Prolouge

The mountain air was sharp, laced with the scent of pine and the distant hum of a storm building on the horizon. Shadows stretched long over the crumbling walls of an ancient temple, its once-proud dragon carvings now faded and cracked. The Azure Dragon Monastery had stood as a silent guardian for centuries, its secrets buried deep within its heart. Tonight, that silence would be shattered.

A hooded figure sprinted through the temple courtyard, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts. Li Tian, patriarch of the Azure Dragon Clan, clutched a jade ring tight in his fist—a small object, yet it seemed to pulse with a force far greater than its size. His robe was torn, streaked with blood, but his grip on the ring never faltered.

"Faster!" he urged himself under his breath, glancing over his shoulder. The faint flicker of torches in the distance told him they were closing in. The Scarlet Iron Sect—mercenaries and butchers in the service of Shen Longwei—were relentless. He'd underestimated how far the warlord's greed would drive him.

A sudden roar split the night air, sending a flock of crows screeching into the sky. Li Tian skidded to a stop. From the shadows emerged a towering figure, clad in crimson armor that seemed to gleam with an unnatural sheen. Shen Longwei himself.

"You've run far enough, old man," Shen growled, his voice as cold and unforgiving as the steel in his hand. His eyes glowed faintly red in the darkness, a hint of the demonic power he had begun to channel. "Hand over the ring. Save yourself the pain."

Li Tian straightened, his chest heaving, but his resolve unshaken. "You don't know what you're playing with, Longwei. This power isn't yours to wield."

"Power belongs to those strong enough to claim it," Shen sneered. He took a step forward, the ground trembling beneath his boots. "And you're out of time."

Li Tian raised his hand, the jade ring catching the moonlight. For a moment, it glimmered like fire. "You'll never have it," he said, his voice low but steady. "Not while a single breath remains in my body."

With a roar, Shen lunged. The clash of steel echoed through the temple, sparks flying as blade met blade. Li Tian moved with the precision of a master, but it was clear he was fighting a losing battle. Every swing of Shen's massive weapon sent shockwaves through the ground, forcing Li Tian back step by step.

"Is this the strength of the great Azure Dragon Clan?" Shen taunted; his strikes relentless. "Pathetic. You're nothing but ghosts clinging to a dead legacy."

Li Tian didn't answer. With a desperate burst of speed, he slipped past Shen's guard and hurled himself toward the altar at the temple's center. He placed the jade ring on the stone surface, murmuring a prayer under his breath.

"Protect him," he whispered. "Let the bloodline endure."

Before Shen could close the distance, the altar began to glow, a brilliant azure light erupting from the ring. The ground beneath their feet shook violently, and a low, guttural roar reverberated through the temple. Shen hesitated, his expression flickering with unease.

"What have you done?" he bellowed, raising his weapon.

Li Tian turned to face him one last time, a faint smile on his lips. "Set things in motion. You'll regret this night, Longwei."

The light consumed the altar, and with it, Li Tian. Shen shielded his eyes as the temple walls crumbled around him, the power of the Coiled Dragon unleashed for the first time in centuries.

When the dust settled, the ring was gone. And so was Li Tian.

Far away, in a small mountain village nestled in the shadow of the Frosted Peaks, a young boy stirred in his sleep. Li Feng's dreams were filled with roaring dragons and azure flames. He woke with a start, his hand instinctively clutching his chest as if feeling the weight of something unseen.

Outside, the first hints of dawn crept over the horizon. But even as light filled the village, Li Feng couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed—that his life was no longer his own.

And in the ruins of the Azure Dragon Monastery, Shen Longwei stood amidst the rubble, his eyes burning with fury. "I'll find it," he vowed, his voice echoing into the night. "No matter what it takes."

The storm had begun.