A northern wind howled fiercely, dragging along clouds as dark as ink that blotted out the already somber sky over Mount Wan Hap. From deep beneath the earth, a low, echoing hum—like the toll of an ancient bell—resounded.
At the intersection of three desolate peaks, a circular formation gradually emerged, carved with ancient runes that writhed like serpents. Crimson blood seeped from the cracks in the surrounding rocks.
Within the formation, thirteen figures cloaked in black stood solemnly around an upright stone coffin. One of them, tall and thin with a face veiled in black silk, spoke in a low voice:
"The heavenly veins have shifted, the earth's heart has opened. The Nether Ruins… must awaken now."
Another figure asked:
"Master, we are only opening a fragment. Will the demonic qi spiral out of control?"
The one called Master sneered:
"The greater the chaos, the more obscured the heavens. Righteous and demonic alike will drown in the fog. That is the opportunity for us—Yin Hidden Sect."
As he spoke, he flicked a drop of black blood into the center of the formation. The ground trembled.
Meanwhile, in a small village at the foot of Mount Mo Lin, where Lang Xiao was hiding with An and Diep Yun Shu, a strange cold wind swept down. Birds scattered in panic, and livestock wailed in fear.
Diep Yun Shu frowned:
"That's not natural mist. Demonic qi… from the north."
Lang Xiao stood atop a wooden watchtower, gazing toward the far-off peaks of Wan Hap, his expression darkening.
"Could it be… Yin Hidden Sect is really attempting to unseal the Nether Ruins?"
Legend spoke of the Nether Ruins, an ancient buried city deep within the earth, where the final war between the heavens and demonic clans once erupted. It was said to be a place of eternal miasma, where resentful spirits lurked, sealed away by ancient cultivators. Even a sliver of it opening could plunge entire regions into disorder.
In the nearby forest, An began to sleepwalk again. The boy stood motionless in the courtyard, eyes closed, fingers tracing ancient sigils in the air. Demonic qi from the horizon surged toward him as though drawn, but was instantly dissolved.
Healer Master Hua, who had been tending to Diep Yun Shu's injuries, took a sharp breath:
"This child's soul... it resonates with the pulse of the ancient earth. Could it be... the bloodline of the Earth-Sealing Lineage? Or perhaps... a descendant of the Great Heaven Seal Emperor?"
At the main hall of Tian Xin Pavilion, news of the demonic qi's spread had reached the elder council. One of them rose abruptly:
"The Yin Hidden Sect has made its move. Their target is likely the ancient Remnant Will. If the Nether Ruins are fully opened, not only will An be doomed—but the entire Central Realm may fall!"
Back with Lang Xiao, standing against the howling wind and swirling clouds, he watched as An unknowingly absorbed demonic qi in his sleep. A deep unease welled within him.
If An is truly the key to this grand fate... must I protect him, or sever the karma that looms ahead?
Diep Yun Shu approached quietly and spoke gently:
"Even if the world sees him as a harbinger of disaster, I still believe this: a child may be afflicted by darkness, but cannot be inherently evil."
Lang Xiao nodded slowly, gripping his sword tightly.
"I'll protect him. Even if it means opposing the Heavens themselves, I won't waver."