Sect Master Klahan's private meditation room was filled with a heavy silence. On the crystal table in front of him, lay a detailed energy map showing the current situation in and around Crystal Valley. Every incoming report only strengthened his conviction: the war had reached a bloody stalemate that would only drain the sect's resources without clear results.
Klahan's mind raced through various options. Deploy more troops? That would weaken the headquarters. Ask for help from other allied sects? Lightning Roar was already involved, and other sects would ask for too high a price. Attack with full force? The risk of total destruction was too great.
Then, his memory turned to Elder Liam's latest report on Lux Noctis's progress. The boy, though still very young, had shown an almost unnatural understanding of energy structures and formations. His unique measurement abilities, combined with his natural talent in formations, set him apart from any other cultivator.
"A tool... or a key," Klahan muttered to himself. "But am I going to sacrifice the boy for this war?"
He looked out the window, towards the Direct Disciple pavilion. Lux was only 11 years old. At that age, cultivators should still be focused on basic training, not sent to a battlefield where Nascent Souls slaughtered each other.
However, the situation was desperate. Casualties continued to mount. Resources were dwindling. And the enemy was getting stronger. Without a breakthrough, the Burning Sky Sect could lose everything its mines, its reputation, and perhaps even the lives of its best cultivators.
After many nights of meditation, Klahan finally made his decision. He would send Lux. But not as a soldier, but as a specialist with the best protection the sect could provide.
~
Klahan did not go to the meeting hall or the war room. He headed to the deepest part of the headquarters, a place known only to a handful of people the Sanctum of Eternal Embers. Here, behind layers of defensive formations so complex they could withstand attacks from several Nascent Souls at once, lived the sect's living legends the Protectors.
They were cultivators who had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm but had lost hope of going any further. Instead, they devoted the rest of their long lives to being the foundation of the sect, awakening from long meditations only when the sect was in existential danger.
Klahan entered a simple meditation room filled with an ancient aura. There, sitting cross-legged on a simple cushion, was an old man who looked ordinary. His hair was as white as snow, his skin wrinkled, and his eyes his eyes were the most striking a pair of eyes that had witnessed more than fifteen hundred years of history, full of wisdom and peace that could only come from accepting fate.
This was Protector Ming, one of the three strongest Protectors of the Burning Sky Sect, and the oldest among them. He had served the sect for five generations of Sect Masters.
"Sect Master Klahan," Ming's voice was soft but clear, filling the room without needing to be loud. "What brings you to this secluded place? Are the problems on the southern border so bad?"
Klahan bowed respectfully, something he rarely did. "Protector Ming. Forgive my intrusion. Yes, the situation is... worrying. We have reached a stalemate."
He explained the situation in detail the Battle of Blood Lake, the military stalemate, and the losses suffered by both sides. Then, he conveyed his idea of sending Lux.
"Lux Noctis, the Star Child," Ming murmured, his eyes gleaming with interest. "I have heard of him. A child with a gray meteor heritage and a unique measurement ability."
"Yes, Protector. His ability to analyze energy structures and formations may be the key to breaking this stalemate. I want him to try to disrupt or find weaknesses in the enemy's defensive formations."
Ming nodded slowly. "But you realize the risks. If the enemy learns of his presence, they will use every means to capture or kill him. His heritage and talent are too valuable."
"That is why I am asking for your help, Protector," Klahan replied. "I want you to accompany and protect Lux on this mission."
There was a long silence. Ming closed his eyes, as if meditating.
"If I move, Klahan, then the Protectors from other factions will also move. That is the unwritten law among us. My presence on the battlefield will be considered the highest escalation. This war could turn from a limited battle into an all-out war between sects."
"I understand your concerns," Klahan insisted. "But this mission is not to fight. Your only task is to bring Lux, give him a chance to analyze the enemy's formations, and then bring him back immediately. Nothing more than that. We are not asking you to fight."
"Even so, my presence will be detected."
"Not if we have this." Klahan nodded, and from the shadows in the corner of the room, emerged a man of medium build with a gray robe that almost blended into the environment. He was Kyle, one of Klahan's four personal bodyguards, a concealment expert at the 6th stage of the Nascent Soul.
"Protector Ming," Kyle bowed. "With my concealment abilities, I can hide your aura and Lux's during the journey. The enemy will not detect your presence until it is too late."
Ming looked at Kyle, then back at Klahan. "You have thought of everything, apparently."
"We must, Protector. Many lives are at stake. And... there is one more thing." Klahan took a deep breath. "I have ordered Grand Elder Bram to prepare a massive attack if the enemy's defensive formations show any signs of weakening. Lux's mission could be the signal for a decisive attack."
Ming fell silent again, considering everything. The room felt even quieter, as if waiting for a decision that would change the course of the war.
"I agree," Ming finally said. "But on the condition that once Lux completes his analysis or if there is any sign of danger we will retreat immediately. No heroism. No fighting. I am responsible for the boy's safety."
Klahan sighed in relief. "That is what I hoped for, Protector. Thank you."
"Give me one day to prepare. Tomorrow, at dawn, we will depart."
~
Meanwhile, in the Direct Disciple Pavilion, Lux Noctis, now 11 years old, was in the formation practice room. In the last nine months, his focus had shifted from pure cultivation to the art of formations. Under the guidance of Elder Yora, a woman who looked young but was actually hundreds of years old and one of the sect's Mid-Level Earth Grade formation experts, Lux's natural talent in formations was developing rapidly.
Elder Yora was a patient and brilliant teacher. She was rarely impressed, but Lux was an exception.
"Look here, Lux," Yora said, pointing to a complex energy diagram floating between them. "This node should be connected to the primary energy channel, but you placed it in the secondary sequence. Why?"
Lux, with full concentration, observed the diagram. With the help of Mobius, he could see more than just the diagram he could see the reality coefficient of each energy path.
"Because the stability coefficient in the primary channel is too high, Elder Yora," Lux replied. "By placing it in the secondary sequence which has a lower but more flexible coefficient, the formation's efficiency increases by 15% without sacrificing overall stability."
Yora smiled, something she rarely did. "Extraordinary. Your understanding of energy flow surpasses even some advanced mortal grade formation experts. In nine months, you have reached the Intermediate Mortal Grade level. That is an achievement that usually takes several years."
"All thanks to Elder Yora's guidance," Lux replied politely.
"Do not belittle yourself, my child. Your talent... it is something else." Yora looked at Lux with a meaningful gaze. She suspected there was more to Lux than met the eye, but she respected his secrets.
After the practice session, Lux returned to his room. In solitude, he spoke with Mobius.
"My measurement ability does make things easier, worm," Mobius commented. "But remember, what they teach is a linear system. Our abilities... go beyond that."
"I know, Mobius. But I have to understand the basics first before I can create something new."
Lux looked out the window. His mind drifted to his parents. He knew they were in Wildfire City, on the front lines of the increasingly fierce war. Worry was always in his heart, even though he tried to focus on his training.