Chapter 79 – Veiled Bonds and the Dragon's Echo
The Liu Clan house was unusually still that morning. A thin fog rolled through the courtyard, veiling the garden in a silver haze. The faint scent of dew and sandalwood hung in the air as Anika stood before the open veranda, her raven hair swaying with the breeze. A pale robe clung to her silhouette, stitched with faint violet runes that shimmered when the light touched them.
Lin Xuan descended the stairs quietly, his footsteps soft against the wooden floor.
He had sensed the ripple in space—the faint hum of her qi was different today, sharper, restless.
"Where are you going?" he asked, folding his arms.
Anika turned slightly, her lips curving into a teasing smile.
"To visit someone special," she said lightly, tilting her head. "Jealous, husband?"
He exhaled through his nose. "Only when secrets are involved."
Her gaze softened, though mischief still danced in her eyes. "My brother."
Before he could reply, she traced a sigil in the air. Space itself shuddered, forming a black-violet fissure that bled faint light. The air distorted, and her body was swallowed by the rift.
The sound was like silk tearing—then silence.
Lin Xuan stood there for a long moment, the echo of her departure lingering. The Celestial Unity Crest on his back pulsed once, almost like it recognized something ancient.
"Her brother…" he murmured. "Then she truly—"
He stopped. There were too many unknowns, and patience had become his sharpest weapon.
Far away, in the hidden Western Lands, the air was thick with the scent of rain and scorched earth.
Deep within a mountain cave surrounded by jagged cliffs and black clouds, two figures waited.
A colossal ape sat cross-legged before a pool of molten stone, his fur a dark crimson streaked with black. Each breath he exhaled sent ripples through the magma, and his eyes gleamed with ancient intelligence. Beside him stood a youth with silver-white hair and mismatched eyes—one crimson, one gold—his aura faint yet controlled, a dangerous calm about him.
The rift tore open before them. From the distortion, Anika stepped out, her presence dimming the cavern's molten glow. The air bent around her like gravity itself bowed.
The ape grinned, his voice a deep rumble.
"Hello, Sister. Still walking among mortals, are you?"
Anika's lips curved faintly. "Hello, Daichi."
The ape rose, towering over her, then his body shimmered with red-black light. Flesh compressed, bone reshaped, and in moments Daichi stood in human form—a tall man with crimson hair tied loosely, sharp eyes that carried both fury and humor. His presence radiated the same dominance as before: the Abyssal Titan Ape—one of the Devine Beasts who once challenged gods.
"Don't mock me," Anika said softly. "You of all should know that some bonds can't be left behind."
Daichi chuckled, the sound echoing through the cave. "Ah, the mysterious big sister still bound by promises. I suppose that makes two of us."
She crossed her arms. "You've made an inheritor. I can sense your bloodline's echo."
He smirked. "Xiong Tianhao. The boy's stubborn, just like me. I've told him little—only about him."
Daichi's gaze darkened for a heartbeat, the molten pool bubbling harder. "He'll help him when the time comes."
Anika's expression shifted, an unreadable calm settling in her features. "Then the cycle still moves."
Daichi shrugged. "It always does. But be careful, Sister. Your path crosses too closely with his. The moment he learns what you carry—"
"I know," she interrupted. Her voice was steady, but her fingers trembled once. "That's why I must act before fate does."
Without another word, she tore space again, violet flames licking the edges of the rift. Daichi watched her vanish, his smirk fading into something heavier.
"She's walking the same road again," he muttered, turning back toward the magma. "Let's hope it doesn't end the same way."
Mist blanketed the southern forest outside Dawnriver, wrapping the trees in a shroud of silence. The sound of dripping water echoed through the undergrowth.
Here, hidden behind layers of illusionary formations, lay a sealed cave—one Lin Xuan had prepared years ago, filled with runes, barriers, and ancient symbols drawn in silver ink.
The air trembled as space fractured once more.
Anika stepped through, the violet rift sealing behind her with a whisper.
Before her, the formation glowed faintly, reacting to her presence. She raised her hand, tracing the sigils with divine precision, and the runes obeyed her touch, folding away like petals. The seal broke.
Inside, the air was charged with power. Lightning hissed across the walls, red and black bolts dancing like serpents.
At the cave's heart lay an egg—large as a boulder, scales of obsidian laced with veins of crimson light. Beside it, embedded in the stone, was a massive arm sheathed in dark-silver scales, pulsing faintly with ancient might.
Anika stepped closer. The sight drew a rare flicker of emotion to her face—reverence and sorrow.
She lifted her hand, violet fire blooming across her palm—Obsidian-Violet Flames, pure divine fire that devoured essence. The arm ignited instantly, burning without smoke or ash, its energy collapsing into motes of red-violet light. The flames consumed everything until only dust remained.
When it was done, she knelt beside the egg, resting her palm upon its surface. Red lightning arced across her fingers, yet she did not flinch.
"It's time you awakened," she murmured.
The egg pulsed once—like a heartbeat—and the air grew still.
She tore space once more and vanished, leaving only the faint scent of burnt ozone.
By nightfall, the Liu Clan courtyard glowed under a pale moon. The gentle chirping of crickets filled the air. Lin Xuan returned from his nightly patrol, only to sense an unfamiliar surge of power inside his room.
He pushed the door open.
There, beside his bed, sat Anika—calm, serene, her raven hair cascading down her shoulders.
Before her lay the egg, glowing faintly with crimson arcs of lightning.
"Anika…" His tone hardened. "What did you bring into my house?"
She smiled faintly, as if expecting the question. "The egg of the Eclipse Sky Dragon."
His pupils contracted. "That's one of the Six Divine Beasts! Even its remnant aura could summon a calamity!"
"I know," she said softly. "But it's tied to me."
He stepped forward, tension radiating from him. "Why bring it here, then? If its power stirs—"
She raised her hand, placing a single finger over his lips. "Trust me, I won't endanger what you've built. Keep it inside your System's inventory."
After a long silence, Lin Xuan nodded. He pressed his palm to the air, and the Celestial Unity Crest flared. A translucent window of light unfolded—his System's interface. With a thought, the egg shimmered, dissolving into motes of light that vanished into the screen's depths.
The air cleared instantly, the oppressive pressure dispersing like mist.
Anika exhaled, her shoulders relaxing. "Good. Now it can rest without calling storms."
He studied her face—the calmness, the quiet sorrow in her eyes. "You keep saying 'it's tied to me.' What are you really hiding, Anika?"
Her lips parted, but no sound came. For a heartbeat, he saw something vast in her gaze—ancient skies burning with violet stars, wings unfurling across galaxies. Then it vanished, replaced by her familiar warmth.
"Some truths must wait," she said finally. "If you learn too early, even destiny might crumble."
Days later, the Liu Clan courtyard hummed with energy again—not from storms or conflict, but from training.
Anika stood with Liu Yue beneath the cherry trees, both their auras glowing faintly.
"Focus your qi," Anika instructed gently. "Eternal Soul Ember isn't about force. It's about memory—the soul remembering its own flame."
Liu Yue nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration. Obsidian-violet fire bloomed around her, flickering erratically. "It… slips from control!"
Anika smiled. "Then don't control it. Guide it."
She raised her palm, violet feathers of flame unfurling—Samsara-Burning Plumes. The air filled with warmth, and memory-echoes shimmered faintly: visions of the moonlit field where Liu Yue first awakened her power.
"Use this," Anika whispered. "The Memory Flicker Flames soothe chaos. Let them steady your spark."
The two fires merged, blue and violet intertwining. Liu Yue gasped as the heat softened, becoming rhythmic, like breathing. Slowly, the flickering flame around her stabilized into a steady, luminous halo.
Lin Xuan watched from the veranda, the Celestial Unity Crest pulsing gently. When Liu Yue wavered, he extended a strand of qi from his Life Gate, the green glow of vitality reinforcing her energy channels.
Liu Yue exhaled in relief. "Senior Brother… I can feel it. It's… alive."
Anika's smile was genuine. "It always was. You just needed to listen."
The scene was quiet yet powerful—teacher and student, brother and sister, all bound by something deeper than blood.
When the training ended, Lin Xuan approached Anika as the others departed.
"You've taught her well," he said quietly.
Anika tilted her head. "She reminds me of someone I once knew—a girl who carried too much light for her heart to hold."
He studied her for a long moment. "Every time I think I understand you, you become another mystery."
She laughed softly, her voice lilting like wind through glass. "That's because you keep looking for answers in words. Some truths are better felt."
Lin Xuan's gaze softened, though resolve still burned in his eyes. "I'll still find them, Anika. All of them. Even if I have to chase you through time itself."
Her expression turned wistful, almost sad. "Then I suppose I'll have to make sure you're strong enough to survive that chase."