I. The Weight of Victory
The roar of the coliseum had left a resonance that did not dissipate with the wind. When the arena finally returned to silence, the twenty chosen ones lined up before the altar of the Star Tree, where frost still shimmered amidst the crimson roots. The scars of combat—both physical and spiritual—hung in the air like silent promises.
Samael descended from the tower with a steady stride, the faint crown of the void floating above his head. On either side, the elders and the honor guard carried banners and sealed chests, symbols of the Morningstar heritage. The foreign spectators had already departed, but the soft winds still carried the echoes of their admiration and fear.
—"Today, we do not only honor strength," Samael said, his grave voice amplified by Qi, reaching every corner of the citadel. "We honor the bond that unites us and the promise to pass down what we have learned. Every victory, every wound, and every fall shall be the seed of our next era."
Lilith stood beside the Tree, her Ash Phoenix aura radiating warmth and resolve. Eris and Violeta, standing together in the front line, exchanged a glance: they knew the true challenge was what came after the glory.
II. Proclamation of Ranks and the System's Miracle
The Clan Herald stepped forward with a scroll made of dragon skin. The award ceremony would not just grant objects, but Status.
—"Let the world recognize the Pillars of the Empire!" the Herald announced. "Sequences 1 through 10, step forward!"
One by one, they were called. As their names and publicly exposed Cultivation Realms were announced, the air vibrated with respect.
Kael (Crimson Edge) – Origin Realm, Stage 7. He received an ancient sword manual. Samael nodded: —"Your progress is the spear of the clan. Do not stop until you pierce the heavens."
Violeta (Void Winter) – Origin Realm, Stage 7. Her frozen aura distorted space. —"Guardian of distance. Your ice shall be the wall that none can cross."
Eris (Flame of Ruin) – Origin Realm, Stage 6.
Cedric (Heart of Steel) – Origin Realm, Stage 6.
The Fallen (Storm Shadow) – Origin Realm, Stage 6. Samael handed them elemental beast cores. —"You are the fire, the shield, and the shadow. Your balance sustains the empire."
Xylia (Imperial Thunder) – Origin Realm, Stage 5. —"May your lightning guide the army's morale."
Then, the tone shifted for the new prodigies breaking barriers:
Lyra (Rebirth Mist) – Transcendence Realm, Stage 9. Lyra stepped forward, her cultivation on the verge of a breakthrough. Samael handed her a tome of illusions. —"You are one step from the Origin. Let this mist hide your progress until it is unstoppable."
Aylin (Root Spear) – Transcendence Realm, Stage 9. She was invested with the "Celestial Root Spear" and a storm pearl. —"Perseverance and flexibility forge the true Morningstar spirit. Break your bottleneck; the Origin Realm awaits."
Rowan and Draven – Transcendence Realm, Stage 8. Rowan accepted a wind dagger of eternal edge. —"May your speed always be your truth, not your evasion."
III. Guardians of the Future (Sequences 11–20)
The Herald continued, calling the second line of defense. Though their realms were lower, their eyes burned with the same intensity.
—"Sequences 11 to 20! The base of the mountain!"
Tamsin (Forest Shadow) – Transcendence Realm, Stage 8. Received an ancestral wood reliquary with purifying essences. —"Let the shadow you carry be a shield, not a condemnation," Samael told her.
Elowen (Living Root) – Transcendence Realm, Stage 7. Received golden lotus seeds and a lost alchemy manual. —"Make hope bloom where others see ruin. Your alchemy will save more lives than my sword can protect."
Torian, Sela, Lys, Maren, Elian, Joren, Bren, and Lirael (Transcendence Realm, Stages 5 to 7). They received armor, breakthrough pills, and runic weapons.
With every gift, the System whispered in Samael's mind:
[Resource Donated: Earth-rank technique, talisman, artifact...]
[Investment Recorded. Calculating return...]
[Critical Hit! 10x Reimbursement: Heaven-rank Tome and Divine Evolution Pill added to the treasury.]
Samael kept an expressionless face, hoarding these secret treasures for the future crisis.
IV. Mentorship Scenes – The Bridge Between Realms
The ceremony gave way to instruction. The Origin Realm experts took those of the Transcendence Realm under their wing, guiding them to cross the abyss of power.
Beneath the Tree (Ice and Roots): Violeta (Origin 7) approached Aylin (Transcendence 9), Rowan, and Draven. The difference in spiritual pressure was palpable. —"Techniques are not just power," Violeta explained, creating a snowflake that did not melt, "they are a bridge to survival. You are at the peak of Transcendence; the next step requires breaking your own logic." Aylin, still trembling with emotion, whispered: —"What if I fail to break the wall of the Origin Realm?" Violeta took her hand, cold but firm: —"If you fall, it will be my spear, not yours, that lifts you up. No one carries the weight alone."
The Forge Pavilion (Steel and Thunder): Cedric (Origin 6) gathered Torian (Transcendence 7), Maren, and Elian. —"The clan has survived by the wisdom of those who forge, not just those who fight. Today I give you the design for the 'Seven Hands Formation,' capable of multiplying the clan's defense in times of siege." Torian bowed his head, moved: —"My entire life will be insufficient to repay this trust." Cedric smiled, patting his back: —"The payment is in the future. Every disciple you teach, every shield you raise, will be the true inheritance."
At the Riverbank (Mist and Memory): Lyra (Transcendence 9) led Lys and Elowen to the river. Though Lyra was not yet Origin Realm, her understanding of the Dao was profound. —"Memory is water. Neither violence nor glory lasts—only what we are capable of remembering and healing." She taught the "Veil of the Forgotten Dawn," a vital mental technique to resist inner demons during cultivation. Lys, touching the water, asked softly: —"What if the world forgets small kindnesses?" Lyra embraced her: —"Let the world forget, but you never shall. That is enough to resist the darkness."
V. Mentorship Duels and Blitz Challenges
To solidify the teachings, Samael organized controlled duels. They were not looking for a winner, but teaching how a lower realm can survive against a superior one using ingenuity.
Sela vs. Tamsin: Ancestral shadow vs. nascent shadow. The duel was silent, almost invisible. Sela eventually yielded, recognizing that Tamsin had overcome her trauma.
Maren vs. Xylia: A clash of lightning. Xylia (Origin 5) reduced her power to teach Maren (Transcendence 6) how to synchronize thunder as a team.
Draven vs. Aylin: A "race of roots and ice" where they had to save a mannequin from illusory beasts. The challenge measured cooperation over brute force.
Each combat left lessons, minor wounds, and unexpected laughter. The clan learned that rivalry is not enmity, but the fire in which steel is tempered.
VI. The Oath of the Aurora
At nightfall, the twenty gathered beneath the Star Tree. Lilith lit the Phoenix flame, illuminating the faces of veterans and novices alike.
The elders pronounced the oath: —"By blood, frost, ruin, wind, and root. We seal today the promise to protect the Morningstar lineage, to leave no brother behind, and to always seek rebirth after the fall."
Every one of them, from the powerful Kael to the young Lirael, made a cut on their palm and let a drop of blood fall upon the crimson roots. The Tree glowed, absorbing the essence of the Origin and Transcendence Realms alike, unifying them into a single will.
In that instant, Samael felt the pulse of the System:
[The clan has reached a new destiny milestone. Activating Lineage Luck bonus.]
[Prodigies, fortunes, and new inheritances will bloom in the months to come.]**
VII. Epilogue – Preparation and Hope
As the night lights fell over the citadel, Samael watched his family and disciples from the terrace. He knew the true threats—the Ancient Saints, the Northern Abyss—had not yet fully revealed themselves. But the alliances forged today would be the key to survival.
In the tower, Samael finally allowed himself a moment of rest, watching Celeste asleep in Seraphina's arms. The girl, with her black destiny and closed eyes, seemed to dream of distant stars.
—"Do you think they will be ready for what's coming?" he whispered, feeling the weight of the invisible crown.
Seraphina, stroking her daughter's head and looking down where the twenty sequences were still celebrating, replied with a soft but fierce smile:
—"They will be… because this time, they will fight together."
And so, beneath the silent aurora and the promise of a future, the Morningstar clan closed the chapter of its tournament and prepared to write the legend of its empire.
[End of Chapter 66]