The sky above the Sect of Chaos darkened—not from clouds, but from something more foreboding: a black veil of spiritual oppression that signaled only one thing.
The Ashen Tribunal had returned.
Massive figures cloaked in ember-draped robes appeared on the horizon, descending from the heavens on chariots pulled by skeletal fire-dragons. They moved in formation like gods of judgment, their obsidian staffs glowing with runes that whispered ancient laws and unspeakable sentences.
Lin Feng stood atop the main sect tower, robes fluttering in the storm of spiritual pressure. His expression, unusually grim, betrayed no fear.
"System," he muttered, "I assume you're about to drop a lifeline, yes?"
Ding!
System Update: New System Reward Available!
You have triggered: 'Divine Tribunal Encounter – Extreme Tier'
Rewards:
1x Forbidden Law Manual: Flame of the Final Verdict
1x Supreme Artifact: Eternal Scales of Judgment
10,000 System Karma Points
Temporary System Title: Heaven's Litigator
System Note: Good luck, lawyer boy. Don't die.
Lin Feng rolled his eyes. "What an encouraging motivational speech."
He raised his hand, summoning the newly acquired Eternal Scales of Judgment—a massive double-pan scale glowing with a mixture of golden law-light and raging flame. As it hovered beside him, runes began to orbit his body.
In the plaza below, disciples and elders stood ready. Xian Mei, Jiang Tian, and Elder Shen took positions at the four cardinal points, each ready to channel their spiritual essence into the Sect's Grand Formation.
"Ashen Tribunal!" Lin Feng's voice rang out, amplified by divine energy. "This is our home. You may carry your judgments, but you'll find that chaos does not yield to fire—it eats it."
The central figure of the Tribunal—a towering judge known as Magister Kharon—descended. His eyes were formless flames, and his voice echoed like collapsing mountains.
"Lin Feng. Charged with spiritual subversion, sectal heresy, and unauthorized providence manipulation. How do you plead?"
Lin Feng held up the Eternal Scales, which began to hum with vibrating flame-light. "I plead guilty… to defying tyrants. And innocent of everything else."
The battle began.
Kharon's staff came down like a divine gavel, splitting the sky in two. Lin Feng met the blow with his new technique: Flame of the Final Verdict. A crimson phoenix-shaped flame burst from his palm and collided with the ash strike, creating an explosion that sent shockwaves across the surrounding mountains.
The Tribunal's enforcers descended en masse, forming a burning phalanx that marched toward the inner sect. Elder Shen activated the Judgment Suppression Array, flooding the field with anti-law qi that slowed the Tribunal's incantations.
Meanwhile, Jiang Tian laughed as he body-slammed a judge into a rock formation. "You picked the wrong sect to audit today, buddy!"
Amidst the chaos, Lin Feng locked eyes with Magister Kharon. Time slowed.
Kharon raised his hand again, and this time the shadows beneath every Tribunal member began to merge into one giant judicial manifestation: the Ethereal Law Titan.
"Great," Lin Feng muttered. "Why is it always a titan?"
He channeled everything into the Flame of the Final Verdict. The phoenix burst forth again, this time with a voice—a scream of ancient rebellion that reverberated across planes.
The phoenix collided with the Titan's chest.
A great detonation followed. The skies cracked. The black veil dissipated. One by one, Tribunal members faltered, their robes unraveling into ash.
Only Kharon remained.
"You have not won, Lin Feng. This is merely an adjournment."
With a wave of his burning staff, Kharon vanished.
Silence fell. The sect stood victorious but bruised.
As Lin Feng floated back to the ground, the System chimed again.
Ding! Side Quest Completed: 'Ashes to Ashes, Verdict to Flame'
Bonus Reward: 1x Mystery Box (Divine Tier)
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare give me socks."
System: No promises.
And so, the Sect of Chaos endured another impossible trial. But the war with the Ashen Tribunal was far from over.
In the distance, beyond the stars and planes, a new figure watched from an obsidian throne.
The true Judge was waking.
To be continued...