The Heavenly Dragon Pavilion's grand hall was a storm of voices, each Guardian General vying to shape the response to the rift's ominous warning. Li Luo stood at the center, his silver hair glinting under the resonance lanterns, his expression calm despite the chaos. The vision of his parents—Li Taixuan and Tantai Lan—sealing a chaotic vortex lingered in his mind, a puzzle piece that refused to fit. Beside him, Jiang Qing'e radiated quiet strength, her light resonance a beacon in the tense atmosphere.
Elder Weng slammed his staff against the jade floor, silencing the hall. "Enough!" His voice boomed, laced with the resonant power of a peak Greater Transcendent Duke. "The Myriad Idols' Origin is no mere legend. If the Idol Kings are awakening, we cannot afford division. Grand Guardian General, what is your counsel?"
All eyes turned to Li Luo. At twenty-two, he was the youngest to hold such a title, yet his Absolute Resonance and triple resonance palaces commanded respect. He felt the weight of their gazes, a reminder of how far he'd come from the empty resonance youth of Southwind Academy.
"We investigate," Li Luo said, his voice steady but firm. "The Origin Continent holds answers—not just about the rift, but about my parents and the stability of our resonances. Sealing it blindly risks repeating their mistakes. We need a team, small but elite, to cross the rift and uncover the truth."
Murmurs rippled through the hall. General Zhao Tian of the Dragon Blood Guardians, a burly man with a fiery resonance, scoffed. "A fool's errand. The Origin Continent is a graveyard of cultivators. We should fortify Xia and let the rift burn itself out."
"And if it doesn't?" Qing'e countered, her golden eyes sharp. "The projection spoke of the world's balance crumbling. If resonances fail, every cultivator—every Guardian Army—falls with them. We cannot hide."
Zhao Tian bristled, but before he could retort, a soft, melodic voice cut through. "I agree with the Grand Guardian General." Lu Qing'er stepped forward, her ice resonance chilling the air around her. As the young mistress of House Jinque, her presence carried weight. "House Luolan has faced the impossible before. If Li Luo believes the Origin Continent holds the key, House Jinque will support him."
Li Luo offered her a grateful nod, though he caught the flicker of concern in her eyes. Lu Qing'er had fought alongside him in the Noble's Battlefield, her loyalty unwavering despite the complexities of their past.
Elder Weng stroked his beard, considering. "A small team, then. Li Luo, Qing'e, and a few others. But who else can be trusted with such a mission?"
"I'll summon Cai Wei," Li Luo said. "House Luolan's affairs need her oversight, but her earth resonance and strategic mind will be invaluable." He paused, thinking of others—Ox Biaobiao, whose brute strength had saved them countless times, and perhaps even Chi Chan, his former mentor from the Astral Sage College, whose water resonance mirrored his own.
"And I'll join you," a new voice declared. All heads turned to a young man leaning against a pillar, his dark robes tattered and his aura chaotic, like a storm barely contained. His eyes, one gold and one black, gleamed with reckless confidence. "Name's Zhao Chen. I've been to the edge of the Origin Continent. You'll need a guide."
The hall tensed. Zhao Chen's resonance was strange, a swirling mix of elements that defied classification, much like Li Luo's blank resonance once had. Elder Weng frowned. "An outsider? How do we trust you?"
Zhao Chen smirked, tossing a jade token into the air. It pulsed with a faint resonance signature, unmistakably tied to the Heavenly Dragon Pavilion. "I'm no outsider. My master was an elder here, long before you lot took over. I know the rift's energy—it's chaotic, like me. You need someone who can navigate that mess."
Li Luo studied Zhao Chen, his primal resonance stirring in response to the man's aura. There was something familiar, almost kindred, in that chaotic energy. "Why help us?" he asked.
Zhao Chen's smirk faded. "Let's just say I've got my own score to settle with whatever's waking up out there. Call it fate."
Qing'e's hand tightened on her sword hilt, her instincts sharp. "We'll watch you closely, Zhao Chen."
"Fair enough, Lady Light," he replied, undaunted.
Elder Weng relented. "Very well. Li Luo, assemble your team. The pavilion will prepare a resonance array to stabilize the rift for your crossing. But be warned: the Origin Continent is beyond our protection. You'll be on your own."
As the meeting adjourned, Li Luo and Qing'e stepped onto a balcony overlooking the Xia Kingdom. The crimson sky had deepened, streaks of black energy coiling like serpents. Below, the city bustled, unaware of the looming threat.
"Qing'e," Li Luo said softly, "this feels bigger than anything we've faced. My parents… they knew about the Myriad Idols' Origin. I saw them fighting it. What if they're still out there, trapped?"
She placed a hand on his, her warmth steadying him. "If they are, we'll find them. Together. But we must be ready for what else awaits. The Idol Kings… they sound like forces beyond even the Heavenly Kings."
Li Luo nodded, his resolve hardening. His primal resonance pulsed, a faint echo of the vision's vortex. "Then we prepare. House Luolan, the Guardians, the Origin Continent—it's all connected. I can feel it."
As they descended to rally their allies, a distant rumble shook the earth. The rift's energy flared, casting a shadow over Xia. Somewhere beyond, the Myriad Idols' Origin stirred, and with it, the ghosts of Li Luo's past beckoned.
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