The echoes of the Qianyang Palace chamber had barely faded when unrest swept through the imperial court. The blood-stained seal of the Inverse Spirit Sect had fallen like a heavy stone into the already turbulent waters of Great Zhou's power struggle.
Over the capital, gray clouds hung low. Autumn rain drizzled endlessly, coating the blue stone streets in a slick sheen. People hurried along with lowered heads, while an oppressive tension seemed to weigh on the very air.
In the Hall of Radiant Purity, court had yet to begin, yet ministers had already gathered in clusters beneath the marble steps, whispering in low tones.
"His Majesty has named Li Tianyuan as the Overseer of National Fate…" one murmured, voice laced with irony. "Tell me, is he a savior of the realm—or its hidden doom?"
Another official sneered softly. "The remnants of the Inverse Spirit Sect dared leave their mark inside the Qianyang Chamber. Someone must be held accountable." His gaze drifted deliberately toward General Qin Yue.
Qin Yue's face remained unreadable, though his hand tightened subtly inside his sleeve. He could feel the invisible blades of accusation circling closer.
Suddenly, a eunuch's sharp voice cut through the murmurs: "—His Majesty arrives!"
The assembly fell silent. The emperor entered slowly, his face pale, fatigue shadowing his features. It was as though he had aged years overnight.
"Urgent dispatch from Youzhou," he began, his tone low yet edged with restrained fury. "The Inverse Spirit remnants have retreated, but the border lies in ruin. Countless civilians dead, our soldiers broken. Worse—reports claim the Sect has infiltrated the capital itself. Speak, my ministers—what is your counsel?"
The hall remained deathly still. Then, breaking the silence, a censor stepped forward, voice sharp as a blade.
"Your Majesty, the root of corruption lies not outside our walls—but within! The Inverse Spirit Sect's power has long entangled itself with the Cauldron Force. Li Tianyuan's identity is dubious—he wields that same power, yet no records exist of his lineage. What if he is one of the Sect's planted seeds? If we do not act swiftly, Great Zhou will meet its ruin from within!"
A wave of commotion rippled through the court.
"Indeed!" another official echoed. "The Cauldron Force binds the fate of the realm—how can we entrust it to a youth of unknown origin?"
Others remained silent, watching, calculating. To them, Li Tianyuan was no longer merely a man; he had become the fulcrum upon which the empire's balance of power would turn.
Qin Yue stepped forward abruptly, his voice like thunder. "Enough! Without Li Tianyuan, Youzhou's three thousand would have perished beneath the demon horde! He is a guardian of the nation, not its curse! Whoever dares slander him again—I'll draw my sword, even here in the throne hall!"
The censor's face paled, but he retorted coldly, "Will the general silence debate with steel? Madness!"
The emperor raised his hand, silencing them both. His eyes flickered—first toward Qin Yue, then toward Fu Yuan, lingering there for a moment longer than necessary. That brief glance spoke of suspicion… and perhaps, unease.
When court finally adjourned, the capital's air seemed even heavier. Rumors began to spread like wildfire through taverns and alleys:
"The National Cauldron's master will soon be replaced…""Li Tianyuan is nothing more than a pawn—one the emperor will discard when convenient…""Some say messages have already been sent to the Inverse Spirit Sect…"
The whispers wove through the city like a web, breeding fear and distrust. Even within the barracks, murmurs grew—soldiers wondering whether Li Tianyuan was a hero… or a ticking curse.
That night, Fu Yuan stood alone atop the city wall, black robes rippling in the wind, eyes cold and sharp.
"The Sect's hidden agents are already moving," he murmured. "Blood will soon flow again. The true trial is just beginning."
At midnight, chaos erupted in the western market. Hundreds of civilians suddenly went mad—eyes bloodshot, shrieking like beasts. Armed with knives, sticks, whatever they could find, they turned on one another in a frenzy of slaughter.
By the time the imperial guards arrived, the streets were rivers of blood. The afflicted muttered through bloodied lips, "The Holy Master… the Holy Master…"—their minds clearly ensnared by sorcery.
Li Tianyuan arrived soon after. One look at the carnage—and fury surged through him like fire.
"Inverse Spirit Sect!"
He summoned the Cauldron Force, golden sigils flaring across his palms, lightning-like radiance bursting forth. The very air trembled as the blood mist thickened—and from within it, a shadow emerged.
A figure robed in blood, face obscured, form half-real, half-illusion.
A soft laugh echoed. "So we meet at last, young master of the Cauldron Force."
"Who are you?" Li Tianyuan demanded.
"Bloodshade Messenger," the figure replied, voice like a thousand tormented souls whispering as one. "By order of the Holy Master—I have come for your life."
He raised a hand, and the swirling blood coalesced into countless blades, lashing toward Li Tianyuan and the guards. Screams filled the night; bodies were shredded to mist, their souls drawn into the messenger's body like motes of light.
"Enough!" Li Tianyuan roared, unleashing his power. The spectral image of the ancient cauldron materialized behind him, blazing gold, colliding with the tide of blood.
Boom!
The explosion ripped through the western district. Houses crumbled; flames devoured the streets. The night sky above the capital burned red with blood and fire.
Mu Xueyin charged through the chaos, sword gleaming as she cut down illusory blood shadows. Her brother, Mu Changfeng, roared and met demonic power head-on, blade cleaving through the crimson haze. Fu Yuan stood at the center of it all, chanting under his breath, suppressing the blood sorcery from unraveling further.
The battlefield became a sea of gore.
Li Tianyuan's rage boiled over as he saw more innocents fall. His Cauldron Force surged beyond control. The golden light darkened to black-gold, serpentine patterns crawling up his arms as his eyes gleamed with a feral glow.
The Bloodshade Messenger laughed. "Do you see now? The Cauldron Force is not meant for mortals! You will be consumed by it, just as all before you!"
Li Tianyuan gritted his teeth, body trembling under the strain. Then Fu Yuan's voice cut through the chaos like thunder:
"Li Tianyuan! Remember—you are no puppet of the Cauldron! Its power was born to protect, not destroy!"
Those words struck something deep within him. Li Tianyuan's eyes cleared. With a defiant roar, he gathered the last of his strength and threw a single punch.
Boom!
The Cauldron Force erupted into a golden dragon of lightning, tearing through the blood mist and slamming into the Bloodshade Messenger. The figure shattered into vapor, scattering across the night.
When the dust settled, the western market was nothing but ruins—blood pooled between the stones, bodies lay silent.
Li Tianyuan sank to his knees amid the wreckage, fists clenched, heart heavy with grief. He had won the battle—but too many lives had already been lost to the Sect's cursed sorcery.
The stench of blood hung thick in the night air.
Fu Yuan approached quietly. "This is only the beginning," he said, voice low. "The Inverse Spirit Sect's true strength lies far beyond this messenger. The faster your Cauldron Force awakens, the more perilous your path will become."
Li Tianyuan looked up, his eyes steady yet clouded with confusion. "Then tell me… what is the Cauldron Force, truly?"
Fu Yuan said nothing. He gazed into the dark sky, where the clouds smothered the moon, as if a vast, unseen shadow loomed over the capital.
Though the Bloodshade retreated and the city still stood, all knew one truth—The storm had only begun.
Whispers spread through the empire: The master of the National Cauldron has been revealed. The Holy Master has sensed his aura.
The winds of war gathered once more, ready to collide—court and battlefield alike—under the shadow of the coming storm.