Above Mount Qi, the instant Yin Jiao's soul entered the Investiture of the Gods and his body vanished completely, a barely perceptible ripple of the Heavenly Dao passed through the world.
Far away at Sanshan Pass, General Kong sat quietly contemplating the Dao as he guarded the frontier, seeking insight into the forces of heaven and earth.
His heart suddenly jolted. His Dao Heart stirred without warning, and he sensed that his only disciple had fallen and taken his rightful place in the God Conferment.
His eyes snapped open. Two beams of divine light pierced mountains and rivers as he gazed toward the battlefield at Mount Qi in Xiqi, his expression shifting with emotions too tangled to name.
Queen Jiang, who had been cultivating nearby, felt her heart lurch. A terrible weight settled in her chest.
A mother's bond with her child endured across ten thousand miles. She clearly sensed the last trace of her second son Yin Jiao's presence vanish as his soul entered the Heavenly Dao's register.
She trembled, unable to remain seated in cultivation. Worry filled her face, and dread gripped her heart.
After a long while, General Kong withdrew his distant gaze and slowly closed his eyes. A helpless sigh echoed through the hall, carrying both regret and a measure of acceptance.
"His training wasn't enough. In the end, it simply wasn't enough."
He spoke softly, half in reproach and half in lament. He faulted his disciple's shallow cultivation, but he also knew how merciless the battle had been.
Yin Jiao had wielded a Human Emperor's mighty treasure and commanded the flourishing destiny of the Human Race. He had possessed the means to defy heaven, yet he had relied on the Human Emperor Banner alone.
Two Innate Spiritual Banners had been enough to counter and seal