“Mr. Chance!” Luther and the surviving captains rushed in, eyes brimming with concern and reverence. That single battle had seen Jared smash the three-hundred-thousand Celestial Army, slay the Grand Venerable, drive back envoys of the Fourteenth Firmament, and unveil the mythic Golden Dragon Bloodline. From this moment on, Jared’s name would echo through every corner of level thirteen.
“I’m fine…” Jared said, waving them off as he turned toward the battlefield. Of the three-hundred-thousand Celestial Army, fewer than fifty thousand escaped; the rest lay dead. The hundred-thousand Beastfolk Army had paid dearly as well, dwindling to a little over thirty thousand survivors.
Hills of corpses and rivers of blood filled the field, severed limbs strewn everywhere in unspeakable carnage. Yet the battle was won. Epea was liberated, celestial rule there ended for good!
Jared ordered, “Pass my command! Gather our dead and bury them with honor. Treat every wounded soldier at full strength. Also, send messengers to every resistance group; tell them the time to strike back has arrived.”
“Yes, sir!” the crowd answered together, their voices thick with excitement and pride.
Couriers raced over mountain passes, shouting that the Celestial Grand Venerable had fallen and the three-hundred-thousand-strong host was no more; the tale tore through level thirteen like a gale.
*** In the Eastern Region, Jade Immortal Manor, at the news, Lord Jadeinfinity threw back his head and laughed. “Good! Good! Good! Young Friend Jared is a man of his word. All forces of the eastern region will purge the remaining celestials and reclaim our land!”
In the Northern Region, Coldabyss City, Cyril stroked his beard and smiled. “I did not misjudge him! Spread the word: Coldabyss City will open every resource we have to the rebels!”
Across the southern lands, the central plains, and every reach of level thirteen, clans long crushed under celestial boots erupted like volcanoes waking from a thousand-year slumber. Celestial branch halls fell one after another; celestial cultivators scattered like rats, hounded and cursed by all.
In only seven days, more than seventy percent of level thirteen slipped from celestial control. While all this unfolded, the man who had started it, Jared Chance, remained in seclusion, nursing his wounds.
Inside a quiet chamber, he sat cross-legged while bands of gold and ash swirled over his body in slow alternation. The Golden Dragon Bloodline’s awakening had granted him tremendous power, yet it carried hidden danger as well.
His body was still human; the sudden surge had torn meridians, the energy center, and the sea of consciousness to different degrees. That damage deepened whenever the chaotic force collided with the dragon power.
The Golden Dragon Bloodline was pure, unyielding power, while chaotic force embraced all things; in theory, the two should have complemented each other. Yet Jared’s grasp of both remained crude, so inside him they crashed together like water against flame.
His brows knitted as he murmured, “I must find a way to balance them soon…”
He began cycling the Chaos Canon, guiding the chaotic force through his veins in cautious pulses. Each time Jared coaxed the Golden Dragon Bloodline to flow, the power bucked hard. Razor-sharp heat skated along every channel, as if knives were carving him open from within.
A rough hiss of breath slipped between his teeth, the sound thin and ragged in the still chamber. He let the stale air spill out in one long gust, then forced his eyes wide despite the sting behind his lids. A test flex of shoulder and spine sent bright pain lancing through muscle and bone. The damage ran deeper than he had guessed, and quick recovery felt impossibly far away.
“Mr. Chance!” Luther’s voice came from beyond the closed door. “Eastern Jade Immortal Manor, Coldabyss City of the Northern Realm, the Southern Sunfire Sect, and fourteen more factions have sent gifts. They ask when you will convene a summit to discuss level thirteen’s future.”
Jared weighed the request for a heartbeat. “Tell them the summit will be held in ten days. I will be there in person.”
“Understood!” Luther answered, yet his footsteps never retreated from the threshold.
“Is there something else?” Jared asked into the quiet.
After a pause, Luther lowered his tone. “Mr. Chance, the Fourteenth Firmament will not let this rest. The two Envoys who escaped will report everything. Stronger forces may descend.”
Jared nodded. “I know. We have to hurry and consolidate level thirteen’s strength. Only united can we stand against the Fourteenth Firmament. Also, send scouts to learn everything about the Fourteenth Firmament. Know yourself and the enemy, and you will never be defeated.”
“Understood!” Luther accepted the order and finally withdrew.
Jared closed his eyes once more, letting his consciousness sink inward like a stone dropping into deep water. In the heart of his energy center, the Chaos Genesis Seed and a spinning ball of golden light born of the Golden Dragon Bloodline orbited each other. A fragile gray filament linked them, quivering as though ready to snap.
His lips moved in a whisper. “I need a way for both powers to live under the same roof.”
Memory flickered. A line from the Nether True Canon surfaced unbidden: *Chaos is mother, every method her child. Golden Dragon stands for blazing light, Nether for absolute darkness. When they complete each other, chaos is whole…* “Hmm… Complete each other?” The phrase lodged in his chest and pulsed. The Golden Dragon Bloodline was pure light; a counterbalancing darkness might let it coexist with chaotic force. As for such a darkness source… Nether City’s dense nether aura rose in his mind’s eye. That aura ranked among the purest darkness energies in all creation.
“Looks like I’ll be visiting Nether City again,” he decided silently. First, though, he had to steady the situation across level thirteen.
*** Ten days slipped away in a blink.
Before Godsbane Hall, a newly built plaza now held delegates from hundreds of factions spread across every corner of level thirteen. Lord Jadeinfinity, Cyril, and the Sunfire Sect Master—figures rarely seen together—had all traveled to Epea for this day. Every gaze fixed on the hall doors, waiting for a single man to appear.
When Jared stepped out of Godsbane Hall, a hush rolled over the square like midnight fog. He wore the same plain blue robe and carried the Dragonslayer Sword, yet his aura felt deeper, steadier. Faint golden lines, the mark of the Golden Dragon Bloodline, traced his brow.
“Thank you all for coming so far,” Jared said, hands cupped in greeting.
“Mr. Chance is too courteous!”
“Attending this summit is our honor!”
Bows and respectful gestures rippled through the crowd; not one voice dared show disrespect. Jared mounted the platform and let his gaze sweep across the gathering.
“I have called everyone here for one purpose: the future of level thirteen.” His calm voice carried to the edges of the square. “For millennia the celestials bled our realms, forging soul crystals from living spirits. The Grand Venerable is dead, their main host scattered. This is our best chance to reclaim our skies… But the danger is not gone. The Fourteenth Firmament will strike back, and they will send mightier foes.”
He paused, then continued, “I propose we form the Thirteenth Firmament Alliance, pooling every region’s strength against outside threats… Within the alliance, each region governs itself. Yet if an enemy comes, every blade must face outward together… Ladies and gentlemen, will you stand with me?”
Silence lasted a heartbeat, then the square erupted in answer.
“Eastern Jade Immortal Manor agrees!”
“Coldabyss City of the Northern Realm agrees!”
“Sunfire Sect of the Southern Region agrees!”
“The Beastfolk of the Western Region agree!”
“The Ghost Clan agrees!”
