The sky had gone black.

The sea itself trembled beneath the dragon's cry, waves pulling back as if fleeing its wrath. The ground cracked open in wide fissures; sand turned to ash under the weight of dark qi that blanketed the beach.

The beast's chest expanded — black flames gathering within its throat, molten light burning through its scales. Each breath it took made the world shudder.

Tian Bufen stood before it, robes snapping in the storm, a smile stretched too wide across his face. The dragon coiled around him like a crown of living shadow, its crimson eyes burning with ancient malice.

Then it struck.

A torrent of dark energy, thick and roaring, tore from the dragon's mouth — a blast wide enough to erase a mountain.

Elder Feng Yu moved first.

His blade flared blue, cutting a vertical arc through the black storm.

The impact cracked the earth, splitting the wave of power in two. But the force slammed into him like an avalanche.

"Rrgh—!"

He was hurled backward, boots carving trenches through the sand before he dropped to one knee. Blood spilled down his lip. His hand still gripped his sword; the other braced the ground.

Elder Hua's jaw trembled.

Her eyes widened.

"That thing…" she whispered, voice shaking, "…it will take everything we have to defeat it!"

Elder Wan and Elder Liya stepped forward together, qi flaring. Lin Shu moved beside them, eyes cold, sword humming with golden light.

Behind them, disciples took formation, faces pale but unyielding.

They were the Sanatan Flame Sect — even facing a dragon, none took a step back.

Elder Feng Yu rose again, wiping the blood from his mouth.

His eyes blazed with resolve.

"I'll cut a path," he said, voice low. "Strike with me!"

He charged, sword glowing brighter, channeling every thread of qi he had left.

Wind howled around him, blue and gold energy bursting from the blade.

But Tian Bufen only smiled.

With a flick of his wrist, he pulled a black talisman from his robe.

Ancient runes glowed across its surface, shifting like liquid darkness.

He crushed it between his fingers.

At once, black light erupted beneath everyone's feet — a massive array of serpentine symbols burning into the ground. The air locked, space thickened.

Every body froze mid-motion.

Even Lin Shu's blade halted inches from her strike. Her limbs refused to obey.

Elder Feng Yu's swing stopped halfway, muscles locked tight.

Disciples trembled but could not move.

Qi circulation jammed, sealed.

The talisman pulsed once more and vanished.

Tian Bufen's laughter echoed across the battlefield.

"Haha… now, little flames — watch how easily dragons devour sparks."

He turned to his guardian beast and lifted his arm.

"End them."

The dragon arched its neck, inhaling once. Black qi coalesced again, denser, more violent — a growing sphere of destruction between its jaws. The light of it painted the sea crimson, then void-black.

The disciples' eyes widened, horror sinking deep.

Yan Chen clenched his teeth, unable to even blink.

Wang Tian's fingers twitched, useless.

Luo Chen's aura fought against the paralysis, veins bulging.

Elder Wan and Elder Liya struggled, their qi sparking faintly against the invisible bonds.

But the seal was too strong.

Lin Shu could only stare at the approaching death.

Her breath hitched, sweat beading her temple.

The dragon's head lowered, eyes glowing like molten embers.

Its mouth opened, shadow energy spiraling inside like a black sun.

Then it fired.

The world turned white and black all at once.

A beam of compressed spiritual destruction roared toward them, tearing the air apart.

Lin Shu's heart stopped.

So this is… the end—

And then—

A golden blur cut the storm.

Before the beam could touch them, a figure appeared in front of Lin Shu — silent, expressionless, robes fluttering in the gale.

A single wave of his hand deflected the attack.

No roar. No explosion against him. Just pure dominance.

The black beam twisted, redirected, shooting sideways into the sea.

BOOOOOOM!

The ocean split.

A wall of water surged skyward, towering hundreds of feet before crashing back down in chaos.

Tian Bufen's laughter died in his throat.

He stared ahead, disbelieving.

Lin Shu's eyes went wide, her breath caught.

That silhouette… that aura…

"...Shaurya…"

Golden light flickered across his wrist, veins glowing faintly beneath the skin. He stood still, calm — not wrathful, not proud — just awake.

Tian Bufen stumbled back a step, confusion breaking through arrogance.

"Who… who are you?"

Shaurya didn't answer.

He clenched his fist, golden aura spiraling, then slammed it into the ground.

"Break."

A shockwave rippled outward from his strike. The earth cracked like glass, the runic formation splintering in every direction. Black sigils screamed before shattering entirely.

The talisman's binding shattered with a final flash of golden light.

The air freed.

Bodies unfroze.

Elder Feng Yu gasped, regaining motion.

Elder Wan's aura reignited instantly.

Disciples stumbled, eyes wide with disbelief.

Even the dragon flinched, its body recoiling slightly, eyes narrowing in confusion. It felt it — something wrong. Something stronger than the binding of royal blood.

Tian Bufen gritted his teeth, his confidence shaking for the first time.

Lin Shu dropped her sword and moved.

She threw herself forward, crashing into Shaurya's chest, arms locking around him.

Her eyes burned, voice trembling against his robe.

"You—! You fool… you really woke up…"

Shaurya blinked once. Then his lips curved faintly — that same warm, quiet smile that melted tension like sunlight through mist.

Behind them, the sect gathered — Elder Wan, Elder Liya, the disciples, everyone rushing forward in disbelief and joy.

"Master!"

"He's awake!"

"Shaurya-senpai's back!"

(Cheng Fang actually shouted that one before Yan Chen smacked him.)

They surrounded him — some cheering, some too stunned to speak, some just smiling through tears.

For a moment, the dragon, the prince, the battle — all forgotten.

They only saw their master standing again, alive, unbroken.

Warmth spread through the shattered battlefield.

Shaurya smiled softly, lifting his hand to pat Lin Shu's shoulder.

"It's alright," he said quietly. "You all did well."

Elder Wan chuckled under his breath, half-teary.

Elder Liya sighed in relief.

Even Elder Feng Yu's cold expression cracked with a faint, proud grin.

The warmth didn't last.

Tian Bufen's voice broke through — a snarl, furious, desperate.

"Enough!"

His qi burst again, eyes wild. "Kill them all!"

The dragon reared up, roaring so loud it cracked the air. This time, its energy burned deeper, black fire swirling into a vortex around its body. The beach shook, stones levitating from the pressure.

The disciples braced.

Elders raised their weapons again.

Lin Shu turned, sword flashing to her hand once more.

But Shaurya only stepped forward.

No hesitation. No rush.

Just a slow, steady walk through dust and trembling earth.

The golden aura returned — faint, warm, growing brighter with every heartbeat.

The dragon exhaled, charging its final strike — a dark cannon that shimmered with violet edges.

Its roar tore across the sky.

Shaurya drew back his right fist, golden light coiling around it like living flame.

> "Dragon Fist."

His voice was low, calm, resonant — not shouted, not forced.

Then he struck.

A golden dragon of pure qi burst from his punch, roaring upward, scales glowing like molten sunfire. It met the black dragon's beam head-on.

The world erupted.

BOOOOOOM!

Shockwaves ripped through the air, splitting clouds of dust and energy.

The sea heaved like a storm, waves scattering into glowing mist.

Gold and black intertwined — two forces locked in a struggle that shook the horizon.

And then Shaurya's dragon pushed through.

It tore through the black energy, shattered it into fragments, and kept going — piercing the demonic dragon head-on.

The beast screamed — a cry that cracked the mountains.

Its scales split. Its horns shattered.

Light blue blood sprayed across the sand like shattered crystals.

In one breath, the guardian of the Black Dragon line collapsed, body crumbling to ash under golden qi.

The silence that followed was absolute.

Tian Bufen stood staring, eyes wide, trembling.

His lips moved, whispering in disbelief.

"My family's… guardian dragon… died like this? This easily? Who… who are you?"

Shaurya's figure flickered — and then he was gone.

When Tian Bufen looked again, Shaurya stood in front of him.

So close.

So quiet.

Eyes cold as winter steel.

Tian Bufen staggered backward, face pale, lips trembling. The shattered remains of his arrogance clung to him like torn silk.

He looked at the man standing before him — calm, golden aura fading slowly around his hands, the sea wind tugging at his hair. Shaurya's gaze was steady, empty of anger or satisfaction.

Just silence.

Tian Bufen's breath hitched.

"You…" he stammered, voice cracking. "You dare to strike me? I am the prince of the Black Dragon Kingdom! You can't afford to mess with me! If you kill me, my fam—"

The rest never came.

There was a sound — faint, dull.

Like air splitting.

Blood burst outward in a sudden bloom of red.

Tian Bufen's words died in his throat as his head snapped back — then vanished.

For a moment, his body still stood, trembling, before collapsing to the sand with a heavy thud.

The sound echoed strangely, muffled beneath the hiss of the sea breeze.

Blood rippled out in dark streams, flowing between the cracks in the scorched ground — spreading, slow and steady, like ink bleeding into parchment.

Shaurya's fist hung in the air, faint golden aura still coiling around his knuckles.

He hadn't even taken a full step.

No anger. No roar. No declaration.

He simply lowered his hand.

Tian Bufen's lifeless body lay twisted at his feet, eyes wide — forever frozen in disbelief.

The wind carried the scent of salt and iron.

The waves rolled back in, washing crimson into the sand.

Shaurya didn't look down again.

He turned away — expression calm, eyes softening as he faced his people.

Lin Shu still stood frozen where he had left her, tears drying on her cheeks.

Elder Wan exhaled shakily.

Disciples stared with a mix of awe and affection.

Shaurya's expression softened.

He spread his arms slightly, smiling — warm, tired, alive.

"Miss me?" he said lightly, voice calm but carrying through the air.

"I bet you did."

That was all it took.

The camp erupted — laughter, tears, shouts, a chorus of relief breaking through the weight of battle.

Lin Shu rushed to him again, this time not holding back; disciples swarmed close; elders smiled through exhaustion.

The dragon was gone. The prince was dead.

But the flame of Sanatan burned brighter than ever.

And as the tide returned to shore, washing blood from the sand, one truth lingered quietly in the air —

> They had their Master back.

To Be Continued…

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