The portal shimmered as Lei emerged from the final realm, the ancient altar reappearing beneath his feet. The mist had cleared. The night sky above Obsidian Grove was calm—but something in Lei had shifted. His aura was sharper, more grounded, yet dangerously unstable—like a blade freshly forged but not yet cooled.
Lin Yue rushed to him, her expression tight with worry. "You're hurt."
"I'm alive," Lei muttered, though he could feel the bruises deep in his spirit, not just his flesh.
Elder Rong approached slowly. "You completed all four trials. Few in history have. But what concerns me… is what returned with you."
Lei met his gaze, his voice low. "There was someone in the Realm of Wind. He knew about the Fallen Root."
Elder Rong's eyes flickered. "Then the old legends may be true. The Fallen Root was never one... but many."
Before Lei could respond, the ground beneath the altar pulsed once more. A sigil appeared, one even Elder Rong didn't recognize—an ancient symbol of rebellion against heaven.
The altar cracked, revealing a hidden staircase spiraling downward into darkness.
Lin Yue whispered, "It's calling to you."
Lei looked between her and the shadowy path. "Then I'll answer."
But Elder Rong stepped forward. "If you go down there, you won't just be defying the heavens—you'll be stepping into a war that began before you were born."
Lei turned to him. "I didn't ask for this path. But it chose me—and I won't run from it."
He took Lin Yue's hand and descended.
Beneath the altar, secrets buried for centuries awaited—along with enemies who had never stopped watching.