The ruins of the Celestial Dragon Sect still smoldered under the morning sun. The once-magnificent fortress had been reduced to little more than crumbling walls and scattered debris. Blood soaked the stone pathways, mingling with the ashes of the fallen.
Shao Xian stood at the heart of it all, his golden eyes surveying the devastation with quiet indifference. The battle had been swift, decisive. The sect's so-called strongest had crumbled before him, their defenses meaningless in the face of true power.
Behind him, Yan Yue stepped forward, wiping the blood from her blade. Wei Tian followed closely, his war halberd resting on his shoulder, still stained from the carnage of the night before.
"It's over," Wei Tian said. "Their forces are either dead or have fled into the mountains."
Shao Xian nodded but did not respond immediately. His gaze was fixed on a particular section of the ruins—the former inner sanctum, now little more than shattered stone. Beneath the rubble, he sensed something. Something familiar.
Yan Yue noticed his expression and tilted her head slightly. "You've sensed something."
Shao Xian turned toward her. "There's something below us. A place that was hidden even from the sect's own members."
Wei Tian frowned. "A secret chamber?"
Shao Xian stepped forward, raising his hand slightly. A pulse of energy rippled outward, shaking the very foundation beneath them. The ground trembled, and then, with a loud crack, the earth split open, revealing a hidden passage leading deep underground.
Yan Yue's expression darkened. "It was sealed well. Whatever is down there must be important."
Without another word, Shao Xian descended into the darkness.
---
The Forgotten Vault
The passage stretched downward, the air growing colder with every step. The walls were lined with ancient carvings—symbols that had long since faded but still carried traces of power. Shao Xian's fingers brushed against them, recognizing their origin.
This place was not built by the Celestial Dragon Sect. It was far older.
Yan Yue and Wei Tian followed behind, their steps cautious. The further they went, the heavier the air became, as if the very space around them resisted their presence.
Finally, they reached a vast underground chamber. At its center stood an altar, adorned with chains that pulsed with an eerie glow.
And bound within those chains was a figure.
A man, his robes tattered, his body covered in countless scars. His hair was silver, though his features were youthful. His eyes—despite being shut—radiated a presence that felt both ancient and terrifying.
Wei Tian exhaled sharply. "Who… is that?"
Shao Xian's expression remained unreadable, but deep within, he felt something stir.
He knew this man.
He had fought him once, long ago.
Yan Yue studied the runes on the chains. "This is no ordinary seal. It is a prison designed to suppress someone whose power was deemed too dangerous."
Shao Xian stepped forward, his hand hovering over one of the glowing chains. The moment his fingers brushed against it, a surge of energy erupted outward, sending a violent shockwave through the chamber.
The air trembled. The very foundations of the ruins above groaned under the force.
And then—
The man's eyes snapped open.
Golden irises, filled with immeasurable depth, locked onto Shao Xian's own.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then the man smiled.
"I was wondering how long it would take for you to find me."
---
The Unfinished Battle
Wei Tian tensed, his grip tightening around his halberd. Yan Yue remained perfectly still, but her fingers twitched near the hilt of her dagger.
Shao Xian, however, remained unmoved.
"You were sealed here for a reason," he said calmly.
The man chuckled. "And yet, here you are, standing before me once again." His voice was deep, smooth, carrying the weight of ages. He flexed his fingers slightly, testing the chains that bound him. "I assume the sect that imprisoned me is long gone?"
Shao Xian glanced around. "Reduced to ashes."
The man sighed. "A shame. I was looking forward to personally tearing them apart." His gaze sharpened. "And you… you have changed, Shao Xian."
Wei Tian's eyes widened. "He knows your name?"
Shao Xian did not look away. "We fought before. In an era long forgotten."
The man smirked. "Fought? Is that how you remember it?" He leaned forward as much as the chains allowed. "You killed me."
A tense silence followed.
Yan Yue's eyes narrowed. "Then how are you still alive?"
The man laughed. "Because I refused to stay dead." He tilted his head. "And now, I find myself at your mercy. Tell me, Shao Xian… will you finish what you started?"
Shao Xian studied him for a long moment.
This man had once been a tyrant, a being whose strength rivaled the greatest of emperors. Their battle had shattered worlds, distorted time itself. In the end, Shao Xian had won, but only barely. He had ensured the man's destruction… or so he had thought.
Yet here he was.
Alive. Waiting.
Shao Xian reached out, gripping one of the glowing chains. Power surged against his palm, resisting him.
Then, with a single motion—
He shattered it.
The chamber shook violently as the first chain broke. The man inhaled deeply, as if feeling true air for the first time in centuries.
Yan Yue's eyes widened. "Are you sure about this?"
Shao Xian did not answer. He broke the second chain. Then the third.
Finally, with one last motion, the final seal collapsed.
For a moment, silence filled the chamber.
Then—
A torrential wave of energy erupted from the freed prisoner. The ground split apart. The very air howled as his aura flooded the space, unfettered, unrestricted.
Wei Tian staggered back, his breath catching. "His power…"
Yan Yue clenched her jaw. "It's monstrous."
The man exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders, his muscles tensing as he adjusted to his regained freedom. Then, he turned his gaze back to Shao Xian.
"I must admit," he said, amusement flickering in his golden eyes. "I did not expect you to release me."
Shao Xian met his gaze without fear. "You are not the same man I once fought."
The man chuckled. "No. I am something else entirely now." He stepped forward, power radiating from every movement. "But I wonder… have you changed, Shao Xian?"
The tension in the chamber grew unbearable.
Yan Yue's fingers tightened around her dagger. Wei Tian's grip on his halberd turned knuckle-white.
But Shao Xian simply smiled.
"I suppose we will find out soon enough."
The man's laughter echoed through the chamber, deep and unrestrained.
"Then let us see where fate takes us this time."