The immense pressure mounting at the western borders had roused the entire continent into a state of high alert. Recognising the gravity of the impending threat, the Lin Kingdom forged an unprecedented alliance with the remaining two kingdoms, sending out a continent-wide summons to mobilise every available cultivator.
Two hundred miles from that fraught western border, within the domain of the Lin Kingdom, lay the infamous Forest of Sin.
Amidst the ancient, twisted trees, a young man darted forward with urgent desperation. Clad entirely in dark garments with a black mask concealing his features, he moved like a fleeting shadow against the murky backdrop of the woods. While the Forest of Sin bore a terrifying reputation, the outer perimeter was not quite the absolute deathtrap the stories claimed; the true terror lay deeper within. Legends whispered that aeons ago, when the God of Sin perished, one of his divine artefacts plummeted from the heavens and struck this very earth, permanently corrupting the landscape. Over the centuries, countless ambitious souls had attempted to reach the deepest core of the forest, hoping to claim that ancient power. Not a single one had ever returned alive.
When the young man reached a distance of merely three miles from the absolute centre, he abruptly skidded to a halt. His chest heaved as he steadied his breathing, his eyes narrowing as he sensed an oppressive, suffocating aura thickening in the air around him.
"...It is very close now. I must be even more careful..."
Lowering his centre of gravity, he immediately dropped his speed. He began to stalk silently through the heavy underbrush, slipping cautiously between the massive trunks of the dead trees, masking his presence completely.
Ahead, at the absolute heart of the forest, the jagged maw of a massive, pitch-black cave loomed like a beast waiting to feed. And lurking in the shadows just outside that dark entrance, a number of other silent figures had already begun to gather...
Approximately eighteen figures had converged near the gaping mouth of the cave. As the brutal war against the Demons intensified on the front lines, desperation had bred credulity; the number of people who placed their faith in the forest's ancient legend had surged, drawing a steady influx of treasure hunters and opportunists. Of course, many of these supposed seekers merely used the perilous expedition as a convenient excuse to avoid the meat grinder of the battlefield. The reality of the forest, however, was just as unforgiving as the war. Over the past two years, more than two hundred souls had breached the tree line, yet only a meagre ten had ever clawed their way back out alive.
Hidden within the concealing veil of the underbrush, Xan watched them closely. Though his current cultivation base was perilously low compared to the terrifying reputation of the ruins, he was far from defenceless. He had meticulously prepared for this exact scenario, arming himself with both tactical foresight and the right tools. Remaining perfectly still, he decided to eavesdrop on the gathered group from the safety of the dark, waiting to gauge the situation before making his move.
"...Sun Huang, just as you said, this place is incredibly strange, and a potent aura is radiating from deep within. Not bad at all. Today, I will be the one to save the world..."
The speaker, a white-bearded elder draped in flowing yellow robes, chuckled confidently. He directed his words toward his companion—a man clad in identical yellow garments, distinguished by a striking black-and-white beard.
"...What are we waiting for? Everyone, inside!..."
Roused by the command, the group moved as one, their footsteps echoing heavily as they eagerly plunged into the cavern's yawning abyss.
Trailing behind them, silent and imperceptible as a phantom, Xan began his pursuit.
"...I cannot say for certain if a divine artefact truly rests down there, but there is undeniably something powerful hidden in the depths. If it can help me..."
With that final thought anchoring his resolve, Xan slipped through the jagged opening of the cave, his dark attire allowing him to melt seamlessly into the pitch-black shadows of the abyss.
As they crossed the inner threshold, the world was suddenly drained of all pigment, plunging everything into a chilling, monochromatic void. Even Xan, despite his sharpened instincts, found himself losing the trail of the eighteen who had entered before him. Though his fingers itched to draw his extraordinary weapons and unleash the hidden power within, he suppressed the urge with cold discipline. To strike blindly at an unseen foe or to defend against a threat he could not yet perceive would be the height of folly—it would be as futile as a blind man attempting to hunt in a dense thicket or a fisherman casting his line into the heart of a barren desert.
He remained anchored in the darkness, refusing to ignite even a flicker of light. With eighteen rivals ahead, their potential reactions were an unpredictable variable he wasn't ready to face; Xan had no desire for a premature confrontation.
Slowly, the oppressive greyness began to bleed away, replaced by a radiant, shimmering brilliance. Emerging from the gloom was a colossal Diamond Palace, its ethereal architecture glowing with a light that felt like a glimpse into a celestial paradise. Xan stayed rooted at the edge of the shadows, his gaze fixed on the group ahead.
"...We have found paradise! Hahaha! Quickly, split up and search every corner! Take whatever you find!..."
Driven by greed, the eighteen figures scattered instantly in different directions. Xan watched them vanish into the palace's depths, his brow furrowing beneath his mask. A sense of profound unease settled in his gut.
"...Something is wrong. First the colourless void, and now this... I feel as though I am moving in an endless cycle, returning to the same point over and over..."
He waited, his patience as steady as stone. He noted with grim realisation that as the hours turned into days, not a single one of the eighteen seekers returned. Rather than rushing forward, Xan sat cross-legged at the edge of the brilliance. He began to circulate his energy, drawing in the incredibly dense soul power that saturated the air of this strange realm.
Twenty-eight days passed in silent, focused cultivation. When Xan finally opened his eyes, they gleamed with a sharper, more refined light. Seeing that the coast was still clear of his predecessors, he stood and began his slow, deliberate walk toward the Diamond Palace. He reached the towering, translucent gates and pushed them open, stepping into the heart of the structure.
"...What is this?..."