The atmosphere within the Grand Throne Hall of the Werewolf Clan was no longer merely tense; it had become a physical weight, a crushing pressure that made the very air feel like liquid lead. High above on the obsidian throne sat the Clan Leader, his eyes two burning suns of spiritual authority. Surrounding the central pavilion were the Elders—monsters of cultivation, each one an Immortal King whose casual breath could level a mountain range.
Alpha stood in the center of the hall, his hand subconsciously tightening around Alya's. He felt the cold sweat on his neck. Through the "Eyes of Truth" granted by King Xiao Leo's inheritance, the hall was a terrifying map of power. He saw pillars of golden and violet light erupting from the Elders—Stage 4, Stage 6, even Stage 8 of the Immortal King Realm. To them, he was a speck of dust.
Beside him, Alya did something that shocked every soul in the room. She, the proudest genius of the younger generation, the ice-cold moon of the Werewolf Clan, slowly bowed her head. Her gaze was fixed on the floor, her shoulders trembling slightly. She wasn't bowing out of fear for her own life; she was offering her pride as a sacrifice to appease the Elders, hoping her humility would buy Alpha a chance to live.
This sight was like honey to the Great Elder. He leaned forward, his withered face contorting into a mask of cruel satisfaction. 'Look at her,' he thought, his heart thumping with malicious joy. 'The untouchable Alya, bowing like a servant. Because of this human trash, she has finally shown a weakness. I must strike now. I must erase them both before they can ever threaten my grandson's inheritance again.'
The Malice of the Great Elder
"Clan Leader!" the Great Elder's voice rang out, sharp and jarring like metal scraping against bone. "The facts are clear. Xiao Alya has confessed to her negligence. She abandoned her post, entered a forbidden zone, and disappeared for a full year, leaving the clan in a state of uncertainty. If we do not punish such blatant defiance, what message does it send to our disciples? It would mean the laws of King Xiao Leo are nothing but suggestions!"
The Clan Leader remained silent, his face unreadable. "And what punishment do you suggest, Great Elder?"
The Great Elder's eyes flashed with a murderous glint. He stood up, his regal robes fluttering. "I propose that we shatter her cultivation base! Strip her of her Nascent Soul status and banish her to the outer mines. As for the boy... he is a foreigner who has dared to tarnish our sacred pool. He should be executed immediately to cleanse the water!"
A collective gasp echoed through the hall. Shattering a cultivation base was a fate worse than death. It was the total destruction of a person's soul and future. Alpha felt a surge of white-hot rage. He looked at Alya, who remained silent, her head still bowed. She was willing to become a cripple just to keep him alive.
"That is... perhaps too extreme," one of the younger Elders whispered, but he quickly fell silent under the Great Elder's icy glare.
The Intervention of Xiao Jin
Just as the Clan Leader was about to speak, a figure moved from the back of the hall. Elder Xiao Jin, a man whose age was a mystery even to the Clan Leader, stepped forward. He carried a staff made of ancient weir-wood and moved with a terrifyingly calm grace.
"Great Elder," Xiao Jin said, his voice soft yet carrying to every corner of the room. "You speak of laws and punishments. But have you forgotten the most fundamental law of our clan? The law of Bloodline Sanctity?"
The Great Elder narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about, Jin?"
Xiao Jin turned to the room, his eyes scanning the faces of the terrified and confused Elders. "Many of you here are young. You only know Alya as a genius disciple. You do not know whose blood flows in her veins. You see a girl... I see the daughter of the Calamity of the North."
A sudden hush fell over the room. The air seemed to drop several degrees.
"Alya's father," Xiao Jin continued, "was the Spear of the Werewolf Clan. Thousands of years ago, during the Great War of the Seven Realms, it was his blood that soaked the soil so that you could sit here today in peace. He was the only warrior King Xiao Leo called 'Brother'."
"And her mother..." Xiao Jin paused, a look of genuine fear crossing his old face. "Her mother is Xiao Yun."
The moment the name Xiao Yun was spoken, the Great Elder's arrogant posture collapsed. He practically fell back into his seat. Several older Elders turned pale, their hands shaking.
"Xiao Yun?!" the Clan Leader's brother, Xiao Ming, gasped. He quickly turned to the Leader and spoke through telepathy: 'Brother! We are playing with fire! If that woman finds out we even contemplated touching a hair on her daughter's head, she won't just kill us... she will erase the Werewolf Clan from the history books!'
The Clan Leader's expression finally shifted. A flicker of alarm crossed his eyes. He knew the legend. Xiao Yun was not just a warrior; she was a force of nature, a woman whose name was synonymous with "unending slaughter." She had left the clan centuries ago to traverse the higher realms, but her shadow still loomed over them.
Xiao Jin looked at the Great Elder with a mocking pity. "If you wish to shatter Alya's cultivation, go ahead. But I suggest you prepare a coffin for everyone in this room, starting with yourself. Because when Xiao Yun returns, she will start her vengeance with the man who spoke the words."
The Great Elder's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. He couldn't find his voice. The threat was too real, too terrifying.
The Decree of the Dao Partners
The Clan Leader cleared his throat, sensing that the momentum of the judgment had shifted entirely. He couldn't let Alya go unpunished, but he certainly couldn't execute her or harm her.
"Xiao Jin is right," the Clan Leader announced, his voice regaining its authority. "We must respect the lineages of our heroes. However, the law of the Lunar Pool is sacred. There is only one way to resolve this without breaking the ancient decrees of my father, King Xiao Leo."
He looked at Alpha and Alya, who were now standing side-by-side.
"My father decreed that a man and a woman may only enter the depths of the Lunar Pool if they are Dao Partners—bound by heart, soul, and destiny. Since you both spent a year within the pool, the only way to justify your presence there is to acknowledge that bond."
The Leader leaned forward. "Alya, Alpha Khan. From this moment on, the Clan recognizes you as Dao Partners. You are bound to each other for life. You shall live together, fight together, and share your cultivation together. If either of you objects, the original punishment remains."
Alpha didn't hesitate. He felt a profound sense of relief. He didn't care about clan politics; he only cared about the woman who had sacrificed her pride for him. He took Alya's hand, his Obsidian Arm glowing faintly with a warm light. "I have no objection. I have already sworn to take responsibility for her. I will stay by her side until my last breath."
Alya finally raised her head. Her eyes were moist, shimmering with a mixture of shock and love. She looked at Alpha, then at the Clan Leader. "I... I accept. I will stay with Alpha until the end of time."
The Insult and the Awakening
The room began to murmur. Most Elders were relieved that a bloodbath had been avoided, but the Great Elder was seething. He had lost everything—his revenge, his prestige, and his control over the situation.
"This is a farce!" the Great Elder screamed, his face purple with rage. "Even if her mother is Xiao Yun, this boy is still a Human! A lowly, filthy mortal! To link a Royal Bloodline like Alya's to this... this trash... it is a stain on our ancestors! He has no power! He has no lineage! He is nothing but a parasite!"
Alpha's eyes narrowed. The word "trash" had followed him his entire life. It had been carved into his soul by Xiao Mu. But he was no longer that boy. He felt the Obsidian Heart in his chest throb with a rhythmic, violent beat.
"A parasite?" Alpha said softly. His voice was low, but it possessed a strange, vibrating quality that made the lanterns in the hall flicker.
Alya felt the change first. The air around Alpha began to warp. "Alpha, wait..."
But Alpha was done waiting. He let go of Alya's hand and took a step toward the Great Elder. "You call me a mortal. You call me trash. You think your title of 'Elder' makes you a god?"
"Silence, boy!" the Great Elder barked, releasing a wave of his Immortal King pressure to crush Alpha into the ground.
But Alpha didn't fall.
Instead, the Silver Rune on his forehead erupted with a blinding, celestial light. The Royal Werewolf Bloodline, blessed by the remnant soul of King Xiao Leo himself, surged through Alpha's veins. It wasn't just energy; it was the authority of a King.
"KNEEL!" Alpha roared.
The aura that exploded from Alpha was not the blue Qi of a regular werewolf. it was a mixture of Midnight Obsidian and Starlight Silver. It carried the scent of ancient forests and the weight of a thousand years of sovereignty.
The Great Elder's Immortal King pressure was swallowed whole by Alpha's aura. The invisible wave of power struck the Great Elder like a physical blow.
CRACK!
The Great Elder's ornate throne—made of reinforced spirit-wood—shattered into splinters. The old man was thrown off his seat, tumbling down the stairs and landing face-first on the cold stone floor. He tried to stand, but the weight of Alpha's bloodline pressed down on his neck, forcing his forehead against the ground.
The entire hall fell into a terrifying silence. The Elders stood up in unison, their faces masks of pure horror and awe.
"That aura..." the Clan Leader whispered, his hands trembling on his armrests. "It's him. It's my father. The Royal Bloodline of the First King!"
The pressure was so intense that even the Stage 4 Immortal King Elders felt their knees buckle. This was not a matter of cultivation level; this was a matter of Hierarchy. In the world of beasts, the King's blood reigns supreme over all, regardless of age or stage.
The Collapse and the Proclamation
Alpha stood there, his hair white and flowing in the chaotic energy, looking like a god of vengeance. But the strain was too much. His body, currently only at the 3rd Level of Spirit Awakening, was being torn apart by the very power it was channeling.
Blood began to leak from his eyes and ears. The light of the rune faded, and his knees finally gave out.
"Alpha!" Alya moved like a flash of lightning, catching him before he hit the ground. She pulled him into her lap, her eyes filled with terror. "Alpha, speak to me! Don't you dare leave me now!"
Alpha looked up at her, a weak, tired smile on his blood-stained face. "I... I told him... I'm not... trash..." his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.
The Clan Leader descended from his throne, walking slowly toward the center of the hall. He looked at the Great Elder, who was still groveling on the floor in shame, and then at the unconscious boy in Alya's arms.
"Listen to me!" the Clan Leader's voice boomed, filled with an undeniable finality. "King Xiao Leo has chosen his successor. Alpha Khan carries the Royal Bloodline. He is no longer a guest. He is no longer a mortal."
He looked at the gathered Elders, his gaze daring anyone to challenge him.
"From this day forth, Alpha Khan's status is equal to my own. He is the Prince of the Werewolf Clan. Anyone who raises a hand against him, or speaks a word of insult, raises a hand against the First King himself! Alya, take him to the Royal Chambers. He needs the best healers we have."
Alya nodded, her heart overflowing with a strange mix of relief and pride. She picked Alpha up, cradling him as if he were the most precious treasure in the existence, and walked out of the hall.