The sun rose in a mellow arc above the misty ridges of Thunderclad Basin, its golden hue slowly dissolving the storm-charged air of the previous trials. Su Mengtian stood atop the outcropping overlooking the clearing where the final echoes of the ninth trial had faded. Beside him, Commander Fei Wu remained silent, arms crossed over his thunder-etched armor, his gaze tracing the horizon.
"You did well," the old commander finally said, his voice deep and grizzled with memory. "But a leader's burden is not carried in battle alone. The soul must anchor in its roots. We'll return to Huayin Village. Your parents deserve to see the man you've become."
Su Mengtian nodded. The roar of the Tempest Fang Bear, the trial of integrity, the shadow beasts of empathy, and the gift of the Celestial Thunder Dragon egg still lingered in his bones—but there was something stronger pulling him now. A tether to a quiet place far from lightning and legacy. Home.
Their descent from the basin was swift. Thunderclad soldiers stood at attention as they passed, offering silent salutes to the young man who had endured what none before him dared alone. Mounts bred from storm wyverns carried the pair across valleys swept clean by wind, over rivers that whispered of rainfall, and into the rolling green folds of Huayin's outskirts.
The early morning sun stretched across the hills surrounding Huayin Village, casting golden light over the waking world. The faint sound of birdsong filled the air, mingling with the rhythmic crunch of footsteps on the path leading down from the hills. Su Mengtian walked slowly beside Commander Fei Wu, their shadows long and silent, cast across the dew-kissed grass.
The moment Su Mengtian stopped near the wooden arch that marked the entrance to Huayin Village, he was overwhelmed by familiarity. The smell of tilled earth, the hum of cicadas, and the laughter of children chasing one another barefoot. All of it rushed into his lungs like oxygen after drowning.
As they approached the modest gates of Huayin Village, familiar scents drifted on the breeze—the sharp aroma of firewood, the subtle sweetness of steamed buns, and the earthy fragrance of freshly turned soil. Mengtian paused at the entrance, his eyes narrowing slightly as his gaze swept across the village he once called home.
"It hasn't changed at all," he murmured, almost to himself.
Fei Wu chuckled softly. "Some places resist the tide of time. It's not the village that changes, but the one who returns."
Mengtian offered a half-smile, the words settling into his chest. They stepped past the gate, greeted by curious glances and widening eyes as villagers began to recognize the tall, armored figure now adorned with the silent power of the Thunder Qilin Army.
"Is that... Su Mengtian?" whispered a middle-aged farmer.
"He's grown so much..."
Children peeked out from behind fences, giggling and whispering, while the older folk gave respectful nods. Mengtian acknowledged each with a humble nod, his steps never faltering until he stood before the house he had long imagined in dreams—the home of his family.
His younger sister, Su Lingyue, was the first to see him. She screamed his name, her braided hair bouncing as she dashed toward him. Behind her, Su Tianlei came running as well, his stride already showing signs of the warrior spirit inherited from their father.
"Big brother!"
"You promised you'd come back!"
Mengtian knelt down, removing his armguards and caught them both in his arms so he could embrace them fully. The warmth of their embrace, the pure emotion in their voices, shattered the cool composure he had cultivated during training and battle. His eyes glistened.
"And I always will," he said. "No matter how far I go."
"Brother! Brother Mengtian!" they cried together.
Their mother, Long Xiumei, stepped out of the ancestral house moments later. Her robes fluttered in the breeze, and her eyes—those same eyes he had inherited—filled with tears as they locked onto her son.
Long Xiumei's expression faltered for only a heartbeat before soft tears gathered in her eyes. Her hands rose to cover her mouth as she stepped forward, her voice trembling.
"Tian'er..."
"You've grown taller than your father," she whispered when they embraced, her hand cupping his face.
Su Mengtian stepped into her embrace, the armor making the moment awkward, but neither of them cared. Her arms wrapped tightly around him, and he felt the fragile heartbeat of a mother reunited with her son.
His father, Su Leilong, emerged last, his expression unreadable at first. The legendary general studied his son with the scrutiny of a commander, and then slowly, deliberately, he nodded. Pride softened the sharp lines of his face.
Commander Fei Wu gave them space, standing respectfully aside as the family reunited under the old cherry tree that had weathered countless seasons.
After some time, he cleared his throat, drawing their attention.
"I hate to interrupt," he said with a small bow, "but your son has done something that few in our era will ever achieve. You deserve to know."
He recounted Su Mengtian's trials in the Thunderclad Basin, the Tempest Fang Bear, and the final test of decisiveness. Long Xiumei listened with tears flowing freely, and pride blooming in her gaze. Su Tianlei puffed his chest, eyes gleaming with admiration, while Su Lingyue clung to Mengtian's hand.
They spent the day speaking in warm tones around the firepit. Su Mengtian shared only fragments of what he had endured, focusing more on his purpose and the people he had met. Fei Wu spoke briefly of the Thunder Qilin Army's reawakening, earning a raised brow from Su Leilong but no argument.
That night, under a sky silvered with stars, Long Xiumei brought out an heirloom—a jade pendant engraved with the mark of the Great Long Clan. "This belonged to my grandfather. He said the soul must travel, but the roots must remain. Wear it when you feel lost."
Su Mengtian took it in both hands, the weight of generations threading into his pulse.
As the night deepened, Mengtian stepped outside with his father. The moonlight painted silver arcs across the rooftops.
"We prepared something for you," Su Leilong said suddenly.
"Something for me?" Mengtian asked.
He nodded. "We knew this day would come. So we prepared something."
He handed him the remaining part of the map and a small, metal disc inscribed with a map. Mengtian unfurled the map, reading its contents:
*"When the storm has been embraced and the spirit firmed, seek the Island that carries the Kun. There, beneath the thundering skies, lies your path forward."*
His eyes narrowed.
"Island carrying Kun?" he repeated aloud.
Fei Wu, who had quietly joined them, stepped forward. "A legendary place. Said to drift in the clouds, only appearing to those with the thunder dragon's spirit. If this is your parents' final gift, you must pursue it."
Su Mengtian tightened his grip on the scroll, heart burning with determination. A new chapter awaited him—beyond Crimson Sky Academy, beyond the bloodlines, beyond his lineage. And he would walk it, with the strength of family behind him.
Before sunrise, as he prepared to leave once more, Su Lingyue tugged his robe. "Next time, stay longer. You promised to teach me thunder weaving."
He smiled, brushing a thumb across her brow. "I keep my promises."
With final embraces and silent glances, he mounted once more beside Fei Wu. As Huayin Village faded behind them, Su Mengtian looked forward—toward Crimson Sky Academy, toward the awakening of the Thunder Qilin Army, and toward the whisper of something greater.
He looked once more at his home, the faces he loved, and whispered to himself.
Far in the horizon, lightning flashed, not with menace—but with promise.
"This... is only the beginning."