THE WOUNDS THAT REFUSED TO DIEThe night settled over the Northern Border like a heavy cloak, thick with smoke, blood, and the stale breath of dying fires. Su Yu stood at the center of what remained of the outer defense ring, his boots planted amid shattered stone and broken weapons. The wind dragged ash across the ground in swirling patterns, carving ghostly trails around the lone, unmoving figure of the general.Every soldier’s gaze darted to him, searching his expression for something clarity, safety, hope but Su Yu’s face was set like iron. What he saw before him was not victory. It was a warning carved into the earth.They had won the battle, yes. But barely.And the enemy had not even used their full strength.General Wu Sheng’s ambush had been sharper than predicted clean, calculated, and cruel. They had aimed not at formations or command lines but at hearts. They wanted Su Yu to understand something: they could reach him if they wanted to. Even the Crown’s awakening did not hi

SHADOWS OF THE CROWNThe valley was silent, but the silence was heavier than any battlefield. Su Yu’s horse snorted nervously, ears twitching as the fog curled around them like a living wall. Every soldier behind him shifted on their mounts, gripping their weapons tighter, eyes darting through the mist, searching for movement, for betrayal, for a strike that could come from anywhere. The faint hum of the Crown fragment in Su Yu’s chest throbbed in time with his heartbeat, each pulse a warning, a summons, and a challenge all at once.Su Xiang stood just yards ahead, still cloaked, sword glinting faintly through the mist. The brotherly bond that had once been effortless and natural was now a complex knot of suspicion, fear, and restrained fury. Su Yu’s gaze never wavered, even as memories of their childhood, the training yard, the laughter, and the shared victories played behind his eyes like flickering shadows. Those memories were weapons now reminders of trust and betrayal intertwine

THE SHADOW THAT CALLS ITSELF KING The wind over the Silent Plains had not yet settled from Su Yu’s trial when a new pulse of unnatural energy rippled through the air. It came from the east slow, steady, deliberate like the heartbeat of something ancient forcing itself awake after centuries of slumber. Su Yu felt it before the others did. The ground beneath his boots thrummed with a warning so deep it hummed through his bones. His soldiers stiffened. Horses neighed anxiously. Even the clouds above, drifting lazily moments ago, churned into a heavy, dark spiral. Su Xiang stepped beside him, lifting his chin toward the horizon. “He knows,” he said quietly. “Who?” Captain Ren whispered behind them. Su Yu didn’t look away from the gathering storm in the distance. “The one the reflection spoke of. The one who forged the Crown’s path.” A sharp lance of lightning tore through the sky, striking the far ridge. The blast echoed like a drum of war. A murmur rose from the soldiers. “Is that

THE CRIMSON TREACHERYThe Hall of Origin had shifted again. Shadows coiled around the ancient pillars, slithering like serpents that had learned the taste of human blood. The air was thick with the scent of ozone, scorched stone, and a faint metallic tang that made Su Yu’s stomach turn. His chest still burned from the surge of energy during the second awakening, but the pain was not his greatest concern. The greatest threat now came from the presence that King Zhen had summoned.Su Yu’s eyes darted across the chamber. Linxue clung to his arm, her breaths shallow, her gaze scanning every corner as if expecting the floor itself to betray them. Su Xiang stood firm, sword leveled, but even he felt the unnatural tension pressing down like a vise.Zhen moved with deliberate calm toward the throne at the far end of the hall, shadows folding around him like a cloak that seemed to devour light. “You are strong,” he said, voice echoing unnaturally in the cavernous space. “But power without un

THE WHISPERING BETRAYALThe Silent Plains beyond the Hall of Origin were no longer silent. The wind carried whispers, each syllable sharp, laced with venom and subtle malice. Su Yu, Linxue, Su Xiang, and Ren stood at the edge of the shattered courtyard, their eyes scanning the horizon. Shadows from the shattered mirrors still clung to the edges of the land, remnants of the Crown’s violent testing.Su Yu’s chest burned from the second and third awakenings, but his resolve did not waver. Every scar, every memory of Lanyin, every blade that had cut into him had led to this moment. Yet, the weight of what Zhen had promised lingered one life demanded by the Crown. One life that he could not, would not, choose lightly.“Yu…” Linxue’s voice was low, cautious. “Are you sure we can trust what we just saw? Zhen’s power… it’s not just about force. It’s about warping perception, turning loyalty into doubt.”“I know,” Su Yu replied, voice grim, scanning the terrain. “That’s why we move forward ca