It was the last day I remember what being human felt like. My sixteenth birthday ceremony— the day of my awakening. Born with the Primordial marrow humming inside me, I was seen as the Destiny of the Great Yan Empire. “Chen, it’s time,” Mei Ling, my little sister, whispered with a smile as she stepped into my room. Fifteen years of preparation led to this day. Dressed in the royal regalia that sat perfectly on me, I felt the Long clan’s weight settled on my shoulders. I stepped out of my chambers into the processionway—my steps heavy and dignified. When I entered the Ancestral hall, all heads turned in my direction, and silence swept through the room, as if I was part of the heavenly beings. Across the hall was my father, the emperor, swelled with pride, sitting imperially on his throne. At the blare of the trumpet, all but my father rose as I entered the hall. I seated myself beside him on the high dias and only then did the coalition of seven— leaders of the Empire’s

The new capital of the Yan Empire breathed with golden light. Red lanterns hung on gates and streets, while the sound of drums and flutes filled the air. The Great Martial Arena roared with celebration. Banners of the Yan Empire fluttered proudly in the wind — crimson and gold washed over the flagpoles.Though the streets lay empty, the roar of celebration thundered from the Arena. By the time I reached the gate, it was already sealed. Four guards stood watch outside, alert with piercing eyes. "The spear is the soul of the Empire!" the Grand Herald shouted. "Whoever can shift it three inches shall be named a General of the First Rank!" His voice carried across the capital. Even from outside the gate, I knew what was happening. It was the Great Martial Trial, a celebration to signify ten years under the reign of a new Emperor, but this time, it was meant to ridicule my clan. I took one look at my reflection in the water pool near the gate — a plain charcoal cloak of low-grade fabr

Within my sealed cave, the news reached me. Wei Jue was raising an army to subdue me. Young cultivators meant to prevent his downfall. That alone was enough to stir my interest. When I sensed his intent, I stepped out of the shadows to see how strong Yan’s prodigies are — and whether any of them are worth sparing. The invitation was more than a bait. It was a chance to confirm my suspicion. The Dragon-slaying spear should have been dead. With no Long clan energy to sustain it, it should have been nothing more than a rusted shaft. Yet, that morning, it glowed with life. There were only two explanations and both led back to Wei Jue. It's either he had cultivated the powers of the heavens strong enough to fill the spear with spiritual energy — or, he had done the one thing no mortal would ever imagine. The capital of Yan was suffocating. Not from the heat, but from the sheer weight of ambitious cultivators, desperate to win the imperial’s favor. Wei Jue’s decree had turne

I had always followed Master Mo’s most important rule — revenge can be fueled by anger, but it must never be served with it.Yet that night, I let my anger take the lead. Mei Ling…. She was alive. But Wei Jue had imprisoned her in the water prison reserved for rebels. That knowledge ignited the anger I had been suppressing for years.That night I stopped restraining myself entirely. I tore off the mask hiding my true self. The transformation from the bumbling "Xiao Feng" to Chen, the last scion of the Long Clan was quicker than shedding skin. As I discarded the final restraint, my powers surged and everything around me responded. Azure Lake, calm moments before, began to ripple outward from the tower’s base. Veins of blue light crawled beneath the water at the tower base, and the air thickened. Torches along the walkway flickered and several extinguishedStill cloaked in darkness, I stepped forward compressing the air around meThe effect was rapid.The guards at the main arch

Dawn broke over the capital like nothing had happened.That was the strangest part.I expected the city to be locked down —proclamations, arrests, and cultivators swarming the streets under imperial command, clan leaders assembling at the imperial palace. But none happened— and that piqued my curiosity. Wei Jue was never rash, but this quiet…. It was unsettling. It was as if he had anticipated the night’s event.Even after the final trial for the emperor guards selection, everyone seemed to have forgotten that Xiao Feng was part of it. It was as if I was erased from their memory, or— The moment the mask fell off that night, everything about Xiao Feng fell with it. I left the imperial palace blending with dictators that had come to watch the trial. The guards at the capital gate barely looked at me.Nobody spoke about the prince’s absence till noon — when the official story spread—The crown prince has fallen ill from a cultivation backlash. That was it. I wasn’t the only one w