Part 1: The Announcement of the Eternal Night
The entire Jade Celestial City vibrated with the promise of blood and miracles. The second round of the Tournament of the Hundred Sects would not be ordinary: the judges, manipulated by the Purple Light Sect and the Valois, unveiled the change in format.
"From now on, only the worthy survive!" roared the Saint judge, his voice echoing in the coliseum. "A Labyrinth of Death, forged with a hundred trials. Separated from your allies, only the true heirs will reach the summit!"
The roar of the crowd was deafening.
Samael, in the hall of champions, looked at his heirs: Kael, Violeta, Eris, Cedric, Xylia, Elowen. The marks of brotherhood burned faintly on everyone's skin.
"There is no death for the Morningstar today," he said, his voice cold and certain. "Today, the Children of Heaven will fall from their pedestals."
Inside, the System vibrated:
[System (Samael only):]
Special Mission Activated: "Survive the Labyrinth and snatch a rival Heaven's Chosen destiny."
Critical Investment: Possible during the trial.
Spatial Talent Unlocked (Low Stage): Can distort trajectories, open ephemeral shortcuts, and manipulate short distances.
Sword Seed: Resonance with Kael, possible synergy during combat.
Part 2: The Labyrinth Revealed
The competitors were swallowed by portals of light: each fell into a different section of the labyrinth. The walls twisted, made of jade, obsidian, water, and fire, and the Qi saturated the air with traps, illusions, and beasts.
Kael — The Path of a Thousand Swords
Kael landed in a gallery where the walls were blades and reflections. Each step summoned illusions: versions of himself, of his mother, of old rivals.
"Are you only an edge, or can you be a bridge?" whispered a voice.
Kael brandished his sword, the seed pulsating.
He faced three prodigy disciples of the Severing Dragon Sect, their combined techniques soaked in arrogance.
"A son of a fallen clan wants to challenge the true heirs?"
Kael responded with silence and a slash: the "Crimson Shadow Dance" split the enemy Qi, forcing the three to defend together. For the first time, the sword seed and the brotherhood mark resonated: for an instant, Kael felt Samael's warrior intent and the power of family bonds. With an impossible spin, he cut the illusion and the shields of all three at once.
The judges, stunned, watched the Children of Heaven fall under the blade of an outsider.
[System:]
Sword Seed: Partial Advance.
Critical Talent: "Shared Cut" available in the next brotherhood synergy.
Violeta — The Frozen Space
Violeta awoke surrounded by mirrors of frost and fluctuating portals. Void beasts and disciples of the Blue Phoenix Sect harassed her.
"Your ice is simple," mocked a rival, manipulating space to attack from different angles at once.
But Violeta, breathing deeply, let the brotherhood mark guide her. She felt the echo of Samael and Cedric; for an instant, space bent in her palm.
"[Bridge of Frost and Void]," she whispered.
She crossed the field in an impossible leap, freezing the air and trapping enemies in a prism of ice that distorted distance. Attacks bounced off; she reappeared where no one expected her.
One by one, the enemies fell, unable to follow the dragoness who walked between worlds.
[System:]
Spatial Talent: Advance to Intermediate Stage.
Critical Investment Activated: Allies can sense presence and communicate via the mark.
Eris — The Path of Ruin
Eris was dropped into a burning room, surrounded by champions of the Eternal Flame Sect.
"Today we extinguish you, Morningstar," they challenged.
But Eris, wrapped in the mark and the echo of her sister, channeled fire and destruction.
"There is no flame purer than the one lit to protect."
She invoked the [Flame of Ruin] and combined it with the echo of Violeta's spatial energy: for the first time, fire devoured space, burning not only enemies but the barriers of the labyrinth itself, creating shortcuts for her allies.
When the dust settled, the champions lay defeated, and the room burned blue and white.
[System:]
Destruction and Fire Talent: Advance.
Critical Synergy with Spatial Talent: "Fire Shortcut" ability now available for the entire brotherhood in emergencies.
Cedric and Xylia — The Siege of a Thousand Formations
Cedric and Xylia, thrown together into a room of shifting matrices, were besieged by masters of formations and climate control.
"Do you think your formation can handle ours, outsider?" mocked the rival, a Child of Heaven with a golden halo.
Cedric, with the Patriarch's Eye ignited, stole the enemy scheme and returned it multiplied. Xylia, with Empress memory, commanded:
"Obey, storm."
The room's weather changed; rain and lightning swept the enemies away, while Cedric absorbed the matrices and returned them as blades and shields.
At the climax, both joined hands:
"[Mandate of the Emperor and Empress]."
The entire room surrendered to their dominion, and the enemies fled in terror.
Elowen — The Poison and Life Garden
Elowen fell into a cavern filled with traps, poisons, and spirit beasts. Champions of the Serpent Sect awaited her.
"The Morningstar alchemist... do you think nature is on your side?"
Elowen smiled. She let the Wood Dragon and alchemy bloodline pulse.
"Life and death obey the one who understands them."
She transmuted the ambient poison into cures, absorbed toxins, and returned them as medicinal mists that only harmed enemies. Spirit animals protected her, and her rivals fell—some asleep, others purified.
Samael — The Void Corridor
Samael fell into a tunnel that seemed endless. Every step, space folded: enemies appeared in waves. Minor Saints and Half-Saints disguised as disciples, Children of Heaven with golden halos.
Samael used the Void to erase attacks, Blood to heal wounds instantly. For the first time, he attempted to manipulate space: the result was crude, but he managed to distort the battlefield, shifting to the back of his strongest enemy and dealing a devastating blow.
The sword seed pulsed, resonating with Kael in the distance.
At the critical moment, he was cornered by a Valois Champion, a monster born with a celestial halo, protected by Half-Saint runes.
"Today, your bloodline will be devoured, Samael. Fate wills it so."
But Samael, using the System's Critical Investment, sent part of his blood and void power to his allies and received the echo of their talents and emotions in return.
"Destiny... is written by the survivors."
He used a [Void Spatial Displacement]: a sword slash of crimson energy mixed with black and blue pierced the Child of Heaven's defense, stealing part of his bloodline and luck.
The audience, judges, and Saints could barely follow the sequence. The enemy fell, and Samael stood tall, the entire coliseum silenced.
[System:]
Samael has stolen a fragment of destiny bloodline.
Blood and Void in synergy with Space and Sword.
Clan Multiplier Activated: All heirs receive luck and advancement in the next phase.
Part 3: Symphony of Brotherhood and Breaking Patterns
In the center of the Labyrinth, the heirs felt the mark burn: for an instant, everyone saw and heard through the bond, sharing their breakthroughs, wounds, and hopes.
"We are not alone," said Kael.
"Never again," replied Violeta.
Cedric coordinated a final move:
"Advance together. Let's break the final illusion."
The central hall exploded in light when, synchronized, the six executed a combined attack: sword, fire, frost, thunder, alchemy, and void. The labyrinth could not withstand the pressure and collapsed.
Part 4: The World Watches — Reactions and Politics
The boxes of the Jade Celestial City erupted in shouts and rumors. Patriarchs and Saints stood up; some applauded, others paled.
Alaric Valois, from his throne, gritted his teeth, feeling for the first time the shadow of fear.
The Saint of the Purple Light Sect ordered an immediate rule change.
"Let the next round be to the death! Divide the Morningstars, use everything at your disposal!"
Samael and his own emerged from the labyrinth, wounded but undefeated, and the name Morningstar roared throughout the city.
[System:]
Labyrinth Survival Mission: Complete.
You have snatched a Saint-level destiny.
Heritage Chest available; decision pending on assimilation of stolen bloodline.
Clan Bonus: +1000 luck, next advancement incoming.
Part 5: Cliffhanger — The Real Game Begins
That night, while the clan celebrated amidst tears and wounds, Samael observed the System chest. The stolen destiny of a Child of Heaven burned in his hands, and the choice to assimilate it or invest it would mark the next era.
High above, lightning crossed the sky: an enemy Saint prepared his descent.
The labyrinth had fallen, but the war was just beginning.