The night was still, the sky cloaked in darkness as the expedition team set out under cover of silence. Kaito sat inside the lead off-road vehicle, eyes fixed on the route ahead as the headlights sliced through the shadows. The unease in his chest hadn't faded, but there was no room for hesitation now.
They arrived at the farmland ridge in less than an hour. The moment the engines cut off, the warriors disembarked with practiced efficiency, boots crunching lightly against the gravel path. The air was crisp, but tense with anticipation. Uncle Shen was already waiting at the ridge's edge with a small, handheld scanner in his hand.
"There are faint spiritual fluctuations coming from beneath," he reported, his voice low but certain. "It's barely noticeable—only if you're this close. You might be right, young master."
Kaito gave him a small nod. "Good. Please stay with Second Uncle and help watch the perimeter. Don't let anyone come near."
Uncle Shen responded with a respectful bow. "Understood, young master"
"Second Uncle," Kaito said respectfully, turning to the composed elder beside him. "Please take twelve of our men and guard the vehicles. Ensure no one approaches the ridge under any circumstance. Uncle Shen will assist you — he's already aware of the situation. If anyone asks, tell them we're performing geological scans on behalf of a third-party commission."
Second Uncle gave a firm nod. "Understood. I'll station the men around the perimeter and ensure full silence."
Kaito turned to the rest. "The remaining fifteen will come with me, along with Father, Third Uncle, Grandfather, Jin, and Lei. Remember—this mission is confidential. No loose words, no casual chatter. We move fast, stay alert, and don't let your curiosity get the better of you."
The team moved in silence, eyes scanning every corner of the secluded valley nestled behind the ridge.
Eventually, the heavy metal door came into view. It was unlike anything they had ever seen—a thick alloy slab embedded into the earth, ancient yet perfectly preserved. Worn symbols were etched faintly along its surface, pulsing ever so slightly with dormant spiritual energy.
"Looks like some kind of ancient alloy," Father muttered. "Doesn't resemble any Earth-based metal."
Grandfather stepped forward, examining the structure closely. "It's sealed by a spiritual locking array. Advanced... but deteriorating."
As the others began scanning the surface with portable tools, Kaito quietly stepped closer. He knew this array. In the future, it would be called a Spiritual Containment Array, used to seal and preserve ruin contents. It wasn't known yet—but he had studied it thoroughly before his death.
The warriors immediately began scanning the area with portable instruments while others set up temporary lights. Grandfather Ren crouched beside the door, examining the array inscribed faintly around the edges.
.
As the others focused on their scans, Without speaking, he brushed his hand across the frame, discreetly shifting a small stone embedded near the corner of the door. A soft pulse reverberated through the ground. The array shimmered—and dissipated.
The others turned in shock.
"It... vanished?" Jin blinked.
"Must've been decaying for centuries," Third Uncle guessed. "Collapsed under the scan pressure."
Kaito said nothing, letting their assumptions stand.
Grandfather stepped forward and placed his hand on the door. "Let's open it. Be ready for anything."
With coordinated strength, the metal slab was slowly heaved open with the help of equipment they had brought. A wave of cool air rushed out from within, carrying the faint scent of herbs, parchment, and timeworn dust.
Inside, the ruin was vast—cold, dark, and untouched for an age. At the far end, a wide room opened into an ancient underground hall lined with crystal lanterns that still glowed faintly with spiritual energy.
At its center stood shelves upon shelves of books, scrolls, and sealed crates, preserved perfectly by glowing blue arrays.
Kaito's breath caught. A full spiritual library...
But it wasn't just manuals.
To the right of the central archive hall stood a chamber encased in a translucent green protective barrier. Within the chamber were rows of meticulously preserved herb crates—each box containing rare medicinal plants, roots, and spiritual grasses long thought extinct. Some of the herbs pulsed with life, their spiritual energy undiminished by time thanks to the preservation array that kept them in stasis. Among them were ingredients Kaito recognized from future breakthroughs: elements used in breakthrough potions, body tempering formulas, and long-lost recovery elixirs. These herbs, if processed properly, could help push cultivators past natural bottlenecks, and even assist in regrowing damaged meridians or extending lifespan. Just the presence of such refined ingredients spoke volumes about the origin of this ruin.
Further down one of the side corridors, the excavation team uncovered a hidden arsenal—though it hardly resembled one in the traditional sense. The room was quiet, almost sacred in its stillness, and filled with weapon racks lined with blades, spears, gauntlets, and more, each wrapped in individual spiritual sealing cloths. Their edges gleamed faintly, as though resisting the passage of time itself. Dozens of ingots and exotic forging materials were neatly arranged in boxes beside the weapons—each labelled in ancient script. Some metals glowed faintly with residual heat, while others emanated a cold shimmer that bit into the skin upon touch. Kaito's eyes sharpened. These were not merely weapons for ordinary use; they were spiritual artifacts, each embedded with latent intent and purity. It was a treasure trove not only for martial artists, but also for skilled blacksmiths with the ability to awaken and reshape the dormant potential within.
And then... at the base of a sealed shelf, Kaito's gaze fell upon a cluster of spirit stones.
There were 100 million low-grade spirit stones, valued at 10,000 credits each — the standard trading currency for mid-tier cultivators.
Beside them sat 1 million mid-grade spirit stones, each worth 100,000 credits, and 100,000 high-grade spirit stones valued at 1 million credits apiece. Finally, locked in a separate vault-like compartment, were 1,000 top-grade spirit stones—so rare that even Kaito, in his past life, never learned their market value. They weren't sold — only used for mythical cultivations and forbidden formations.
Kaito felt a swell of emotions — greed, awe... and fury.
These materials... they were here all along, while weak families struggled to survive. The Federation and the elite hoarded it all.
He clenched his fists silently, a flicker of cold fury flashing in his eyes.
But he kept his face neutral.
He took a slow breath, pushing down the emotion. He couldn't afford anger now.
"Prepare the preserving crates," Kaito ordered, his voice calm but sharp. "Store every sealed weapon, herb, and scroll carefully. We don't remove any arrays unless absolutely necessary. Don't trigger the spiritual locks. They were designed to preserve the item's essence."
Third Uncle cracked a grin. "Feels like a dream,"
Excitement buzzed in the air. Father helped secure a rack of scrolls, his expression warm. Jin and Lei directed the movement of materials into the truck with practiced ease.
The team sprang into motion, carefully lifting the spiritual weapons into pre-prepared, anti-aura containers. Herbs were sealed into nutrient-controlled boxes, while alchemical materials were secured into frost-tinted chambers.
Kaito stepped toward the massive bookshelf. He passed his hand along the edge of one casing. As expected, there was a switch—small and rune-shaped. With a click, the barrier around a row of books dissipated.
He picked up one of the manuals.
"Flame Resonance Body Technique – Mid-tier Cultivation Art."
A second one: "Astral Vein Purification Manual – High-tier Art."
His heart beat faster. These weren't ordinary techniques. Many were complete paths for advancement, some clearly extending far beyond Rank 9—into realms that had only existed in rumours.
Near the inner sanctum of the ruin's library, tucked beneath a sealed spiritual shelf, was a stack of thick tomes and crystal-etched manuals—each relating to one of the major life paths often overlooked by frontline warriors. Kaito carefully examined the titles: ancient alchemy formulas, blacksmith blueprints, spiritual array construction methods, beast taming techniques, spiritual architecture, puppet engineering, and even manuals for spiritual cuisine—recipes designed to strengthen the body or recover soul power through specialized meals. Each book radiated an aged brilliance, protected by a subtle spiritual lock that preserved their ink and energy. These life-skill techniques were considered invaluable in Kaito's past life, often guarded by the top sects and sold for astronomical prices. And now, here they were—free, unclaimed, resting silently beneath the dust of a forgotten world
And then he found it. A dusty black volume labelled:
"Origin Records – Realm Chronicle Archives."
As he flipped through its pages, realization dawned.
This wasn't a book from this world.
It described a different realm entirely—names, maps, cultivation paths, political structures... all from the very world simulated inside Glory. This was the same world beyond the Federation's hidden portal.
Kaito's thoughts turned heavy. So the ruin was dragged here... across dimensions... after the portal opened. That's when the energy surge began. Not because of the ruins—but because of the portal itself. The Federation must have known. They let the world believe otherwise.
Still, he said nothing. These truths would remain with him, for now.
He turned to another pedestal at the corner, where a silver-black box sat connected to a dormant core.
The AI module.
A futuristic interface device, used by every major power in the future for internal management, logistics, and battlefield analysis. Right now, it lacked power—but he could easily recharge it later.
Hours passed as crates were silently hauled out of the chamber and stored in the family's transport truck. The warriors moved with synchronized precision, no one speaking out of line. Second Uncle guarded the entrance with the others, their eyes sharp on the ridge, ensuring no stray eyes caught a glimpse of what lay below.
Before leaving, Kaito turned to his men.
"Seal the ruin entrance. Collapse the visible slope and reinforce the terrain. Leave no sign that we were ever here."
"No one talks. Not a single whisper. What lies in this ruin stays between us."
The warriors nodded solemnly.
His father and grandfather sealed the entrance once more using special camouflage materials. The entrance vanished behind carefully reconstructed stone and vegetation, erasing every sign of their presence.
As they climbed into their vehicles, Kaito took one last glance at the ridge behind them.
The ruin now stood hidden... quietly waiting... but no longer forgotten.
And this time, he would never let it slip from his grasp again.