Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 256: Relief

Lucas froze the moment he felt their collective energy. His body tensed, his instincts screaming that this was no ordinary fight. He turned to the Empress, but she was already advancing.

"More Ascendants," she muttered, her tone filled with disbelief and fury. "Dozens of them... as if they were mere pawns."

The realization struck Lucas like a blow to the chest. The power behind the rot had elevated its influence far beyond what any of them had imagined. To command an army of Ascendants was to command devastation itself.

One of the soldiers, his voice a guttural echo of something no longer human, spoke from the front line. "By decree of the new power, the old order shall fall. The Empress of Lechia is hereby condemned."

His words were met with the silent hum of energy as blades began to glow, and Qi flared throughout the room.

The Empress’s eyes darkened with sorrow and rage. "Condemned?" she repeated softly. "Then let judgment fall upon you instead."

The hall erupted in violence.

She surged forward first, her aura exploding in a torrent of icy brilliance. The temperature plummeted instantly, and shards of frost danced through the air like glimmering spears. The first wave of Ascendants raised their weapons to block her, but her power was far beyond their comprehension. She struck them with an open palm, and a shockwave of frozen Qi tore through their formation, shattering armor and bone alike.

Seraphine followed closely behind, her movements sharp and fluid, every swing of her blade cutting through the frozen air with grace and precision. Her sword glowed with radiant flame, a stark contrast to the Empress’s frost. She weaved through the ranks, her strikes deadly and clean, severing the lines of the enemy with every motion.

Lucas joined the fray, summoning his energy into his fists, but the difference in strength was evident. His blows landed, but they hardly dented the Ascendants’ defenses. Their bodies, strengthened by whatever corruption sustained them, endured strikes that would have crushed cultivators below the ascendant rank. His frustration grew as one of them countered his attack, forcing him back with a surge of corrupted Qi that burned his arm despite his defenses.

Selene and the others tried to assist from afar, but even they could feel the immense weight of the power within the hall. It was as though the air itself was rebelling against them, the corruption gnawing at their energy, dulling their senses, they had to stay back.

Seraphine’s sword clashed against three foes at once, sparks of fire and ice colliding with every strike. She managed to cut through two of them, their bodies dissolving into ash, but the third retaliated with a roar, slamming his blade into the marble floor and sending a wave of dark Qi rippling toward her. She braced herself with a barrier of light, the impact shaking her to the core.

Lucas dashed in to cover her, driving his palm into the soldier’s chest with all the Qi he could muster. The blow sent the man staggering, but before Lucas could follow up, another struck him from behind. The impact threw him forward, his vision blurring from the sheer force. He caught himself just in time to see the Empress tearing through yet another formation.

Her anger had become something divine. The frost around her deepened to a pure, blinding white, her aura surging high enough to make the Ascendants falter. She moved through them like a storm incarnate, freezing their weapons mid-swing, shattering them into shards of glittering ice that scattered across the ruined floor. One after another fell before her, their screams echoing through the collapsing hall.

Seraphine regrouped beside Lucas, her chest heaving from the strain. "She’s not holding back anymore," she said between breaths. "She’s killing them all."

Lucas nodded grimly. "She has to. These things aren’t just soldiers...they’re puppets of the rot. There’s nothing left to save."

A thunderous explosion shook the hall as the Empress unleashed another surge of energy. The ceiling cracked, massive chunks of stone crashing down as light and frost enveloped the battlefield. In moments, more than a dozen Ascendants lay lifeless, their bodies frozen solid before crumbling into dust.

The grand hall could no longer withstand the devastation. Pillars buckled, walls splintered, and the ornate ceiling began to cave in under the pressure of the unleashed energies. The clash of divine frost and corrupted Qi tore through the very structure, and within moments, the once-majestic grand chamber of Lechia’s power collapsed entirely.

The Empress stood amid the ruin, her aura still emanating greatly around her. Seraphine and Lucas landed nearby, their clothes torn and their bodies weary, watching as the dust settled and silence fell once again.

Amid the dust and rubble, a faint but unmistakable aura pulsed...a familiar energy that made the Empress’s breath hitch in her throat. Her heart, which had been hardened by fury and despair, trembled for the first time since she entered the palace. Without saying a word, she turned her head slightly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"He’s here..."

Seraphine’s eyes widened. "Are you certain?"

The Empress didn’t answer. The air shifted around her, and before anyone could react, she darted forward, her movements blurring with divine speed. Lucas and the others followed her gaze, and through the thick haze of dust and frost, a figure began to emerge....Prince Khan.

The sight of him sent waves of relief washing through the air. Seraphine let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. "He’s alive," she murmured, her voice trembling with emotion, she had feared the worst. To see the prince again...standing, breathing...was more than she had hoped for.

The Empress slowed her pace as she approached him, relief battling across her face. She took one step after another until she was standing just before him. For a moment, neither spoke. Then, the Empress reached out a trembling hand, gently touching his cheek.

Khan managed a faint smile, "Mother..."

That single word shattered whatever composure she had left. She pulled him into her arms without hesitation, holding him tightly as if she would never let go again. No words passed between them; none were needed. The embrace itself spoke volumes...the anguish of thinking something had happened to him, the terror of loss, and the quiet, overwhelming joy of reunion.

Seraphine lowered her head, her throat tightening as she watched the two of them. "He’s safe," she whispered again, as though saying it would make it more real.

Lucas stood beside her, his eyes soft despite himself. He had never liked Prince Khan...there was always tension between them, an unspoken rivalry born from clashing ideals and pride...but seeing the Empress so relieved melted away any bitterness in him. Her joy was genuine, raw, and human. He couldn’t bring himself to feel anything but gratitude that she hadn’t lost her son to the chaos.

Nyx, Lira, Selene, and even Mirielle...still shaken and weary from all they had seen...felt the same, this small reunion amidst ruin relieved them a lot.