All around them was empty darkness. It seemed they had fallen into a strange dimension devoid of light.
Yet somehow, they could still see each other perfectly. It was a strange, dissociating feeling.
"What is this? Some kind of illusion formation? Or are we stuck in a small world… What the hell are these ruins?"
Looking at the dark void surrounding them, Kaelira frowned in astonishment.
Vairon was equally shocked, but quickly noticed a faint glimmer ahead.
He rushed toward it, concluding it was a way out.
As he got closer to the glimmer—now revealed to be a portal of some sort—he stopped.
His face grew increasingly serious.
On his back, Kaelira also grew alert, though hidden from his gaze a small, distorted smile began to form on her lips. Whether it was from nervousness or excitement couldn't be deciphered.
"What's the plan, partner?"
Hearing her question, Vairon took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. His face once again became expressionless as his thoughts wandered back to the start of this whole mess.
"We…"
—-----------------
A few months ago, news broke out across the cultivation world about the appearance of a mysterious ancient ruin thought to be a relic of the Primordial Era.
Hearing this, the strongest clans and sects scrambled to prepare their disciples and heirs to explore it, hoping to gather the fate and faith of the coming new era—and lay claim to whatever treasures it held.
But these ruins were not what they seemed.
And those who entered realized that all too quickly.
The moment the cultivators stepped through the portal, they found themselves in a vast chamber—each standing on floating pillars that circled a grand platform.
A monotonous, ancient voice echoed through the space.
'Welcome, travelers, to the ruins of the ********** clan.'
As the voice resounded, a word was spoken that was unintelligible to those listening.
But the dread that seeped into their souls told them all they needed to know—this clan once held unfathomable power.
That realization made many eyes gleam with greed.
"If you are fated with our people," the voice continued, "you will gather the nine pieces of the Inheritor Medallion and fight your way to the top. There will be treasures to satisfy your wildest dreams—legendary weapons, divine pills, and medicines that can turn a mortal into an immortal in one leap."
The audience's hearts thumped in disbelief and awe.
But a few sharp minds quickly caught that something was wrong.
It sounded too easy.
Too good to be true.
If such power were truly so accessible, there would be no need for cultivation in the first place.
Soon, others began to calm as well, reaching the same conclusion and cautiously waiting for the next words.
"In these ruins lies your fate. Whether you soar into the skies as dragons or sink into the mud like loaches—all will depend on you. Your talent, your resourcefulness, your will... that is what keeps a cultivator alive. That is what brings one to the peak of the mountain known as the Dao."
Many ambitious youths felt their blood boil. Flames of determination burned in their eyes as they believed themselves to be the chosen geniuses of this era.
"Many of you will rise," the voice said, "but many more will fall, becoming the stepping stones of those more fortunate than you. But this is our way. Only the strong stand at the peak. So prove your strength. Prove your will. Prove you are more than what fate has decided."
With that, everyone began to vanish.
All were transported to different areas of the ruins visible in the distance.
—-------------------------
In an ancient alchemy room, a handsome youth appeared alone, observing his surroundings with a gleam in his eyes.
He noticed another young cultivator already ransacking the room in search of treasures.
Startled by his sudden presence, the boy spun around.
He looked no more than fourteen, his cultivation only at the middle Qi Initiation Realm—far too low compared to the towering figure smiling faintly at him.
Realizing who the figure was, the young man's face lit up in awe.
"Young Master Karth! It's truly an honor to meet a genius of your stature! Please, take whatever you find, I—"
His words were abruptly cut short.
Eyes wide with confusion, he reached for his throat as searing pain spread from it.
A hot, sticky sensation coated his fingers as he stumbled backward, collapsing to the floor with a dull thud.
Gurgle… gurgle…
Trying to speak, his young face twisted in fear and anguish.
Blood filled his mouth as he struggled to stay conscious.
Sylas Karth—the prestigious young master of the Karth clan—gazed down with a cold smirk.
"Goddamn ants… always scurrying around trying to suck up to me. Trash."
The boy watched his so-called hero step over his dying body. The light in his eyes faded, trembling one last time as his final thought echoed weakly.
'Brother… I'm scared… I want to go home…'
Then there was silence.
Sylas leisurely pocketed the youth's spatial pouch and moved on without a care—leaving the corpse behind to rot.
—-------------------------
In another area of the ruins, a young man with flowing green hair and piercing green eyes stood before a woman with shimmering silver hair.
In the middle of a spiritual herb field sat one of the ten supreme beauties of Genara—munching on a spiritual herb like a common rogue.
Vairon's brow twitched slightly as their eyes met. He sensed only one thing: trouble.
"Heehhhh~, well if it isn't Young Master Aetherion~. Here for a meal or a fight~?"
A bloodthirsty grin spread across her heavenly face.
Remaining silent, he uttered a single word before turning to leave.
"No."
Kaelira Aenwyn froze, staring at his retreating back in disbelief.
But before Vairon could take another step, his instincts screamed of danger.
He instantly summoned his sword—just in time for a massive war halberd to cleave down toward his head.
The woman holding it wore a radiant smile that oozed mischief and malice.
"That wasn't a question, stone-face. You're fighting me whether you want to or not. This princess demands it~."
A vein bulged on Vairon's forehead.
"Crazy woman!"
A wave of killing intent burst forth, locking onto him. Kaelira's crazed grin only deepened, her eyes glimmering like moonlight soaked in madness.
"You have quite the foul mouth, Young Master Aetherion… it seems this princess has to correct that~."
Both figures blurred and clashed—
the sounds of metal ringing and a woman's manic laughter filling the field.
—----------------------------------
In a lake of crystal-clear water, a lone figure sat cross-legged in meditation.
Her long blue hair flowed like the waves themselves, a serene image of grace and stillness.
She opened her eyes, releasing a deep breath before standing.
Her clear, icy gaze held a fleeting trace of worry.
"Vairon… you better be okay, you blockhead…"
—---------------------------
Back in the chamber where they had first arrived, the main platform began to tremble.
When the quaking ceased, a deep sigh echoed in the silence.
"Such ambition is commendable, young ones. But you fail to realize one simple truth. None of your ambitions, none of your greed or dreams, matter in the face of death. When reaching for the peak of strength, there is only one undeniable truth. One answer. You must…"
—-------------------------
"...Survive."
Vairon spoke in a grim but resolute tone.
Steadying his breath, he fastened his grip a little tighter around Kaelira's legs and stepped through the portal—into the unknown.