The Emperor labeled him a "Null-Vein." He told the world the boy was a useless mistake. And then, he banished a sixteen-year-old boy into the deadliest, most horrifying monster-filled graveyard in the world, expecting him to die in ten minutes. It was a targeted, political assassination. And it did not stop with Lucien. Lucien turned his head and looked at Seraphina, who was still kneeling on the floor, listening in absolute shock. "They poisoned your Sect Master ten years ago," Lucien whispered to her, his voice shaking with a terrible, dark anger. "Ten years ago... is the exact same time they threw me into the Ossuary."Seraphina gasped loudly. She covered her mouth with her hand. It was all connected. It was one massive, evil, perfectly timed conspiracy. The Emperor wanted to completely erase the Cloud-Soaring legacy from the face of the earth. In the exact same month, he threw the last pure-blooded heir (Lucien) into a dark hole to die, and he ordered First Elder Shen to star

Inside the cave sat the sect’s only flying ship. It was called the Sky-Cutter. But right now, it looked like a flying piece of garbage. The ship was huge, shaped like a giant wooden boat with massive white sails. But the wood was rotting and grey. The white sails were full of holes. The magical engines that powered the ship were cracked and covered in dust. Because the First Elder had stolen the sect's money, the ship had not been repaired in a decade. "It is very ugly," little Lin whispered, looking at the broken ship. "It does not matter how it looks," Seraphina said. "It only matters if it flies."The disciples climbed aboard. They carried their simple bags and their cheap swords. They filled the wooden deck. Seraphina and Lucien walked to the back of the ship, where the main magical engine sat. It was a large bronze wheel covered in dead blue runes. "The engine needs raw mana to lift the ship," Seraphina explained. "But our spirit-vein is still healing from the poison. I do n

Lord Julian. He had told them exactly what to do when the Cloud-Soaring Sect arrived. Julian wanted them humiliated in front of the entire world. "Halt!" the Guard Captain shouted loudly. He raised his shiny silver spear. The three hundred disciples stopped walking. They huddled together behind Seraphina and Lucien. "I am Sect Master Seraphina of the Cloud-Soaring Peak," Seraphina announced clearly. "We are here to answer the Imperial Decree. We are here to enter the Grand Tournament."The Guard Captain laughed. It was a nasty, arrogant sound. He pulled a piece of white parchment from his belt and pretended to read it. "Cloud-Soaring Sect?" the Captain sneered, looking down his nose. "I am looking at the official entry list. I see the Silver Wolf Clan. I see the Iron-Fist Sect. But I do not see a group of dirty, smelly beggars on this list.""You are holding the Imperial Decree in your hand," Seraphina said coldly. "Open the gate.""Ah, wait," the Captain smiled an evil smile. "I

The Imperial Capital was a city with two completely different faces. At the very center of the city, sitting on a high green hill, was the Golden Palace. It was perfectly clean. The streets were paved with smooth white marble. The air smelled of expensive flowers and sweet perfume. Beautiful people wore silk clothes and drank clean water from silver fountains. But as you walked away from the golden center, the city became dark. Near the outer walls of the capital, there was a place called the Lower Ring. It was a massive, sprawling slum. The streets were narrow, crooked, and made of sticky brown mud. The buildings were leaning sideways, made of cheap, rotting wood. The air smelled terrible. It smelled like garbage, stale wine, and unwashed bodies. Sick dogs barked in the dark alleys. Walking down the muddy street of the Lower Ring was a tournament official. He wore a clean, bright red coat. He covered his nose with a white cloth because he hated the smell of the slums. Walking ri

Suddenly, a voice spoke from the pitch-black roof above him. "Excuse me," the voice whispered. The leader froze. He slowly looked up. Sitting on the edge of the broken roof, dangling his legs casually over the side, was Lucien. He wore his dirty brown cloak. His face was hidden in the dark. "You guys are stepping in the mud," Lucien said lazily. "We spent an hour cleaning that mud today. It is very rude."The leader sneered. He pointed his curved knife up at the roof. "Shut your mouth, beggar. Come down here so I can cut your tongue out."Lucien did not move. He sighed softly. "I am not going to fight you," Lucien said. "I am officially off the clock."Lucien turned his head slightly to the left. "Kai," Lucien called out into the dark. "Are you awake?"From the pitch-black shadows of the courtyard, another voice answered. "Yes, Instructor Mo Yan," Kai said. "Do you want to handle this?" Lucien asked lazily. "Yes, Instructor," Kai replied. "May we warm up?""You may," Lucien sa