Time flowed like a mountain stream—silent, persistent, and unstoppable.
Another year had passed on Mount Longridge, and Aeron's life remained unchanged.
Each day was the same. Either he delved into the insights left behind in the Blade of Balance's sacred archive, or he climbed to the mountaintop and meditated beneath the clouds.
He rarely spoke. Other than the occasional exchange with Elias, Aeron spent most days in silence.
When High Lord Crestfall, the master of the Temple of the Guardians, heard that Elias had reached Third Grade due to Aeron's guidance, he had intended to speak with Aeron himself. But before he could make time, the outside world began to stir.
The Legion of Shadows was preparing for a full-scale assault.
Their leader had rallied the entirety of their forces. Nine deputy commanders, each at the Phenomenon Tier, along with forty-three elite warlords, over a hundred lieutenants, and thousands of dark cultivators were now on the move.
And their destination was clear—Mount Longridge.
The mountain wasn't just a sacred place. It was the birthplace of all Guardian Lords, the seat of power for the righteous. If it fell, the world would lose its last line of defense.
In the Chamber of Balance, tension thickened like a storm.
High Lord Crestfall sat at the center, flanked by other Phenomenon-tier warriors—most summoned from across the world.
Every righteous order knew what was at stake. If the Temple fell, they would be next.
> "The nine deputy commanders of the Legion are no joke," said a sharp-eyed woman from the southern coast. "Each one is Phenomenon-level, and their warlords are ranked in the upper three grades. We'll be outmatched in open combat."
The gathered warriors nodded solemnly.
They had more Phenomenon-level fighters—eleven to the Legion's nine—but dark magic was vicious and lethal. A single demonic warrior could self-detonate, taking one or even two righteous fighters with them.
> "Don't panic," said High Lord Crestfall, finally speaking.
The warriors quieted.
> "Our cultivation, whether through the Moon Path or Sun Path, is stronger at the same level. That has been proven in every encounter we've had with them. I've personally defeated several of their commanders with ease."
That was true. Crestfall had engaged the Legion's leader before—and that man had retreated rather than fight.
But that's what made this situation more dangerous.
> "Why would the Legion now dare to declare war here, at the very gates of our Temple?" he asked aloud.
There were only two possibilities.
One: the Legion had gone mad and wanted to perish in one final battle.
Two: they were confident they could win.
Crestfall didn't believe they were suicidal. He had seen the Legion leader up close. That man was calm, patient, and ruthless—but never reckless. If he was marching here now, then something had changed.
—
The next day, Elias rushed to the peak of Mount Longridge, panic in his voice.
> "Senior Brother Aeron! It's Elder Evergreen!"
Aeron opened his eyes calmly.
> "What happened to him?"
> "He was ambushed while chasing down a dark cultivator. By the time we arrived, he was unconscious. The healers said demonic energy has filled his lungs. He... he might never wake up."
Aeron stood immediately.
> "Take me to him."
No matter how cold he had grown in seclusion, Elder Evergreen had once saved his life. Without him, Aeron would never have survived the massacre at Oakridge Keep.
Even though death didn't scare Aeron anymore—it was just another stage in his journey—this debt was one he had vowed never to forget.
—
Inside the temple's healing hall, Elder Evergreen lay motionless.
Elias stood beside the bed, his face tight with sorrow. To him, Evergreen had been more than a teacher—he was like a father.
Aeron bent down, resting two fingers on the elder's pulse.
Dark energy surged through Evergreen's body. It was dense, twisted, and embedded deep within his lungs, making even breathing a battle.
> "It's bad, but not hopeless," Aeron said quietly. "His inner core is stable. He hasn't lost the will to live."
> "Can you help him?"
> "Not yet. But when I take my next step… I'll burn this demonic energy out."
Elias looked stunned.
> "You're that close?"
> "Very."
Aeron was now at the cusp of fully merging the power of sun and moon—a feat no Guardian Lord had ever achieved.
> "Stay by his side," Aeron said. "Keep him warm. When I return, I'll bring him back."
—
Back on the mountaintop, Aeron resumed his meditation.
He sat perfectly still, cross-legged on a stone, with the Blade of Balance floating before him.
Even now, his Insight never stopped.
> [Your comprehension is astonishing. Your grasp of yin and yang deepens.]
> [Your comprehension is astonishing. Your grasp of yin and yang deepens.]
> [Your comprehension is astonishing. Your grasp of yin and yang deepens.]
Whether asleep or awake, his mind never ceased its refinement.
Others spent their entire lives trying to understand one path. Aeron was now balancing two opposing forces in a fusion that could rewrite cultivation history.
Ten years ago, this would have been madness.
Now, it was reality.
He was almost ready.
—
Far from Mount Longridge, in a shadowy palace cloaked in night, the Master of the Legion of Shadows sat on a black stone throne.
His eyes were cold voids of darkness. To look into them was to feel fear—and desire.
Around him knelt his inner circle, including the nine deputy commanders.
One of them, a grizzled old man, spoke cautiously.
> "Master… are you certain? A full war with the Temple… It seems too soon."
The Temple had produced thirty-six Guardian Lords over the centuries. Its roots were deep, its alliances widespread.
Even if the Legion was strong, could they truly crush the world's last bastion of light?
The Legion Master laughed coldly.
> "Fools. You doubt me?"
The air turned cold.
Even the strongest among them felt dread rise in their spines. For they all knew the truth.
They had not reached the Phenomenon Tier on their own.
It was he—their master—who had forced open the gate to that realm for them, using ancient, forbidden methods.
Yes, they had paid the price—decades of their lives gone in exchange—but not one of them regretted it.
Power was power.
> "I know what you fear," the master said, rising from his throne.
> "But I have already stepped beyond the Phenomenon Tier. I am no longer your equal. I am more."
"And unless the Temple has hidden a new Guardian Lord somewhere... I will wipe them from exis
tence."
His eyes glowed with dark certainty.
> "The era of balance is over. The age of shadows begins."
---
(End of Chapter)
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