The Peak Immortal Realm cultivator glared at Jalen in stunned silence. His body trembled—not from pain, but from disbelief. The same was true for his companion, the Sage Realm expert, whose eyes widened with a mixture of recognition and dread.
They knew him.
He was the boy who had used a fake identity to enter the Solar State, infiltrated the Solar Clan's inner sanctum, and escaped alive with Rana Flare. That feat alone had shaken their sect's pride. Back then, he was a Peak Immortal Realm cultivator—an impossible achievement for someone barely eighteen. His talent had been labeled monstrous. His survival was miraculous.
But now?
Now he stood before them cloaked in an aura that was unmistakably Mid Sage Realm. The pressure he exuded was suffocating—refined, lethal. They stood no chance.
The Early Sage Realm cultivator tried to escape through a tear in space triggered by a spirit tool in his possession—but Jalen didn't make it easy. A lightsaber appeared in his hand.
Luminal Edge. The thirteenth technique of the Light Art.
The blade tore through his defenses, slicing into his side. He cried out, staggering, blood trailing behind him as he barely managed to slip away into the void. He escaped—but his colleague, the Peak Immortal Realm expert whose arms Jalen had severed, wasn't so lucky.
The man fled the palace, but before he could exit the territory, Jalen was already there—thanks to Flash Reversion. With a flick of his wrist, three crescent blades of ice erupted from his fingertips.
Winter Rend. The third technique of the Ice Art.
The blades sliced through the air with deadly grace, bypassing the man's defenses and severing his head cleanly from his shoulders.
Jalen returned to the palace. With a deep breath, he activated Flare of Recursion, a healing technique unique to his lineage. Warm light enveloped the room, mending scorched flesh and stabilizing shattered meridians.
Jana watched in awe. Every time she saw him, he was stronger—more refined, more terrifying. The cultivators Simon couldn't even touch were like insects before him.
One dead. One fled.
Ronald and Jaquan, once bloodied and broken, now stood tall again. Their robes—fresh, ceremonial, and embroidered with the Flare crest—had been drawn from their pocket realms, a subtle gesture of dignity reclaimed. They approached Jalen slowly, reverently, as if unsure whether the young man before them was truly the same boy they once knew.
Jaquan reached him first.
"It's good to see you, son," he said, voice low but steady.
Jalen didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and hugged his father tightly, arms wrapped around him with a force that surprised Jaquan. For a moment, Jaquan stood frozen, unsure what to make of the sudden embrace.
"What's wrong, son?" he asked gently.
Jalen pulled back just enough to look him in the eye, his expression unreadable. "What—a son can't miss his dad?"
But it wasn't just that.
After everything he'd endured in the trials—especially the second—he had come to understand the depth of Jaquan's sacrifices. The quiet strength. The love masked as surrender. And he had faced the truth: the silent rage he once felt toward his father wasn't just misplaced—it was a wound he hadn't known how to name.
He had subconsciously hated Jaquan for being weak. But now he saw that weakness was never the point. Love was.
And that realization had changed him.
"Well," Jaquan said, smiling softly, "if it makes you feel better, you can hug me as long as you want."
Jalen nodded and leaned in again. This time, it wasn't just a hug—it was a vow. To never take this bond for granted again.
Simon's voice cut through the quiet. "Sorry to break up your union," he said, glancing at Jalen and Jaquan, "but what is going on with the Solar Clan—and my daughter? Is my daughter safe?"
Jalen turned, his expression hardened. Then he explained what had happened over the past few days—how the acting patriarch, Veyron Heat, and several elders of the Solar Clan had planned to force Rana into a political marriage with Prince Kino Raven of the Raven State, a union meant to consolidate power and erase her autonomy.
Jana's breath caught, but Jalen continued.
He told them how Rana refused the marriage. How her master, Talia, tried to help her escape—but they were caught. How Rana was stripped of her status, imprisoned, and watched like a criminal. How Veyron's loyalists threatened the Flare family in Rouna to force her compliance.
When she resisted, they threatened to destroy the Flare Family to break her spirit.
Then came the worst part. Jalen spoke with surprising calm, but everyone in the room could feel the tension radiating from him.
He told them how those monsters tried to eliminate his son and daughter from Rana's womb—not once, but twice. How he infiltrated the Solar Clan's inner sanctum and took Rana from their grasp. How he had almost lost her and the twins—but managed to save them. And now, they were secure in a hidden sanctuary, protected by formations.
Jana's voice cracked. "Where are they? My daughter and grandchildren? I need to see them this instant." Only then could her heart be settled.
"Don't worry, Mother-in-law," Jalen assured her. "I'll bring them here soon—once I'm sure the palace is secure."
Jana stepped forward, embracing Jalen. "Thank you," she whispered. "For saving my daughter."
Jalen met her gaze. "She's my fiancée and the mother of my kids. There's no need for thank you."
"You're as cheeky as ever," Jana said, pinching his cheek. Then she bid them farewell before she and Simon went to check on the family's condition.
Simar, the silent protector, retreated to his underground sanctuary to cultivate.
As for Jaquan and Jalen, they headed off to retrieve Lara, Jared, and the twins—Jamir and Jamar—from the safety zone.