"Jian Vareth," Grand Elder Mo stated, his voice ringing with authority, though a tremor of fear was still audible. "Your desecration of these grounds, your use of forbidden power – these are unforgivable crimes! Surrender now, and you may yet escape with your life, albeit in confinement."
Jian merely laughed, a cold, hollow sound that echoed through the ravaged lands. "My life? You took that from me long ago, Grand Elder. My life is now vengeance. My power is merely the instrument of your destruction." He raised Blood Moon, its blade glowing with an ominous crimson light. "You send your dogs. You send your elders. All to protect your precious heir, your genius." He met Patriarch Ling’s gaze, a cold challenge in his eyes. "But none of you are enough. Not anymore."
Patriarch Ling, a man wh
