CHAPTER 25: The Grand Convoy to the Core City
**ARC 3: THE SOVEREIGN CLAN FOUNDATION & MARCH TO THE CORE**
The morning air was thick with mist as three grand, spirit-beast carriages assembled at the northern gate of the Inner City. Each carriage was crafted from polished white ironwood, bearing the official crest of the Imperial Grand Martial College—a roaring lion encircled by golden swords.
Surrounding the convoy were fifty elite academy guards clad in silver plate armor, all pulsing with the steady Qi of Mortal Physique (Gold Bones) experts.
This was the official tournament delegation heading to the Core City for the Southern Realm Regional Academy Exchange Tournament.
Ethan and Elena stood at the entrance of the convoy plaza, dressed in their dark navy-and-silver House Sterling coats. Their adaptive weapons rested at their sides, and beneath their tunics, the Sovereign Teleportation & Protection Amulets sat quietly against their chests.
Standing across from them was Gabriel. He wore his dark dragon-silk coat, looking every bit like a calm, distinguished father seeing his children off on a journey.
"The journey to the Core City takes four days through the Southern Mountain Pass," Gabriel said softly, adjusting Elena’s coat collar. "You are representing House Sterling and the academy. Do not start unnecessary conflicts, but if any noble heir tries to test your resolve..."
Ethan grinned sharply, touching the linen wrap on his spear. "We break their stance, Dad."
"And if an older generation powerhouse intervenes?" Gabriel continued, his voice dropping into a quiet, cold tone.
Elena touched her obsidian amulet, her azure eyes glowing with absolute confidence. "We activate the amulet, and you step through."
"Good," Gabriel smiled warmly, patting both their shoulders. "Go. Malakor will be watching over you from the shadows."
With a final bow to their father, the twins turned and boarded the lead carriage.
CREEEAK—
The spirit-beast horses let out low snorts as the heavy ironwood wheels began to roll forward, taking the delegation through the massive northern gates and onto the grand highway leading toward the heart of the empire.
Inside the spacious interior of the lead carriage, Ethan and Elena sat across from two other top-tier first-year scholars selected for the tournament squad.
One was a quiet, sharp-eyed youth named Lucas, a commoner genius who ranked third in the theory exams. The other was a young noblewoman named Seraphina, hailing from a neutral merchant house in the Inner City.
Seraphina looked at Ethan and Elena with a mix of awe and curiosity.
"Is it true?" Seraphina whispered, leaning forward. "During the dungeon trial... a Martial Grandmaster appeared to save you two?"
Ethan leaned back against the plush leather seat, resting his arm on the window sill. "Our family has its ways of protecting its own."
Lucas nodded slowly, his hand resting on his twin daggers. "House Valerius lost an elder and two branch heirs because they underestimated House Sterling. Now, every noble clan in the Core City is talking about your father."
"Let them talk," Elena said calmly, looking out the window as the white marble buildings of the Inner City faded into the rocky, pine-covered cliffs of the mountain pass. "Talk changes nothing on the combat stage."
Meanwhile, five miles behind the moving academy convoy...
High above the clouds, hovering completely invisible to the world below, the Floating Cloud Island glided through the sky at the exact same speed as the carriages!
Inside the Shadow Assassin Hall located in the subterranean sector of the floating island, fifty black-clad System assassins sat in silent meditation around a glowing, three-dimensional tactical map projected by the Spatial Realm Mirror.
Standing at the center of the hall, Malakor watched the moving blue dot representing the twins' carriage.
Beside Malakor stood two newly summoned Martial Master shadow lieutenants—Viper and Ghost—their faces concealed behind dark iron dragon masks.
"Commander," Viper reported in a rasping whisper. "Our intelligence network in the mountain pass has detected three unflagged mercenary squads taking up positions near the Blood-Pine Gorge."
"Who hired them?" Malakor asked, his eyes burning with dark crimson light.
"Shadowed scouts linked to House Zephyrus and the remaining loyalists of Elder Vane's branch line," Ghost replied smoothly. "They intend to launch a stealth ambush inside the gorge, using poison-tipped crossbows to assassinate the Sterling twins before they reach the Core City."
Malakor’s lips curved into a cold, lethal smile.
"They think a few mountain mercenaries can touch the Young Master and Lady?" Malakor murmured, pulling two sleek shadow blades from his belt. "Viper, Ghost... take twenty shadow assassins. Erase those mercenaries from the gorge before the convoy even enters the valley. Leave no bodies, leave no blood."
"By your command, Commander!"
With a soft rustle of wind, twenty shadow assassins dissolved into black mist, vanishing from the floating island to carry out a silent purge in the mountains below.
Back on the Floating Island's central jade altar...
Gabriel sat cross-legged, surrounded by dense golden Qi. His Peak Martial Grandmaster cultivation pulsed softly inside his Dantian, steadily drawing him closer to the threshold of the Martial King Realm.
Gabriel opened his eyes, looking through a small spatial mirror floating before him. He watched his children chatting casually inside the carriage, completely unaware that a silent shadow war was being fought in the mountains ahead to clear their path.
"House Zephyrus... House Valerius..." Gabriel murmured, taking a quiet sip of spirit wine. "Keep sending your flies. Every strike you make against my family... brings House Sterling one step closer to taking your domain."