Chapter 116: Into the Spire of Dominion

The skies above the Dominion Spire churned with divine flame. Massive warding circles spun in slow, thunderous orbit around its towering peak—a bastion of the Flame Court's authority, veiled in centuries of invulnerability.

But tonight, the fire would tremble.

Chen and his bonded moved like whispers through the broken ley lines leading to the outer sanctum. Sarina's illusion veils shimmered faintly, bending the very air around them as divine sentries passed within an arm's reach, unseeing. The Ember of Liberation pulsed faintly in Chen's palm, a living flame held still only by his will.

"The energy net is thinning," Ye Yue whispered, eyes narrowing. "This place was never meant to be attacked from within. They never imagined someone could get this close with the seal broken."

Lanmei moved ahead, her blade flickering with protective sigils. "We're almost at the inner core. The flame relay nexus is ahead."

They slipped into the inner sanctum—an obsidian chamber lit by controlled divine fire, where massive conduits of energy pulsed upward into the heavens. Statues of long-forgotten war gods lined the walls, all carved with one message: Obedience is salvation.

Chen raised the Ember.

The fire answered—not as destruction, but as release. It unraveled the suffocating wards, burning them away in radiant waves. The chamber groaned. Ancient bindings cracked. A scream echoed through the walls—not human, but divine.

The Dominion Spire was waking up.

[Soulflame Unison: Active] All bonded within range share strength, intent, and clarity. Emotional resonance amplifies power.

The ground shook as divine enforcers erupted from sealed vaults within the structure—armor gleaming, weapons crackling with searing power.

"We fight!" Lanmei called, planting her feet as a divine halberd struck where Chen had stood a second earlier.

Ye Yue extended both hands. Ribbons of lunar flame lanced forward, wrapping around the enemy and dragging their momentum to stillness. "Chen, the core!"

Chen sprinted through the chaos, dodging bolts of red fire, guided by Sarina's illusions and Lanmei's barrier bursts. He reached the central relay—an altar carved from the first flame of the Flame Court.

He didn't hesitate. The Ember of Liberation struck.

The altar exploded in light—waves of heat, yes, but also memory, emotion, suppressed truths tearing free.

Every divine court felt it. Not just the explosion—but the echo of something long forbidden awakening.