The only way for Lucien to evolve, the only way for him to reach Stage 2 and unlock the power he needed to crush his father’s entire empire, was to absorb the Heavenly Frost Core.But that core belonged to Seraphina. It was not just a pretty rock. It was the power source of her sword. It was the only reason she was strong enough to protect her young, terrified students. It was the sacred treasure of the Cloud-Soaring Sect.If Lucien took it, he would be stealing their greatest weapon right before a massive war.I could just take it from her, a dark, whispery voice echoed in the back of his mind. You are stronger than her. You caught her sword in the training yard. You can knock her out, take the core, evolve, and then kill Julian’s army yourself. It is the smartest tactical move.Lucien closed his eyes tightly. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white."No," Lucien whispered out loud into the quiet library.He opened his eyes. The purple fire burned fiercely."If I steal

Deep inside the Cloud-Soaring Sect, the Restricted Ancestral Library stood like a giant, sleeping giant. It was a massive, five-story pagoda built directly into the hollowed-out stone of the mountain. There were no windows on the lower floors. The heavy iron doors were locked tight.Inside the library, the air was dry and smelled of ancient dust. A single, pale beam of moonlight shined down from a small window at the very top of the tall ceiling.In the center of the first floor, sitting at a long wooden table, was Lucien.He was leaning over a very old, fragile bamboo scroll. He rested his chin on his hand. He looked completely absorbed in his reading. His dark eyes moved slowly back and forth across the ancient words. He looked like a tired scholar trying to stay awake in the middle of the night.But outside the heavy iron doors, a killer was waiting in the dark.The shadow-assassin stood perfectly still. He was completely wrapped in dirty grey bandages, from his feet all the way up

The magical fire burned the assassin’s soul from the inside out. There were no real flames, just intense, magical heat.Within five seconds, the thrashing stopped. The assassin’s body simply collapsed into a pile of fine, black, smoking ash. His clothes, his weapons, and his bandages all burned away into nothing.The only thing left on the stone floor was a dark scorch mark.Lucien slowly stood up. He brushed a little bit of ash off his knee.He looked down at the empty floor. His mind was racing.The core struggle of his mission on the surface world became incredibly clear.He had come to the Cloud-Soaring Sect to stop his cousin, Lord Julian. He wanted to save the sect to build his own army against the Empire.But as he looked at the ashes of the assassin, Lucien realized a terrible truth.The Cloud-Soaring Sect was incredibly, hopelessly fragile.It was rotten from the inside out. The Sect Master was dying from a ten-year poison. The Outer Court Elder had tried to destroy their mag

Lucien moved like water flowing around rocks. He did not block her sword. He knew the ice blade would cut his wooden branch in half. Instead, he constantly moved into the tiny, invisible empty spaces around her strikes.She slashed high; he ducked smoothly.She slashed low; he lifted one foot effortlessly.And every single time she missed, Lucien punished her.Tap. The wooden branch poked the back of her knee. Seraphina stumbled forward, losing her balance.Smack. The branch hit her left shoulder, interrupting her spin.Thwack. The branch lightly tapped the side of her neck. If it had been a real sword, she would be dead."Stop dancing!" Seraphina screamed in pure frustration. "Fight me!"She poured all of her magical power into her sword. The blade glowed with blinding blue light. The entire courtyard turned freezing cold. The water in the small pond froze solid instantly."Winter's Judgment!" Seraphina yelled.She swung her sword in a massive, overwhelming downward strike. A huge wa

Weeks ago, Seraphina and Lucien had rushed to the front of the sect just in time to stop First Elder Shen. They had locked the massive wooden doors before Julian’s golden army could march inside.But they could not kill First Elder Shen right away. Shen was a very smart, very careful traitor. He had hundreds of loyal guards in the Inner Court who thought he was a kind, sweet grandfather. If Seraphina killed him without absolute, undeniable proof that everyone could see, the Cloud-Soaring Sect would tear itself apart in a bloody civil war.So, an ugly, terrible stalemate began.The heavy gates were locked tight. At the bottom of the mountain valley, three thousand golden knights set up their tents. Lord Julian decided to wait. He completely surrounded the mountain. No food could go in. No people could go out.Inside the sect, the days slowly turned into weeks. The air was thick with fear and tension.For Lucien, the passing weeks became a strict, careful routine.During the day, he pl