The Heartwood Bloom
After another day of grueling ascent, navigating treacherous ice caverns and bypassing hostile, low-level monsters, they finally reached the summit of the ninth and final peak.
There, sheltered in a small, hidden basin perpetually warmed by subterranean volcanic vents, was the Heartwood Bloom. It was a massive, ancient tree, its roots twisted with elemental silver. In the center of its glowing trunk grew a single, softball-sized flower: incandescent gold petals wrapped around a core that pulsed with pure, concentrated life force.
Jade felt the power radiate from it, a clean, restorative energy that immediately soothed the burning exhaustion of her Divine Eye.
"The source of Dragon vitality," Aether breathed, reverence mixing with desperation. He approached carefully, his sapphire sword held ready, even though the air felt utterly pure.
Jade, however, saw something more than purity with her Azure Sight. She saw a flicker of the same subtle, toxic black-purple energy woven into the roots of the tree—tiny, insignificant threads compared to the King's corruption, but present nonetheless.
"Aether, wait!" Jade warned, extending her hand. "The corruption is here too. Very faint, but it's in the roots."
Aether stopped, amethyst eyes narrowed. "Impossible. This tree is protected by the Celestial Mandate."
"It's true," Jade insisted. "Someone has been tampering with the natural energy flow of the Peaks. Look at the ground."
Beneath the radiant roots, Jade spotted thin, nearly invisible metallic threads—wires woven with dark magic, snaking away from the bloom and down the mountain.
"This isn't a naturally guarded area," Aether realized, his voice hardening into a dangerous growl. "This is a trap."
The Interception
The air fractured, not with a teleportation ripple, but with pure, aggressive force. A massive, intricately carved celestial vessel materialized directly above the basin, blocking the weak sunlight.
Standing on the deck of the vessel was Seraphina, the Eastern Dragon Princess. She was magnificent, dressed in imperial silk woven with emerald and gold, her eyes the same sharp, cold emerald as her jewels.
Beside her stood the rebuilt Shadow General, his armor now seamlessly obsidian, and a dozen high-ranking Eastern Dragon guards.
"Aether," Seraphina's voice rang out, sharp and triumphant. "How convenient. You brought your pathetic human weapon right to the source of your misery."
Aether pushed Jade behind him, his sword raised. "Seraphina. The corruption on my father, and the poisoning of the Peaks. It was you."
Seraphina laughed—a brittle, icy sound. "Of course, cousin. Did you truly think I would rely on a simple civil war? Your father's sickness is merely the prelude. The Heartwood Bloom has been slowly feeding the parasitic anchor in his core for weeks, disguised as natural energy."
She gestured toward the delicate dark wires at the roots. "The corruption is not mine, Aether. It is the signature of the Night Weaver, an entity from beyond Xianzhou—the third party Lin warned you of. They are supplying me with the tools to collapse your lineage, and in return, they receive access to the broken magic of your failing territory."
The Unmaking of the Pact
Seraphina's emerald gaze finally settled on Jade, pulsing with predatory malice.
"And the Divine Eye," she hissed. "A pity you had to activate it. I had hoped to possess it pristine. But no matter, Aether. You were so desperate, you committed the gravest sin: Fraternizing with the Host."
Jade felt a paralyzing wave of icy shock. Seraphina hadn't seen them hold hands or argue; she knew the fundamental truth of their forbidden pact—the shared moments of desperation that transcended their assigned roles.
"I saw the way you shielded her at the Pass. I saw the way you cling to her presence, despite the laws," Seraphina continued, twisting the knife. "You have violated the First Decree: No Dragon of Royal Blood shall ally intimately with a Weapon of Celestial Origin. You are disgraced, Aether. And now, you are weak."
Seraphina gave the Shadow General a sharp nod. "Take the Bloom. Capture the human. Kill the Prince."
Commanding the Chaos
The Shadow General, Level 80 and now fully restored, leaped from the ship, followed by the Eastern guards.
"Bao! Chiwen! Defend the Bloom!" Jade screamed, sending the command through her Eye.
Bao met the General's charge, but the power disparity was too great. The Eastern Dragons attacked Aether, overwhelming him with elemental force while he was distracted defending the Bloom.
Jade knew she couldn't take on Seraphina, who remained on her ship, but she could unleash pure, unpredictable chaos. She focused the Divine Eye on her reluctant Level 60 subject.
"Jiu-Wei Hu! Unleash the illusion! Create a battlefield of absolute terror! Confuse the Dragon ranks!"
The Nine-Tailed Fox roared its submission and instantly unleashed a massive, reality-bending illusion. The battlefield dissolved into swirling mist, populated by terrifying, illusory shadows and monstrous doppelgängers. The Eastern Dragon guards were thrown into frantic confusion, fighting phantoms.
Aether, briefly relieved of the pressure, seized the opportunity. He focused all his remaining power onto the metallic wires at the Bloom's base, intent on destroying the source of the corruption.
"Jade! Get the Bloom and get out! I will seal the wires!" Aether yelled, channeling a massive surge of sapphire energy.
But the Shadow General, immune to the chaos, had bypassed the struggling Bao and was already closing in on Jade, the war scythe raised high.
"Your eye is a curiosity, human," the General rasped, its voice like scraping stone. "But it dies with you."