The world held its breath.
At the break of dawn, the peaks of Mount Kailas blazed with argent light, each ridge shimmering as if bathed in molten moonlight. The winds carried faint hymns of qi, and every soul—mortal or cultivator—felt the mountain's pulse beneath their feet.
Once sacred ground, it had now become the heart of a miracle.
Across the summit sprawled a vast network of runic arrays—thousands of interlocking circles orbiting a single point of light. This was the new Teleportation Formation, painstakingly crafted by the combined forces of the Dao Alliance and the Azure Edge Pavilion. Its anchor drew power from the ancient Earth–Dao Rift nearby—the very breach through which mortals once ascended. Now, that ancient wound between worlds had become the foundation for a far greater bridge—one meant to pierce the heavens themselves.
The crowd gathered in silence: cultivators, soldiers, scholars, and the descendants of the first Ascendants who had crossed from Earth centuries ago. To them, this was not merely a journey—it was the birth of legend.
At the forefront stood Grand Elder Yuan, his snow-white robes untouched by wind, his eyes calm as a still lake. When he finally spoke, his voice rolled through the mountains like a timeless bell.
"We now ascend to the Astral Vein—a realm where even the laws breathe power. Remember this: every step you take today will echo across eternity. Walk with humility, for between worlds, arrogance becomes dust."
Behind him, ten chosen prodigies stood in formation.
At their head was Renji, golden-haired and composed, a sword strapped across his back, eyes fixed on the glowing platform. Each of the ten bore unique sigils that pulsed in rhythm with the formation's hum—proof of their qualification to survive the crossing.
Beside them stood the Su siblings and their clan elders. Among them was Karma, silent and tense, his dark eyes reflecting the whirl of runes beneath his feet.
He remembered the first time he had seen the old rift—how chaotic and terrifying it had been. But this new one… it felt alive, deliberate, crafted by intent rather than accident. The spiritual pressure rising from the formation was overwhelming; each breath felt like inhaling lightning.
Elder Yuan raised his hand."Begin the activation."
Instantly, layers of symbols blazed to life. The mountain shuddered as rivers of qi surged from the rift's edge into the hovering arrays. Spirals of azure and gold merged into a single column that pierced the sky, and for a moment, the heavens themselves trembled.
The air thickened. Colors warped.
Weight vanished.Sound, breath, and sensation fell away—only his heartbeat remained, echoing in a realm without space.
Karma felt his body dissolve into radiance—bones, thoughts, and breath unraveling into pure essence. Space folded, time slowed, and reality stretched like silk. He clutched instinctively at the qi swirling within him, forcing stability through sheer will.
Renji's laughter echoed faintly ahead.
"Magnificent! So this is the path beyond the sky!"
Karma opened his eyes—and gasped.
The corridor between realms unfurled before him: an endless tunnel of stars and shifting memories, fragments of forgotten worlds suspended in flowing light. Ancient cities, broken temples, and sleeping giants drifted through the void, each a memory of civilizations long gone. He could hear echoes—songs, prayers, whispers in languages lost to time.
He reached out, brushing a current of qi that pulsed with warmth and sorrow alike. It was divine, endless—and terrifying.
Then, as abruptly as it began, the journey ended.
Arrival in the Astral Vein
They burst into blinding radiance, the world reforming around them in a storm of light.
Clouds stretched beneath them like oceans of silver. Beyond the horizon rose floating mountain ranges, waterfalls of spirit energy arching gracefully between them. Entire cities—carved from crystal, jade, and luminous stone—shimmered in the distance. Titans of the sky soared between peaks, their scales reflecting the suns above, their cries echoing like thunder.
The air was thick with spiritual essence. Every breath burned and healed in equal measure.
Even standing still required focus—the weight of qi here was crushing.
The younger prodigies could barely contain their awe.
"This… this can't be real," one whispered, trembling.
Renji's lips curved into a sharp smile.
"It's real enough. The true heavens always are."
Karma stood frozen. His eyes darted from one floating peak to another, drinking in the impossible grandeur. He had thought the Dao Realm's desolate regions were wondrous, but compared to this, they were no more than dust beneath a sun.
He felt infinitesimal—swallowed by the vastness of creation itself. Yet somewhere deep inside, a flame ignited. That smallness became fuel.If this is the height of the heavens… then I will climb higher still.
The spiritual energy around him pressed like a storm, denser than liquid. It flowed into his meridians, refining them without consent, forcing his body to adapt or break. Each breath became cultivation.
He turned to Su Liana, who floated beside him with effortless grace, her teal robes rippling like living silk.
She met his gaze and smiled.
"Welcome to the Eastern Continent," she said softly. "Here, mountains have souls, rivers remember grudges, and even the wind carries intent."
Karma swallowed, overwhelmed.
"It feels… alive."
"It is," she replied. "And it watches everything."
For a fleeting moment, her gaze softened.
"Don't let it frighten you. The sky may be vast, but it always rewards those who dare to challenge it."
Far Below — Tianxu's Oath
Back in the Dao Realm, Tianxu stood upon the terrace of his mountain palace, gazing at the heavens above. The new teleportation formation still glowed faintly beside the ancient rift, like a star refusing to fade.
He could sense it—the faint thread of Renji's soul-mark, now far beyond his reach.
"They've gone," he murmured. "And now the heavens shall reveal the truth."
An elder approached quietly, bowing low.
"Lord Tianxu, should we inform the Pavilion of our intentions? The Azure Edge—"
"—believes what it wishes," Tianxu interrupted, voice calm, eyes sharp as a blade. "Let them think we yield. The serpent hides best beneath still water."
The elder hesitated.
"Then… your grandson?"
Tianxu's lips twitched into a half-smile.
"He'll see their truth from within. And when the year turns, I'll ascend myself—on my own terms.""Let them think the old lion sleeps; they've forgotten that patience is a predator's sharpest fang."
The old man bowed again and withdrew into the mist.
Alone, Tianxu stared up at the thinning light.
"Half a step from immortality," he said quietly. "Perhaps the heavens above hold the key… or perhaps they need reminding why men should never kneel."
The wind stirred around him, cold and resolute, carrying the faint echo of laughter that was not quite human.Somewhere far above, destiny stirred in answer.