The cold moonlight poured through the dense canopy of the Outer Wilds, casting shifting silver patterns upon the clearing below. Three figures stood at its heart, their presence alone commanding the very air around them. Patriarch Yu Tian of the Verdant Dawn Sect, Patriarch Xiang Wuyi of the Iron Tower Sect, and the leading elder of Medicine Valley faced one another, their expressions grave. The weight of their decision pressed upon the night, the silence between them crackling with spiritual energy. Suspended in the air before them, a jade tablet inscribed with intricate golden script rotated slowly, exuding a faint celestial radiance. This was no ordinary contract, it was a blood bound pact, sealed by the ancient "Celestial Binding Seal." Elder Xue Li from Medicine Valley had brought the seal with him to ensure none reneged from their words.

  Yu Tian, his sharp eyes glinting beneath the moon’s glow, exuded quiet authority. His robes, though lacking ornamentation, carried the weight of his station, a testament to his resilience and wisdom earned through countless trials. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, a single drop of blood welling at his fingertip before falling onto the jade tablet. The seal flared momentarily, absorbing his essence. Xiang Wuyi followed, his towering frame clad in an iron threaded robe, his movements as precise and unshakable. His blood merged seamlessly into the formation. Finally, the elder from Medicine Valley stepped forward, his face unreadable, as he too completed the ritual.

  The jade tablet trembled violently before a deep hum resonated through the clearing, as though the heavens themselves acknowledged the pact. The golden script slithered off its surface like living creatures, burrowing into the bodies of those who had sworn their oath. The seal had marked them. No one could escape its decree, not without facing a retribution far worse than death.

  "It is done," Xue Li intoned, his voice carrying the weight of finality. "No cultivator above the Foundation Establishment realm shall enter the legacy realm. The Verdant Dawn Sect may bring five, including Elder Jianyu. The Iron Tower Sect shall send ten, including two elders. Medicine Valley shall send twenty, four of whom shall be elders, all below Foundation Establishment."

  The elders of Medicine Valley exchanged the briefest of glances. Unlike the others, they knew more than just rumours of what lay within. While the Verdant Dawn and Iron Tower Sects sought Heaven grade herbs and Foundation Establishment techniques, Medicine Valley had its sights set on the true inheritance buried within the realm. Yet, they remained silent. Let the others grasp blindly at the surface while they reached for the depths.

  With the pact sealed, the three sect leaders raised their hands, pouring their Qi into the jade tablet. Instantly, golden beams shot skyward, illuminating the night as the very air trembled. The ancient formation, long buried beneath layers of dust and time, stirred. Faint runes shimmered to life, flickering like dying embers before igniting in full force. Then, with a deep rumble, the ground split apart, and a towering stone gate materialized from the void, its surface carved with celestial symbols. At its core swirled a vortex of unstable energy, a gateway to the unknown.

  The moment the portal stabilized, the earth trembled, and suddenly a colossal figure emerged. Forged from obsidian stone and imbued with spiritual energy, the guardian stood like an unmovable monolith, its burning blue eyes surveying those before it. When it spoke, its voice was like rolling thunder, carrying the weight of an ancient decree.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  "Only those who qualify may pass. None above the threshold may enter."

  Xiang Wuyi stepped forward; his iron spear gripped tightly in his hand. Without hesitation, his Qi surged, pouring into the weapon until it vibrated with barely restrained power. With a single breath, he exploded into motion, launching a storm of devastating strikes. The guardian reacted instantly, raising an arm, and the very roots of the forest answered its call, twisting and hardening into an impenetrable shield of ancient wood.

  Xue Li’s gaze sharpened. "We bind it now!" His hands blurred into a series of complex seals. Yu Tian and Xiang Wuyi followed suit, weaving their techniques into the formation. Chains of green Qi materialized, wrapping around the guardian like ethereal serpents, constricting its movements. The guardian roared, struggling against its bonds, but the combined might of three Foundation Establishment cultivators held firm.

  Yu Tian turned to Jianyu, his voice resolute. "Now is our chance! Go!"

  Elder Jianyu, a mountain of a man with broad shoulders and a weathered face, moved without hesitation. His sharp eyes locked onto the portal as he led the chosen inner sect disciples forward. The moment Jianyu and his disciples leaped forward, the portal roared, its swirling depths shifting like a living thing. Space warped, pressure crashed down upon them from all sides, as if unseen hands were trying to tear them apart. Jianyu gritted his teeth, forcing his Qi to stabilize his body as his vision blurred. For a breathless eternity, they fell through nothingness, until suddenly, they were hurled forward.

  The moment they landed, the silence shattered.

  The realm was anything but peaceful. In the distance, the echoes of battle rang through the landscape. Figures in ashen robes surged toward them like spectres from a nightmare, their movements fluid, inhumanly precise. Their faces were hidden beneath dark hoods. Without hesitation, they attacked.

  Swords clashed, techniques erupted, and the sky was soon painted with streaks of fire and lightning. A Verdant Dawn disciple barely had time to react before an ashen robed figure descended upon him, a jagged dagger aimed at his heart. Jianyu moved like a phantom, intercepting the strike with a thunderous clash of steel. His blade carved a deadly arc, forcing the enemy back, but more were coming.

  Chaos reigned.

  The Iron Tower Sect disciples unleashed devastating spear techniques, their weapons shimmering with reinforced Qi, but the ashen robed cultivators were relentless. They fought without fear, without hesitation, their eerie coordination making them an overwhelming force. Blood splattered across the ground as disciples from all sects scrambled to gain the upper hand, their alliances forgotten in the heat of battle.

  Above the carnage, the elders of Medicine Valley moved with singular purpose. They did not linger to fight; instead, they sped toward the grand pavilion in the distance, their robes rippled like the fumes of a pill furnace, vanishing into the chaos around them. Whatever knowledge they possessed about this realm, they clearly deemed it more valuable than engaging in the skirmish before them.

  Jianyu gritted his teeth, cutting through another opponent. His instincts screamed at him; this was no ordinary battle. If he wanted to survive, he would need more than just skill.

  He would need to seize his destiny before someone else did.