"Storm of t he Ascendant: Anris' Return"

After training for a while, Anris decided to head

back to the sect. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in
the sect was filled with tension. A meeting was
being held between the Forest Wind Sect and the
Stormcloud Sect. A large group of people, along
with the leader of the Stormcloud Sect, had come
to the Forest Wind Sect for an important meeting
with the three leaders of the Forest Wind Sect.
All the strong warriors were gathered outside the
training ground, which had been prepared for the
meeting.

Kairox, the leader of the Stormcloud Sect,

addressed the gathering. “As we all know, the
competition between the Sects is in four months.
The trade we are proposing could benefit both of
our sects by improving the capabilities of our
new generation warriors. You can provide us with
Phasium, and in return, we will trade our
Cloudstones. This exchange will aid both of our
sects.”

Quinn, one of the leaders of the Forest Wind

Sect, responded, “This offer primarily benefits
you, not us.” The other two leaders nodded in
agreement, supporting her stance. The situation
grew tense as they continued discussing the
terms.

Meanwhile, in the training grounds, the younger

generation of warriors were engaged in friendly
sparring matches. This meeting had been
arranged so the young warriors from both sects
could meet and train together. Kairox, seeing
that convincing the leaders wasn't working,
didn't push the matter further. He calmly took a
glass of wine and turned his attention to the
ongoing matches.

Kael, one of the top three fighters of the younger

generation in the Forest Wind Sect, was sparring
against a beautiful and strong girl from the
Stormcloud Sect. Kael, who was at the pinnacle
of the Warrior Level and just a step away from
becoming an Emperor, effortlessly defeated her
after a brief exchange of blows. As Kael left the
training ground, he noticed a familiar face
entering through the main entrance. His usually
emotionless face lit up with a smile as he rushed
towards the boy who had just arrived.

Kael embraced him tightly and said, “So, you

finally decided to return! If you’d stayed away a
few more days, I would’ve come looking for you
myself.”

The boy smiled. “I’m fine, brother Kael.”

Quinn, who was watching from a distance, also

smiled when she saw him.

Calyandra, who had just arrived for the next

match, noticed Anris as well. Annoyed that her
sect hadn’t won a single match yet—though their
strongest fighters had yet to compete—she
sneered. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she
arrogantly declared, “It seems Anris has
returned from his training. He must be stronger
now. I’d love to see how much he’s improved.
You wouldn’t reject my challenge, would you?”

The top fighters and elders glanced at Anris but

quickly dismissed him, believing he was still the
same weakling they remembered. Calyandra
knew Anris couldn’t use his energy, so she
sought to embarrass him and the Forest Wind
Sect. Kael’s face darkened with anger, and he
was about to step in and teach her a lesson, but
to everyone’s surprise, Anris replied in a calm,
emotionless tone, “I accept your challenge.”

He entered the training ground, locking eyes

with Calyandra, his expression devoid of
emotion. Kael was furious, and Quinn, sensing
the tension, prepared to intervene if things got
out of hand.

Anris had been found by Quinn in the mountains

when he was just a year old. Thinking he was an
orphan, she took him in and cared for him ever
since. Despite being considered weak and
untalented by most in the sect, Quinn and Kael
never gave up on him. But to the rest of the sect,
he was little more than a burden.

The match began, and everyone expected Anris

to lose immediately. As Calyandra launched her
sword technique at him, Anris calmly caught her
sword with just two fingers. The crowd was
shocked. Calyandra herself was stunned,
stepping back in disbelief as she met Anris’s
cold, disappointed gaze.

Furious, she bit her lip and yelled, “How dare you
look down on me!” She charged at him with
another powerful attack. Anris sighed,
sidestepped her blow, and in a flash of lightning
speed, struck her with a single punch. Her body
flew across the ground like a ragdoll. The
arrogance that had once been on her face
vanished, replaced by tears.
Through her sobs, she cried, “Brother, you have
to teach him a lesson!”

A large, strong-looking man entered the ground,

his expression one of superiority, as if he were a
king. He glared at Anris and said, “So you’re not
completely useless after all, but you’ve invited
your death by laying a hand on my sister.”

Anris remained unphased. With murderous

intent, the man rushed forward, wielding his blue
spear. Kael recognized it immediately. “The Gene
Cloud Spear… They taught him this technique?”

Just as Kael was about to intervene, he heard the

crack of lightning. Before anyone could react,
Anris manifested a lightning sword. As the man’s
blue spear neared him, Anris struck with a bolt of
lightning. In a single strike, the blue spear
shattered into pieces, and the arrogant man was
knocked backward, his hand trembling from the
shock.

Anris remained where he stood, calm and

collected. The man was no match for him.

Before the situation could escalate further,

Kairox’s voice boomed across the field. “There’s
no point in fighting anymore. He’s clearly
stronger than you. I didn’t expect to see such a
powerful fighter here. This competition between
the sects is going to be interesting.”

Anris glanced at Kairox, then turned and left the

training ground, sitting next to Kael. Kael looked
at him, both surprised and confused, but also
proud.
“You finally awakened your powers! You were
incredible out there,” Kael said with excitement.

Anris simply smiled.

Kael leaned closer and asked, “So, what’s your

energy type?”

Anris lifted his hand, revealing bolts of lightning

dancing across his palm. Kael’s eyes widened in
amazement. “Lightning? That’s incredibly rare.”

The two brothers talked about many things as

the excitement of the day gradually faded into
the cool evening air. The sun began to set,
casting long shadows across the training ground.
The elders and fighters, who had earlier been full
of energy and anticipation, slowly dispersed,
discussing the events of the day in hushed tones.
The atmosphere shifted from one of tension to
quiet reflection as everyone left the training
ground, and the once-bustling area became still.

As the last of the participants left, Quinn

approached the two boys. Her presence was
comforting, a reminder of the bond they shared.
Anris greeted her respectfully, and they all sat
together for a while, talking about what had
happened. Anris shared stories of his training in
the mountains, carefully omitting the details of
his encounter with his mysterious teacher. The
conversation flowed naturally, each of them
enjoying the calm after the storm.

The day had been long and exhausting, but it had

also marked a turning point. Anris was no longer
seen as weak, but he knew there was still much
to learn, and the road ahead would be
challenging. The upcoming competition loomed
large, a reminder that his journey was far from
over.

As night fell, they each retired to their quarters.

Anris lay in bed, the events of the day replaying
in his mind. The realization of his growth and the
respect he had earned filled him with a quiet
determination. Tomorrow, his training would
continue, and with it, his quest to prove himself
not only to his sect but to himself.

And so, with a heart full of resolve, Anris drifted

off to sleep, ready to face whatever challenges
lay ahead.