Dante stared at the Black Sun resting in Jayden’s hand, and for the first time since stepping into the arena, the calm on his face slipped. A thin layer of sweat formed across his brow as he understood exactly how bad the situation had become. The sword had rejected him in front of everyone, shattered his attack and flown straight into Jayden’s hand like it had only been waiting for its rightful owner to return. If the crowd began connecting that to Jayden’s accusations about the past, questions would follow, and those questions were the last thing Dante needed.But panic would only make things worse, so he swallowed it down, straightened his robes and slowly withdrew the magic around him. “Enough.”The sudden change confused the crowd. A moment ago, Dante had been preparing to kill Jayden with the Black Sun, yet now he stood there looking almost composed again. Even Asher, still badly injured near the edge of the arena, turned toward his father in disbelief.Dante forced a faint sm

The moment the word left Jayden’s mouth, the pressure around him changed and golden force crashed through the courtyard.The Voss guards were the first to buckle. Several tried to drive their weapons into the ground to support themselves, while Ronan forced magic through his legs and gritted his teeth, refusing to bend. Sera screamed at everyone to stand their ground, but her own knees were already shaking.Then the pressure increased and weapons clattered across the stone.One after another, the guards dropped to their knees. Ronan followed with a furious grunt, both palms hitting the ground as the force crushed what remained of his resistance. Sera fell beside him, while the elders of House Voss were forced down almost at the same time.Even Mira’s parents could not remain standing.Only the head of House Voss was spared from the pressure The old man looked around at his family kneeling before one person, then back at Jayden. Sweat slowly appeared along his forehead.Jayden walked

The dragon descended before a quiet mansion on the outskirtsJayden stepped down first, then helped Mira while carrying Nia in one arm. The little girl had been smiling throughout most of the journey, fascinated by the clouds and the fact that she had finally been reunited with both her parents, but the excitement had clearly drained what little strength she had left.The covenant dragon lowered its massive head before Jayden.Jayden gave it a slight nod. “Go.”The beast released a low rumble, spread its wings and rose into the sky before disappearing beyond the clouds.Nia watched it leave with sleepy eyes. “Daddy… can we ride it again?”“When you’re stronger.”She smiled weakly. “Promise?”“Promise.”That seemed enough for her.The three entered the mansion, and the moment the doors closed behind them, Nia’s body finally relaxed. There were no guards dragging her away, no Sera shouting, or anyone telling her to sweep or stay out of sight. For the first time in a long while, she did

By the time Jayden returned to the mansion, the sky outside had already begun to darken.He did not bother going upstairs first. Mira and Nia were still resting, and that was exactly what they needed, so he carried the massive Five-horned Buffalo straight into the kitchen and got to work.For someone who had spent years fighting at Grey Pass, learning cultivation techniques and surviving trials that would kill most men, cooking was surprisingly one of the easier things Jayden had learned. Lady Vara had always said that if a cultivator could control fire well enough to burn an enemy without destroying the ground beneath him, then he had no excuse for burning dinner.Still, this meal required more than ordinary cooking.The Five-horned Buffalo had reached the peak of Level Five, which meant its flesh contained a large amount of Neen... the natural power cultivated by humans and beasts alike. Humans gathered Neen through their cultivation paths, strengthening their bodies, cores and tech

Mira stared at the bowl in front of her for several seconds before finally lifting the spoon again. She was still hesitant after what had just happened, but she trusted Jayden enough to know he would never knowingly give her something that could hurt her. So she took another mouthful, waited, then another. This time, no violent Neen surged through her channels and no light appeared beneath her skin.Nia watched her closely from the other side of the table. “Mother, are you okay?”Mira nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m fine now. Go on and eat before yours gets cold.”Nia still looked uncertain, but after watching Mira take another spoonful without anything happening, she slowly returned to her own food. Within moments, she was eating happily again.Jayden, however, was no longer paying attention to Mira.His eyes had settled on Nia.The little girl had eaten even more of the buffalo meat than Mira, yet there had not been the slightest reaction from her body. No overflowing N