[Path: Breath of Death]
[Realm: Earth – Stage 1 (Lower)]
[Qi Essence: 100/100 (Regeneration: 0.2/sec)]
[Dantian: First Awakening]
[Meridians: 0/12 Cleared]
[Physique: Mortal Constitution]
[Foundation: Fragile (Risk of deviation)]
[Suffocation Endurance – Moderate]
[Cold Resistance – Low]
[Heat Resistance – Low]
[Arts: Death Tide (Profound grade)]
[Cultivation Method: Breath of Death – Nascent Breath (5%)]
[Heart Demon Progression: 0.0034%]
Kage studied the runes floating throughout the journey, wondering about one thing in particular: the Heart Demon.
What was the Heart Demon, and what would happen as it progressed? Should he be cautious and begin searching for a way to purge this corruption from himself, or should he wait it out and see?
The ritual had mainly specified that he would awaken with tremendous power, though a major part of it had been torn away, so Kage didn’t know the details of this strength.
The Sovereign gods were naturally tied to it. And this Heart Demon was bound to it as well.
Demons were exceedingly rare—so rare that Kage himself knew very little about them. Several Demonic cults were scattered around the world, raising flags of different diabolical causes, but they were all irrelevant and none were tied to true demons as far as Kage knew.
He wasn’t proud that there was one thing he knew very little about from his past life, and that one thing was now a major part of him.
Speaking of the Sovereign gods—they’d been deathly silent. Kage knew why.
These Venerables despised what he was doing. They were a hypocritical lot who presumed a Kage would be an upright and just man. It was probably eating at them that he wasn’t like that.
It wouldn’t be easy for them to manipulate him as they’d assumed.
Soon, Kage planned to start collecting rent from them.
He clicked his tongue in irritation several times as Knight Donovan drove him home.
The Knight had managed to patch up his partner to the best of his ability and left him after sending a message to the nearest squad.
Kage watched him from behind. The poor Knight would shiver repeatedly, trying not to glance back. Even though he wasn’t looking, it was as if he could feel the cold tip of a sharp blade caressing the back of his neck.
The drive was silent. Kage dozed off many times and woke up. Finally, as the sun was setting, they were approaching the main clan.
The main clan sprawled across the entire highland passes between the eastern and western territories—about a million square kilometers.
Kage had read extensively about the conquest of the Ironstorm, how they rode forth and crushed clans during the early ages of the Purification War, unstoppable to all. The first Patriarch was a literal moving storm forged with an iron body—undefeated by any, even his death shrouded in mystery.
Kage knew the entire territory like the back of his hand, every nook and cranny, because there were several books in the discarded library of Blacksteel fortress that contained failed mappings of the area.
He had assembled those failed mappings in his old life to create a more complete one, so he could navigate his father’s lands.
Right now, where they were headed—where he would see his father—was the Stormbreak Citadel. In the clan’s alternate language, it translated to Ranpa-jo.
Kage knew he was nearing home when the landscape beyond the windows shifted to mountain peaks lining the horizon. As the sun slowly set and the golden hour emerged, the distant mountains blazed with blinding light, all drifting backward at great speed as this bestial carrier thundered forward with unmatched might and velocity.
Finally, they entered a ring of mountains that confirmed Kage’s suspicions, and the carrier trembled as it rolled across the uneven terrain.
Then Kage saw it. Starting with the jade rooftops—green tilted spires and sweeping eaves that gave the impression of an ancient fortress that had endured a thousand dynasties. Well, that was more literal than figurative.
Stormbreak Citadel was a monument of standing glory bearing unseen scars of devastation. The entirety of it didn’t just sit upon the mountain—it carved itself into the mountain’s bones like a behemoth.
As they neared the front gate, they entered a cleaner road. It was impossible to pave the mountain roads, which was why the clan had these monstrous carriers, and of course even more actual monstrosities to scale the mountain terrain.
Along the roadside, lamp poles stood erect, pouring down lights that bathed their path in azure luminance.
As they reached the entrance, the carrier’s speed slowed.
The Gate Guards didn’t need to inspect the vehicle. The moment it approached, they were already running to open the enormous metallic gates of the clan.
The gate rolled open with a groan that shook the ground so violently that Kage felt it inside the carrier.
A moment later, they were already gliding into the outer compound of the clan.
The carrier groaned to a halt at the edge of the outer compound. Where it stopped, a dais of steps led to an opened smaller gate that connected to the inner compound.
There, Kage was certain, the entire clan—at least the most important people—were waiting for him.
He exhaled and looked at the terrible state his hand was in. Then he exhaled again and stepped down from the carrier. Kage, strain etched across his face, moved both hands behind his back and held them there.
He climbed the stairs and walked through the gates. As he arrived at the inner compound, there was a tremendous thud as everyone uniformly dropped to the ground.
A voice from far in front exploded with thunderous volume:
"This hall honors the blood of Ironstorm! The clan greets Young Lord Kage! May your path carve glory into our lineage!"
Immediately, every single person erupted with the same thunderous roar, sending echoes bouncing into the distant mountains:
"Glory to Ironstorm! Honor to the Young Lord!"
"Glory to Ironstorm! Honor to the Young Lord!"
Kage walked through the pathway leading to the enormous hall building ahead. To his left and right, booming voices thundered:
"Glory to Ironstorm! Honor to the Young Lord!"
"Glory to Ironstorm! Honor to the Young Lord!"
Some were prostrate on the floor, their heads kissing the ground, while others knelt upright. Kage already knew that those kneeling were Vassal clan members while those prostrate were servants of the clan, so there was no need to make an issue of that.
In all honesty, he wasn’t fazed by all of this... but his heart still trembled. He had never been privileged to be received in his past life.
Even though none of his brothers and sisters were here, there was still something about this that reminded him of the greatness of the blood that coursed through his veins. That reminded him who he was. Googlᴇ search novel_fіre.net
He loathed the might, the vastness of its power, and the fear of its glory.
Kage almost considered razing it all a second time on that very spot as he walked forward.
But he shook his head.
There were far better uses for the clan than destruction.