Interlude

Huo Lan's Decision

Who is he?

Huo Lan had never heard of a cultivator named Khan Sen. He paid the rumors little interest, but with the man's prowess before him, he could no longer afford to do so. If he was a rogue cultivator, he knew how to hide himself well. The Guild Medal in his pocket didn't respond to his outburst of fire. That meant he was neither registered nor was there a bounty on him. With a cultivation like that, Khan Sen should be well known on the Guild's blacklist. How had he gotten to this stage without leaving any of his Qi behind in the world, without anyone noticing his existence? Was the system lacking?

The fangs made from flames singed his face as they pushed against his blade, demanding his attention. He needed to concentrate. The time to get to the bottom of this incident was later. Behind him, Luo Zheng gathered the remaining guards who hadn't betrayed him to meet Khan Sen's people. Some of his followers were cultivators, but to think that his own guards had turned on him. His comrades which had followed him in the War of the Reignless. It pained him even if he understood them, but he wouldn't change his mind.

He took a deep breath, his core churning as it vied for dominance over the feral Qi around them. Huo Lan guided his share, letting it seep through his blade. A budding wind, then a tempest; it thrashed within the confined aeonian metal. His blade took on a translucent sheen as he bonded the wind to its edge. He kept the might bay, taming it with another breath until he was done binding the sword to his body.

Khan Sen didn't idle. Recognizing the ritual unfolding, he roared, guiding the flames to rend his own flesh. While his fangs kept Huo Lan's blade locked, his body grew and his hands became claws. He hunched with fire flowing along his back like fur, ending in the tip of a tail that scorched the ground.

Half-transformed, Huo Lan surmised. A beast cultivator at the Internalization Stage. That puts us about even.

Khan Sen had underestimated him if he thought he wouldn't need the day's aid to strengthen him. Huo Lan swung his blade, slicing effortlessly through the fangs to free itself. The flames returned to their form, but the short exchange was telling.

The tiger roared without a shred of humanity. Maybe, he had overestimated him, if Khan Sen lost himself to the essence. Either way, Huo Lan was the prevalent one. He was the true cultivator.

He let go of his sword, gathering the wind beneath his feet. His blade rode the currents created by himself, flying towards his opponent. Khan Sen leaped to the side, evading the blade only to be met with Huo Lan's leg. The tiger shot across the hall, followed by a second strike as the wind chased after his kick, nailing Khan Sen against the wall until it crumbled beneath the force of the gust.

The rubble burst aside as Khan Sen lunged towards him again; his flames showing no signs of weakening. He dodged the swiping claw, evading the strike that came after, while his sword soared through the air. It slashed away at the tiger with a will of its own, tearing his flesh, but it didn't manage to slow its assault.

Strange. Khan Sen shouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. His flames seared his wounds shut without delay. Once, twice, every cut of his disappeared, leaving no damage behind. Huo Lan directed more of his Qi into his blade, intending for it to be the last strike. The tiger ran fearlessly into the sword that pierced through his chest, aiming for his eyes in exchange. Its claws missed, but the flames continued their advance. Blood dripped out of its chest, but something was wrong. Huo Lan was certain that his strike had found the heart.

The idea came to him a breath too late. He guided his sword back into his hand, slashing towards the rubble his earlier attack had left behind. The wind cut through the rocks, revealing Khan Sen lying on his stomach. He let the wind blade tear through his sides. It wasn't deep enough to wound him fatally; nor was it enough to disturb his concentration.

Starfire! Huo Lan's mind screamed in recognition of the white flame gathering in his palms. How is that possible? The blinding fire flickered wildly as it came to life, leaving a trail as if it was falling from the heavens. Huo Lan became aware of his blunder. Khan Sen was beyond the stage he had surmised. He'd reached the Separation Stage. His control over the beast essence was never lost; he'd given it free reign over a part of his soul.

He cursed Wang Jen's Second Decree that dulled his senses; he still hadn't gotten used to it. To rely on his opponent's output of Qi to guess his strength was about as useful as a blind man seeing with his touch. It allowed for too much scheming Huo Lan didn't care for. Did Wang Jen seriously believe that hiding cultivators' strength from one another would bring more peace?

Huo Lan realized he was making too many excuses. It was his own mistake. Worse than that, Khan Sen hadn't come when he was at his weakest, but at his strongest. The price for his complacency would be high. He should've placed more importance on his doubts, but he'd have never believed for a cultivator of Khan Sen's caliber to be left unknown, even without the Starfire in his hands. Huo Lan sighed into his mind. What was the right thing to do now?

Duty. He had to place his duty above all else.

His thumbs joined into interconnected rings, the rest of his fingers touching at their tips. His Qi cycled through them, no longer flying like the wind, but creeping sluggishly into the seal of his hands, where it created a lock of golden metal.

"It's too late!" Khan Sen roared in triumphant laughter, throwing the fire in his hand towards his enemies.

By the Will I carry, entrusted to the family of Huo by Emperor Luo Yan, I will you to protect his kin.

"Rise, Jin Long!" Huo Lan broke his hands apart, slapping both of his palms on the ground.

"NO!" The duke screamed from somewhere far away. "Have you gone mad, Huo Lan!?"

He paid him no heed. The sphere of condensed Starfire shot towards him, striking a trail like a comet. It expanded to its sides, drawing a circle that would engulf the city beyond these walls and render it beyond ash.

The manor trembled in its foundations and the floor opened like a maw, making way for the howling that lurked beneath. The wind cried, creating a pillar capable of supporting the heavens. In its rise, the Starfire was swept along, as was most of the manor's grounds, leaving a devastating hole in its wake. It carried the fire into the night where it finished drawing itself into a disk, spanning over the entirety of Zhanhai. Its heat could be felt from the ground as sparks descended from it like snow, covering the city in a blanket of white flames that would soon spread to every corner.

"It was true," Khan Sen murmured to himself, his neck strained upwards. "What he said...! It was all true! The heavens will never forgive you for this, Luo! It wasn't mercy that kept Wang Jen from exterminating your kind!"

"That's enough now."

The voice spoke and it became the only sound in existence.

Interlude End