The Thorne of Destiny-Chapter 141: Newas 7

Night draped Stonehold City in an uneasy silence. Torchlight flickered on every corner as guards stormed through the streets in groups of ten. Doors were kicked open. Civilians questioned. Inns ransacked. No rest. No mercy.

But beneath their feet, a different silence stirred—one far older, and far more dangerous.

In the sewers below the Temple District, Adrian moved through the darkness like mist itself.

He was cloaked in his usual disguise—his Qi hidden beneath the Veil of a Hundred Shadows—but tonight, that wasn’t enough. He carried with him a small wooden box carved with ancient sigils from the Mistshroud vault. Inside it, a decayed talisman pulsed with twisted, unstable spiritual energy.

It was bait.

Not for the guards. Not for Richard.

For the demonic cultivators.

Adrian placed the box at the intersection of three ley lines beneath the district—a junction of power. He activated the rune beneath the box, masking its unstable aura just enough to keep it hidden from mortals, but irresistible to predators.

Then he vanished, becoming mist and shadow once more.

Meanwhile – Temple District Rooftops

Three cloaked figures crouched on the rooftop of a burned temple. They had arrived just after dusk, without sound or announcement. Even the spirit beasts of the region had gone quiet.

"Something calls to us," one hissed.

"Blood... and starfire," another murmured.

Their leader—a tall woman whose face was covered in cracked porcelain—pointed toward the street below. "He’s here. The vessel of the Bound Star. Find him. Carve him open."

The trio leapt into the shadows, their presence corrupting the very air.

But they weren’t the only ones watching.

Mistshroud Estate – Observation Hall

Adrian stood beside Bella and Elder Laen before a scrying array, the image of the Temple District flickering on a round obsidian mirror.

"They took the bait," Bella said.

Elder Laen nodded. "But you must be careful. Demonic cultivators don’t follow the same rules. If you falter, they won’t just kill you—they’ll unravel your soul."

Adrian didn’t flinch. "I’m counting on it."

He turned and walked toward the exit.

Behind him, Bella whispered, "Good luck, Adrian."

He paused briefly, then replied without looking back. "Luck’s for people who have time to waste. I only have purpose."

The Battle – Temple District

The first demonic cultivator landed in the street like a falling meteor, shattering stone beneath her feet. Her blade sang with corrupted Qi.

"I can smell him," she growled. "The one who slew the Chain. The one who carries the mist."

Adrian stepped from the shadows.

He was no longer masked.

Silver mist poured from his shoulders, coiling through the air like living serpents.

"I was hoping you’d come."

She rushed him in an instant.

Her blade sliced through the air with deadly force—but it met only fog. Adrian moved with terrifying precision, his movements minimal, elegant, lethal.

His sword pierced through her chest before she even registered the counterattack.

But as her body fell apart, it dissolved into shadows.

Illusion.

"Not bad," came a voice behind him.

The true demonic cultivator emerged from the shadows, and this time her aura burst forth—Golden Core peak, but twisted, corrupted, unnatural.

Adrian’s expression didn’t change.

He didn’t need to win fast.

He just needed the timing.

And right then, a horn blew from the edge of the district.

City Lord Richard’s forces had arrived—dozens of guards, elite cultivators in black and red armor, surrounding the district like wolves.

But when they saw Adrian and the demonic woman mid-battle, they hesitated.

Then Richard himself arrived, descending atop a spirit beast, flanked by five captains.

His eyes met Adrian’s.

"You again."

Adrian didn’t respond.

The demonic woman snarled. "You brought them here?"

"No," Adrian said, sidestepping another strike. "I brought you here."

He slammed his palm into the ground.

A formation flared to life across the entire district, glowing with ethereal runes—Mistshroud-style, but adapted with the Bound Star’s essence.

It wasn’t meant to trap.

It was meant to reveal.

The entire district lit up, and the demonic aura was pulled from the shadows like rot being burned away.

The city guards saw them now—clearly.

Saw the monstrous, twisted truth of the invaders.

City Lord Richard rose from his beast and shouted, "Kill them all!"

Chaos Erupts

The battle exploded in all directions.

The demonic cultivators struck at everyone. Their illusions spread like wildfire. But they hadn’t expected this many enemies. They hadn’t expected the Mistshroud formations.

Adrian danced through the battlefield, mist curling around his blade. One demon screamed as her arm was severed, her corruption dissolving under the light of his star-powered sword.

Another tried to retreat—but the formation closed around her.

Adrian’s strike pierced her through.

One left.

The final demonic cultivator—stronger than the others, with chains wrapped around his arms and a serpent tattoo that glowed with infernal power—snarled at Adrian and raised both hands.

"Do you know what I am, boy?"

"Dying," Adrian replied.

Their battle was savage—brutal and fast. The demonic cultivator lashed out with dark Qi and soul-damaging techniques, but Adrian’s mist and swordplay adapted each time.

In the end, Adrian shattered the man’s defenses with a single empowered strike.

The Bound Star gleamed in his chest like a rising sun.

And when the final blow landed, the man’s chains cracked—then shattered.

He didn’t scream.

He whispered, "He knows now... He’ll come for you."

Then he was gone.

Aftermath

The battle left the Temple District in ruins, but the city had seen the truth.

Richard stood, blood staining his robes, unable to deny what had happened. His guards were dead. His lies exposed. His power slipping.

Adrian vanished into the mist once more, before the man could act.

Mistshroud Estate – Before Dawn

Adrian returned quietly.

He didn’t speak as he passed through the halls, mist trailing behind him. Bella met him near the gate.

"You killed them?"

Adrian nodded. "One survived and fled. But he knows now."

She didn’t ask who.

She didn’t need to.

Adrian looked east, toward the open horizon.

"It’s time."

"Time for what?"

"For us to leave."

A crimson dawn bled across the sky.

The air was unnaturally still.

Atop the eastern gatehouse, Captain Morin gripped his spear tighter as he peered down at the winding road beyond the city. He’d stood guard for decades, but this morning, something felt off—like the city was holding its breath.

A small caravan approached.

Three covered carts. Two oxen. A single escort riding ahead in dull grey robes.

Harmless. Unassuming.

But Morin’s instincts screamed.

"Let them through," came a voice behind him.

He turned—and froze.

City Lord Richard stood alone, without retinue or fanfare. His face was pale. Hollow. As if the soul had already left him.

"But—my lord—"

"I said let them through."

Morin hesitated... then lowered his hand.

The gates groaned open.

The caravan rolled forward.

And in that moment, Adrian Thorne—cloaked and veiled—rode past the City Lord without a glance.

Richard didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

He simply watched the Mistshroud pass beyond the walls.

And vanish into the morning mists.

Hours Earlier – Mistshroud Estate

The estate buzzed with activity.

Cultivators packed supplies. Scribes sealed scrolls. Formation masters carved protective scripts into the carts. Adrian moved through it all, silent and focused.

Jayson fastened the straps of his travel gear, sword across his back, lips tight with tension.

Olivia stood beside Storm, who now wore a protective vest made of beast-leather. The tiger cub’s silver wings flexed impatiently, sensing something beyond the walls.

Bella stood on the overlook, eyes scanning the city skyline.

"They’ll come after us," she said.

"They already are," Adrian replied. "But not here. Not yet. Richard’s not that stupid."

Bella frowned. "Then who is?"

"Someone worse."

He didn’t elaborate.

He didn’t need to.

In a crumbling crypt below Stonehold, four cloaked figures knelt before a stone altar. Atop it, a severed hand twitched—still alive, pulsing with demonic energy.

A deep voice echoed through the chamber. "He has left the city."

The leader, cloaked in scarlet bone-stitched robes, raised his head. The Dust Order.

"The Raven Chain failed. The Obsidian Catacombs fell. The Bound Star awakens."

Another voice hissed from the shadows. "Should we pursue?"

"Not yet," said the leader. "We let him believe he is free."

The hand spasmed.

"Then we hunt."

Forest Road – Outside Stonehold

The caravan moved in silence.

Mist drifted between the trees, soft and familiar.

Jayson rode near the front, scouting with wary eyes. Olivia sat in one of the carts beside Elder Laen, who handed her a thin manual on formation theory. She didn’t smile, but her eyes glinted with purpose.

Storm lay curled beside her, tail flicking.

Bella walked alongside the last cart, spear slung across her back, senses sharp.

And Adrian rode at the center, wrapped in layers of silence.

He could still feel the weight of Stonehold behind them.

He could still hear Julian’s last screams.

But it was done.

They were no longer fleeing.

They were carrying something forward.

Mistshroud lived.

Later That Night – Campfire in the Hills

A small fire crackled beneath a canopy of stars. The group had made camp beside a ruined shrine—overgrown and forgotten, once part of the Mistshroud’s pilgrimage routes.