3 — The Inner Fortress Falls
The moment Kael completed his breakthrough, the battlefield felt different.
Not because the fighting had slowed.
But because he had changed.
Every step he took felt heavier, more grounded. His heartbeat echoed through his chest like a war drum, steady and powerful. The circulation of blood beneath his skin carried warmth and strength, reinforcing muscle and bone with every pulse.
Blood Refinement.
This was no longer the fragile body of an outer disciple.
Around him, Graystone disciples continued to retreat in disorder. The outer defenses were already gone, and the Iron Wolves advanced methodically, crushing resistance with ruthless efficiency.
Kael exhaled slowly.
So this is the difference between realms.
An Iron Wolves soldier charged toward him, spear lowered, eyes filled with killing intent.
Kael didn't even activate Target Analysis.
He stepped forward.
Their weapons collided.
The impact sent a shockwave through the air.
The enemy's spear bent slightly.
His eyes widened.
Kael twisted his wrist and slammed the hilt of his sword into the man's throat.
The soldier collapsed without a sound.
Kael froze for a split second.
That… would've been impossible earlier.
He felt it clearly.
This wasn't just stronger muscles.
His body responded faster.
More decisively.
More efficiently.
But before satisfaction could take hold—
The pressure in the air intensified.
A terrifying aura surged outward from the center of the battlefield.
Kael turned.
The Iron Wolves Commander had dismounted.
His blade rested against the ground, embedded halfway into stone as if it were clay. Dust and shattered rock floated around him, suspended unnaturally in the air.
Disciples within fifty meters fell to their knees.
Some vomited blood.
Others passed out instantly.
Kael's legs trembled.
This… is true power.
He forced himself to look.
[ ─── Target Analysis ─── ]
[ Authority Restricted ]
[ Realm Classification: Transcendent Human Tier ]
[ Estimated Combat Gap: Absolute ]
[ Recommendation: Immediate Withdrawal ]
[ ─────────────────────── ]
Transcendent Human Tier.
So beyond Body Tempering and Blood Refinement, there existed an entirely different level of existence.
The commander lifted his gaze.
For the briefest instant, Kael felt as though those cold eyes passed over him.
His heart skipped.
The system reacted immediately.
[ ⚠ HEAVENLY LAW RESPONSE ⚠ ]
[ High-Level Entity Attention Detected ]
[ Concealment Mode Reinforced ]
[ Active Suppression: Engaged ]
[ Concealment Integrity: 76% ]
It noticed him.
No.
Something noticed him.
Not Heaven directly.
But something close.
Kael lowered his head and blended into the chaos, suppressing his presence instinctively. He moved with retreating disciples, careful not to stand out.
Above them, the sky remained gray and silent.
The crack was gone.
But the pressure it left behind lingered.
The Iron Wolves Commander spoke, his voice calm and merciless.
"Graystone Fortress is obsolete."
His blade lifted.
The inner gates shattered.
Stone exploded outward as if struck by an invisible hammer.
Screams erupted from within the fortress.
The inner fortress had fallen.
Kael's jaw tightened.
This is only one fortress.
One continent must have hundreds like this.
And if Transcendent Human Tier existed—
Then above it…
His thoughts were interrupted by the system.
[ ───── SYSTEM NOTICE ───── ]
[ Hidden Condition Progress Update ]
[ Total Extractions: 4 ]
[ Consecutive Combat Efficiency: High ]
[ Realm Advancement Detected ]
[ Heaven's Debug System Synchronization: 12% ]
[ Unknown Feature Approaching Unlock Threshold ]
[ ───────────────────────── ]
Unknown feature.
Again.
The system was evolving quietly, just like him.
Kael retreated into the collapsing fortress alongside surviving disciples. Inside, chaos reigned. Elders shouted orders. Formation arrays activated and failed almost immediately under overwhelming force.
But amid the chaos, Kael noticed something else.
At the deepest level of the inner fortress, a sealed corridor pulsed faintly with spiritual light.
Ancient.
Stable.
Untouched by the battle.
The system reacted the moment his eyes landed on it.
[ Environmental Anomaly Detected ]
[ Energy Density: Unusual ]
[ Structural Age: Exceeds Fortress Construction ]
[ Probability: Legacy Structure ]
[ Recommendation: Investigate When Safe ]
Legacy structure.
His heartbeat quickened.
So this sect isn't just what it appears.
Explosions rocked the fortress again.
The Iron Wolves were pushing deeper.
Kael clenched his fists.
He wasn't strong enough yet.
Not even close.
But he was no longer powerless.
And more importantly—
He could see the path ahead.
Beyond this fortress.
Beyond this continent.
Beyond this Heaven.
He retreated deeper, disappearing into smoke and shadow as the inner fortress burned.
And somewhere far above—
Something unseen adjusted its gaze.