Chapter 28: The Fragment’s Controversy and a Dragon Qi’s Stabilization
The alliance’s camp in the Eastern Wastes hummed with tension as dusk fell. The rescued villagers huddled near the healers’ tents, wrapped in warm blankets, while the sect representatives gathered around a small fire, their eyes fixed on the dark, pulsing fragment in Lin Yue’s palm. The pendant’s blue light wrapped around it, but the fragment still squirmed— a tiny, angry mass of dark qi that seemed to snarl at the surrounding light.
“We need to destroy it,” Elder Jin said, his voice sharp, as he tapped the hilt of his sword. “If it’s part of the Dark Dragon’s soul, it’s too dangerous to keep. One mistake, and it could break free— turn into another beast, or worse.”
Elder Shui shook her head, her silver hair catching the firelight. “Destroying it might release its dark qi. We don’t know what that would do to the surrounding area— to the villagers. We should seal it. Clear Water has ancient sealing techniques— we can lock it in a jade box, bury it deep in our mountain.”
Lin Yue’s father stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the fragment. “Neither of you is right. The fragment is weak— its dark qi is fading. But if we destroy or seal it, we’ll lose our only lead. Lord Xiao had to get it from somewhere. There must be others. If we can study this fragment— learn how to track the others— we can stop them before they’re reunited.”
The representatives argued back and forth, their voices rising. Lin Yue held the fragment tighter, feeling its heat seep through his palm. His dragon qi hummed in his dantian, as if responding to the fragment’s pulse— a faint, curious vibration, not hostile.
“Long Xuan,” he thought, “can we study it? Without letting it escape?”
Long Xuan’s voice was thoughtful, as if weighing the risks. “The pendant’s light is containing it now, but it won’t hold forever. Your dragon qi— if you weave it into the pendant’s light, layer by layer— you can create a stable barrier. It will let you sense the fragment’s energy, track its origin, without letting it break free. But it will take time. And focus.”
Lin Yue cleared his throat, cutting through the argument. “I’ll keep it. I’ll stabilize it with dragon qi and the pendant. We’ll study it— find a way to track the other fragments. If at any point it becomes dangerous, I’ll destroy it myself.”
Elder Jin scowled. “You’re just a boy— you don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
“I know more than you think,” Lin Yue said, his voice steady. He held up his hand, and a wisp of blue dragon qi drifted from his palm, wrapping around the fragment like a thread. The fragment’s squirming slowed, its dark qi dimming. “I can control it. And if I can’t— my father, Elder Mu, Xiao Yu— they’ll stop me. You have my word.”
The representatives hesitated, then nodded. Elder Shui handed him a small, empty jade box. “For when you need to rest. It won’t seal it, but it will muffle its energy. Don’t take any chances.”
That night, Lin Yue sat alone in his tent, the fragment resting on a cloth in front of him. He closed his eyes, focusing on his dragon qi— slow, steady, thin as silk. He weaved it into the pendant’s blue light, layer by layer, creating a web around the fragment. Each layer made the fragment’s pulse quieter, its heat dimmer. By midnight, the fragment lay still— a dark, glowing bead, no longer squirming, no longer searing.
He opened his eyes, smiling. “It worked.”
Long Xuan’s voice was warm with approval. “Your dragon qi is growing stronger— not just in power, but in control. That’s the key. Now, tomorrow, we’ll start tracking. The fragment’s energy has a signature— a faint, cold vibration. If you focus, you’ll be able to sense it in other fragments. Like calling to like.”
Lin Yue nodded, tucking the fragment into the jade box. He lay down, but sleep didn’t come. He thought of the other fragments— how many there were, who had them, what they would do if they were reunited. He thought of the alliance, still fragile, still learning to trust each other. But for the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel overwhelmed. He felt focused. Ready.