A Song For The Ages

Feiyin stood near the edge of the skyship's deck, wind battering against his robes. Baiyu was still in his room, as she was adjusting to her new awakening. Far below, the monstrous queen hovered, directing the hive from atop a crumbled tower that jutted from the Greenwood Capital's outer rim. Her wingbeats sent gusts through the swarm, and her aura churned like molten venom; brutal, loud, and demanding submission.

He inhaled once, slow and deep. The weight of the moment coiled within him, like a bow drawn taut. From the corner of his vision, he caught Ruan watching him closely, concern flickering behind her usually guarded expression. Just behind, Qingling stepped closer and whispered, "Be careful."

Feiyin offered her a small smile. "I always am."

With a flash of movement, he leapt.

The wind screamed past him. He unfurled a large dark cloth, a modified glide sheet imbued with reinforced stitching and layered with a flow of his essence qi.

Feiyin angled his arms, adjusting his descent. From the sky, the battlefield looked like a breathing tide of fangs and wings. He cloaked his presence, masking his qi flow until he was but a shadow in the wind. Even with the queen's elevated senses, he was just another anomaly in the swirl of essence below.

He fell fast, the wind screaming past his ears and tearing at his robes like wild claws. The world blurred around him; only the distant figure of the beast-queen remained in focus, a black speck against the pale sky. His hands gripped the cloth glider tightly, its edges fluttering from the pressure, yet the reinforced essence qi running through its seams held strong.

Adrenaline surged through him, but so did something else; joy. A fierce, quiet thrill bloomed in his chest. The rush of falling, the wind against his face, the pull of gravity... it all merged into a single, exhilarating moment. For an instant, time slowed.

He saw the world spread beneath him in all its immense beauty. The broken tower. The forest spilling out like an ocean of green. The hazy edges of the capital. The sky painted with streaks of gold from the morning sun. It was breathtaking.

And within that moment, serenity.

He felt small, just a flicker of life amidst the vast expanse. Yet, rather than fear, he felt peace. Even knowing what was below, what he must do, he smiled.

Then the sound of a shriek broke the stillness. The moment passed.

Feiyin's gaze sharpened. The beast-queen's presence flared.

It was time.

A few of her elite guards, larger and more alert, twitched mid-air. Then, suddenly, their eyes snapped toward Feiyin's position.

They darted upward, howling their shrill warning.

Feiyin narrowed his gaze. "Not fast enough."

From behind, the skyship roared to life. Cannons charged with essence light tore through the air, striking down the incoming guards mid-flight in a flash of elemental bursts. Feiyin felt the air heat and shift violently as smoke and ash bloomed behind him.

The opening was clear.

He held the glide cloth with one hand and let gravity take hold. Drawing his saber mid-fall, he exhaled, and poured essence qi into the blade. Saber intent bloomed around him like a crescent moon, silent but heavy with destruction.

"Cut," he whispered.

A pulse of annihilating saber light surged from the weapon. Silver streaked toward the queen like a falling star, sharpened by the precision of Feiyin's saber intent and the weight of his essence qi.

The moment it struck, there was no explosion.

Just silence.

And then-

A clean line split down the queen's carapace. Her wings flared, spasmed; and she let out a piercing shriek before collapsing mid-air. But even as she fell, Feiyin's oscillation sense prickled.

Strange, he thought. That wasn't just a beast. There was something more...

But he couldn't dwell.

Feiyin reached once more for the gliding cloth, essence qi still humming faintly within its seams. With a twist of his body and a sharp pulse of qi, he caught the wind again, slowing his descent. The cloth billowed wide above him, trembling with energy, and he angled it to guide his fall with grace.

When he finally touched down, the earth cracked beneath his feet, a small crater forming in the packed soil as dust and leaves scattered. He stood tall, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as the thrill of the descent lingered in his blood.

"I need to do this again," he murmured, almost laughing as he glanced back at the sky.

The swarm faltered.

In the space of a breath, the killer bears all stiffened mid-flight, wings halting as if struck by a great will. Then, like a tide retreating from shore, they turned. One by one, hundreds- no, thousands- of them reversed course, vanishing into the treeline and sky, as if a collective instinct pulled them away.

Silence fell over the Greenwood Capital.

The elven warriors watched in stunned awe as the sky cleared. Their formation flickered once, then lowered. Soldiers, healers, and archers emerged from their positions behind the great roots and carved barricades of the forest capital. The battlefield was littered with broken branches, singed foliage, and spent arrow shafts.

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As the Red Lotus skyships descended, cheers and calls of thanks rose from the defenders. Emerald banners bearing the Greenwood insignia were hoisted once more. Elven children peered from their homes among the trees, while their parents knelt and offered blessings to the victors.

When Feiyin rejoined his companions, Baiyu took to her natural habitat around his shoulders as a chorus of praise met him. Disciples clapped him on the back, voices rising in admiration. "That was incredible!"

Feiyin smiled lightly, offering modest nods in return.

Jue Qingling stepped closer, her gaze steady. She leaned in slightly and whispered, "You're hiding something."

Feiyin returned her look with a faint smile, whispering back, "I'll tell you later."

He then turned while smiling and gave Ruan a nod. She said nothing, but her eyes softened, and she returned the gesture with a small nod of her own.

Escorted by an honor guard, Feiyin and his companions were led through the city. The capital was a marvel: high bridges twisted from living branches spanned from tower to tower, and bioluminescent vines coiled around stone and bark alike. The scent of sweet sap and blooming barkflowers drifted through the air. Beneath them, soft moss carpets muted their footsteps, and from the canopy, luminous birds chirped delicate melodies. The city seemed alive, pulsing with a quiet harmony between nature and civilization. The main path wound through the trunk-level settlements until it reached the Grand Verdant Spire, a titanic tree whose trunk was as wide as a village and whose upper branches seemed to reach the clouds above.

Within its carved halls, resin-glass windows let in natural light, bathing the floor in hues of green and gold. Delicate murals of battles, oaths, and pacts from centuries past adorned the walls.

In the heart of the throne chamber stood the Queen of the Greenwood Kingdom.

Tall and regal, she wore flowing robes woven from silver-threaded silk and enchanted leaves that shimmered faintly with stored vitality. Her long hair, the shade of ancient pine bark, was adorned with silver ornaments shaped like blooming flowers. Her dark green eyes held the deep clarity of still forest lakes, but behind their tranquil surface lay the weight of resolve and fatigue. The presence she emanated was not merely noble, it was rooted, like an ancient tree that had weathered countless storms. Her aura pulsed with the unmistakable power of the seventh phase of Qi Condensation- the True Essence phase- where essence qi is no longer gaseous but condensed into a refined liquid form. It gave her presence a denser, more palpable gravity, each movement flowing with a precision born of immense control. This alone marked her as a cultivator of rare talent and discipline, standing among the apex of her kingdom's defenders.

"I am Lysendria of the Verdant Line," she spoke, voice strong but graceful. "On behalf of my people and this land, I offer my gratitude."

Qingling stepped forward and bowed. "We only fulfilled our part of the accord, Your Majesty."

Lysendria's gaze drifted toward Feiyin. "I heard you were the one who struck the enemy's queen."

Feiyin inclined his head. "It was a joint effort. The skyship covered me. Our unit moved as one."

Her lips curled slightly, not quite a smile. "Modest, and yet effective. Rare."

She gestured, and attendants brought forward a basin of water and barkleaf tea. "You have traveled from afar, rest and feast. There is much we must discuss."

A modest banquet was laid out; forest fruits, roasted meat seasoned with spices, and fine elven pastries rich with honey, nectar, and forest nuts. The banquet hall glowed gently from sunstones embedded in the living walls, casting golden rays across the polished barkwood tables. The aroma of warm herb steam and roasted sap-sugar wafted through the air, mingling with soft harp melodies played by elven musicians in the corner.

Feiyin and the others took their seats, still coated with the residue of battle but allowing themselves this brief respite. Laughter, though still cautious, flowed more freely as cups of elderberry wine were raised and plates passed.

For a time, they were not warriors or emissaries or strategists; just people, gathered around a table beneath the great boughs of a living palace, finding comfort in food and beverage.

When the feast had run its course, Lysendria rose once more, her presence commanding. "You shall be given quarters within the inner halls to rest. Come morning, we shall speak again of the threat that lingers and what must be done."

Later that evening, after the banquet had ended and the warmth of elven wine had left their limbs pleasantly heavy, the Red Lotus delegation was escorted to their quarters. As Feiyin made his way through the carved halls of the Grand Verdant Spire, Jue Qingling quietly caught up to him. Her expression was calm, but there was a question behind her eyes. When she followed him to his room, she paused upon seeing Ruan arrive shortly after.

"You wanted to speak to Feiyin as well?" Qingling asked, her voice even but tinged with mild surprise.

Before Ruan could respond, Feiyin gave a small nod. "It's fine. I called her."

Once inside the private chamber, where walls laced with living roots and dimly glowing flowers sealed the space with natural silence, Baiyu started exploring the room while Feiyin let out a quiet breath. For months now, he had used his oscillation sense to observe Jue Qingling's emotions, watching the flickers of frustration and yearning she kept buried beneath her discipline. He had seen it: she longed for freedom, just as he did.

He turned to face them, no longer masking his thoughts. "I'm going to destroy the sect," he said simply. "And I'm going to end the sect master; the one who controls it all from the shadows."

Qingling froze, stunned. Ruan's brows lifted as well, since she was aware of some of his ambition, but not completely.

"What? I mean, even if you could, but the parasite-" Qingling began, disbelief trembling in her voice. "We're all bound by it. It cages our hearts."

Feiyin met her gaze. "I was lucky. I found a way to remove mine. And I'm working on a way to help others who follow me to do the same."

The silence returned, thicker this time.

He pressed forward. "I've begun gathering forces; those within the sect who would see it fall. But that alone isn't enough. I came on this mission to form alliances with outside powers. Our sect already has many enemies. If we unite them, if we strike while the sect master is still injured... we may have a chance."

Qingling looked at him with wide eyes, struggling to reconcile the quiet strength before her with the enormity of his plan.

Feiyin stepped forward, his voice low but resonant. "The sect master is in the ninth phase. He is terrifying indeed. But he's still injured, and recovering, no matter how slowly. I believe that now is the time to fight for our freedom, and if we don't take arms, who will?"

Then, in that still chamber, Feiyin released his aura. Not outward- no, it was a tight veil, confined to the space around the three of them. Power flooded the room. Essence qi rippled, infused with the domination of his saber intent and the elegance of his musical resonance. His strength, fully rooted in the elemental infusion phase, wrapped the space in undeniable proof.

He stretched out a hand toward her.

"So, will you join me?"

Qingling's breath caught. Her heart raced. She turned toward Ruan, seeking something- guidance, reassurance. For the first time in all their years, Ruan smiled. It was faint, like the first petal to bloom after a harsh winter, but it was there. She nodded and knelt with grace before Feiyin.

With that, Qingling turned back. Feiyin's long black hair shimmered faintly under the floral glow. His eyes, those striking grey irises dusted with amethyst, met hers with calm warmth.

Something shifted within her.

Qingling dropped to one knee, her hand slipping into his.

"If you'll take me," she said with a grin, voice steady now, heart sure.