The duel began with blinding speed.One moment they stood five paces apart, evaluating each other. The next, Chen was a blur of motion, cherry blossoms swirling around his hands as he closed the distance with inhuman quickness.Fast. Faster than anyone I've fought before.Draven barely had time to react, the Flower Blade technique erupting around his hands as he twisted aside. Chen's attack missed by millimeters, the displaced air cool against Draven's cheek.No hesitation, no testing, no gradual escalation—Chen had started at full intensity. This wasn't a duel for him; it was extermination.The watching crowd murmured appreciatively at the display of speed. In the spectator area, Isabella leaned forward, her expression tense but focused, silently willing Draven to remember what she'd taught him.First attack, overextended slightly. Just like she said.Draven countered, burning petals surrounding his fist as he struck at the momentary opening. But Chen recovered impossibly fast, his f

The Patriarch's private chamber was centuries of accumulation—scrolls, artifacts, and weapons from across the ages lined the walls, each with its own story of conquest or sacrifice.At the center stood a large circular table, upon which rested an intricate model of a battlefield. Tiny figures were positioned in mid-combat, frozen in a moment of desperate struggle. Cherry trees dotted the miniature landscape, some in bloom, others withered or broken."The Battle of Sakura Valley," the Patriarch said, gesturing to the model. "The greatest conflict in our clan's history."And in War God Tianlong's. Not that I can say that.Draven studied the model carefully, recognizing landmarks from Tianlong's memories—the ridge where the first celestial beings had breached into the mortal world, the stream that had run red with blood, the central clearing where the final confrontation had taken place.Chen stood at his grandfather's side, eyes moving between the model and Draven, clearly noting his in

Draven's heart pounded in his ears as he raced across the academy grounds, Isabella keeping pace beside him. The pendant burned hot against his chest, almost seeming to pulse with its own urgency."There!" he shouted, pointing ahead to where flashes of magic lit up the sky beyond the training fields. "Shadow Moon Sect, just like we feared!"Isabella nodded grimly, her hand already resting on the hilt of her blade. "We need to hurry. Your friends might be in danger."They sprinted faster, Draven's newly evolved Flower Blade technique already gathering around his fingertips, ready to burst forth at his command. After everything they'd experienced with the Plum Flower Clan, after all the revelations about his pendant and the shared history of their techniques, this was the moment when it would truly matter.If they've hurt Jin or the others, I'll make them regret it.As they crested the final hill overlooking the training grounds, Draven skidded to a halt so suddenly that Isabella nearly