In the grey mist of dawn, the jagged peaks of the Emberforge Range loomed like the spines of an ancient beast. Winds howled through the narrow valleys, tugging at the crimson banners that marked the Free Banner's fortified camp. Inside the command tent, Kael stood before the war table, his eyes fixed on a glowing projection—a spiritual array that mapped the tunnels below the mountain.
Behind him, Dalia, Aeron, and two high-ranking Array Masters waited in silence.
"The seals are weakening," said Master Yen, a hunched old man with a long white beard and sharp eyes. He tapped the illusion. "There is pressure building beneath the barrier stones. The Wyrm stirs."
Kael's fingers curled into a fist. "How long?"
"Ten days," said Yen. "Maybe twelve."
Dalia took a deep breath. "That's not enough time. Our reinforcements from Frostfang haven't arrived. We only have six Alchemists trained in Divine-Grade suppression techniques."
"And we're still integrating the Tier-Five ore into the forge systems," added Aeron. "We're spread thin."
Kael remained silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he spoke.
"Then we stop waiting."
Everyone looked at him.
"We open the sealed corridor again," Kael said, his voice steady. "We're not waiting for the Wyrm to awaken on its terms. We go in, now—scout deeper and plant suppression arrays closer to its resting chamber."
"Commander," said Dalia, her voice tight, "you're proposing we march into the lair of an ancient beast without full force?"
"No," Kael said. "I'm proposing I lead a strike team. Small. Fast. Elite. We move under stealth, secure a foothold, and return before it senses us."
Master Yen stroked his beard. "That is madness. But… if it works, it might buy us weeks."
Kael looked around the room.
"I need volunteers. No orders. Only those willing to risk it."
Aeron didn't hesitate. "You know I'll come."
Dalia rolled her eyes. "As if I'd let you two idiots go in alone."
Kael nodded. "Good. We leave in one hour."
—
An Hour Later – Emberforge Pass
The wind cut across the narrow path like icy blades. Kael stood at the head of a small team: Aeron, Dalia, two Alchemists, a pair of Spirit Array specialists, and three Spiritual Warrior cultivators armed with enchanted crossbows.
They moved with care, descending into the sealed cavern. The collapsed tunnel had already been cleared earlier by the Array Masters, and now a narrow spiral path led down into the heart of the mountain.
The air grew hotter with every step.
Flickering torches lined the way, infused with heat-resistant runes. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, but no one complained. Their breathing was steady. Each of them had fought beasts before. But none had faced a creature from the Pre-Sundering Age.
Kael led them to the sealed threshold.
A giant stone door stood before them, covered in ancient glyphs, glowing faintly red. Spiritual energy pulsed from it like a heartbeat.
"This is it," whispered Aeron.
Kael nodded. "Open it."
Master Yen, who had arrived with a separate support team, activated the unlocking sequence. A circle of runes lit up, and with a slow rumble, the door began to slide open, revealing darkness beyond.
Kael stepped through first.
What he found beyond wasn't just a cavern. It was a vast underground world.
Molten rivers glowed in the distance, weaving between jagged rock formations. Strange glowing fungi clung to the walls, emitting ghostly blue light. The ceiling was so high it vanished into shadows, but ancient chains dangled from above, thick as tree trunks.
The temperature was suffocating.
Everyone activated their defensive spiritual techniques.
Dalia surrounded herself with a shield of ice, her Spirit Energy condensing into thin crystals that sparkled around her like a winter storm.
Aeron's greatsword glowed red as he infused it with fire-resistant Qi.
Kael's aura remained quiet, but within, his Spirit Core pulsed with restrained power. His cultivation at the peak of Spiritual General stage lent him strength and speed far beyond his companions.
"Alchemists," he ordered, "start setting the suppression stones."
The two nodded and moved to the sides of the corridor, kneeling to press glowing stones into the rock. Runes spread from each point, forming invisible nets of spiritual suppression. They moved quickly, methodically.
Suddenly, a howl echoed through the chamber.
The team froze.
Kael raised a fist, signaling silence.
From across the molten lake, a silhouette moved—huge, slow, and silent. Its body shimmered with heat, scales glowing red like burning coals. Lava dripped from its limbs.
Aeron's whisper was barely audible. "That's not the Wyrm."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "It's a Guardian Beast."
The creature turned its head, sniffing the air.
> "Retreat," Kael mouthed.
The group slowly began to back away. But one of the suppression stones flared—its runes flickering out of sync.
> Ping!
A sharp sound echoed across the cavern.
The Guardian turned sharply, eyes flaring with heat.
Then it charged.
Kael reacted first, throwing a burst of compressed Spirit Energy into the ground, kicking up molten dust.
"Scatter!"
The beast moved with terrifying speed, jaws open wide, revealing rows of glowing fangs.
Dalia raised both hands. "Frozen Crescent!"
A wave of icy spiritual energy blasted from her palms, crashing into the beast and halting it momentarily. Steam exploded as ice met molten flesh.
But the Guardian pushed forward.
Aeron leapt into the air, sword spinning.
> "Flame Breaker Slash!"
He brought his greatsword down in a vertical arc, smashing it into the Guardian's skull. Sparks flew, scales cracked—but the beast didn't stop. It slammed its tail into the ground, sending a shockwave through the earth.
Kael dashed in from the side, faster than lightning.
> "Void Fang!"
A black blade of energy extended from his arm, piercing into the Guardian's underbelly.
> Boom!
The Guardian roared in pain, staggering back. Kael landed next to Dalia and Aeron, panting.
"We can't kill it," he said quickly. "But we can trap it."
Dalia nodded. "Ice seal?"
"Do it."
She threw a handful of spirit ice crystals into the air.
> "Winter Tomb Array—First Formation!"
Runes formed above the Guardian, freezing the air. A dome of thick frost began to close around the beast. It thrashed, howled, burned—then froze in place, eyes glowing dimly as the spiritual ice locked it in stasis.
Silence returned to the cavern.
Everyone stood still, panting.
Kael turned to the others. "Resume placing stones. We don't know how long that'll hold."
They obeyed immediately.
But deep within the mountain… something else had awakened.
The silence following the beast's imprisonment was a fragile one. Kael could still feel the lingering heat in the air and the oppressive aura pressing down from deep within the mountain. Even frozen, the Guardian radiated a spiritual pressure strong enough to make lower-level cultivators feel dizzy.
The two Alchemists resumed their task without hesitation, placing the remaining suppression stones in key spiritual pressure points around the cavern. One of them, a woman with copper skin and bright tattoos glowing faintly with spiritual energy, whispered as she worked.
"This cave… it's ancient. Far older than anything recorded in the royal scrolls. This must have once been part of the First Cycle."
Kael glanced at her. "Focus on the array. History won't save us if that thing breaks free."
She nodded and continued working, hands trembling only slightly.
Behind them, Aeron and Dalia kept watch, their spiritual senses extended to the maximum. The other warriors formed a protective perimeter, eyes sweeping the shadows.
Kael walked to the edge of a cliff that overlooked the molten river. Below, he could see cracks glowing faintly beneath the surface—a pattern. Not random. Symbols. Glyphs.
His eyes narrowed. "Dalia."
She approached, cautious. "What is it?"
He pointed to the cracks. "That's not just lava. That's a spiritual seal."
Her eyes widened as she examined it. "I've seen this formation in ancient scripts. It's a Wyrm-lock—a binding seal for beasts of Saint-rank or higher."
Kael's voice turned grim. "Which means the creature sealed here isn't a Guardian."
Dalia whispered, "It's the Wyrm."
Kael's mind raced. The Guardian they'd just fought was merely a sentinel, an outer defense mechanism. That meant the real danger hadn't yet awakened.
"We have to finish this quickly and get out," he said. "Place the Master Stone. Now."
The two Alchemists approached the center of the array field. One of them opened a heavily fortified box. Inside was a glowing crystal the size of a man's heart—deep green and swirling with silver mist. The Master Suppression Stone.
The Alchemist set it into the ground carefully. Instantly, the air trembled. The surrounding suppression stones resonated in unison. A wave of cold, suppressing spiritual energy flowed outward, blanketing the entire cavern.
The glyphs in the lava reacted, dimming slightly. The pressure in the air began to lift.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The entire cavern shuddered.
A deep, guttural growl echoed up from below.
Everyone froze.
Kael felt the hairs on his arms rise.
A crack appeared along the far wall—wide and glowing. From within, something massive stirred. A golden eye—larger than a man—opened in the dark.
It blinked once.
Then again.
A voice echoed directly into their minds, ancient and unfathomable.
> "You dare… step into my grave?"
Kael gritted his teeth, forcing spiritual energy into his ears to block the telepathic voice.
> "Fall back!" he shouted. "NOW!"
Dalia formed a barrier behind them. "Crystal Dome!"
A translucent dome of spiritual ice formed, shielding the team as they scrambled back toward the exit. Aeron grabbed one of the Alchemists by the arm and pulled her up the incline. The other warrior cultivators moved in disciplined formation, covering the rear.
Kael turned, launching a final strike behind him.
> "Black Gale Slash!"
A spiraling wind of black energy erupted from his blade, smashing into the cavern ceiling. Rocks and debris fell, partially blocking the fissure from where the eye stared at them.
As they reached the sealed stone door, Kael shouted. "Seal it again!"
Master Yen, waiting just beyond the door, began chanting. The stone door slid back into place, glyphs reactivating one by one as Kael and the others crossed through.
As the last rune clicked into place, the tremors stopped.
The team collapsed onto the ground outside the sealed chamber, their faces drenched in sweat and spiritual exhaustion.
Kael stood up last, breathing hard.
"That was no ordinary beast," he said. "That was a Sovereign Wyrm."
Aeron grunted. "Spiritual Saint-level… maybe higher."
Dalia looked at the sealed door. "We need to tell the council. If that thing wakes, the entire Emberforge Range will collapse. Maybe more."
Kael's face was grim.
"Then we better be ready to build more than just suppression arrays."
—
Later That Night – Emberforge Command Camp
Kael stood alone atop a watchtower, overlooking the valley.
The stars above were dim behind the smoky clouds that curled above the mountains.
He held the Master Suppression Stone's duplicate in his hand, watching as it pulsed weakly.
Even with the suppression array active, the Sovereign Wyrm was stirring. If it awoke fully…
He clenched his jaw.
"I need to reach Spiritual Emperor level," he whispered to himself. "Anything less won't be enough."
He turned as footsteps approached.
It was Dalia.
"You're thinking of training in the Broken Moon Sect's forbidden zone, aren't you?"
He didn't answer.
"I'll come with you," she said.
He gave her a rare smile. "It's going to be hell."
"I know," she replied. "But we've seen worse."
He looked toward the mountain again, his hand tightening around the crystal.
"No," he said quietly. "We haven't. But we will."