The warship's descent blotted out the morning sun. Clouds parted as if in fear, and the valleys of Tibet trembled under its vast shadow. Its runes pulsed faintly, shedding a radiance that turned snow into liquid silver.
On the ground, mortals gawked in open terror. Indian and Chinese soldiers clutched their rifles tighter, commanders barked orders to "hold formation," but their voices cracked against the sheer magnitude of what stood above them. Some younger soldiers whispered prayers under their breath, their fingers twitching on triggers.
Local villagers and monks fell to their knees, chanting mantras with trembling voices. To them, this was no machine—it was divinity descending.
When the vessel halted above Mt. Kailas, its vast hull silent and unmoving, a ramp of light unfolded from its base. Figures emerged, descending like gods walking into the mortal plane.
At their head walked Elder Yuan, his presence serene yet commanding. Su Liana followed, her white and silver robes stirring with spiritual wind, her beauty radiant enough to still the breath of mortals who glimpsed her. Beside her strode Su Chen, his sharp gaze cutting like a blade, his aura dense with Golden Core refinement. Karma walked between them, a mortal among immortals, yet carrying himself with quiet resolve.
Behind them came the Void Realm guards, their footsteps soundless as they hovered before gently touching down. Elders joined in, robes fluttering, their faces calm and ageless. A profound stillness settled over the mountain peak.
Whispers swept through the barricades."Are they… gods?" "No… angels…" "They're too beautiful to be human…"
But the cultivators paid no attention. Before them loomed the pillar of crystalline light erupting from Mt. Kailas, reaching beyond the clouds. The air around it felt strained, vibrating with a constant, high-pitched hum that pressed physically against Karma's eardrums and soul. The light itself twisted with colors beyond human sight.
Yuan's eyes narrowed. "It is as I thought. Its not merely a surge of spiritual energy. This is a gate. Unstable… but still forming."
They waited.
One by one, the remaining Su Clan envoys returned, streaks of light cutting across the sky as they flew in from their scattered searches. Mortals gasped openly as men and women soared overhead, their robes gleaming, their landings graceful as falling feathers. Soon the group was whole again—except two.
"Elder Su Rong. Elder Su Wen." Su Liana's voice was tight as she muttered the names of the missing.
With the thought of confirming his suspicions, Yuan raised his hand. In it appeared a jade-like disc, veined with silver light—the World Mirror Jade. As soon as it appeared, the other elders bowed their heads instinctively; the artifact radiated ancient authority, a weight that bent the very air.
"This will stabilize the connection."
He pressed it forward. The treasure resonated with the pillar of light, runes awakening on its surface. The air split with a low, deep thrum. Slowly, the light twisted, folding, until a window opened.
Karma staggered back a step, the hum clawing at his bones. Inside his mind, Mira's voice stirred.
Host… this pulse… it feels familiar, yet wrong. Be careful. That world… it already knows we are watching.
The words sent a chill racing down Karma's spine.
Gasps filled the air as another sky emerged within the frame.
It was vast, alien, endless. Stars hung low and heavy, their constellations unfamiliar. Warships—immense constructs of black iron and flaming crystal—floated like predators, their weapons gleaming. Figures of every kind soared through the skies: humans, winged humans, beastkin with fur and claws, horned tribesmen radiating bloodlust.
And there—bound in chains of glowing light—were prisoners. Dozens, hundreds. Some human, some not, dragged like cattle toward dark citadels. Among them, unmistakable, were Elder Su Hanming and Elder Su Yaoqin, bloodied but alive.
Su Liana's eyes widened, her hand flying to her mouth.
Su Chen's fists clenched, his aura flaring like a storm. Snow cracked beneath his feet as waves of raw Golden Core pressure rippled outward. The Void guards closest to him flinched back instinctively. "I will make them pay for every drop of blood," he hissed, his voice a low, terrifying rumble that promised vengeance.
The guards murmured in horror.
Karma stared, his blood turning to ice. Another world. Hostile. Brutal. His thoughts slammed into a single, desperate point: Karma's fists tightened. He didn't care about realms, wars, or gods.If this is what awaits them, if they come to Earth… how will my sister survive? How will mortals survive?
The window flickered, the vision straining, before finally dimming. The jade in Yuan's hand shrieked—a sharp, deafening sound. It burst into a final, brilliant flash of silver light that momentarily blinded them all, before cracking into a dozen useless, smoking shards that fell to the snow.
The cultivators stood in silence.
Elder Yuan lowered his hand, his expression grave. "This is no mere hidden realm. This is a world as old as Astral Vein… and it has stirred. Whether it wakes as ally or as enemy, the heavens will decide—but for us, hesitation is death."
The snowstorm quieted into an eerie stillness. Mortals below stared up in rapture and terror. The cultivators' faces were grim. Karma's fists clenched at his sides.
And none who had seen it would ever be the same.