Eight years later.
High atop the cliffs of Mount Longridge, Aeron sat alone, cross-legged on a broad stone. He had not moved for hours. The morning mist drifted through the valley below, and soft raindrops fell from the sky—but none touched him. Instead, the droplets evaporated several feet above his head, as if even the elements dared not disturb his meditation.
Slowly, Aeron opened his eyes. Beneath him was a sea of clouds stretching beyond the horizon. His gaze remained calm, yet deep in his heart, thoughts surged like thunder.
> "The Moon Path and the Sun Path may seem like opposites, but they are born of the same sky. The moon can become the sun, and the sun can return to the moon."
Within his Spirit Core, two forces clashed constantly: one cold and silver, the other hot and golden. They twisted around each other endlessly—the power of moonlight and sunlight, in endless conflict and harmony.
These eight years, Aeron had made little progress in realm advancement. He remained stuck at the early stage of the Phenomenon Tier, while others pushed forward. But he wasn't concerned.
> "Power isn't only in level. The foundation matters more. Whether I'm early stage or peak stage doesn't mean anything if I can balance both moon and sun."
In front of him floated the Blade of Balance, a sword passed down from ancient times. It shimmered softly in the mist, its edge pulsing with the very essence of light and shadow.
Aeron reached out and touched it with his mind.
> "This sword... it compresses the energy of both moon and sun into one weapon. Whoever forged it achieved a level of control far beyond modern understanding."
Without this blade, his own journey would have taken far longer.
But he also knew how dangerous this path was.
> "It's not hard to walk either the Moon Path or Sun Path," Aeron thought. "But to merge both… that's where people die."
Even in ancient records, no more than a handful had tried—and most had perished. Even past Guardian Lords had failed. One, the third-generation Guardian, died when he tried to force both powers together.
But Aeron was different.
> "He tried only after reaching the top. I began before I even stepped into the Guardian Lord path."
His foundation was built for balance.
But the real reason he dared to try was his rare gift—Heaven-Breaker Insight, the ability to see through even the most complex of mysteries, to understand what others could not.
It had saved him countless times.
> Eighteen years ago, as a baby hiding from beasts, he instinctively learned a breath-concealing method. Later, on the edge of starvation, he created a hibernation technique to preserve energy.
These techniques required no external energy—just his mind, adapting perfectly to survive.
Now, as he attempted the fusion of moon and sun, his Insight continued to reveal crucial knowledge at every life-threatening turn.
> "Not enough yet," Aeron muttered, sensing the swirling chaos in his inner core. "Just a little more... and I can break through with moon and sun together."
If he succeeded, his strength would surpass all past Guardian Lords. No single-element user could match the combined power of moon and sun.
He slowly rose to his feet and gazed into the distant horizon.
> "The world outside has grown darker."
Trouble had been brewing for years.
Even before Aeron was born, the Legion of Shadows, a demonic cult, had begun to rise again. But back then, the Temple of the Guardians still had enough strength to keep them in check.
Then, five years ago, a terrifying rumor spread.
> The leader of the Legion of Shadows had received the ancient inheritance of the long-forgotten Original Demon Sect.
That sect had vanished nearly seven thousand years ago—supposedly wiped out.
The first Guardian Lord, armed with the Blade of Balance, had fought the Original Demon King in a battle that shook the heavens. Though neither could kill the other for a long time, the Guardian eventually sacrificed himself to end the Demon King.
> The Demon King was destroyed. But his sect survived.
For centuries afterward, the remaining Guardian Lords hunted down the remnants of that dark lineage. After much bloodshed, they succeeded in erasing the Original Demon Sect from the world.
Or so they thought.
> Now, with whispers of its return, fear had once again spread.
And with no new Guardian Lord chosen in over five centuries, the Temple of the Guardians lacked the leadership to act decisively.
In the old days, when a new Guardian Lord rose, their first duty was to descend the mountain and hunt the demonic forces—to remind the world that light still ruled.
But with five hundred years of silence, the balance had shifted.
The righteous still held the advantage in numbers—but the Legion of Shadows had gained time, momentum, and blood.
Their magic, while dangerous, was easy to learn. They could grow in power rapidly by consuming human life. That was what had happened to Oakridge Keep.
> Eighteen years ago, Aeron's birthplace was wiped out.
> The eight leaders of the Legion had descended upon Oakridge Keep and slaughtered every man, woman, and child.
His parents had died that night.
Only by chance—no, only by the grace of his Insight—had Aeron survived.
He had waited. Trained. Endured.
Now the time of hiding was ending.
> "Whether the rumor is true or not, the Legion's boldness will rise. And I still have a debt to settle."
Just then, a voice called out through the fog.
> "Brother Shanfeng! Brother!"
Aeron turned.
Jogging up the slope came a young man in silver-and-blue robes. He wore a wide grin and carried a scroll in one hand.
> "I knew you'd be up here again!"
It was Elias, once a child acolyte from the lower temple. Now, nearly a grown man. Eight years had changed him—he was no longer the boy who trailed behind with questions and wide eyes. His frame was stronger, and his steps surer.
> "It's been a long time since we've spoken," Aeron said softly.
> "The High Council wants to meet," Elias said, holding up the scroll. "There's movement. South of the ridge. Strange symbols. Animals disappearing. They think the Legion is near."
Aeron took a deep breath.
He looked once more toward the horizon, where the first rays of morning light began to break through the clouds.
> "Then it's time," he said.
> "Time for me to go down the mountain."
> "Time to face the Legion of Shadows."
> "And time to awake
n the Blade of Balance."
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(End of Chapter)
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