The destruction of the Azure Vault sent shockwaves through the Celestial Dragon Sect, shaking its very foundation. Those who once felt untouchable now found themselves gripped by an unfamiliar fear. In a single night, one of their strongest pillars had been reduced to nothing but dust and rubble.
Inside the grand assembly hall of the Celestial Dragon Sect, an oppressive silence hung in the air. The hall, carved from an ancient divine jade, shimmered with a cold, ethereal glow. At the center, seated upon a throne of black stone, was Xie Tianlong, the sect's Grand Elder. His face was dark with rage, his narrowed eyes radiating a murderous intent that made the weaker disciples in the room tremble.
Before him stood the sect's top elders, their expressions a mix of anger and disbelief.
"Who dares to commit such an act?" one of the elders growled. "The Azure Vault wasn't some common outpost. It was fortified with the strongest barriers. How could an enemy infiltrate without warning?"
Han Wu, an elder with a long white beard and eyes sharp as an eagle's, clenched his fists. "Whoever did this wasn't just strong. They wanted to send a message."
A younger elder, clad in dark blue robes, spoke hesitantly, "Could it be… an ancient enemy returning?"
Xie Tianlong's fingers dug into the armrests of his throne, cracking the stone. His voice was low and menacing. "Foolish. If it was an old enemy, we would have sensed their movements long ago. This is something else." His gaze turned piercing. "This… is an act of vengeance."
The air in the hall grew heavier. The word vengeance carried weight, especially among cultivators who had spent centuries eliminating their enemies. If this was an act of revenge, then it meant the attacker had survived something that should have killed them.
Han Wu's mind raced. "Grand Elder, if this is indeed revenge… who have we wronged so gravely that they would dare attack us like this?"
Xie Tianlong's gaze darkened. "There is only one possibility."
The elders fell silent. They all understood. There was only one man who had once stood as their greatest threat. A name long buried in history, but one that could never truly be erased.
Shao Xian.
The mere thought sent shivers down their spines. But no—it was impossible. He was supposed to be dead. Erased from existence.
And yet…
Xie Tianlong exhaled slowly. "We need confirmation."
At that moment, a figure rushed into the hall, his robes stained with blood and his breathing ragged. It was a messenger disciple. He fell to his knees, his forehead pressed against the cold jade floor.
"Grand Elder! Urgent news!" he gasped. "Survivors from the Azure Vault… they have spoken!"
The hall tensed. Xie Tianlong's eyes burned with cold fury. "Speak."
The disciple's voice trembled. "They said… it was a single man. A cultivator unlike any they had ever seen. He destroyed everything—no hesitation, no mercy. They couldn't even see his attacks before they died."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Xie Tianlong's grip tightened. "And his name?"
The disciple swallowed hard. "They didn't hear him say it… but one of the survivors… before he died… he wrote something in his own blood."
The elders leaned forward.
The disciple hesitated, then continued. "Two words. Dao Sovereign."
A thunderous explosion of killing intent filled the hall. Even the walls seemed to tremble under the pressure.
Han Wu's voice was hoarse. "Impossible. The Dao Sovereign is dead."
Xie Tianlong stood from his throne, his presence dominating the entire chamber. His voice was like the tolling of a death knell.
"If he lives… then we will finish what we started."
Outside the hall, the skies darkened. A storm was coming.