The rain fell sideways.
A fine mist, cold and unnatural, swirled through the ruined halls of the Ashglass Shrine. The storm hadn't been summoned—it had simply arrived, like a whisper slipping through a crack in the world.
Long Yan stood alone on the upper platform of the Beacon Spire, cloak whipping behind him as he stared into the horizon. The sky was bruised purple, clouds shaped like scales gliding silently overhead.
He could feel it.
The serpent had arrived.
[System Notification: Sovereign-Class Entity Approaching]
Affiliation: Celestial White Serpent Sect
Threat Estimate: Gold Core – High Combat Variant
Intent: Diplomatic | Veiled Hostility (Probability: 78%)
Long Yan didn't move.
Not yet.
Below, the Ashglass totem pulsed slowly. Luo Yanling stood guard at its base, blade sheathed but aura taut like a drawn bowstring. Beside her, Tao peeked from behind a newly constructed rune arch, clutching his jade tablet like it was a shield.
A sound rose in the distance—a flute, soft and slow.
Then a shadow descended through the clouds.
A palanquin—white, made of serpent bone and drifting without wings or chains—glided down like a ghost ship toward the shrine.
Inside it sat a woman, serene and smiling.
Jiang Yueyin.
Her beauty was of the kind that demanded danger. Skin pale as snow, hair like flowing ink, and eyes the color of drowning pearls. She stepped from the palanquin barefoot, toes pressing into scorched stone without a flinch.
Four silent attendants followed, each cloaked in white silk, faces veiled, but with killing intent so sharp it left the air vibrating.
Jiang Yueyin bowed low before the Ashglass Totem.
"Blessed greetings, Sovereign of Fire and Ash," she said, voice smooth as water sliding over a blade. "Your flame has reached far. We come in respect… and curiosity."
Long Yan descended slowly, his aura muted but present. The ground beneath his feet darkened with every step, ash curling upward like tendrils of recognition.
"You bring curiosity," he said. "And threats."
She smiled wider. "Perception is a tricky beast, my lord. I bring an invitation."
She held out a scroll.
[Diplomatic Offering: Serpent's Bloom Accord]
Terms: Access to Serpent Trading Route | Shared Domain Border Defense | Training Exchange Clause
Hidden Clause Detected: Subordinate Sovereign Binding Oath (Masqueraded as Honor Exchange)
Long Yan's hand hovered over the scroll—but did not take it.
"You wrap chains in silk."
"And you breathe fire through smiles," she replied gently.
They stood in silence for a long moment.
Then she leaned in, voice barely audible.
"You are new to this world of Sovereigns, little ember. Let me give you a lesson."
A faint pressure rolled off her—like a coil tightening.
"You burn bright now. But stars are born to die. We are not here to destroy you. We are here to remind you: Even dragons can be eaten by serpents, if they sleep too long."
Behind her, one of her attendants shifted slightly—too quickly.
Luo Yanling moved instantly.
[Skill: Flame-Step Slash – Level 3 Activated]
In a blink, she appeared between the figures.
Her blade met the attacker's hand mid-motion—a hand that held a thin, curved needle laced with spiritual toxin.
The clash sent sparks in all directions.
The white-cloaked assassin stumbled back, hand severed. He didn't scream.
Instead, he exploded—a burst of toxic fog erupting from his core.
Long Yan's eyes flashed.
[Skill: Sovereign Flame Surge – Activated]
He raised his hand and clenched it.
Flames roared outward in a spiral, burning the fog to nothing, searing the stone and melting the shadows.
When the smoke cleared, the palanquin was gone. Only Jiang Yueyin remained—untouched, still smiling.
"Consider that… a misunderstanding," she said calmly.
Long Yan stepped forward until they stood only a meter apart.
"I will give you one gift in return," he said.
She tilted her head. "How generous."
He raised his hand—not in attack, but command.
[System Command: Domain Seal – Enforced Clause: Sovereign Isolation]
Effect: Eject Invited Guests Beyond Domain Boundary
Reputation Effect: Public Declaration of Sovereignty
A wave of ash burst outward from the totem. Jiang Yueyin blinked once—then vanished in a swirl of white mist, along with the remaining attendants.
Only her laugh lingered, echoing across the sky.
They stood in silence for a long time.
Luo Yanling exhaled slowly. "You just rejected one of the five middle sects."
"She tried to leash me," Long Yan replied. "I don't wear collars."
"Even dragon-sized ones?"
"Especially those."
Tao emerged slowly, wide-eyed.
"She'll retaliate," he said. "Maybe not immediately. But the Celestial White Serpent Sect doesn't accept insult lightly."
Long Yan turned toward him.
"Then they'll learn the taste of fire."
That night, beneath the watchful glow of the Ashglass Beacon, Long Yan sat before the totem, the half-mask of the Echo resting beside him.
The wind stirred.
Not real wind. Not physical.
A whisper.
"You begin to remember."
Long Yan opened his eyes.
From the shadows of the flame, a shape flickered—just for a moment.
A massive dragon, coiled in chains of light, its eyes blind but burning.
"The Sovereign Path is not a road. It is a furnace. It remakes or destroys."
The vision vanished.
[System Update: Sovereign Path Fragment – 1/7 Recovered]
Next Fragment Lies Beyond the Rift of Sundered Echoes
Estimated Distance: Three Days East
Side Alert: You are now marked by the Celestial White Serpent Sect – Status: Watched
The next morning, he gathered his companions.
"We move in three days."
"To where?" Luo Yanling asked.
"To the Rift. I saw a piece of it last night."
Tao looked panicked. "That place is cursed."
Long Yan nodded. "Exactly. And what's cursed in this world is usually buried truth."
He turned away, letting his voice echo behind him like fire licking dry timber.
"Let them watch. Let them fear. The real hunt begins now."