. The flame in him is genuine."
Anika tilted her head, eyes gleaming like starlit amethyst. "And in you?"
He looked at his hands — scarred, steady, and strong. "Mine's been burning for a long time. It just learned to burn quietly."
For a moment, neither spoke. The light dimmed, crickets began their chorus, and peace settled over the courtyard.
Anika finally said, her voice barely above a whisper, "Then let it rest for tonight. Even fire needs to sleep."
Lin Xuan nodded, his faintly glowing eyes softening under the moonlight. "Perhaps… for a while."
The night deepened — calm, silent, and full of promise. The forge slept below, but in the hearts of the Liu Clan, new sparks had begun to burn.