High above the floating imperial capital, within a magnificent palace, the aged Celestial Emperor knelt on the floor, his frail figure enveloped in a swirling white mist that seed to mirror the setting sun.
His face, frad by long white hair, was as withered as a dead tree.
Who would have thought that this was the most exalted being in the entire Erald Empire, the Celestial Emperor?
A psychic energy signature announced soone's arrival outside the palace.
The Celestial Emperor opened his eyes, his voice a deep, resonant boom. "Whose ssage is it?"
"Your Majesty, it is from Lord Miles of the Radiant Residence," a high-pitched voice, clearly that of a eunuch, responded from beyond the palace doors.
"Present it to ."
As the Celestial Emperor's command echoed through the palace, a scroll materialized in his hand.
The large characters that filled the scroll caused the Celestial Emperor's pale face to contort further.
[Letter of Apology]
[Without Your Majesty's grace, I, your humble servant Miles, would still be nothing more than a descendant of an insignificant family, destined for obscurity. Yet, by your favor, I stand above millions in the Radiant Residence...]
The lengthy words of reminiscence masked the true weight of the ssage, hidden within a few inconspicuous lines.
[Confession One: I have wronged a loyal subject. The Imperial Advisor instructed to test Blackwood, but I instead used his command to seek out the Celestial Path.]
[Confession Two: I have deceived my Emperor. I swore to guard Sunshine eternally for Your Majesty, yet my lifespan is nearing its end, and I will soon depart for the afterlife.]
[Confession...]
Each line detailed a transgression, yet each one also revealed unwavering loyalty.
Until the final words.
[Your Majesty, Azure Cloud cannot be abandoned. It is the face of our human race, and by extension, your face. The Celestial Path cannot be trusted. Neither the Imperial Advisor nor Lance can truly control him. I had to take matters into my own hands to show Your Majesty the truth. It is a sha that I, who have never done anything wrong in my life, have hard the Blackwood clan.]
[The Blackwood clan is unruly and defiant, but they are not disloyal or wicked. At the very least, they are willing to fight to the death against the Druids for Azure Cloud. Both jade and gold require polishing. Now... the Celestial Path can be eliminated, and Blackwood has had its edges smoothed.]
[May Your Majesty live as long as the heavens and enjoy eternal celestial bliss!]
...
Run, run like mad!
This ti, however, Alia wasn't running with her clan at her back.
She didn't have to worry about them being killed.
She wasn't desperately seeking help.
She was running, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and dawning horror as she replayed the events that had led her to this point, her face ashen with the weight of it all.
"Alchemist! What in the world did that madman an? Who harms themselves like that?"
"He fought the Celestial Path, and now he's claiming we conspired with him. The Celestial Path is paranoid right now, he'll definitely kill him!"
"How can soone dig their own grave like that?!!" Isaac was losing his mind.
They had co to find soone they had never t, only to have that person sell them out in an instant, and himself along with them!
Judging by his deanor, the man was actually trying to die!
A fierce battle was already raging in Stonelake City!
Alia didn't answer.
She didn't know how to answer.
She had only just t Miles for the first ti.
Before today, she hadn't even heard his na.
The Lord of the Radiant Residence had been a phantom, a non-entity.
But now, having t him, she was struck by a chilling realization: Miles was the one who had brought ruin upon Blackwood!
It seed he had long been wary of the Celestial Path, but for so reason, both the Celestial Emperor and the Imperial Advisor had prevented him from eliminating the threat.
To ensure the Celestial Path didn't beco an uncontrollable force, Miles needed soone capable of killing him!
That was why Miles was filled with regret, regret that Blackwood hadn't possessed the strength to resist the Celestial Path back then.
But he was also pleased with the current Blackwood, because now they had begun their revenge!
"These nobles!" Alia gritted her teeth, unable to comprehend why they were so fixated on Blackwood.
Perhaps the Celestial Path was right.
From the mont they had risen to prominence, the nobles had placed their bets on them, turning them into pawns in their twisted gas!
And now, the "stakes" were closing in from behind.
"Blackwood Alia, you can't escape. Let's stop this pointless chase and have a civilized conversation."
Alia didn't recognize the voice.
She didn't know any of the Celestial Path's projections.
She didn't turn around, didn't speak.
The Celestial Path wanted to talk?
She understood.
They shared a similar fate, puppets manipulated by the self-righteous sches of the nobles.
But the wounds of the past ran deep, and there was no chance of forgetting.
The Forebearer had said it best: the clan would repay tooth for tooth, blood for blood!
"Alchemist, there's a huge battle happening in Stonelake City! There are thirteen of them chasing us, all of them at least Competent Force level, and... their auras are getting stronger!" Isaac, oblivious to Alia's thoughts, was focused on flying them to safety with his psychic powers.
They were fast, but their pursuers were relentless.
He had caught a glimpse of the Basic Mastery elder leading the chase, and his face had paled.
He was a prodigy, but he had only recently reached Basic Mastery.
The elder, however... he was at least mid-Basic Mastery, and his aura was surging, pushing towards its peak!
"We can't outrun them, Alchemist."
They had been flying for what felt like an eternity, the dense forest sprawling beneath them, the sky above a clear, endless blue.
Finally, they were forced to stop, surrounded by thirteen figures who had them completely boxed in.
In an instant, the air shimred with energy as countless formations materialized, talismans erupting from the thirteen Celestial Path projections like a shower of deadly confetti.
Each and every one of them was at least Competent Force level.
Isaac's gaze was fixed on the Basic Mastery elder, his entire being on high alert.
If Donna and the others from the imperial capital were here, they would recognize him as Hudson, the one they had faced all those years ago!
This Hudson was far more powerful than he had been a century ago.
He commanded the very wind itself, his domain a swirling vortex of air currents that allowed him to appear anywhere within it in the blink of an eye.
There was nowhere for Isaac and Alia to run, nowhere to hide!
The wind domain now encompassed the entire sky.
Isaac could sense Hudson's energy signature with terrifying clarity.
The man commanded at least three different pri spirit techniques!
"Alia, it's been over a hundred years, and Austin has always been wary of you Blackwood people.He believes you have great potential, great strength."
"But from where I stand, your true strength lies not in your power, but in your ability to run.Back then, Donna and the others from Azure Cloud escaped my pursuit ti and ti again."
"It's a sha you, their elder, aren't as skilled as they are." Hudson sneered.
"Co now, Austin wishes to see you."
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