The nights of Jian'an were always lively. The sound of flutes and drums from taverns, the bustling chatter of the streets, all seemed to bury the unease and tension of the day. Yet this night was unlike any before.
The sky pressed low, heavy with gloom. The bright moon was veiled by clouds, leaving only a dim yellow glow. A northern wind swept through, carrying with it a cold, metallic stench, as if heralding some dreadful omen.
Li Tianyuan stood at the eastern garrison of the city, just about to close his eyes and steady his breath, when a sudden jolt struck his chest. That restless, surging force within him stirred again, as though awakened by some distant presence. His eyes snapped open, brows furrowed.
"Xueyin! Changfeng!" he called under his breath.
Within moments, Mu Changfeng and Mu Xueyin appeared at the entrance of the tent, their faces grave."Tianyuan, you felt it too?"
Li Tianyuan nodded. "Demonic energy… no—this must be the remnants of the Inverse Spirit Sect. They've already slipped into the city."
Before his words faded, the alarm bell of the garrison split the night.
Dang—dang—dang—!
The urgent toll rang across the skies, rousing the entire city of Jian'an.
The three of them raced onto the city wall. From the south, flames blazed into the heavens. Black mist coiled through the streets, and in its depths, dozens of ghostly figures rampaged. The night was filled with shrieks and monstrous howls.
"It's the Inverse Spirit Sect!" Mu Xueyin's voice was cold as steel.
The garrison mobilized swiftly. Master Fu Yuan himself led the troops, his face dark as iron."Monsters loosed in the dead of night—just as expected! Tianyuan, with me!"
Li Tianyuan drew a deep breath. The force inside him was raging now, urging him to join the fray. He gripped his spear tightly, eyes burning with resolve."Understood!"
Together they charged into the city, following the flames toward the southern market. Narrow alleys were already engulfed in black fog. Dozens of black-robed assassins from the Inverse Spirit Sect prowled within, chanting sinister incantations to summon beasts and specters that tore through homes and soldiers alike.
"Kill them!"
Fu Yuan's command roared, and the National Guard clashed with the assassins. Steel and shadow collided, igniting the streets in chaos and blood.
Li Tianyuan plunged straight into the enemy ranks. His spear swept wide, striking down two black-robed men at once. But even as their bodies fell, a feral specter lunged from the mist, its killing aura rending the air.
A violent tremor struck Li Tianyuan's chest. The power inside him burst free—the power of the Nine Cauldrons, the very force tied to the nation's fate. It surged into his limbs, roaring through his veins.
Boom!
His entire body shone with golden light. When the spear thrust forward, it blazed like a falling star, piercing the specter and shattering it into smoke and ash.
The battlefield froze for a heartbeat. Both ally and foe stared in shock.
Mu Changfeng whispered under his breath, almost in awe:"He… has awakened."
But Li Tianyuan himself felt only the violence of that alien power. It wasn't entirely his—it was wild, dangerous, threatening to consume him even as it lent him strength. Sweat poured down his brow as he forced it under control.
From within the black fog, a towering figure stepped forth. He wore dark robes and wielded a blood-red blade. His eyes glowed crimson with killing intent.
"Heh… Li Tianyuan." His voice was hoarse, his smile twisted. "So it truly is you. The aura of the Cauldrons—how could we not sense it? Since you've revealed yourself… you won't be leaving alive."
With a sudden roar, he leapt forward, blood blade slicing down through the night.
Li Tianyuan swung his spear up to block. Sparks burst as steel clashed, and he was driven several steps back. The Cauldron's power surged once more, anchoring his stance.
"The Inverse Spirit Sect…" Li Tianyuan's gaze sharpened like a blade. "So it was me you were after all along."
"Protect Tianyuan!" Fu Yuan's voice thundered over the chaos.
The battle flared anew. Jian'an's southern district was swallowed by fire and fog, a battlefield of blood and screams.
Li Tianyuan and the black-robed leader clashed violently, spear and blade colliding in showers of sparks. Each strike drove the Cauldron's force deeper into his body. It wracked him with pain, yet it also fueled him, pushing him further, harder, stronger.
"Break!"
With a roar, golden light exploded from his body. His spear carried the will of the nation itself—striking so fiercely that the blood-red blade cracked and shattered, hurling the black-robed man back in defeat.
"This… impossible!" The man's eyes burned with madness, then curved into a twisted smile. "Ha… ha! The Cauldron's backlash will be your death, boy!"
Blood spurted from his mouth, transforming into a thick black fog. His body dissolved into the mist, vanishing without a trace.
The remaining assassins panicked and scattered. The National Guard cut them down, finally suppressing the chaos.
But the southern market was left in ruin. Houses burned, the ground was littered with corpses, and the air was thick with grief. The cries of the surviving townsfolk pierced the night.
Li Tianyuan stood amid the wreckage, spear lowered, chest heaving. He stared at his hands, still glowing faintly with golden light, his heart torn between awe and dread.
This power had given him victory. But it had also chained him forever to the fate of the Nine Cauldrons.
Fu Yuan approached, voice heavy."Tianyuan… from this night onward, there is no retreat. The Inverse Spirit Sect will never cease—they are hunting you."
Li Tianyuan lifted his gaze to the storm-tossed sky, eyes steady with unshakable resolve."If the nation's fate rests upon me, then I will fight with my life… until every last demon is destroyed."
And so, Jian'an's night fell silent once more—silent, but stained with fire and blood. None knew it then, but this was only the beginning of a far greater storm.