The Ye Clan estate stood resolute beneath a dusk sky swallowed by black and crimson, the air thick with the hum of void qi and the fading screech of the golden eagle's defeat. The courtyard pulsed with tension, the fire roaring as Ye Hua clutched a mended tunic, her gray eyes wide with dread at the hill where Tian Xu's black-robed army crested, their leader's golden eyes blazing like twin infernos. Ye Qing gripped his spear at the gate, his grizzled face taut, his voice a growl as he urged Ye Jun and Ye Mei to stay behind the barricade. Ye Chen knelt by the western wall, his ward-stone clutched tight, his twisted leg braced as the earth trembled. Ye Ling prowled the gatehouse, her dagger a restless gleam, her braid snapping with each sharp stride.
Lin Feng stood before the gate, his silhouette a dark blade against the void. The eagle's fall had steeled the Ye Clan's spirit, but Tian Xu's arrival—his sworn brother, his betrayer—ignited a storm of rage and destiny. His muddy-brown eyes locked on the hill, calm yet relentless. Inside, Zhan Tian's divine soul surged, the seal's fracture a molten abyss spilling golden qi into his veins. Each clash had torn it wider—a tempest breaking free, forging this frail shell into a weapon of retribution. He tilted his head, the hum vibrating through his bones, power surging within—not yet the god's full might, but a storm to end his past.
Ye Ling dropped beside him, her boots thudding on the earth, her voice a sharp whisper. "He's here," she said, dagger trembling. "Your reckoning?"
"His," Lin Feng replied, his tone ice. "He sealed me. I'll unseal him."
Her grin flashed, fierce and wild. "Let's break him together."
"He'll break alone," he said, meeting her fire with frost. "Get them ready."
The clan rallied in the courtyard, their movements a thread of steel laced with dread. Ye Qing planted his spear, Ye Chen pocketed his stone, and Ye Hua stood with the kids, her hands clenched tight. Lin Feng faced them, his presence a steady flame in the humming dark.
"Tian Xu's come," he said, voice cutting the air. "My betrayer. He wants me dead. We don't yield. We end him."
Ye Qing's grip tightened, his voice rough. "He's peak Foundation. You sure?"
"He's my prey," Lin Feng said, eyes glinting. "Woods to slow his dogs, walls to hold. I'll take him."
Ye Chen's sharp gaze cut through, probing. "He's strong. Why face him alone?"
"To bury him," Lin Feng said, unyielding. "Move."
The clan surged into action. Ye Ling darted to the woods, rigging snares with a hunter's haste—barbed twine stretched taut, stakes driven deep. Ye Chen carved wards along the walls, his strokes swift, the air thrumming with faint power. Ye Qing and the kids piled logs into a jagged barricade, their small hands trembling but resolute. Lin Feng worked alone, etching a deeper array into the gate's keystone—a lattice of qi, raw and fierce, pulsing with intent. The seal flared as he channeled power, pain spiking through his chest, but he pressed on—a trap for the proud.
The hum swelled—a cold, sharp drone that clawed at the soul. Tian Xu descended the hill, his black robes billowing, his qi a void-like storm—Foundation Establishment, peak-stage, a force of annihilation. His golden eyes shimmered with triumph, his dark blade pulsing with shadow qi. Behind him marched thirty black-robed enforcers, their qi a disciplined shadow—Core Formation peaks, chanting his name in low, reverent tones.
Tian Xu halted before the woods, his voice a velvet blade. "Zhan Tian, my brother. Still playing with trash? Kneel, and I'll make it quick."
Ye Qing stepped forward, spear leveled, his voice a snarl. "He's ours. Come try."
Tian Xu's laugh rang out, a chilling echo. "Try? I'll erase you all." He swung his blade, qi flaring—a void arc tearing the earth. The enforcers charged, a tide of shadow and steel.
Lin Feng stepped forward, alone. "Hold," he murmured to the clan, then faced Tian Xu. The enforcers hit the woods—Ye Ling's snares snapped, barbs slashing robes, stakes tripping boots. Five stumbled, cursing, as her dagger flashed from the shadows, nicking a throat before she darted back. Ye Chen's wards pulsed, slowing the rest, their steps faltering. Ye Qing hurled a log, smashing a shoulder with a crack.
Tian Xu glided through, his golden eyes locked on Lin Feng. "You've clawed free, brother," he said, qi surging—a void storm ripping the air. He lunged, his dark blade slashing—a shadow arc aiming for Lin Feng's heart.
Lin Feng shifted, the strike grazing his chest, and countered—qi surging, the seal's fracture splitting wide, golden light flooding his veins. Pain seared his core, but he struck Tian Xu's arm—qi hardening his fist to steel—a dull thud rippling through the betrayer's frame. Tian Xu's smile twisted, shock flickering in his eyes, and he swung again—faster, a vortex of dark qi.
Lin Feng wove through, palming a runed stone. He tossed it at Tian Xu's feet—the array flared, a cage of force gripping his legs. Tian Xu snarled, qi surging to shatter it, but Lin Feng struck his chest—a golden pulse cracking ribs. The betrayer staggered, his blade dipping into the mud.
The enforcers pressed the gate, shadows and blades hammering the barricade. Ye Ling darted out, her dagger slashing a thigh, blood spraying as she ducked back. Ye Chen's sling cracked, a stone smashing a helm with a clang. Ye Qing roared, spearing a gut, his spear bending under the strain. Ye Jun peeked from the hall, clutching a rock— "Now!" Lin Feng shouted. He hurled it, small but fierce, striking Tian Xu's hand as he rose. The dark blade faltered, and Ye Ling pounced, her dagger slashing his arm—a wisp of shadow bleeding out.
Tian Xu's qi flared—peak Foundation power surging, a void storm. "You think you've won, brother?" he roared, his blade flaring—a dark wave tearing the earth. Lin Feng met it, the seal's golden tide roaring—pain a forge as it split fully open. He dodged, striking Tian Xu's arm—a sharp snap—and the betrayer reeled, his blade faltering. The enforcers pressed harder, their qi a disciplined wave. Ye Qing's spear pierced armor, Ye Chen's stones felled another, and Ye Ling's dagger danced, claiming a life.
Tian Xu laughed, cold and sharp. "I sealed you once—I'll seal you forever!" His qi surged, a dark seal forming in the air—a void rune pulsing with intent. Lin Feng's blood chilled—the same seal that had bound him years ago. He lunged, catching the rune bare-handed—qi a shield against the shadow's sting—golden light blazing. The seal screamed, its fracture breaking wider, and he crushed the rune, golden qi shattering it into dust.
Tian Xu's eyes widened, his smile gone. Lin Feng struck, a fist to his chest—a golden burst hurling him back into his enforcers, toppling them like pins. The betrayer crashed into the dirt, blood flecking his lips, his qi flickering. "Impossible…" he rasped, staggering up.
Lin Feng loomed over him, voice a quiet blade. "You buried a god. I'm risen." He drove a palm into Tian Xu's jaw—a crack dropping him flat, unconscious.
The enforcers faltered, half down, the rest fleeing into the dark. The Ye Clan erupted—Ye Ling's wild cheer, Ye Qing's booming laugh, Ye Chen's stunned grin. Lin Feng turned, the golden qi fading, his chest bleeding but his stance firm.
Ye Qing thumped his back, grinning. "You're a damn god, lad! Smashed him flat!"
Ye Ling wiped her dagger, her eyes blazing. "He's done—you're unreal!"
Ye Chen limped forward, his voice sharp. "Peak Foundation, broken. That's no mortal."
Lin Feng pressed a hand to his chest, shrugging. "He underestimated me. That's his fall."
That night, the clan huddled in the hall, the fire roaring with looted wood. Ye Hua bound Lin Feng's wound, her voice soft. "You're our storm," she said, tears brimming. "We'd be ash without you."
"Storms rise," he said, letting her tend it. "We're forging tougher."
Ye Ling sat close, her tone low. "You glowed—gold, bright as dawn. Don't dodge."
He met her gaze, steady. "Stay with me. You'll see."
She smirked. "Always."
Later, alone by the gate, Lin Feng knelt, tracing the keystone's fading array. The seal's fracture burned—a golden maelstrom now fully unleashed, its power his to wield. Tian Xu's qi had shattered it—a betrayer's malice forging a god's rebirth. He guided the power, forging his frame—muscles hardening, pain a fading echo.
Ye Chen joined him, his shadow faint. "He's down," he said, blunt. "But not dead."
Lin Feng rose, meeting his eyes. "He'll wish he was."
Ye Chen's lips quirked—a spark of resolve. As silence fell, a low hum rose—not shadow, but steel and fire. Lin Feng's head snapped up—a red-robed figure crested the hill, qi a blazing storm, eyes glinting with golden fury, a voice whispering, "The heavens see you, Zhan Tian."