Blinding violet light bleached every shadow from the grotto courtyard.
Five thousand feet above Void Lotus Isle, the clouds tore open. Twelve beams of concentrated spiritual energy converged in the cold air, weaving together like threads of celestial silk.
The light congealed into a towering holographic monument.
Five hundred feet tall and two hundred feet wide, the glowing Dao stele hung suspended between the heavens and the sea. Across its polished surface blazed ancient martial characters written in pulsing violet fire.
It was the supreme heritage art of the Blood-Star lineage: the Blood-Star Heaven-Shattering Palm.
The moment the light reflected off the courtyard pools, the air grew thick with oppressive martial weight. The pressure descended like an invisible lead roof, bending the bamboo stalks to the ground.
Inside his open-air pavilion, Kaelen Vance was taking a sip of warm pear juice.
He glanced up toward the ceiling slats. His eyes caught the reflection of a single stroke from the central palm glyph.
