Part 1: The Sacrifice of Fortune
The night before the ritual was restless and fleeting. Few slept within the shelter of Skull Rock. Children whispered legends, elders prayed to the ancestors, and warriors sharpened their weapons, aware that they stood on the border between the impossible and the inevitable. In every corner, the sensation was the same: the world was about to change forever.
At dawn, Samael knelt before the main altar, his hands trembling with a mixture of exhaustion, nerves, and the weight of every gaze upon him. The entire clan—more than 330 souls—formed concentric circles in the central plaza. No one spoke; there was only the dull thud of racing hearts and the murmur of the wind over the rock.
In his mind, only the System accompanied him in this transcendent moment.
[Accumulated Luck: 20,300 / 20,000.]
[Mystery Luck Chest: Unlocked and Sealed.]
[Ascension Condition Met.]
[Supreme Event: "Awakening of the Dragon and the Pillar of Heaven"]
Consume all luck to initiate the Ascension Ritual and claim rewards?
Note: The rewards will be legendary and will alter the clan's destiny.
[Proceed?]
Samael opened his eyes, his golden irises reflecting the reddish light of dawn.
"For the lost past and the invincible future," he whispered. "[YES]."
Part 2: The Dragon's Roar and the Transformation of the World
The instant the "yes" was spoken, time seemed to stop. A pillar of golden and crimson light erupted from Samael's blood, ascending like a spear until it split the firmament. The earth trembled, not with violence, but with the pulse of a giant heart: the entire Skull Rock vibrated, ancestral runes burning and the defensive formation twisting with a tangible glow.
The Morningstars fell to their knees—some weeping, others laughing—all overwhelmed by a pressure so ancient and benevolent that many felt the presence of their own ancestors grazing their souls.
In the sky, the clouds swirled, and with a soundless thunderclap, an ethereal dragon formed. It had scales of gold and obsidian, eyes the color of the void, and a crown of crimson flames. The dragon roared, and the roar was not a sound, but a wave of energy that shook the soul of every clan member, stripping away impurities, healing old wounds, and elevating the cores of everyone present. Some disciples broke through cultivation barriers instantly, crying with relief and power.
In the plaza, the seated elders felt years and injuries fade away. Children awakened latent talents. Warriors perceived how the blood in their veins burned like never before.
Kael, with his dark red hair plastered to his forehead and golden eyes on the verge of tears, felt his physique vibrating, an inner voice promising him that the "lost fire" of his origins would burn again.
Violeta, kneeling beside Eris, felt that the frost and the sun finally reconciled in her chest. "Today, my parents rest in peace," she thought.
Lilith collapsed, overwhelmed by a pressure that broke her and healed her at the same time. "For once... the ancestors have heard us."
Seraphina, near the altar, was enveloped in icy blue light. Memories of a past imperial life flickered in her mind, and for a fraction of a second, her voice was that of the Empress who challenged the Heavens.
[System (Samael only):]
Ascension Ritual Initiated.
Luck Consumed: 20,000.
Conditions: Perfect!
Activation of "Supreme Event" and "Bloodline Synchrony".
All clan members receive +2 Cultivation Stages (Max up to Transcendent Stage 6).
Unlocking of latent talents and hidden heritages.
Spirit Barrier reinforced to Legendary Level.
Natural resources of the territory increased x2 for one year.
Unique Effect: The Morningstar bloodline can now awaken exceptional blood mutations every three generations.
Major rewards are automatically stored in the System Warehouse.
Part 3: The Great System Rewards
In Samael's mind, explosions of information and treasures occurred:
1. Mystery Luck Chest (EPIC):
Universal Heritage Crystal: Allows any member to awaken or evolve a bloodline, even combining two existing ones.
Mythical Gacha Ticket: One spin, guaranteeing a Legendary/Mythical level technique, item, or beast.
Summoning Contract - Ancestral Guardian: Allows summoning (once) a Half-Saint rank guardian associated with the original Morningstar bloodline.
Seed of Absolute Void Law: Grants Samael the potential to comprehend and embody a Primordial Law in the future.
Map of an Ancient Saint's Tomb: A treasure and danger for the future, with opportunities to obtain unique weapons, techniques, or allies.
Key to Underground Cultivation Sanctuary: Unlocks a secure and accelerated space for the clan.
2. Clan Ascension Rewards:
Dragon Tower Pavilion (Evolutionary Level): A five-story tower of black jade and red wood, where the Qi flow is ten times denser. Accelerates cultivation, aids in comprehending martial techniques, and serves as the core for the base's absolute defense.
Spirit Beast Egg: Guardian of the Sand (Mythical Grade): Incubation pending; can become a legendary ally, mount, or "living weapon" of the clan.
Mythical Grade Technique: "Ten Thousand Mirrors Formation" (Given to Cedric): Allows the creation of defensive or illusory formations on a city scale.
Clan Trait: "Black Iron Will" (Passive): All members gain resistance to fear, demonic corruption, and +20% physical defense. The clan is now famous for enduring sieges and never surrendering.
Major Luck Rune: +5,000 automatic luck points for the next era.
Dragon Blood Core Crystal: Allows Samael to advance to the Origin Realm during the ritual. Can be used to forge a new weapon or empower the bloodline.
Access to the "Hall of Forgotten Bloodlines": A spiritual space where Samael can consult ancestral memories and techniques.
3. Base Improvements and Resources:
Automatic Upgrades to Defensive Matrix (Crimson Ring Matrix): Nullifies the entry of any enemy below Half-Saint and weakens Half-Saints by 40% upon entry.
Fortress and Oasis Resources doubled for one year.
Increase in fertility and birth of exceptional talents in the coming generations.
4. Unique System Bonus:
Choice of Destiny (Samael Only):
a) Immediate awakening of a Minor Law (to choose).
b) Extend Matrix protection to external allies (max 2 minor clans).
c) Reveal the exact location of a lost imperial relic.
[All rewards stored. Only Samael knows the details and can distribute or activate them according to strategy.]
Part 4: Samael — The New Origin
As the dragon in the sky faded and the clan celebrated amidst tears and laughter, Samael felt a violent pulse in his Dantian. The Dragon Blood Core Crystal vibrated in the system space.
[System:]
Do you wish to use the Crystal to advance to the Origin Realm?
Note: The ritual will be visible to those sensitive to Qi and may attract the attention of powerful enemies.
Bonus: Ascent to Peak Origin guaranteed, possibility of awakening a dormant secondary affinity.
Samael did not hesitate.
"Today, the clan needs a living shield. [Yes]."
He sat on the altar, the crystal fusing with his chest.
The world disappeared. He felt the Sea of Qi swirl, cells and blood burning like never before. The pain was absolute, the energy overflowing. The Void and the Blood fought within, colliding and finally fusing into a single river of violet and crimson.
A dull roar shook the plaza: Samael rose into the air, wrapped in Qi dragons spinning around him.
New meridians opened, the Origin Core shining like a polished sphere of obsidian and gold inside his chest.
[System:]
Samael Morningstar: Origin Realm, Stage 9 (Peak).
Vitality, perception, and power increased x5.
New Technique Unlocked: "Void Dragon Domain."
Attribute "Bloodline Eye": Allows discerning talents and weaknesses in allies and enemies.
Kael, Violeta, Eris, and the entirety of the clan watched in reverent silence. For the first time, they were not just protected by a leader: they were guided by a living legend.
Part 5: The Roar that Crosses the Continent
The energy pillar of the ascension transformed not only Skull Rock. It was visible for minutes from every village, caravan, and ruin in the desert, and even far beyond.
— North — Valois Fortress:
In the Hall of Ice, the Valois Patriarch (Half-Saint, High Stage) stared at the horizon, his fist clenched around a piece of broken jade.
At his sides, two Half-Saint ancestors discussed strategies, and several Origin and Transcendent Realm executors knelt in a circle.
"The rise of the Morningstars has begun..." said the Patriarch, his voice icy. "They have reached far further than I ever imagined."
One of the ancestors spat with contempt:
"Why don't we send the Protector already? Or do you want your son, that useless Alaric, to lose face again?"
The Patriarch turned, blue eyes burning with fury.
"My son is the key to the Purple Light Sect, the only one capable of inheriting a Saint legacy. Our patience was costly, but now the hunt will be total."
The map of the desert glowed on the table.
"We will send the Shadow of the Dunes and the Second Ancestor. If the Dragon Tower does not fall, we attack with everything. And when the Morningstars bleed... Alaric will be the executioner."
— Purple Light Sect (Grade 7) —
In a floating pavilion among purple clouds, Alaric Valois (now in his twenties, graceful, handsome, ice-eyed, and dressed in purple) trained with an elder Saint, his master.
The elder—face as thin and sharp as a dagger, golden eyes—looked south, Qi fluctuating around him.
"The dragon's aura has awakened," he mused. "Alaric, are you prepared to fulfill your father's will?"
Alaric bowed, a twisted smile on his lips. "When my family claims the throne, Morningstar blood will serve as the foundation."
The Saint nodded.
"Do not underestimate the bloodline. One who carries dragon and void in their blood can become a calamity or a miracle."
Alaric tightened his ring: "Miracles die when saints decide to hunt."
Part 6: The Shadow of Challenge
While the Morningstar celebration exploded in chants and euphoria, far away, on the border of the desert, a hooded figure—the Shadow of the Dunes, a Peak Transcendent assassin—knelt before the Valois Patriarch.
"My mission?" he asked, voice like sand in the wind.
"Destroy the Dragon Tower. Let the Morningstar clan contemplate the death of their hope. But... do it slowly. Let them fear the night."
The Shadow of the Dunes nodded.
"By dawn, nothing will remain but dust."
And in the Sect's pavilion, a mirror darkened.
The Saint observed the pulse of energy and smiled:
"Welcome to the game, Desert Dragon. Soon you will know true hell."
Part 7: Epilogue — The New Edict
Back in the plaza, Samael, exhausted but undefeated, raised his hand. Silence fell like a cloak.
"Today, the name Morningstar is a source of pride and fear. Today, we have ceased to be a whisper of pity and have become a legend.
Celebrate! Eat, drink, and train. Because the world has seen our roar, and many will come to steal our glory.
But I swear, by my blood and that of all the fallen, that when they arrive, they will not find ruins."
"They will strike a wall of dragon and void!"
The clan roared with him, new energy vibrating in every cell, the night glowing in the newborn Tower, and the eyes of all the powerful figures of the continent, for the first time in centuries...
turned toward Skull Rock.
[End of Chapter 23]