"Jael."
Jael had never heard his father's voice so cold. It was the kind of tone that froze marrow—a sound carrying no warmth, no hesitation, only the promise of destruction.
"Yes, Dad," Jael answered, his own voice trembling.
"Go to Calen and Vinh. I'll come get you later."
"Okay."
Jael obeyed without question. He knew better than to argue when his father's aura shifted into that terrifying stillness. In the blink of an eye, Jalen was gone. Several thousand miles vanished beneath his feet in milliseconds as he bent space with Luminous Veil Step, following the thread of spirit sense he had placed on his daughter. That tether guided him unerringly, pulling him across the continent like a divine arrow.
He arrived at Sol Ria Park.
The ceremony was already underway. Hundreds of thousands had gathered—officials of the Solar State, dignitaries from the Raven State, nobles, cultivators, and curious onlookers. The air was thick with anticipation, the hum of voices swelling like a storm about to break. Spirit flames shaped like petals drifted above, casting eerie light, while the emblems of the Raven Clan hung everywhere, branding the park in aristocratic splendor.
At the center, the officiator stood rigid, sweat beading on his brow as he prepared to speak the words that would bind Jala to Kino Raven.
But before a single syllable left his lips, Jalen was there.
He did not walk, he did not announce himself—he simply was. Space folded, threads reversed, and the father stood beside his daughter.
Gasps erupted. Whispers rippled like waves. The Solar Clan elders present recognized him immediately—the man who had humiliated them years ago, the one whose rise had shattered their pride. Guests from the Raven State murmured in confusion, wondering who this intruder was who dared interrupt a royal wedding.
The First Prince of the Raven State, Kino Raven, a Peak Sage Realm expert, turned in outrage. He had the appearance of a young man with raven‑dark hair, clad in ceremonial robes of black and crimson. He was dressed for triumph. This was supposed to be his day of conquest, to cover the shame of losing his previous bride, Rana Flare—this child's mother—years ago.
Instead, his face twisted in fury.
"You dare!" Kino roared, arrogance dripping from every syllable. His aura flared, causing many in the crowd below his level to either pull back or tremble. "This is my ceremony, my claim. Who are you to interrupt the will of the Raven State?"
He thought about raising his hand to strike Jalen, confident in his own cultivation.
But that hand never moved.
Luminal Edge flashed, and in an instant Kino's hand was gone, severed cleanly at the wrist. Blood sprayed, his scream echoing across the park.
The royal guards reacted immediately. Over fifty experts of the Sage Realm leapt forward, their weapons gleaming, their qi surging. They were the elite, sworn to protect the prince at all costs.
They never reached him.
Jalen's spirit sense lashed out like the silent blade of an assassin—precise, invisible, and merciless. One by one the guards collapsed, their spirit seas shattered, their consciousness snuffed out. Weapons clattered to the ground, armor rang hollow as bodies fell and turned to ash. To the crowd it was as if fifty Sage Realm experts had been erased by a phantom wind and flame.
Gasps turned to shrieks. Nobles recoiled, cultivators trembled, and panic rippled through the masses. Yet Jalen stood unmoved, his expression calm, his focus fixed only on his daughter.
"My princess," he whispered, caressing her cheek with a hand that trembled not from weakness but from emotion. "Daddy made you suffer. I apologize."
Her tears spilled freely as she threw herself into his arms. "You're here now, Father. That's all that matters."
She clung to him, sobbing into his chest, her voice breaking with years of fear and longing. "I thought I'd never see you again. That I'd be stuck with that monster."
Jalen's embrace tightened. "I'm sorry, my princess. I swear—never again will you suffer at their hands."
At that moment Kino tried to flee. His pride was shattered, his body broken, and terror gnawed at his heart. He turned to escape, but a wall of ice erupted before him, sealing his path.
Jalen's gaze shifted from his daughter to the wretch who dared to force her into marriage. Kino Raven was thousands of years old, a creature of arrogance and cruelty, cloaked in youth but rotten at the core. Jalen's fury burned hotter than any flame. Death would be too easy for him.
In a swift movement, Jalen's hand closed around Kino's neck. The grip was like the weight of a thousand men, crushing, unyielding. One twitch, one mishap, and his neck would snap like brittle wood.
Kino screamed, his remaining hand clawing desperately at Jalen's arm. With a single snap, Jalen broke it in three places. Kino howled, his voice cracking with agony.
Jalen did not stop. He shattered both legs, bones splintering under his grip. Then, with a brutal smash, he destroyed Kino's reproductive organ. The crowd gasped in horror, nobles recoiling, officials pale. The guests from the Raven State watched, unable to do anything to protect their prince. Yet Jalen knew it was not permanent. Kino was a high‑level cultivator; his body could regenerate, his organs could be replaced. But humiliation—humiliation was eternal.
Shadow spears materialized around Jalen, piercing Kino and pinning him against the ice wall. Blood dripped, his body convulsed, his pride annihilated.
The venue was silent.
Then Jalen's aura descended.
It was not merely pressure—it was judgment. A storm of divine wrath that crushed hearts and minds alike. Even Kino vomited blood under its weight. The Solar Clan elders and Raven State nobles present trembled. Some tried to flee, but lightning struck them down, their bodies charred until they became dust, their souls scattered. Others fell to their knees, begging for mercy, their pride shattered.
Jalen's spirit sense swept like a storm, shattering cores and destroying cultivation. Of course, they could recover—but only after healing and starting from scratch. Some would have the mental fortitude to endure, while others might choose death. That was not Jalen's concern. As for Kino, Jalen would not kill him yet. He wanted him to suffer longer, until he begged for death or ended himself.
Jalen turned back to his daughter. He lifted her gently, holding her close. Then, without another word, he vanished from the park, leaving chaos in his wake.