The Chronocitadel defied conventional architecture. As they passed through its outer perimeter, Liu Yun realized the structure wasn't built from traditional materials but from solidified time itself—moments frozen into crystalline formations that supported other moments. Stairways climbed to platforms that existed partially in the future, while corridors sometimes led to chambers that had already collapsed decades ago yet remained perfectly accessible.
"How do you navigate this place?" Jiang Tao asked in wonder as they followed their Timeshaped hosts through the impossible structure. "The spatial relationships seem to constantly shift."
"Navigation implies linear progression," Karim replied with a smile that momentarily fractured into three different expressions before reuniting. "We don't move through the Citadel—we synchronize with its various temporal states. Intention guides manifestation."
Lin Fei's eyes widened in understanding. "You don't walk to a destination; you align yourself with the moment when you're already there."
"Precisely," Sana Khet confirmed. "A concept your bloodlines will gradually comprehend as your perceptions... evolve."
Liu Yun could already feel the changes accelerating within him. The Earth Shattering Sword had entered a state of constant resonance against his back, its seven blood-etched characters pulsing in rhythmic sequences. His vision occasionally split, showing shadow images of events seconds before or after they occurred.
They arrived at the Citadel's heart—a vast circular chamber whose domed ceiling mirrored the night sky above, though with constellations arranged in patterns Liu Yun had never seen. At the chamber's center stood a monolithic hourglass, large enough that a person could walk inside it. Instead of sand, it contained what appeared to be liquid light, flowing both downward and upward simultaneously.
"The Chronoflux," Sana Khet announced. "The focal point where all timestreams converge within our domain. Here, the covenant bond can be properly established between our bloodlines."
The Imperial Jade Seal floated forward, expanding and contracting in perfect synchronization with the Chronoflux's pulses. Symbols representing Earth Vein, Water Weaver, and Sky Rider bloodlines glowed on its surface, with a fourth symbol now activating—an intricate spiral that represented the Timeshaped.
"Four of seven," the seal intoned. "Covenant progression accelerating. Temporal alignment required for stabilization."
Sana gestured for Liu Yun, Lin Fei, and Jiang Tao to form a circle around the Chronoflux. The other Timeshaped took positions between them, creating a seven-point formation that echoed the covenant's fundamental pattern.
"Draw your bloodline weapon," Sana instructed Liu Yun. "Its connection to the covenant predates even our temporal manipulations."
Liu Yun unsheathed the Earth Shattering Sword, which immediately blazed with energy so intense it left trailing afterimages as he moved it. The seven blood-characters etched along its length were now fully illuminated, pulsing in sequence.
"Now begins the communion," Sana announced. "Open your minds to the timestreams. What you perceive may disturb you, but resist the urge to withdraw. Fragmented perception is the beginning of temporal awareness."
The Chronoflux's flow accelerated, the liquid light swirling into complex patterns that began to project outward—filling the chamber with three-dimensional images that played simultaneously around them. Liu Yun saw fragments of history, glimpses of potential futures, and parallel moments existing side by side.
And then, abruptly, he saw the Pattern in its entirety.
Not just the covenant quest that had driven them from the Western Mountains through the Southern Marshlands to this desert citadel—but the greater Pattern that had shaped all seven bloodlines since their creation. The true purpose behind their evolved abilities and the covenant that bound them.
"It's a defensive measure," he gasped, the revelation overwhelming in its clarity. "The bloodlines weren't created to rule or conquer—they were designed to protect."
"Yes," Sana confirmed, her voice resonating across multiple timelines at once. "Now you begin to understand what the Protocol sought to suppress. The covenant's true purpose."
The Chronoflux images coalesced to show a singular event—a cataclysm of such magnitude that it threatened to consume the entire world. A massive tear in reality itself, pouring destructive energy across the landscape. And standing against it, seven figures channeling their bloodline powers in unison, creating a barrier that contained the breach.
"The Great Sundering," Jiang Tao whispered, recognition dawning on his face. "It's not just a creation myth—it actually happened."
"Happened, is happening, and will happen again," corrected Karim. "Temporal cycles repeat with variations. The Sundering is not a singular historical event but a recurring threat to reality itself."
Lin Fei stepped closer to the Chronoflux, her eyes tracking the flow of images. "And the covenant was established to ensure that when the Sundering returns, the bloodlines would stand united against it."
"The Protocol arose after the last Sundering event," explained Sana. "Those who established it feared the power of united bloodlines and sought to prevent any future convergence—even at the cost of leaving the world defenseless when the next cycle begins."
"Which is when?" Liu Yun asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer.
"Soon," Sana replied grimly. "Within a single season. The temporal distortions have already begun at the convergence points. The Timeshaped can detect the earliest vibrations across the timestreams."
The Imperial Jade Seal expanded dramatically, its glow intensifying until it nearly matched the Chronoflux itself. "Covenant warning protocols activated. Sundering precursors detected in multiple regions. Estimated manifestation timeline: seventy-three days."
Liu Yun felt the weight of this revelation settle upon him. Their quest had suddenly transformed from a mission to restore lost bloodline knowledge into a desperate race to save the world itself.
"We still need three more bloodlines," he realized aloud. "The Flame Dancers, Sky Riders, and..."
"The Void Touched," Sana completed for him. "The most elusive bloodline, and perhaps the most vital to containing the Sundering. Their domain exists at the boundaries between realities—precisely where the breach will first appear."
The Chronoflux pulsed urgently, its images showing the remaining bloodline territories—and the Protocol forces already mobilizing to prevent the covenant's completion.
"They know," Lin Fei said quietly. "The Administrators understand what's coming, yet they still oppose us."
"Because they believe their technology can address the Sundering more effectively than bloodline powers," Sana explained. "They are catastrophically wrong, as all timestreams confirm. Without the covenant's restoration, there is no future where reality remains intact."
Liu Yun gripped the Earth Shattering Sword tightly, its energy flowing into him, changing him. He could feel his perception expanding beyond linear time, embracing the broader realities the Timeshaped inhabited naturally.
"Then we continue," he declared. "Four bloodlines united. Three remain. The covenant must be completed before the Sundering begins."