The underground chamber had fallen into silence. The weight of the battle still lingered in the air—the shattered stone, the fading echoes of Qi bursts, the unconscious form of Commander Wu Jiang, now stripped of his power.
Kai stood over him, chest rising and falling as his body adjusted from the overwhelming energy he had absorbed and released. His limbs still trembled from the aftereffects, but something heavier pressed on his shoulders.
It wasn't exhaustion, it was responsibility.
The room was filled with the faces of those who had suffered—prisoners freed from their cages, former disciples regaining their senses, people who had been used and discarded for the sake of power. Their eyes were filled with fear, uncertainty… and hope.
Kai clenched his fists. This had to stop.
He turned, his voice ringing through the chamber.
"Listen well."
Everyone looked up.
Kai's gaze was sharp, unyielding. "From this day forward, the Obsidian Peak Sect will not harm the innocent."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Some of the freed prisoners looked stunned. The disciples still standing exchanged wary glances.
Kai's voice grew colder, filled with something absolute.
"If any chapter under my rule continues these atrocities—if they exploit, enslave, or torture the weak—there will be no mercy."
Silence.
Then, one of the former Ironwood disciples stammered, "B-But, Sect Lord… the way of our sect has always been—"
Kai's glare cut him off.
"This changes."
His words echoed like a commandment.
"No more mindless cruelty. No more slaughtering the weak just because we can. No more stealing lives to gain power."
His chest burned with anger, not just at Wu Jiang, but at the system that allowed this to happen. At the people who stood by and let it continue.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then Liu Yu grinned, cracking her knuckles. "I like this new rule."
Liu Yue nodded, folding her arms. "It's about time someone fixed this mess."
Kai exhaled, the last shred of doubt slipping away.
I didn't choose to lead this sect, I didn't want this power. But if I leave now, nothing changes. And too many people have already suffered for that reason.
His fingers curled. I can't abandon them.
Kai turned toward one of the surviving Ironwood disciples—one who hadn't taken part in the atrocities.
"You," Kai said, pointing at him. "What's your name?"
The young man swallowed. "Shen Rui, Sect Lord."
Kai nodded. "You're my envoy now. You and a handful of others will travel to every chapter of the Obsidian Peak Sect."
Shen Rui's eyes widened. "W-What? Me?"
Kai's gaze was unwavering.
"You are now the Sect's envoy. Spread my decree. Any chapter leader who continues these twisted practices—anyone who refuses to change—will be dealt with. Personally."
A hush fell over the room.
Shen Rui hesitated before bowing deeply. "It will be done, Sect Lord."
Kai nodded. "Good."
He turned toward the rest of the freed prisoners, many of whom still looked lost, broken.
"You're free now," Kai said. "No one here owns you anymore. What you do next is up to you."
Some of them collapsed in relief. Others simply stared, disbelieving.
Kai clenched his jaw. They've been broken so badly they don't even know how to react to freedom anymore.
The thought filled him with rage.
He turned back to Liu Yue and Liu Yu. "We're not done. We need more envoys to spread the new rules to all the Chapters."
Liu Yue studied him. "You seem… different"
Kai drew in a slow, measured breath.
He didn't want to.
His old life still called to him—the quiet days of reading, of sorting books, of living far away from this brutal, blood-soaked world.
But he couldn't leave, not yet.
Not while the Obsidian Peak Sect was still filled with monsters like Wu Jiang.
Not while there were still people who needed someone to stand against them.
Liu Yu smirked. "I thought you were always looking for an excuse to run away."
Kai exhaled. "…I was."
He looked down at his hands.
For the first time since he had arrived in this world, he wasn't afraid of his own power.
He was afraid of what would happen if he didn't use it.
"I'm staying, for now," Kai said quietly.
Liu Yue gave a rare smile. "Good."
Liu Yu threw an arm over his shoulder. "Guess you're stuck with us, Master."
Kai chuckled, shaking his head.