Chapter 41 – The Ruined Realm
The sky above the vast ceremonial ground churned with power as three mighty auras emerged simultaneously, casting a deep silence over the thousands gathered. The sect heads of the Blazing Phoenix Sect, Howling Storm Sect, and Luminous Peak Sect stepped forward, their robes billowing from the essence pressure radiating off them. Without a word, they raised their hands in unison.
The space above the altar twisted.
Essence from all elements surged into a focal point, and in a burst of soundless light, the sky cracked open like glass. A rift appeared, revealing a swirling portal of unknown origin—unstable, humming with danger and allure.
The gate to the Grand Ascension Tournament had been opened.
The contestants moved forward in waves, each drawn by ambition, desperation, or hope. Jin stood among them, calm and unreadable. But deep within, excitement and anticipation burned like a wildfire.
As space warped around him and the portal consumed his form, Jin felt a rush of vertigo, like falling and flying at once. He couldn't help but marvel—it reminded him of the teleportation with his master, though this felt... wilder. Hungrier.
When he blinked, he was in another world.
Endless mountains stretched into the horizon. Forests teemed with hidden dangers. The realm buzzed with spiritual energy so thick, it almost became a tangible mist. But Jin didn't pause to take it in.
He already had a plan.
While others would spend days scouting or forming alliances, Jin intended to find one of the ancient ruins his master had mentioned. Not just one, but many of them were scattered across this dimension—some holding powerful techniques, others harboring deadly secrets. But none could be shared easily.
No one was here to be kind.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Jin activated Dance of Zeus and sprang into motion. But this time, he didn't move like a man—he moved like a beast.
After months of studying the leopard's gait, Jin had developed a low-ground, four-limbed movement that fused his elemental understanding with pure instinct. The result: blinding speed, almost approaching Blitz.
The ruin his master told him about was far, tucked into a ridge past several hills. The realm was vast, and danger lay everywhere. But Jin moved with purpose and hunger.
When he arrived, he saw two figures already clashing outside the ancient stone gates.
One wielded fire, flinging scorching arcs with brutal precision. The other responded with surging earth walls, shifting terrain to block and retaliate. Late-stage Initiate Realm cultivators—clearly strong, but nothing that made Jin feel threatened.
For a brief second, he froze.
The sight took him back—back to the very first fight he ever saw. Fire and earth, colliding. Back when he knew nothing, just a silent spectator. But now…
Now, he was someone they should fear.
He stepped forward and infused his voice with the Subtle Wind technique. His words, laced with arrogance, carried across the field. "This ruin is mine, you bumpkins should scram."
Neither acknowledged him. Their battle was too intense, their pride too great. They hadn't marked him as a threat—just another no-name competitor.
Jin's eyes sharpened into slits. He began counting down, each number thundered with elemental resonance.
"Ten… nine… eight…"
His killing intent surged.
"…four… three…"
It was suffocating. Cold. Bloody. Auras began to stir in the distance.
"…two… one…"
At zero, his full cultivation burst forth like a roaring dragon. His bloodlust rolled across the field like a crimson tide. His eyes glowed a demonic red, and a low hum of elemental energy started to build.
The fire cultivator stumbled.
The earth cultivator took a step back.
They realized, too late, that he wasn't someone to ignore.
Jin raised a hand, and the air around his fingers ignited.
"Solar Rend."
The technique cleaved forward in a golden arc of fire. Both cultivators tried to throw up pitiful barriers, but they may as well have been paper before a storm.
They turned to ash in seconds.
But what surprised Jin was the sight of the pouches around their waists, still intact. Just like his ring. Spatial pouches.
He walked forward calmly, scooping both into his own ring and entering the now-vacated ruin.
Inside was darkness. Cold stone walls. Cracked murals showing forgotten heroes and beasts. The air was dry and ancient.
Jin's steps echoed down the narrow hallway.
He didn't know what he would find—an ancient technique, a cultivation method, or perhaps a powerful relic. But it didn't matter.
Everything in this realm would be earned through blood and bravery. And he had plenty of both.
With his first step into the heart of the ruin, the doors rumbled behind him and sealed shut.