The night was quiet when Jalen and Frost returned to Ron. Streetlights powered by spirit veins shimmered faintly across the city, casting a steady glow over the polished courtyards of Alina. Rather than approach the palace, Jalen led Frost toward his private residence on the hillside overlooking the capital. The dwelling stood apart from the city's bustle, a place of solitude and quiet authority. Within its secluded chamber, Jalen produced a bottle of spirit wine from his pocket world and set it between them as a gesture of welcome. They sat across from one another, cups in hand, the silence deep and unbroken until Frost finally let his voice rise.
He admitted that Jalen was unlike anyone he had met before. Though young in appearance, the way he carried himself and the clarity with which he spoke of cultivation revealed a depth that felt ancient. Frost found himself speaking more than he intended, confessing truths he had long buried.
He revealed that he had no blood ties to Tulsa or the Yale royal family. His position as elder had been born of loyalty, not lineage. Over two thousand years ago, a friend from Tulsa—part of the Yale line—had died protecting him in a realm they should never have entered. To honor that sacrifice, Frost had taken his friend's place, swearing to safeguard what his friend had cherished. Yet he had never truly belonged. His role was elder in name only, a guardian who acted only when Tulsa itself was threatened.
The weight of centuries pressed into Frost's words. He confessed that he often wondered if following Jalen meant betraying the memory of the friend who had once saved his life. Yet he reminded himself that it had been the emperor who commanded him to take this path. He had obeyed reluctantly, uncertain of what it would mean. Still, that obedience had reshaped his fate. Bound now to Jalen, he was free of the curse that had haunted him—though its shadow lingered—and he had transcended.
Jalen listened without interruption, his presence steady, his silence carrying more weight than words. Frost's confession filled the chamber, the glow of spirit‑stone lamps flickering across his pale features, illuminating scars carved by memory. Then his voice shifted to something even more personal. For centuries he had carried solitude, the frost within him a prison that denied warmth and love. In this quiet moment, he admitted what he had never spoken aloud: the death of his first lover. She had been the most beautiful woman he had ever known, kind and loving, yet his curse had claimed her life. The guilt had never faded. Even now, though he was free, he remained haunted.
He reflected on the thought of companionship. He longed to settle down, to have children, and to build a family, yet at the same time he feared it. Desire warred with hesitation, leaving him uncertain. In the end, he concluded that thousands of years had already passed, and he could wait longer until he found the right one. Jalen's assurance cut through that fear, firm and unwavering, and Frost believed him, though the trauma remained, etched into his soul like ice that refused to melt.
When the wine was finished, Frost departed for the palace. A chamber was built for him, and Jalen instructed him to continue cultivating, to aspire for greater heights. Frost accepted with a bow, steadier than he had been in centuries.
_____
Ten days later, Jalen bid farewell to Ameer. With Frost now bound and loyal and Ameer being its emperor, Ron was secure and in good hands.
With Flash Reverse, Jalen carried Jael, Calen, and Vinh away from the continent. Vinh's mortal needs slowed them—food, rest, bathing—things Jalen, Jael, and Calen could ignore. As a result, it took a week to clear Erias's continental zone and another two and a half weeks before they reached the Great Ling Continent—specifically, the Solar State.
As always, the Solar State's borders bristled with formations designed to record every entry and exit. But Jalen, now transcendent, slipped himself and his group through without raising a single alarm.
They entered Sol Ria city unnoticed. Jalen booked a room for them to rest and for Vinh to sleep. The next morning, he and Jael walked the streets, where crowds buzzed with excitement and gossip about the state's affairs.
By listening long enough, Jalen learned the Raven State had infiltrated and occupied the Solar State for the past three months. The roots of that takeover stretched back more than a decade, to the time when Jalen had first arrived here.
It began with poison. The Sky Limit Realm patriarch was struck down by a slow‑acting toxin, and Veyron colluded with the Raven royals in the plot. He believed that by using Rana as leverage, he could cement his own authority while gaining Raven support. But the Raven State wanted more than influence—they wanted dominion. Their aim was not alliance but control, reducing the elders of the Solar Clan to mere puppets.
Despite their strength, the Raven State could not simply march over a unified Solar Clan without suffering mass casualties or destabilizing their own territory. So they chose the serpent's path: infiltration, manipulation, and patient corrosion. In time, they eliminated Veyron—who had seized power after the patriarch's death—and dismantled his faction piece by piece.
With resistance broken, the remaining elders submitted, handing the state over without open conflict. Outwardly, the Raven royals pretended nothing had changed, hoping to avoid panic or rebellion. Yet beneath the silence, every cultivator in the Solar State knew the truth.
Still, none of that mattered compared to the topic on everyone's lips: the first prince of the Raven State was to marry a young beauty in Sol Ria—today, in less than twenty minutes. Jalen paid little attention until one phrase struck him like lightning.
"She's the spitting image of the Solar Clan's former top disciple and heir, before the clan bent to Raven rule and fell under the prince's jurisdiction."
Another voice hissed, "Keep your voice down. They say she's her daughter."
Jalen froze.
The gossip continued, oblivious to the storm brewing in his chest.
"I heard the prince went to Rouna Continent with a band of powerful experts to retrieve Rana Flare, his betrothed, who was rumored to have run off with her lover years ago. The battle raged for two days—Sky Limit Realm cultivators clashed, the Light Clan intervened, and it ended in stalemate. But in the aftermath, the daughter of Rana Flare was taken.
"Some say she could be her daughter, given the child's age. Others whisper she might be a younger sister. Either way, the poor girl is trapped with that brute. Fortunately, he was injured, or he would have already forced himself on her. I heard he has a taste for them young, if you know what I mean. And even wounded, he couldn't wait—he demanded the marriage take place today."
Jalen reached out with spirit sense to connect with his loved ones via the spirit sense he placed on them. Normally he avoided intruding on his family, granting them privacy, but danger was the one exception. The sense revealed Rana weeping, Raja trying to comfort her. His dad, Jaquan, and family were safe. It seemed they were away at the crown kingdom when the battle went down and were advised to remain there for safety.
And then he saw her—his princess, his angel, the daughter he had not laid eyes on in over five years. She was nine years and eight months old, though physically she looked like a fourteen‑year‑old. Her beauty was undeniable: long, snow‑white hair cascading like silk, eyes luminous and clear. She sat within a chamber, dressed in ceremonial robes, prepared for marriage.
Jalen's aura exploded.
The ground trembled, air shattered, and everything within ten miles was crushed beneath the weight of his fury. He did not even remember Jael, Calen, and Vinh were with him.
Jael, wide-eyed, felt the same rage. He had heard the gossip too. His heart pounded, his qi flared. He knew what his father was thinking, because he thought it too.
This was not just any girl.
This was Jala.
His little sister. Jalen's daughter.
The marketplace descended into chaos. Merchants fled, stalls collapsed, and animals bolted. The sky itself seemed to bend beneath Jalen's wrath.