The hall still rang with the clash of steel and the roar of unleashed qi when the Azure King and the Academy Master stood shoulder to shoulder.
Gasps spread among soldiers and generals alike. The King's golden aura flared, sweeping back the shadows that clung to the walls. The Academy Master's presence was calmer, a pressure that felt like the weight of mountains pressing down.
"Brother," the Academy Master said again, voice carrying across the throne room.
The King's eyes gleamed. "Junior brother. It has been too long."
The Shadow Clan Master's face twisted in rage. "You dare to reveal your blood ties now? You think this changes anything?!"
The King finally drew his weapon in full — a greatsword forged of radiant steel, humming with the power of a tiered martial intent.
"Change anything?" the King said, stepping forward. "No. It simply means your death will be quicker."
The Shadow Clan Master snarled, drawing his twin shadow blades. "We are both Tier Two cultivators, King of Azura. Don't think your bloodline intimidates me!"
The Academy Master chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Tier Two? Yes, perhaps. But you are only at the beginning of that path." His own sword materialized, gleaming with refined qi. "My brother stands at Tier Two Peak. I am Tier Two Middle. You were never our equal."
The Shadow Clan Master's face went pale for a single heartbeat. Then his killing intent spiked. "Then I will cut my way through you both!"
---
The Death of a Clan Master
The King moved first.
His blade flashed once — faster than the eye could follow — and the first strike carved through the Shadow Clan Master's guard, snapping one of his twin blades in half.
The second strike came before the first echo faded, severing the floor in a long gash as the Shadow Clan Master barely leapt back, cloak smoldering.
"You… you dare—" he began, but the third strike cut through his words, ripping open a gash across his chest and sending blood spraying across the marble.
By the time the fourth strike fell, the battle was over.
The Shadow Clan Master's body split cleanly, falling in two. The hall went silent except for the sound of his corpse hitting the floor.
The Azure King's aura settled, his sword vanishing in a shimmer of golden light. "You were never worthy of this throne room."
All across the chamber, Shadow Clan assassins faltered. The death of their master was a signal, their formation breaking.
But one figure still fought on.
---
Kael & Master Sylara vs. the Vice Master
The Vice Master of the Shadow Clan bared his teeth as the death cry echoed through the hall. "Damn you all! I will drown this place in darkness!"
Kael stood beside Master Sylara, blood still trickling down his chin from their earlier exchanges. His fists were glowing, his aura surging with power.
"Stay behind me, Kael," Sylara said evenly, her blade spinning into a defensive stance.
"No," Kael said, stepping forward. "This one is mine."
Sylara's lips twitched — not quite a smile, but almost. "Then match my pace."
The Vice Master roared and unleashed his ultimate move. His shadow energy condensed into a massive spear of black fire, its tip humming with destruction. He hurled it toward Kael, the air screaming as it tore through space.
Kael's aura flared, every fiber of his being screaming to move — but instead of dodging, he stepped into the attack. His fists moved in a flurry, aura-farming technique pulling power from the spear itself.
When his blow landed, the spear shattered like glass, the fragments exploding harmlessly into shadow mist.
Kael's heart hammered, his body shaking from the force of the impact. "That power…" he breathed. "Tier Three… I have to reach Tier Three if I want to survive opponents like you."
The Vice Master staggered, shocked. "You—shattered my ultimate—"
Sylara struck in that moment, her blade slicing in a clean arc. Kael followed with a final strike of his own, the combination breaking through the Vice Master's guard.
The Vice Master fell, clutching his chest, black qi spilling from the wound.
"No… not here… not like this…"
His body dissolved into shadow smoke, leaving nothing but silence behind.
---
Aftermath
The hall was littered with the fallen, but the Shadow Clan was broken. The remaining assassins scattered into the night, vanishing like smoke.
The Azure King surveyed the room, then sheathed his sword. "It is done."
Kael stood in the quiet that followed, breathing hard, the glow of his aura slowly fading.
Then his gaze turned to the Academy Master, who had just wiped blood from his blade.
"Academy Master," Kael said, his voice steady but laced with anger. "Why did you send me here, if you and the King are blood? You could have protected me from the start."
The Academy Master's expression softened. "Because you needed this, Kael. You needed to be tempered, to grow. If I had sheltered you beneath my wing, you would never have forged yourself into the man who stood here today."
Kael clenched his fists. He could not deny the truth — but the bitterness still burned.
Before he could speak again, Sylara's voice cut through.
"Kael."
He turned.
"Your technique," she said, her blade vanishing as she stepped closer. "You named it 'Aura Farming.' Why?"
Kael hesitated, then allowed a small, tired smile. "Because that's what it feels like. Every battle, every strike, every ounce of killing intent — I harvest it, I cultivate it, I make it my own. Like a farmer tending a field. I called it that so I would remember what I'm doing every time I fight: growing stronger."
Sylara's eyes softened slightly. "Then keep farming. One day, the harvest will be enough to reach the heavens."
Kael nodded once, silently vowing that day would come.