Deep beneath the calm, blue surface of the Endless Ocean, a figure sat cross-legged before a shimmering barrier of light.
The water around him did not touch his body; an invisible field of Qi pushed it away, creating a small, dry pocket in the crushing depths.
He wore a simple, dark robe, and a featureless silver mask covered his face, hiding him from the world.
He was Elder Jian, a core elder of the Azure Sky Palace, a Tier 6 cultivator on the verge of a breakthrough.
For three long centuries, he had been here, in this forgotten corner of the world, trying to break the ancient formation that guarded the Sunken Dragon's Heart.
It was a treasure that could help him form his own domain, the final step to reaching the legendary Tier 7.
He had kept his mission a secret. A treasure of this magnitude would attract the attention of the other great sects on the Mainland. He could not risk that. He had to claim it for himself.
