The climb back felt shorter, each step lighter with new power coursing through their veins. Wei Chen's golden sun brand glowed warm and steady, no longer a mark of danger but a badge of mastery. Lin Xue walked with effortless grace, her frost qi pure and sharp, cutting gentle spirals in the warming air. Su Mei's steps held a new edge, her demonic essence burning brighter, refined by the ancient flame they had claimed.
They reached the coffin chamber as the first crack echoed—like thunder trapped in stone.
The obsidian surface bulged outward, wards from every faction straining and snapping one by one. Gold-black mist poured thick, forming a towering shape—tall, elongated, with too many joints and eyes that burned cold hunger. The Frost-Eater had waited, gathered every drop of lingering doubt and chaos, and now raged to break free before the balance sealed forever.
Wei Chen… its voice boomed, shaking dust from the ceiling. The sun is mine… your name… give it…
The pull hit hardest—brand flaring in challenge, overload stirring like a storm held barely in check. Wei Chen staggered, knees buckling as invisible threads tried to drag his voice from his throat.
Lin Xue caught him first, arms around his waist, cool frost flowing steady into his meridians. "Stay with us. Anchor here."
Su Mei pressed to his back, hands on his shoulders, crimson warmth joining the frost. "We're your balance. Not that thing."
Their triangle formed instantly—hands linking, bodies close. Shared flame ignited fierce and bright, golden core blazing against the cold assault. The pull weakened, threads snapping like ice under summer sun.
The entity roared, mist lashing out in whips of frozen shadow. One struck near Lin Xue, frost creeping up her arm in angry veins. She gasped, but pushed back with pure frost qi—now edged in gold, shattering the attack.
"It's desperate," Wei Chen growled, standing tall again. "We end this now."
They advanced as one. Wei Chen's fan snapped open, Nine-Suns fire surging in waves hotter and more controlled than ever. Lin Xue's frost wove through it, turning flames into razor-sharp ice-fire that cut mist apart. Su Mei's chains lashed forward, crimson corrosion eating through shadow whips, binding the emerging limbs.
The Frost-Eater thrashed, form solidifying—pale hands clawing, mouths opening in the mist to scream stolen voices. It mimicked Lin Xue's cool tone, then Su Mei's laugh, then Wei Chen's own roguish grin.
You need them to survive… without me, the overload returns…
Wei Chen felt the lie tug, but the bond held stronger. He pulled Lin Xue closer mid-battle, kissing her fiercely—heat meeting cool in a surge that exploded outward, burning a path clear. She returned it with desperate strength, frost qi flaring brighter.
Su Mei grabbed his robes next, turning him for her own kiss—wild and claiming, demonic fire igniting the shared flame higher. "Not losing you, dragon."
The kisses fueled them. Essence cycled fast and deep—Yang pouring endless, met perfectly by Yin and demonic refinement. Their triangle glowed like a living sun, pushing the entity back step by step.
Wei Chen slammed his palm against the bulging coffin. "You're done."
Combined power poured in—golden sun at the center, frost sealing edges, corrosion burning impurities away. The entity shrieked, form crumbling, mist retreating into shrinking cracks.
No… the name… Wei Chen…
He leaned in, voice steady. "My name belongs to them. To us."
The final surge hit. Shared flame sank deep, rooting in the obsidian heart. Cracks sealed with grinding finality—gold overtaking black, warmth flooding cold.
The chamber fell silent. The coffin stood smooth and warm to the touch, ancient wards now reinforced by true balance.
The Frost-Eater's voice came one last time—faint, broken.
Balance… claimed…
Then nothing.
Wei Chen exhaled, pulling Lin Xue and Su Mei into a tight embrace. They held him close, breaths mingling, shared flame settling warm and eternal.
"It's over," Lin Xue whispered, smiling against his shoulder.
Su Mei laughed softly. "Finally. Now what, dragon?"
Wei Chen kissed them both—slow, grateful. "Now we live. And grow stronger."
But as they turned to leave the ruin, a distant qi stirred outside—imperial banners on the horizon, a princess's carriage approaching. And farther, primal roars from beast tribes.
New paths called.
The Yang Dragon's fire had only begun to burn.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2026
All rights reserved.