"The Elders are assembling at the Great Pavilion!" a disciple shrieked, fleeing past Xiaochen, only to be cut down by a stray, frantic blast of Qi from one of his own comrades.
Xiaochen felt the shift in Qi signature. Several powerful golden auras coalescing at the Great Pavilion. Good. Let them come to me.
He strode towards the pavilion, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. The once pristine marble paths were now scorched and littered with ash. The air was thick with smoke, ozone, and the faint, coppery tang of fresh blood.
At the entrance to the Great Pavilion, a formidable defence awaited him. Elder Wei, his white beard bristling, stood at the forefront, his staff crackling with potent Qi Surgawi. Beside him was Elder Mu, her sharp features contorted with fury, her twin sabres
