Chapter 8: The Burning Invitation — Sect Summit of Lust and War
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The sky burned with golden flames.
Jin Yue's ascension wasn't quiet. His Soulflame exploded outward, lighting the ley lines of three continents. Entire sects paused in cultivation. Temples shattered. Statues wept molten tears.
And somewhere in the clouds above the Southern Expanse…
A scroll of burning silk appeared.
"You are invited…"
"…to the Gathering of Flesh and Flame."
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The Summit Approaches
Feiyan read the invitation aloud, voice sharp. "Held once every hundred years. All major sects. All rising powers. Bloodlines, concubines, champions. Dual Cultivation Houses. Battle Sects. Royal Clans."
Zarah frowned. "It's a trap. They'll want to control you, bind you."
Selene laughed. "Or fear you. Or… offer themselves willingly."
Jin Yue studied the fire-kissed scroll.
"I'll go," he said, eyes hard. "And I'll show them what true sovereignty means."
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The Caravan of Flame
They moved out — the Soul Emperor's caravan.
Feiyan in icy lotus robes, radiating cold dominance.
Zarah riding a beast of bone and fire.
The Shadow Twins in starwoven cloaks, whispering prophecies.
Selene seated beside Jin Yue on a floating throne of obsidian vines.
Their aura parted the skies.
Their arrival would change the world.
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Meanwhile… Behind the Curtain
In shadowed mountains and divine towers, sect leaders whispered:
"The Soul Emperor gathers women of power…"
"He turns victims into queens…"
"His path is heretical — seductive — divine."
"If he rises further, even the Heavens may bend."
And in a frozen palace of moonlight, a goddess opened her eyes.
"She once birthed a world," a voice whispered.
"And she remembers him."