Chapter 99: Breaking the Cycle

The battlefield was a wasteland of shattered stone and smoldering ruins. The echoes of clashing swords and dying warriors had faded into an eerie silence, leaving only the weight of what had transpired. Li Feng stood at the center of it all, his breath shallow, his body weakened, but his mind sharp. The remnants of Shen Longwei's forces lay in scattered clusters, those who survived too weary to continue the fight. Yet the tension in the air remained, thick with the expectation of more bloodshed.

Mei Lian and Yan Shun stood beside him, watching as the last embers of the celestial alignment flickered overhead. The world had changed, yet the cycle of violence continued. Factions bickered over what remained, some still clinging to the idea of seizing power, others hoping to rebuild from the ashes.

Lady Yuexiang, battered but unbroken, stepped forward. Her dark robes were torn, her once flawless composure fractured, yet her ambition remained undeterred. "The celestial forces are still with us," she declared, her voice steady despite the wounds marring her body. "With Shen Longwei gone, someone must take the throne. Someone must lead."

A murmur rippled through the gathered warriors. Some nodded in agreement, others tightened their grips on their weapons. The hunger for power had not died with Shen Longwei—it had only changed hands.

Li Feng exhaled, shaking his head. "This is why we've been fighting," he murmured. He took a slow step forward, feeling the weight of his body as though he were carrying centuries of war upon his shoulders. "This isn't about power. It never was."

The words earned scoffs from the power-hungry factions. One of Shen Longwei's surviving generals, his armor cracked and his face smeared with dirt and blood, sneered. "Spare us the talk of peace. Without strength, there is only chaos."

"No," Li Feng said, louder now. He looked toward the heavens, where the remnants of the celestial alignment shimmered in the darkened sky. "There is only chaos when we keep repeating the same mistakes."

A flicker of energy danced around him, though it no longer belonged to the Coiled Dragon. The celestial forces still hovered at the edges of the world, their whispers swirling in the wind. He could feel them, just as he had before, offering him one final choice. He could reclaim what was lost. He could seize power, reshape the martial world, and ensure peace by ruling with the wisdom he had gained. It would be so easy to accept. To take control and bend the world to his vision.

But that was exactly what had led them here in the first place. Power was always sought, always fought for, but it never truly ended the war.

His hands clenched into fists, and with a deep breath, he made his choice.

"I relinquish it," he declared, his voice carrying over the battlefield. "I sever the connection."

Gasps filled the air. Mei Lian's eyes widened in understanding, but Lady Yuexiang's face twisted in fury. "You can't—"

The celestial forces trembled. The Coiled Dragon's lingering essence pulsed once, as if acknowledging his decision. The sky above seemed to crack, light pouring down in a golden cascade. The power that had shaped the world for generations—the influence of celestial beings, the divine energy that had fueled war after war—began to wane.

"No!" Yuexiang lunged forward, desperate to grasp what was slipping away, but it was too late.

The Coiled Dragon's spirit shimmered before Li Feng one last time, its golden form coiling through the sky. It lowered its great head, its voice a whisper in his mind. You have done what none before you dared to do. The cycle ends with you.

Li Feng closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the celestial energy had vanished, leaving only the broken world behind.

The factions stared in stunned silence, their ambitions stripped away with the loss of the divine forces that had guided them for centuries. Without celestial power to fight over, without a throne to claim, they were left with nothing but themselves.

A heavy silence settled over them.

And then, slowly, the world began to shift.

The celestial alignment had ended. The old ways had shattered.

Li Feng's vision blurred, exhaustion overtaking him. The last thing he saw before collapsing was Mei Lian rushing toward him, her voice calling his name.

The war was over, but what came next was still unknown.