Part 1: The Echo of Victory and Wounds
The labyrinth had collapsed, but the roar of the Morningstar victory still echoed through the halls of the Celestial Jade City. The clan members, covered in blood, wounds, and sweat, returned to their temporary base. The air smelled of ozone, Qi, and euphoria.
Kael, his blade still stained, embraced Violeta and Eris, who trembled between smiles and tears. Cedric and Xylia, exhausted, collapsed in a corner; Elowen, leaning against a jade wall, distributed recovery pills and aromatic ointments.
The junior disciples cheered for the heirs. For the first time in centuries, the Morningstar name was not synonymous with downfall, but with reborn legend.
But Samael did not celebrate. Sitting alone at the end of the room, he watched the ethereal chest floating before him: the Inheritance Chest. Inside, the stolen bloodline of a son of heaven—a power capable of changing history, but also of unleashing the wrath of gods and Saints.
[System (for Samael only): —Inheritance Chest available. —Stolen Saint bloodline: can be assimilated, reinvested, or sacrificed to empower the clan. —Warning: each choice will alter fate and attract hidden enemies. —Recovery bonus: all heirs can heal wounds and advance half a stage if the ritual is activated.]
Part 2: Heirs' Council — Decision in Blood
Samael summoned Kael, Violeta, Eris, Cedric, Xylia, and Elowen to the inner room, sealing the entrances with a silence matrix. The chest floated between them, pulsing with golden and violet runes.
"This is not just power," said Samael, his voice grave. "It's a sentence and a promise. If I assimilate this bloodline, the clan will advance... but destiny will be guided by a force we don't control. If I reinvest it in one of you, we could create a new monster or a saint. If I sacrifice it for the clan, everyone will advance, but we lose the possibility of a legendary leap."
Kael clenched his fist. "I don't want glory if it means losing our way."
Violeta hesitated, staring at the mark on her chest. "And if the price is giving up our humanity?"
Cedric, pragmatic, opined, "The clan must survive, no matter the form. But if the enemy can use this power, why not do it ourselves first?"
Elowen, her voice sweet but firm, "If it is to be shared, let it be as root, not as rotten fruit. If it is given to one, let the one with the strongest heart bear it."
Xylia intervened with the authority of an empress, "The empire belongs to the bold, but the innocent pay the price. If you decide to risk everything, do it knowing that each of us will walk with you to the end."
Samael let the silence mature. The system showed him three paths:
[1. Assimilate the bloodline: Samael advances to Semi-Saint and gains a minor law. 2. Reinvest: one of the heirs receives the bloodline, with Saint potential, but a risk of instability. 3. Sacrifice: the entire clan rises half a stage, and junior disciples unlock sealed talents. Warning: each choice will alter destiny, the enemy, and upcoming trials.]
In the end, Samael looked at his family and smiled.
"Today, the clan decides together. Let's vote."
(Leave the result for the next chapter, creating suspense: absolute power, supreme brotherhood, or strategic sacrifice?)
Part 3: Recovery and Advancement
While the debate continued, the clan members took advantage of the system's bonus.
Kael, Violeta, Eris, Cedric, Xylia, and Elowen felt their Qi expand. Their bloodlines vibrated, and all advanced half a stage, solidifying their progress after the labyrinth.
The junior disciples celebrated: some broke through the Sea of Qi and Transcendence barriers, others manifested an ancestral talent for the first time (minor lightning, rapid healing, heightened senses).
The system notified Samael:
[Recovery bonus activated. —Disciples: +0.5 average stage. —Captains: +0.5 to 1 stage depending on merit. —Chance to awaken minor bloodline: +10% in the next generation. —Clan luck set to "High." —Next survival/challenge mission will activate after the chest decision.]
Part 4: Rumors, Politics, and Alliances
While the Morningstars recovered, politics boiled outside the coliseum.
A messenger from the Eternal Lion Clan offered a secret alliance, frightened by the Morningstar's power.
An assassin disguised as an emissary tried to infiltrate but was detected by Cedric's matrix and neutralized by Lilith.
Alaric Valois was seen in private with a Saint from the Purple Light Sect. Rumors of a "final blow" or a forbidden weapon multiplied.
A group of minor clans, inspired by the Morningstars, proposed forming a "Blood and Void Alliance" to challenge the current order.
Samael personally addressed the proposal, knowing every alliance was a double-edged sword.
Part 5: The System and the Vision of Danger
While meditating, Samael felt the system vibrate urgently.
[System Vision: —A hooded figure activates a forbidden formation beneath the coliseum, awakening a sealed Saint puppet. —An enemy ancestor swears to destroy Morningstar, even if the tournament becomes a massacre. —The sky turns red: the stolen bloodline begins to attract the attention of ancient entities, demanding blood or balance.]
The system warns:
[The next battle may be an extermination fight. If the clan survives, the continent's fate will change forever.]
Part 6: Cliffhanger — The Announcement of the Next Round
The judges, pressured by the Sect and the Valois, announce the next round:
—The Battle of Inheritances! Teams will face off in elimination duels, and the winner will be allowed to steal or seal the loser's bloodline. No rules exist: only survival.
The crowd, Saints, and Patriarchs roar. The name Morningstar is now feared and revered. Samael feels the weight of the chest, of destiny, and of the choice.
As night falls over the Celestial Jade City, the clan prepares for the most brutal battle yet... and the world hears the echo of a roar that will not fade.
END OF CHAPTER 32