Chapter 13: The Supreme Elder's Game
The wind above Shengdu was heavy with smoke and static qi.From the ruins of the lower districts, one could see the faint outline of the Imperial Palace — a mountain of white stone wrapped in crimson light, humming with restrained power.
In the deepest hall of that palace, twelve pillars stood in a circle, carved from obsidian and engraved with shifting runes. Between them floated the Mirror of Fate, its surface rippling like water.
Before it stood the Supreme Elder.
He had no name left, not one spoken aloud.Those who had seen his face in centuries past described eyes like frozen embers — calm, patient, and utterly detached. Now those same eyes were fixed on the mirror, where Ren Yu's battle replayed in spectral gold.
"He has inherited more than the blood," murmured the Elder. "He carries the will."
The chamber echoed as another figure appeared — Elder Qiu, commander of the outer districts, her hair silver, her presence sharp as steel.She bowed deeply. "Supreme Elder, the capital's energy grid is collapsing. The Dragon Vein resonance has disrupted all lower seals."
"Expected," the Supreme Elder replied softly. "What of the boy?"
"He escaped the citadel with Lira Han. They're heading east, toward the wild ridge. We have tracking arrays following his spiritual signature."
"Good." He turned away from the mirror. "Let them run. The prey must feel free before it reveals its true strength."
Qiu frowned slightly. "You mean to… let him live?"
The Elder's lips curved faintly. "Ren Yu's awakening serves our purpose. The Council has grown complacent. A storm is needed to cleanse it — and he is that storm."
"But, Supreme Elder, if he fully merges with the dragon's essence—"
"Then he becomes unstoppable," the Elder finished. "And only then will the gates open."
He reached out and placed a hand upon the Mirror of Fate.Its surface rippled again — revealing not the image of Ren Yu, but a massive stone gate buried beneath a sea of fire, bound by thirteen chains of divine light.
"The Gate of Ascension," he whispered. "The last seal of the dragon's world. And the key lies in his soul."
Eastward Flight
Far from Shengdu, the winds grew colder.Ren Yu and Lira trudged through the mist-shrouded forests of the Wild Ridge, where ancient qi flowed freely and beasts prowled unseen.
Lira exhaled, exhausted. "You really don't plan on resting?"
Ren Yu glanced back at her. "If we stop, they'll find us. The Council won't rest after what happened."
"You broke one of their core seals," she muttered. "They'll blame you for the whole city's collapse."
Ren Yu didn't answer immediately. His gaze was distant, thoughtful."The city isn't collapsing," he said at last. "It's shifting. The ley lines are realigning — trying to restore balance. But something's interfering."
Lira frowned. "You mean the Council?"
"Or something older."
The dragon's voice echoed faintly in his mind — softer than before, almost mournful.
"The seal beneath Shengdu is not the first. The world itself was divided once — heaven above, dragons below. The elders who chained us used fragments of the Ascension Gate."
Ren Yu's eyes darkened. "Then that's what they're protecting."
The forest grew denser as they walked. Strange lights flickered between the trees — spirits, drawn by the disturbance in his aura.One drifted close, a faintly glowing wisp. When it touched his arm, it shimmered and whispered a single word before fading: "Return."
Lira shivered. "These woods are haunted by echoes of old cultivators. Are you sure this is the right direction?"
Ren Yu nodded. "The dragon's memory pointed east. There's something here — a fragment of the lost dynasty."
The Hidden Monastery
By nightfall, they stumbled upon ruins buried in vines. Broken statues of warrior monks lined a stone staircase leading down into the earth. A faint golden aura pulsed beneath the moss.
"This is it," Ren Yu whispered. "The Eastern Monastery."
They descended carefully. The air grew warm and thick with energy — ancient qi that hummed like a living thing.At the bottom of the stairs, a great circular hall awaited them. A mural stretched across the walls, depicting the rise of the Martial Dynasties and their fall into corruption.
At the center stood a stone dais.Upon it rested a small crystal sphere, glowing faintly with blue and gold light.
Lira approached it. "What is that?"
Ren Yu extended his hand toward the sphere — and the moment his fingers brushed it, the air shifted.Golden runes flared, spinning around him in a vortex. The sphere lifted, dissolving into particles of light that merged into his chest.
Memories flooded him.
The Vision of the Monks
He saw monks in white robes training under a golden sky, their bodies glowing with pure energy. They moved not to fight but to balance — each breath perfectly in tune with the flow of the world.
Then, darkness fell.The sky burned crimson. The dragon's blood poured like rivers through the land, and the monks fell, one by one, sealing the chaos into thirteen sacred gates.
The last monk — his face serene, eyes weary — looked toward Ren Yu through time itself.
"The balance can only be restored by one who accepts both halves — human and divine."
Then the vision shattered.
Ren Yu staggered back, gasping. Lira caught him before he fell."What did you see?"
He stared into the dark. "The truth. The Martial Path we know isn't the original way. It's a fragment — half of what was meant to be. The other half… lies beyond the Ascension Gate."
Lira's eyes widened. "And the Council?"
"They're guarding it. Or perhaps fearing it."
He looked up toward the moonlight streaming through the cracks above. "The path forward isn't just survival anymore. It's awakening what they buried."
In the Palace
Meanwhile, deep within the palace, the Supreme Elder stood once more before the mirror. The faint golden shimmer of Ren Yu's awakening rippled across its surface.
He smiled faintly. "He found the monastery."
Elder Qiu bowed. "Should we intervene?"
"No," the Elder said. "The Gate recognizes only one bearer. The boy must open it willingly. But when he does…"
He turned away, eyes gleaming like coals.
"We will all ascend — or burn."