The sky was torn.
Where once the majestic floating arena hovered, only ruins remained. Spiritual energies flickered like dying stars. In the center, Li Xuantian lay on one knee, breathing heavily, his robes in tatters, his sword half-melted.
But the Crown of Aeons was gone.
Crushed beneath his final strike.
The Aeon Sovereign's form had shattered into stardust, its voice echoing one last time into the void:
> "You delay the inevitable, Flamebearer. But fate shall return. Again… and again…"
Silence followed. Then a gust of wind blew over the plateau, carrying ashes and fragments of spiritual gold.
---
The Sect Masters' Hall – Later That Night
Ten sect leaders stood around a massive obsidian table in the heart of Nine-Heaven Pavilion. The atmosphere was grim.
Sect Master Wu from the Crimson Gale Sect broke the silence.
"Xuantian has awakened a legacy we no longer understand. That being… that Sovereign... wasn't just a spiritual remnant. It was something else. Something older."
Another, from the Jade Spirit Monastery, nodded.
"Agreed. That power was not of this world. The Crown was supposed to be a relic of guidance. But it became a prison—and we were never told who was inside."
Sect Master Qian of Silent Thunder Sect grunted.
"More importantly—what now? The tournament is in shambles. The political balance has shifted. And the people have seen Xuantian wield power beyond the Divine Realm."
They all turned to the Grand Seer.
She stepped forward, eyes closed, her voice low.
> "The Crown was one of Seven Celestial Seals. Six remain. When the last is broken… the True Void will awaken."
Gasps echoed through the chamber.
> "And Li Xuantian," she added, "is both the key… and the lock."
---
Elsewhere – Hidden Realm of Azure Frost
Xuantian sat in quiet meditation beside a tranquil spring, the night breeze stirring the waters.
His spiritual core pulsed slowly, steady. The golden lotus in his soul had grown. A third petal was blooming.
Despite his apparent calm, his thoughts were far from peaceful.
> Why did Hei Xun say "they" used him? Who is behind the Crown? What was the Sovereign talking about?
He opened his eyes.
In front of him, a figure emerged from the mist.
Yan Ruyue.
She bowed slightly, then sat across from him. She held out a small sealed scroll.
"A gift from my master. He said it was once yours."
Xuantian hesitated, then took it.
The seal was ancient—his own crest from a million years ago.
He opened it.
Inside was a simple map. But not of the current world. It was a celestial chart, showing the position of seven constellations, each connected by faint lines of energy.
> "The Seals of Origin," he murmured.
Yan Ruyue nodded. "One was the Crown. We don't know the others yet. But this map will help you find them."
Xuantian's grip tightened.
"I need to get stronger. Not just to protect the world, but to uncover… everything."
Yan Ruyue leaned in slightly. "There's something else. Hei Xun survived."
Xuantian's eyes narrowed. "Where is he?"
"We don't know. But before he vanished, he said one thing: 'The next seal lies within the Shadow Sect. And they are preparing for war.'"
---
A Storm Gathers – Southern Continent
In the shadows of a decaying temple, Hei Xun knelt before a pool of obsidian liquid. His body was still wounded, his aura unstable.
A voice echoed from the dark pool.
> "You failed to awaken the Sovereign completely."
Hei Xun gritted his teeth. "He was stronger than we calculated."
"No matter," the voice replied. "The Crown was only the first of the seals. The Flamebearer has exposed himself. Now the Old Eyes are watching. And the Shadow Sect… prepares."
From the pool, a vision emerged—seven figures seated in darkness, each cloaked in celestial black, their faces hidden.
> "Let the games begin," said the central figure. "Let the gods wake."
---
Three Days Later – Celestial University
Li Xuantian stood on the steps of the academy, surrounded by younger disciples who looked at him with awe, reverence, and fear.
Instructors bowed. Elders whispered.
He had gone from 'failed cultivator' to the strongest man alive… in a single moment.
But Xuantian ignored them all.
He stared at the far horizon, toward where the Shadow Sect's hidden fortress was said to lie—in the cursed ruins of the Twilight Wastes.
He would go.
Not for revenge.
But for truth.
---
Late Night – Dormitories
Xuantian sat alone in his quarters, inspecting his sword.
It was damaged, cracked from the battle. Yet something within it had changed.
When he closed his eyes, he could hear a faint hum.
> "Awaken me…"
He frowned.
Then, he remembered something from a million years ago.
An old legend about Spiritbound Swords—weapons forged with a sliver of a cultivator's soul, capable of evolving and gaining consciousness after immense time and pressure.
> "You… survived a million years too?" he whispered.
The sword vibrated softly.
In that moment, he knew.
He was not alone.
---
The Next Day – Council of Elders
The Sect Alliance held a summit.
The decision was made.
A message would be sent across the world:
> "The Flamebearer shall represent the Allied Sects in the Shadow War. Let all who follow the path of cultivation prepare for the reckoning."
And far beyond the mortal world… in a distant spiritual plane… something shifted.
The Divine Ladder, long forgotten, flickered for the first time in 10,000 years.
A new path had opened.
---