Part 1: The Omen of the Storm
The moon hung like a relentless eye over Skull Rock. The air vibrated with energy and foreboding. The Morningstar clan, more united than ever, occupied the fortress. Every sentry, every apprentice, every leader felt the imminence of something historic.
Atop the Dragon Tower, Samael, Kael, Violeta, Eris, Lilith, Cedric, Xylia, Elowen, and Seraphina watched the horizon. Samael invoked the Patriarch's Eye: he saw hundreds of enemies approaching—and the destiny of the night burning in the air.
[System (Samael only):] Threats Detected:
Shadow of the Dunes (Origin Realm, Assassination and Sand Manipulation skills).
Second Valois Ancestor (Half-Saint, High Stage).
3 Origin Realm Commanders.
Over 60 Transcendent Cultivators.
500 Elite Soldiers.
Malak's Legion:
Malak (Origin Realm Stage 3).
Shadows: Transcendent Rank (Stages 5-9).
Battle Luck Multiplier: Active.
Part 2: The First Strike
The attack arrived like thunder: explosions of Qi, energy arrows, and the screams of the first fallen. The Crimson Matrix incinerated dozens in the vanguard, but the enemy Half-Saints advanced, razing the ground to weaken the defenses.
Kael, with his sword seed pulsating, leaped over the wall and carved a path through the Transcendents, his blade illuminated by the tower's light. Violeta and Eris, ice and fire in a lethal dance, halted the onslaught with thrusts and bursts of flame.
Malak emerged from Samael's shadow, his figure now more imposing, the Origin Realm aura swirling around him. "Today, the shadows will not be prey, but executioners," he proclaimed.
Fifty specters of his legion glided through the enemy lines, dismembering, suffocating, and sowing terror. Transcendent cultivators fell without knowing who had touched them.
Lilith, wrapped in ash and gold, summoned flame shields and healed the wounded. Cedric wove illusory formations, creating doubles and labyrinths that confused the attackers.
Part 3: The Assassin and the Ancestor
The Shadow of the Dunes, now in the Origin Realm, slipped beneath the defense, hunting for Samael. His control over the sand allowed him to open rifts and appear behind the Morningstar lines.
But Malak intercepted him. "You shall not pass, assassin."
The two clashed, Malak using shadow chains and the Shadow of the Dunes wielding sand blades. The duel was fierce: death techniques against darkness, offense against defense.
At the same time, the Second Valois Ancestor, wielding the power of a Half-Saint, attacked the wall with purple lightning. Seraphina and Lilith united fire and ice to block him, holding the defense with every fiber of their being.
Part 4: The Guardian and the Clumsiness of Space
Samael felt the pressure. Without hesitation, he activated the Guardian Contract: "Awaken, Desert Guardian!"
The egg glowed, and the beast emerged: dragon wings, a lion's body, golden fangs. Its mere presence halted the enemy Transcendents. The Guardian, possessing the power of a Late-Stage Half-Saint, blocked the Valois Half-Saint's attacks, roaring and deflecting lightning with its scales.
Samael attempted to use his spatial affinity: he distorted the air, shifting his figure to dodge a slash from the Shadow of the Dunes, but the control was clumsy, barely managing to open a gap for a counterattack. "I need time... I haven't mastered this gift yet," he growled, frustrated.
Part 5: The Turn and the Victory
At the climax, Eris and Violeta, together, broke the encirclement of an enemy squad, using the synergy of fire and ice to seal an attack portal opened by an Origin cultivator. Kael, bleeding, cut down a Stage 9 Transcendent with a single slash, briefly releasing the aura of his future as a Sword Saint.
Malak, after a deadly struggle, managed to trap the Shadow of the Dunes between shadow chains and sand, sealing him temporarily beneath the earth. "Return to dust, assassin. Here reigns the darkness of the dragon."
The Guardian, wounded but undefeated, roared one last time and repelled the Half-Saint advance. Cedric and Xylia, with the Ten Thousand Mirrors Formation, multiplied the illusions of the Tower, confusing the enemy's retreat.
The Valois Ancestor, seeing defeat, screamed for retreat. The Valois survivors fled under a rain of purple arrows and Lilith's embers.
Part 6: Reward and Rest
The battlefield remained covered in corpses, steam, and frost. The clan, exhausted but standing, embraced and wept for the fallen and the victory.
Samael, standing atop the tower, felt the System vibrate:
[DING!] [Epic battle won against superior rank invasion.] [Reward: Heaven Grade Chest received.]
Claim to obtain high-level technique, item, or bloodline. [Bonus: Bloodline Fusion Seal x1] (Allows combining two bloodlines in a descendant or future heir). [Warning: New notoriety attracts the attention of even greater forces.]
Only Samael saw the golden chest and the promise of fusion. He knew the clan's destiny remained in his hands.
While the others celebrated, Malak and his Legion—many wounded but none fallen—bowed before Samael. "Master, the shadow remains yours. The Void guides us," said Malak.
Samael nodded, grateful. "Today, the shadows have saved the dragon."
Part 7: Epilogue and Omen
At dawn, Samael gathered the clan. "Today, the world saw what we are capable of. But the war has only just begun. You will have to train more, grow more, and never forget that every victory is just a step toward the summit."
In the distance, the Valois banners burned, and the Shadow of the Dunes swore vengeance beneath the sand. In the Purple Light Sect, Alaric Valois received the news, his eyes cold and his ambition awakened.
The Morningstar clan, at last, had a day of respite.
[System (Samael only):]
Heaven Grade Chest available.
Bloodline Fusion Seal stored.
Clan Luck Multiplier increased.
Do you claim the reward now or await the advice of the ancestors in the Hall of Bloodlines?
Samael looked at the horizon, blood and future dancing in his chest. The dragon's roar had changed the world.