Chapter 15: The Final Training and a Prisoner’s Request
The night before the Enforcers’ attack was quiet—too quiet. The wind died down, the crickets stopped chirping, and even the cherry blossoms ceased to fall. Lin Yue stood on the training ground, watching the disciples practice their linked shields. Half a dozen of them stood in a circle, their qi glowing, Lin Yue’s dragon qi weaving between them to hold the shields together. It was still imperfect—some shields flickered, some links broke—but it was progress. Slow, steady progress.
Elder Mu walked over, his face grave. “The prisoner asked to see you. He says he has more information—about Lord Xiao, about the Azure Dragon Pearl. But he’ll only talk to you.”
Lin Yue frowned. The prisoner had been quiet since giving them the token, refusing to say more even when Elder Mu pressed him. Why now? “Why me?”
Elder Mu shrugged. “He says you’re the only one who can understand. The only one who has a chance to stop Lord Xiao.”
The dungeon was colder than ever, the air thick with damp. The prisoner sat on the straw mat, his hood down, his face pale but alert. When he saw Lin Yue, he stood, his hands still bound by qi-suppressing ropes. “You’re here,” he said, his voice tight.
Lin Yue stepped closer to the bars. “Xiao Yu said you have information. About Lord Xiao. About the pearl.”
The prisoner nodded, his eyes darting to the dungeon door, as if afraid someone would overhear. “Lord Xiao isn’t just trying to release the Dark Dragon’s soul. He’s trying to merge with it. The Azure Dragon Pearl holds a fragment—but he needs the codex to stabilize the merge. If he succeeds… he’ll be stronger than any cultivator in the realm. Invincible.”
Lin Yue’s blood ran cold. Merging with the Dark Dragon’s soul—he’d never heard of such a thing. “Is there a way to stop it? Even if he has the pearl and the codex?”
The prisoner hesitated, then said, “The codex has a fail-safe. A technique that can destroy the pearl’s fragment— but it requires the wielder to sacrifice a part of their own qi. A lot of it. Enough to weaken you for weeks. Maybe months.”
Lin Yue thought of his dragon qi—slowly growing, carefully woven. Sacrificing a part of it… but if it stopped Lord Xiao, it was worth it. “Where is this technique? In the codex? Long Xuan hasn’t mentioned it.”
“The codex hides it,” the prisoner said. “It only reveals itself when the wielder is ready. When they’re willing to put the realm above themselves.” He paused, his voice softening. “I have a favor to ask. If you stop Lord Xiao… find my family. They’re in a village north of the Shadow Palace. Tell them I’m sorry. Tell them I tried to protect them.”
Lin Yue nodded. “I will. If I survive, I’ll find them.”
The prisoner closed his eyes, as if relieved. “Thank you. Now go. You need to rest. Tomorrow… tomorrow will be hard.”
Lin Yue left the dungeon, his mind racing. The fail-safe technique. The prisoner’s family. The wolves, the Enforcers, Lord Xiao—all converging at midnight. He walked back to the training ground, where the disciples were still practicing, their qi glowing in the dark. Xiao Yu stood beside them, her bow slung over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the woods.
She turned when she saw him. “What did he say?”
Lin Yue told her—about merging with the Dark Dragon’s soul, about the fail-safe technique, about the prisoner’s family. Xiao Yu’s face paled, but she nodded. “We’ll be ready. Whatever happens tomorrow… we face it together.”
They stood in silence for a while, watching the disciples. The moon rose high, casting silver light over the training ground. The first bell of midnight would ring soon—only a few hours left.
Lin Yue closed his eyes, focusing on his dantian. His dragon qi hummed, steady and strong. He thought of his father, trapped in the Shadow Palace. Of the prisoner’s family, waiting for news. Of the disciples, trusting him to lead.
Slow. Steady. Strong.
He opened his eyes, his resolve firm. “Let’s get some rest. Tomorrow, we fight.”
Xiao Yu nodded, and together they walked toward the cabin. The night was still quiet, but beneath the calm, Lin Yue could feel it—the tension, the fear, the quiet determination of everyone in the sect. They were ready.
And when midnight came, they would fight. Not just for the Azure Cloud Sect, not just for the codex, but for the realm. For the people they loved.
For hope.