The Jade Apex Sanctum was not merely a seat of learning. It was the stronghold of Archsage Solarian himself.
Vexar and the Radiant Order disciples were only the visible threat. The true danger lay in the layers beneath—wards woven into the stone, hidden kill-zones, defensive constructs placed by a being who had shaped eras.
If they slipped in quietly, they might succeed.
If they were discovered, escape would be a nightmare.
And if they faced that nightmare while divided?
They would not survive it.
Aegiron understood that.
For centuries, dragonkind had endured humiliation and imprisonment. Much of their weakness had come from within. Pride, betrayal, old wounds left to rot. If they were to face what was coming, those fractures had to close.
Long ago, Aegiron had turned against his own siblings and submitted to the Celestial Court to preserve the dragon race. If he could do that for their survival, then swallowing his pride and admitting fault now was a small price.
Because he had been wrong.
After reaching an uneasy reconciliation, the four Dragon Kings returned together to the Abyssal Crucible.
"Release them."
With a single command, the chains binding the imprisoned sea creatures shattered. The ocean shook as thousands of monsters surged free, returning to the banners of their respective kings.
Vexar frowned.
"If Aureo were here with that world-chart relic of his, we could carry the entire sea host with us. If the Sanctum turns on us, unleashing them could turn the tide."
The Jade Apex Sanctum housed countless disciples. Even powerful warriors could be overwhelmed by numbers.
Rowan gave a small smile.
"That won't be necessary."
He raised a hand. Space rippled and tore open before them, revealing a vast, self-contained realm beyond the threshold.
"My world," Rowan said simply. "I can spare a region large enough to hold them."
Vexar stared. "You're serious?"
"Completely."
"Then we move. Now."
Time favored them. The elder had only just returned to the Sanctum; suspicion would not yet be sharpened. The Dragon Kings issued orders, and dragons and sea-beasts alike poured into Rowan's private domain in disciplined waves.
As the last ranks entered, Rowan turned to Aegiron.
"I'm missing a proper weapon. Could I borrow something from your vault? I'll return it once this is over."
"Borrow?" Aegiron let out a low laugh. "Name what you want. Take ten."
The dragons had once stood among the great powers of the world. Their armories still held relics forged in better days.
Rowan pointed toward the massive stone pillar that had anchored the suppression array.
"That one."
Aegiron's gaze sharpened.
"You choose boldly. That pillar contains the River-Anchor Iron. It was forged in ancient times by Archsage Solarian himself and once used to steady the floodwaters of the world. Later, it became the heart of the prison that bound us. It is unimaginably heavy. Wielding it will not be easy."
He paused only a moment.
"But it's yours."
Rowan inclined his head and flew to the pillar.
He struck it once.
The impact thundered through the abyss. Cracks exploded across the surface, racing outward like lightning. The outer stone shell collapsed in slabs, revealing the true form hidden within.
A black iron staff.
Gold-banded at both ends.
Runes glowed faintly along its length.
Rowan's breath slowed.
The Ruyi Jingu Staff.
He pressed his palm against it, drawing it into alignment with his will.
He did not lack weapons. If necessary, he could manifest blades and relics strong enough to cleave legendary chains. He preferred distance, magic, layered forces, and the quiet inevitability of his world grinding enemies down to nothing.
But this staff was different.
This was the weapon that had once carved a name across heaven and earth in Lancer's era.
Unbreakable.
Responsive to its wielder's intent.
Capable of shrinking to the size of a needle or extending beyond sight.
In Rowan's hands, reinforced by his physical strength and sorcery, a single strike could cripple even the most resilient immortal bodies.
The binding completed with a subtle pulse. The staff shrank to a manageable length, settling into his grip as though it had always belonged there.
Rowan tested its weight, then allowed himself a faint smile.
If Aureo's peach-forged relic crossed his path again, he would be ready.
Once the last of the dragons and sea host were secured within his world, Rowan turned to Commander Drake and Lady Eleanor.
"Send word to your sons."
Takeda Akira at Cloudveil Mountain.
Kanzaki Mio at White Crane Hollow.
They were to inform their masters of the full truth. The dragons had not vanished in rebellion but in self-defense. Vexar's father had been taken. Pyros and Glacien had been captured. Their incursion into the Jade Apex Sanctum would be a rescue, nothing more.
The Divine War loomed on the horizon. Neither the Radiant Order nor the Celestial Court would risk open chaos before it began.
Afterward, however, mercy would be scarce.
The record had to be set now.
Rowan also instructed that a formal petition be sent directly to King Victor Shaw.
The charge was clear: the Radiant Order's senior disciple had attempted to slaughter an entire coastal city in pursuit of forbidden alchemy.
Let the crown demand answers.
The mortal throne still held weight. Several of the realm's highest officials possessed formidable power and deep allegiances. Even the king himself was no mere figurehead.
If Victor Shaw chose to press the matter, the Radiant Order would not be able to ignore it entirely.
Pressure. Delay. Scrutiny.
That was enough.
With alliances steadied, forces secured, and the staff of legend in hand, Rowan closed his fingers around the Ruyi Jingu Staff.
The road to the Jade Apex Sanctum awaited.
And this time, he would not walk it empty-handed.