The Eternal Ruin Domain was not silent.
It whispered.
Every gust of wind that swept through the shattered mountains carried faint echoes — not of the present, but of countless yesterdays. Voices from the past wept and raged, trapped in the fragments of a world that refused to die.
Lin Feng stood before the ruins' central expanse, his robes fluttering in the azure wind that coiled naturally around him. The group had traveled for hours through the broken plains, but before them now loomed the true barrier — a floating gate forged from translucent crystal, suspended above a still lake that reflected different eras.
One reflection showed their world as it was — broken and pale. Another shimmered with life, green forests and golden temples. Yet another burned crimson, consumed by divine fire.
"That… is the Gate of Lost Time," Elder Bai whispered. "A divine creation that separates what once was from what is."
Around the lake, ancient statues stood half-buried — warriors frozen in motion, their faces still screaming. Each carried divine energy, but they had been frozen by time itself.
Lin Feng's gaze sharpened. His Azure Sword trembled faintly at his side, reacting to the immense temporal energy ahead.
---
A ripple passed through the air.
The lake began to glow, and from its center, a voice echoed — neither male nor female, neither living nor dead.
"Who dares trespass upon the fallen domain of the God of Time?"
The disciples staggered as invisible force pressed against their souls. Time itself seemed to pause — breaths halted midair, sound froze, and hearts slowed.
Elder Shen shouted, qi flaring to resist. "Form the temporal barrier!"
But before they could gather their energy, Lin Feng stepped forward.
Azure light surged from his body, and the frozen time around him began to flow again.
He lifted his head, meeting the unseen gaze that filled the air.
"I am Lin Feng of the Heavenly Sword Palace. I seek the legacy buried within this world. If you wish to test me, do so openly."
Silence followed. Then, laughter — ancient, fragmented, echoing through ages.
"Very well… You who carry the Azure Will… face the Trial of Temporal Decay. Let us see if your existence endures the erosion of eternity."
The lake erupted.
---
A column of golden time energy surged upward, engulfing the gate. The disciples screamed as their bodies began to flicker — growing old one moment, turning to ash the next, then returning young again. Their qi flows twisted and broke under the unstable current.
Elder Bai roared, "Maintain your anchors!" but even his celestial energy trembled under the pressure.
Time was alive here — and it wanted to consume them.
Lin Feng closed his eyes.
Around him, the Azure Sword World stirred within his soul — a boundless realm of azure skies and endless light. Its power resonated with the foreign rhythm of the gate, pushing back against the erosion.
But the Gate of Lost Time was relentless.
He could feel it probing his memories, his lifespan, his essence. It sought to erase him from history.
"You cannot withstand eternity, mortal," the voice of the gate whispered. "Everything fades. Even the Azure Sovereign fell."
Lin Feng's eyes snapped open — twin flames of azure light bursting forth.
"The Azure Sovereign didn't fall," he said softly. "He transcended."
Then he raised his sword.
---
Azure flames exploded around him, forming a blazing halo that illuminated the darkness.
The disciples stared as Lin Feng's aura transformed — no longer merely that of a peak Celestial, but something deeper, older, carrying faint divine resonance.
"What… what is he doing?" gasped Han Yue, his eyes wide.
Elder Bai's hands trembled. "He's merging his soul flame with his sword world… No one has ever survived such a fusion."
Lin Feng ignored them.
Within him, the Azure Soul Flame blazed brighter, intertwining with the fabric of the Sword World. The two powers clashed violently, threatening to tear him apart.
Agony tore through his body — every cell screaming as divine heat scorched his meridians.
But Lin Feng did not falter.
He thrust the Azure Sword forward, embedding it into the air itself.
Clang!
The void shuddered — and the Gate of Lost Time screamed.
Azure light erupted outward in waves, forming a vast domain that expanded to cover the lake and the gate. Within that light, time slowed… then obeyed.
"You… would command me?" the voice hissed.
Lin Feng's eyes burned with azure flame.
"Not command. Harmonize."
His sword pulsed once.
The golden current of time twisted, merging into his Azure light. The erosion stopped. The disciples froze, staring in disbelief as the deadly temporal energy turned into calm ripples of power under Lin Feng's control.
He had done the impossible — he had forced time to yield.
---
As the storm faded, the lake's reflections aligned. The past, present, and future fused into a single seamless image. The statues around them began to crumble, their trapped souls freed as beams of light ascended into the sky.
The crystal gate glowed with azure-gold brilliance, its surface engraved with divine symbols.
"You have passed," the voice of time murmured. "Few have ever balanced existence and eternity. The Azure flame remembers you."
The light dimmed, and the gate began to open — silently, majestically. Beyond it, they glimpsed floating islands, suspended rivers of molten glass, and ruins glowing with divine inscriptions.
Elder Bai stepped forward, his voice trembling. "Lin Feng… you— You've controlled temporal energy. That's a feat even gods struggle with."
Lin Feng turned slightly, his expression unreadable.
"Control?" He shook his head. "No. I simply reminded time that the Azure Sword once ruled even it."
With that, he sheathed his sword and stepped through the gate first.
The disciples followed hesitantly, still awed — and terrified.
---
As Lin Feng entered, the world shifted subtly. For a single instant, he was no longer in the ruin.
He stood in an endless field of starlight.
Before him floated a figure — faceless, cloaked in light, holding a sword made of pure time.
The figure's voice was calm.
"You carry his will… but you are not yet him. When the Fifth Seal awakens, the heavens will tremble again."
Lin Feng tried to speak, but the figure faded, dissolving into motes of golden dust that merged with his sword.
When the illusion vanished, he was back in the ruin — standing at the forefront of his team, the others unaware of what he had just seen.
---
Elder Shen looked around in disbelief. "We… we made it through."
The disciples fell to their knees, panting heavily. Some wept openly, unable to comprehend how they survived.
Only Lin Feng stood tall. His Azure aura shimmered faintly, perfectly balanced with the lingering golden hue of time — a mark left by the trial.
"From this point onward," he said quietly, "none should underestimate what lies ahead. The ruin isn't sleeping — it's remembering."
His eyes glowed faintly.
The Azure Sword at his back hummed like a living being.
Far beyond the horizon, a faint pulse of light responded — the heartbeat of something ancient, waiting.