Chapter 7: The Shattered Memory

Xuanlong glided silently above the clouds, her wings beating gently against the wind. Han Qian sat quietly on her back, his eyes locked forward, cold and lifeless. But inside, a storm raged. He had only one purpose now—to reach the place where Bai Yan's soul had been scattered. He didn't speak, but his aura made it clear: he wasn't the same fragile boy anymore.

They reached a valley surrounded by cliffs, marked with dried blood and scorched stones. It was the battlefield where Bai Yan had made her final stand. The air still carried remnants of her energy—gentle, warm, but fading. Xuanlong landed slowly.

"This... this is where she fought to protect you," Xuanlong said softly.

Han Qian stepped down. For the first time in years, he fell to his knees. He pressed his palm to the scorched earth, trying to feel even the faintest presence of her. His lips trembled.

"Mother..." he whispered, his voice shaking. "Why did you leave me behind? I wanted to see you again..."

His tiny hands clenched the earth. Tears ran down his cheeks, the first he'd shed since the cage exploded. Xuanlong knelt beside him, trying to comfort the boy who carried a burden no child should bear.

"She loved you more than anything, Han Qian. She said she'd be happy... as long as you lived well. You carry her hope."

Han Qian looked up at her, his red eyes glowing with power. "Not as long as her murderer lives," he said, his voice terrifyingly calm. The sorrow had changed into rage. A fragile child on the outside, but inside—a storm sealed by grief and wrath. Xuanlong stepped back. This child... he was no longer someone the world could afford to underestimate.

"Bring me to the sect," he said.

---

In the Dragon Realm, chaos was spreading. The current emperor, along with several Rank 9 and 10 elders, stood on the edge of the destroyed prison where the evil emperor had once been sealed. The explosion had not only destroyed the cage but exposed the truth.

Ao Shan, forced to his knees and bound by divine chains, trembled under the glares of the rulers of the realm. "You... you deceived the Dragon Realm and allied with a soul fragment of the fallen emperor!"

"I only wanted power! The boy was nothing but a vessel!" Ao Shan cried.

The current emperor's golden eyes narrowed. "And now your foolishness might have set free a force we sealed generations ago."

They tightened the guard around the remnants of the prison, worried the evil emperor might have found a new vessel. But they also knew the truth—Han Qian had destroyed the cage. And that meant the boy was far more dangerous than anyone imagined.

"He may not have been possessed, but he must be eradicated. If he falls into the wrong path, it will be too late," an elder declared.

With swift decisions made, the emperor and the rank 9+ elders flew toward the outer realms. Their destination: the sect that had caused Bai Yan's death. Han Qian was already on his way there.

---

Xuanlong flew as fast as she could, her heart heavy. The sect ahead was one of the largest and most powerful among the humans. It had thousands of disciples, towers that touched the sky, and a reputation of unshakable pride. But none of that mattered now.

Han Qian stood at the edge of Xuanlong's back. As they neared the sect, his fists clenched.

"Stop here."

Xuanlong slowed. Without hesitation, Han Qian leapt off, descending like a meteor. A thunderous crash erupted as his tiny fist collided with the sect's main gate.

*BOOM!*

The entire gate shattered into dust. Pillars cracked. Shockwaves rippled through the sect grounds. Panic spread instantly. Disciples ran, elders activated defensive formations.

"Who dares?!"

A roar echoed from inside the sect. The sect leader—a Rank 9 cultivator with flowing black robes and sharp eyes—appeared with his elders.

"A child...?"

They stared in disbelief. Standing in the center of destruction was a five-year-old boy with glowing red eyes, his aura far exceeding anything a mortal child should emit.

"Han Qian," the sect leader said in disbelief.

"You killed Bai Yan," Han Qian said flatly. "You hunted her like prey, sent your disciples, and laughed when she fell."

The elder's face twitched. "She killed our elder! Hiding you in her Shadow!"

Han Qian raised his hand.

*BOOM!*

The ground exploded as another punch cracked the defensive array. Elders panicked. The formation masters screamed.

"Who trained this child?!"

Before anyone could answer, another pressure descended.

*Whhhhhhooooshhhh!*

From the skies, divine energy gathered. A dozen powerful cultivators landed, forming a circle around the sect and Han Qian. The Dragon Emperor, cloaked in golden scales and adorned with royal emblems, stepped forward.

"Han Qian!"

His voice thundered.

Han Qian didn't even flinch.

"You destroyed the dragon cage. You might have set the evil emperor free. You must answer for this."

"He tried to possess me. I stopped him. You should thank me."

The surrounding dragon elders growled.

"You dare talk back?!"

Han Qian's hair fluttered in the wind. His small body glowed faintly with heaven's qi. Xuanlong landed beside him, but even she was afraid of what might come next.

"All I want... is justice for Bai Yan. If you stand in my way, I will destroy this sect and whoever protects it."

The wind stopped. A terrifying silence took hold.

Everyone knew.

This boy—this five-year-old child—was a calamity in the making.

And the future of the realms hung by a thread.