A week later, the Ava family gathered in the grand family hall, its polished floors and towering pillars reflecting the legacy of generations. The room was filled with tension, every member standing at attention, waiting for the arrival of the one who had shifted the family's balance. Atop the raised platform, the two eldest brothers stood, eyes fixed on the heavy doors at the far end of the hall.
As the doors swung open, Kai appeared, walking with measured steps and the quiet confidence of someone who had already claimed his place. Every head bent in respect as he passed, acknowledging his rise without a word.
Now, besides his father, General Kilian Ava, Kai is now the highest-ranking member of the family — a reality that even his elder brothers could not deny. Their expressions, a mixture of grudging respect and thinly veiled resentment, mirrored the understanding that the family hierarchy had shifted. The boy they once saw as less significant now carried a title and power that demanded recognition, and there was no turning back from it.
Also present in the hall were envoys from several distinguished clans, each wearing their sect's colors and insignia with pride. They had come from across the empire, summoned by curiosity and ambition alike, eager to secure an alliance with the newly appointed Marquis of Swords. The atmosphere grew heavy with their presence — whispers of offers, promises, and silent negotiations rippling through the gathered family.
Each envoy represented a great power: the Silver Vein Clan of merchants, the Ember Seal Sect of alchemists, and even a representative from the distant Heavenly Court Pavilion — a place said to groom future immortals. Their eyes all rested on Kai with polite smiles that failed to hide their intent.
For the first time, the Ava Family's hall felt too small to contain the weight of such power. The younger members exchanged nervous glances, realizing that their once modest household had suddenly become a center of attention for the entire capital.
In the boundless calm of his inner world, Leon sat cross-legged beneath a towering tree whose blossoms shimmered like stars, petals falling in slow, luminous spirals. The air smelled faintly of dew and moonlight, and from the tree hung strange fruits — deep blue and glowing softly, their shells smooth like polished jade. He could feel their gentle pulse resonate with his spirit veins, feeding the quiet flow of power that healed his exhausted core.
Then a voice broke the stillness, calm and knowing, "You've done well, little one." Leon's eyes opened to see Master Yun approaching from the other side of the grove. But this was not the aged wanderer he remembered. The man's hair, once white as snow, now flowed like molten gold, his face youthful and radiant. His robes were no longer plain gray but woven of silver and deep azure silk, embroidered with shifting patterns of clouds and runes. The very air around him shimmered with authority.
Leon rose to his feet in shock. "Master Yun?" he asked, uncertain. The man smiled faintly, his voice carrying both warmth and weight. "So you still recognize me. Good. It seems the first seal has begun to stir."
Leon's brows furrowed as he tried to process Master Yun's words. "First seal?" he echoed.
"Yes," Master Yun replied, stepping closer. His tone grew deeper, carrying a faint hum of celestial resonance. "Whenever we take disciples, it is not just a pact of teaching — it is a covenant recognized by the cosmos itself. A bond unlike any other. Once the first seal is broken, that bond allows our power to flow through you. From now on, unless I sever the connection, your spiritual power will never run dry." He paused, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. "But I would be careful if I were you. Power that is not understood can destroy the vessel that carries it."
Leon tilted his head. "We?" he repeated softly.
Master Yun smiled faintly, a knowing gleam in his gaze. "All in due time. For now, I will replenish your strength." He raised a hand, and the blue fruits hanging above began to glow brighter, their light descending upon Leon like falling rivers of moonfire. Warmth flooded his veins — steady, pure, and boundless.
"So," Master Yun continued, watching him closely, "you have taken a disciple. A sword wielder, no less. A tribulation disciple is a rarity in the lower realms. Well done."
Leon blinked, startled. "Me? A disciple?"
"Yes," Master Yun said with quiet amusement. "You summoned a tribulation to help him ascend, then refined him through the storm, granting him power beyond his peers. Whether you meant to or not, the world has already marked him as your disciple — and the heavens, as your legacy."
Leon's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "Teacher… how are you able to enter my Inner World?"
Master Yun let out a soft laugh — a sound both ancient and effortless, echoing through the vast expanse of Leon's spiritual sea. "Enter?" he repeated, his tone teasing. "There is no place we cannot go, disciple. Not in your mind, not in your spirit, not in your dreams. Only one being in all realms can restrict us — and that same being grants us more freedom than even we care to admit."
Leon's brows knitted tighter, confusion flickering behind his steady gaze. "Who—"
"When the time is right," Master Yun interrupted gently, "it will be revealed. For now, names mean little. What matters is purpose." He turned, his robes fluttering like waves of silver mist, and the world around them trembled as though reality itself bowed to his words.
"I have a decree for you," Master Yun continued, his voice deepening, resonating with the pulse of the cosmos itself. "Should you dare to hear it."
Leon straightened his posture and bowed low, his expression solemn. "If Teacher has an order, I will carry it out," he said firmly. "Even if the heavens oppose it."
For a fleeting moment, Master Yun saw his younger self imprinted over Leon—as though gazing into a mirror of his own past. A soft sigh left his lips before he spoke solemnly, "Then, my good disciple… By decree of the Primordial Masters, you are hereby commanded to take charge of the Fenris Realm and ascend as its Supreme Emperor. Do you accept?"
Leon immediately dropped to his knees, his voice steady and resolute. "I accept with all that I am. Should I ever neglect my duties, may Heaven strike me where I stand."
A rare smile touched Master Yun's face. "Rise, my disciple. Focus on your cultivation and break the remaining six seals. Only then shall you gain access to the Supreme Qi of your Grandmasters."
As Master Yun's form began to fade, Leon bowed deeply once more. When the last trace of his master vanished, a brown scroll shimmered into existence before him, resting gently in his hands.