NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Message from the Dragon Council
Recap:
Long Tianyu made it through the Siege of Blackwood Hollow, awakened the Flame Soul Armor, and took down the Bone Dragon along with Lord Marrow's first form. With his hidden court surviving their first real battle, tales of his legend are starting to spread. Now, his ascent has caught the eye of the Dragon Council—an ancient force that once betrayed his father.
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Three days after the battle, Blackwood Hollow was quiet yet full of life.
New buildings were rising from the debris. Formation scrolls adorned the fresh walls, and the remaining members of the Crimson Rebirth Court had begun their training under the glow of Tianyu's flame aura.
But Tianyu himself was lost in thought.
In the command pavilion's depths, he was engrossed in the battle replay crystal, watching Marrow's form fade away, dissecting every strike and flicker of demonic Qi.
> [Skill Evolved: Flame Pulse now integrates Bone Qi. Flame Laceration Effect Unlocked]
Still, a weight hung over him.
Why did Marrow hesitate when I activated the Flame Soul Core?
A knock broke his concentration.
Qin Yao entered, her eyes sharp.
"A guest has arrived."
"Who?"
She paused. "A white-robed envoy from the Dragon Council."
---
Tianyu stepped into the open courtyard to find a tall man kneeling respectfully.
He wore white robes embroidered with silver flame sigils and bore the mark of the Ancient Five Clans.
"I bring a message from the Inner Ring Council," he said calmly.
"Please, receive it."
Tianyu didn't reach for the scroll right away.
"Your name?"
"Jing Zhan. I'm just a courier."
He handed over the scroll.
Tianyu unsealed it.
---
> [Official Edict from the Dragon Council]
> To Long Tianyu, bearer of the Flame Soul and descendant of the Elder Flame Lineage:
>
> Your presence disrupts the current balance of cultivation authority.
> Your battle with Lord Marrow has attracted unwanted forces to the Eastern Realm.
>The Council has summoned you to the Crimson Sky Hall within the next 7 days to maintain order.
>Failure to comply will be seen as treason.
>Signed, High Seat Elder Long Wuchen
---
Tianyu crumpled the scroll in his hand. They feign concern, but all they really want is control.
Qin Yao looked at him and asked, "Are you going to go?"
He hesitated, glancing over at Jing Zhan. "What happens if I don't show up?"
Jing Zhan remained unfazed.
"They'll label your lineage as rogue and send out the Nine Binding Spears."
Tianyu let out a chuckle. "Let them try."
Yet, a flicker of doubt began to take root in his mind.
---
That night, Tianyu found himself at the Flame Spring, the sacred pool where he first merged with the Soul Flame.
Haunting visions filled his mind—his father, Long Shen, kneeling before the same council, betrayed and silenced, his blood sealed.
And now, they were calling for the son.
> [System Alert: Quest Triggered Return of the Elder Flame]
> Objective: Attend the Council and uncover hidden history
> Reward: Elder Flame Memory Core (Father's Secret Legacy)
He gazed up at the stars. "I'll go. Not for them, but for the truth."
---
Preparations were underway.
Tianyu chose four guards to accompany him: Qin Yao, a stealth expert named Lei Fen, a formation master, and a young sword prodigy from the Rebirth Court named Rui.
Before they set off, he handed Qin Yao a backup command token. "If I don't return in 10 days, Blackwood Hollow is yours."
"You'll come back," she replied softly.
"You're the flame we chose."
---
The journey to the Crimson Sky Hall took two days aboard a spiritual airship.
They passed numerous sects, each with flying banners in tribute, and whispers trailed behind them.
"That's Long Tianyu... the Hollow Phoenix."
"They say he burned a bone dragon from the inside."
By the time they reached the floating jade city of the Dragon Council, a crowd had gathered.
Even Tianyu was taken aback.
Not all of them were elders.
Some were cultivators from the forgotten branches, and they bowed their heads in respect.
---
In the heart of the inner sanctum, ten elders were seated in a crescent shape around a jade platform.
Tianyu stepped forward, his presence commanding attention.
"Long Tianyu," one elder said, "you weren't invited here to show off."
"I don't kneel to cowards," he shot back defiantly.
Elder Long Wuchen's gaze turned sharp, like a blade.
"You're playing with fire that could burn you."
Tianyu raised his palm, and in an instant, the Flame Soul Armor ignited in mid-air, hovering behind him like a blazing avatar.
"I am the fire," he declared.
---
Gasps filled the room.
Elder Mei, who had once cautioned him, now spoke up.
"Before we decide your fate, there's something you need to see."
With a flick of her sleeve, a golden crystal appeared.
Inside it was Long Shen—Tianyu's father—preserved in a state of suspended spirit stasis.
"Your father was never killed," she revealed. "He was imprisoned for knowing too much."
Tianyu's heart raced at the revelation.
The council chamber erupted into chaos, voices overlapping in a frenzy.
But one voice cut through the noise.
From the crystal came a soft whisper:
"Tianyu."
He stepped closer, his heart pounding.
"Father?"
The flames surrounding him surged in response.
> [Quest Updated: Break the Spirit Seal of Long Shen]
> Reward: Hidden Technique Eternal Dragonfire Path
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Teaser for Chapter 13:
To rescue his father, Tianyu must face the Spirit Seal Trial—a challenge that has claimed the lives of many. Meanwhile, the Vault dispatches an assassin to eliminate him before the truth can spread.