Luo Yun stood in the quiet chamber, chest rising and falling, blood still dripping from his shoulder. In his hand, the ancient scroll pulsed with a soft golden glow. The spectral sword had vanished, but its pain still echoed in his bones.
The voice was gone.
The chamber was silent.
But something had changed inside him.
His body felt… different.
Not stronger—sharper. His senses clearer, his thoughts more focused, his energy more responsive.
"Was that a soul trial?" he thought, gripping the scroll tightly.
He didn't know exactly what this scroll contained—but he could feel its weight, like holding thunder wrapped in silk. Not just a technique.
A legacy.
And now, others would come for it.
Luo Yun knew he couldn't stay here long.
He tied the scroll with cloth and tucked it beneath his robe. His body still ached, but he pushed through the pain and exited the chamber. The stone door slid shut behind him, hiding the legacy from sight.
The tunnels outside were quiet. Too quiet.
He took two steps—
"He's here."
A voice, sharp and cold, echoed down the hall.
Luo Yun froze.
Three figures stepped out from the shadows.
Two men and one woman—rogue cultivators in dark robes. Their eyes gleamed with greed. One held a curved saber already soaked in blood. The woman had a glowing talisman in hand.
"We saw the door open for you," she said, smiling. "You passed the first trial. Which means…"
Her eyes flicked toward his chest.
"…you have it."
Luo Yun said nothing. He simply lowered his stance, knife in hand.
The taller man scoffed. "He thinks he can fight us with that?"
"Doesn't matter," the third said. "We don't need him alive."
They moved.
The fight was fast and brutal.
The first cultivator swung wide, aiming to disarm. Luo Yun ducked low, slashed at the knee. Blood sprayed.
But the man didn't fall. He kicked Luo Yun hard, sending him tumbling.
The woman threw the talisman.
It exploded mid-air, sending a blast of wind that slammed Luo Yun against the wall. His breath left his lungs in a wheeze.
The third man stepped forward, sword raised.
"End him—"
Then he screamed.
A throwing knife pierced his throat from the shadows.
The woman spun around, casting a barrier.
Too late.
A second figure emerged—the woman from before, face half-covered, eyes cold.
She moved like water, her blade curved and swift.
In seconds, two of the attackers were down.
The last one, wounded, dropped his weapon and fled into the tunnels.
Luo Yun coughed, struggled to his feet.
"…Why?" he asked.
The woman didn't answer immediately. She wiped her blade clean, then turned toward him.
"Because I've seen what that scroll can do."
"And you're the only one who didn't kill to get it."
Together, they moved deeper into the cave system, following the inner rings marked faintly on the stone walls—runes and symbols only visible under spirit light. The woman, whose name was still unknown to Luo Yun, moved with practiced ease. She knew what to avoid, what to touch, when to step, when to stop.
"You've been here before," Luo Yun said quietly.
She nodded. "Years ago. I only made it to the outer ring. Back then, the cave was sealed. But now…"
She glanced at the scroll tucked beneath his robe.
"Now it's open. Because of you."
They reached a fork in the tunnels.
Ahead was another sealed chamber, glowing faintly.
Behind them—footsteps.
Dozens.
Luo Yun turned.
A large group approached—at least ten cultivators, all armed, their auras heavy. Some he recognized from the entrance. Some… he didn't.
And among them was a familiar face:
Old Wei.
But this time, he wasn't alone.
A man walked beside him—tall, dressed in a gray robe with crimson trim, his face hidden behind a mask of obsidian. His presence sent a chill through the cave.
Foundation Establishment.
Luo Yun knew it instinctively.
The masked man stopped and pointed at Luo Yun.
"He has the legacy."
Old Wei said nothing.
The woman beside Luo Yun tensed.
Luo Yun's hand moved toward his blade.
But he knew—this time, it wasn't enough.
Then the scroll burned.
Not physically—but with spirit heat.
It pulsed beneath his robe, vibrating against his chest.
The runes in the chamber ahead flared to life.
The wall behind him began to slide open—reacting to the scroll's presence.
"It's opening a second gate," the woman breathed.
Luo Yun looked at the approaching cultivators.
He looked at her.
Then he ran.
They rushed into the chamber just as the door began to close. Arrows flew. A fireball exploded behind them.
But the stone wall sealed with a final crash.
Silence.
They were safe—for now.
Inside the second chamber was a small stone altar.
On it, a second scroll—this one much smaller—waited.
Beside it, an orb of crystal.
Luo Yun stepped forward.
The orb glowed.
A voice, ancient and weary, spoke in his mind.
"You carry my will.
The first gate tested your body.
This gate shall test your mind.
Only those who understand power… and resist it… may continue."