The silence after Elder Han's escape felt heavier than the battle itself.
Blue spiritual flames crackled along the walls of the Storage Pavilion, casting wavering shadows across broken shelves and scattered treasure boxes. Blood droplets from Elder Han's shoulder still stained the stone floor, slowly freezing into crimson ice.
Lin Xiaoyu poked one of the droplets with the tip of her broken spirit sword.
"He really ran fast."
I folded my arms and exhaled slowly.
"Cowards usually do."
She smirked.
"Like you when I spar?"
I stared at her.
"That is called tactical retreat."
She snorted.
"Same thing."
Honestly, I was beginning to enjoy this brat's attitude far more than I should.
Still, Elder Han's last words kept echoing in my head.
This sect should have stayed buried.
That wasn't something a random elder would say without reason.
It meant the Stone River Sect knew something.
Or at least suspected something.
And now that they had seen the Storage Pavilion and its guardian spirit, our little ruined mountain was no longer just a local joke.
We had officially become a threat.
Perfect.
The system chimed.
NEW MAIN ARC MISSION
Buried Sect Secret – Stage 1
Objective: Unlock the Second Floor of the Storage PavilionReward: Hidden Legacy FragmentPenalty: Unknown story deviation
I frowned.
"Unknown story deviation?"
The system answered immediately.
[Host may accidentally die.]
"…You always find new ways to say that."
[Efficiency is a virtue.]
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Xiaoyu leaned closer.
"Talking to your invisible bully again?"
"System."
"Same thing."
Mo Yuan floated silently near the staircase, his expression solemn.
The old spirit turned toward the spiralling steps leading upward.
The second-floor entrance was sealed by a massive black wooden door reinforced with silver runes.
Unlike the first floor, this one radiated a far stronger pressure.
Even standing several metres away, I could feel the air thicken.
Xiaoyu immediately noticed it too.
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"This place feels dangerous."
Mo Yuan nodded slowly.
"The second floor stores cultivation arts, bloodline manuals, and sealed records."
Xiaoyu's eyes lit up.
"Manuals?"
I smiled.
"Interested?"
She lifted her chin.
"Obviously."
Then her eyes gleamed.
"Any manuals stronger than the one you gave me?"
Mo Yuan's ancient gaze shifted toward her.
"There is one."
The atmosphere instantly sharpened.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
The old spirit bowed slightly.
"A manual once reserved for the first disciple of the Sovereign Sect."
Now that got my attention.
Xiaoyu grinned.
"Mine."
I laughed.
"Confident."
"Correct."
Fair.
I stepped toward the staircase.
The black wooden door loomed before us like a gate to a tomb.
Ancient dragon patterns twisted across its surface.
At the centre was the same crown-wing emblem.
The system immediately displayed a prompt.
SECOND FLOOR SEAL
Unlock Requirement: Sect Master Authority + Pavilion Token
Good thing I had looted the token earlier.
I took out the Inner Pavilion Access Token and pressed it against the emblem.
The door vibrated.
Silver runes lit up one by one.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
A wave of spiritual pressure burst outward.
Xiaoyu actually took a step back.
Even Mo Yuan's robes fluttered violently.
The door slowly creaked open.
Cold mist spilt from within.
Rows of bookshelves stretched into darkness.
Ancient jade scrolls floated in the air, sealed within transparent spiritual barriers.
Weapon racks lined the walls.
At the centre of the room stood a stone pedestal.
On top of it—
A crimson scroll wrapped in golden chains.
The moment Xiaoyu saw it, her dragon blood reacted.
Golden light flickered across her eyes.
Her breathing changed.
The system chimed.
BLOODLINE RESONANCE DETECTED
Target Item: Dragon Sovereign Body Art
Compatibility: 97%
My eyes widened.
Ninety-seven percent?
That was practically destiny.
Xiaoyu stared at the scroll.
"I want that."
I smiled.
"Of course you do."
But before either of us could move—
The room suddenly darkened.
All the floating jade scrolls began trembling.
The system screen flashed red.
WARNING
Second Floor Trial Activated
Requirement: defeat guardian test
Ah.
Naturally.
Nothing in a cultivation world ever came without a trial.
At the far end of the room, a stone statue began to move.
A humanoid figure carved from black crystal slowly rose from a kneeling position.
Its eyes ignited with blue fire.
A puppet guardian.
The system immediately scanned it.
TRIAL GUARDIAN
Realm: Body Tempering 5th LayerSpecial Trait: no fear, no pain
Xiaoyu cracked her knuckles.
"My turn."
I nodded.
"Yes. But don't underestimate it."
The puppet moved first.
BOOM!
The floor cracked beneath its feet.
It shot forward with terrifying speed.
Its fist came straight toward Xiaoyu's face.
She ducked.
Barely.
The punch smashed into a bookshelf behind her.
Wood exploded.
Ancient manuals rained through the air.
Okay.
This thing hit hard.
Xiaoyu retaliated instantly.
Golden light flared around her fist.
BAM!
Her punch landed squarely on the puppet's chest.
The sound echoed.
But the puppet didn't move.
Not even an inch.
Her eyes widened.
"…What?"
The puppet's counterattack came immediately.
Its palm strike slammed toward her shoulder.
I shouted.
"Left!"
She twisted sideways just in time.
The palm missed by a hair and shattered part of the floor.
Mo Yuan watched silently.
His expression is unreadable.
The system chimed.
COMBAT ANALYSIS
Weak point detected: neck seal core
I immediately shouted.
"The neck!"
Xiaoyu's eyes sharpened.
This time she didn't charge recklessly.
Good.
She circled the puppet.
The guardian turned with mechanical precision.
Then suddenly—
It lunged.
Xiaoyu stepped inside its reach.
Golden light erupted from her fist.
The dragon aura behind her flared.
A faint phantom dragon head appeared.
BAM!
Her fist slammed into the puppet's throat.
CRACK!
A crystal seal shattered.
Blue light burst outward.
The puppet froze.
Then collapsed into pieces.
The room fell silent.
Xiaoyu straightened and smirked.
"Told you."
I laughed.
"Nicely done."
The system chimed.
TRIAL COMPLETE
Reward Access Granted
The golden chains around the crimson scroll dissolved.
The moment Xiaoyu touched it—
BOOOOOM!
The entire second floor exploded in golden light.
Ancient dragon symbols filled the air.
The scroll dissolved into streams of crimson energy and entered her body.
Her body lifted off the ground.
Golden scales of light appeared across her arms.
The dragon blood inside her surged violently.
Mo Yuan's eyes widened.
"Impossible…"
The system flashed.
DRAGON SOVEREIGN BODY ART ACCEPTED
Bloodline synchronization: 71%
Breakthrough imminent
A pillar of golden light burst through the ceiling.
The Storage Pavilion trembled.
Outside, the heavens rumbled.
The storm clouds above the mountain spiralled again.
Somewhere in the distance—
A terrifying aura suddenly awakened.
The system flashed red.
ALERT
An unknown powerhouse has sensed the bloodline
Estimated distance: 30 li
My expression darkened.
More enemies.
Already.
This sect really had zero chill.
Xiaoyu slowly descended back to the floor.
Her aura had grown noticeably stronger.
The dragon blood within her now felt much more stable.
She opened her glowing golden eyes.
Then grinned.
"I feel amazing."
I smiled.
"Good."
Then looked toward the mountain outside.
"But trouble's coming."
Her grin widened.
"Even better."
Of course she'd say that.
Honestly—
I was starting to think the real monster of this sect wasn't the heavens.
It was my first disciple.