He slowly opened his eyes—his breath shallow, heart pounding. At first, he couldn't understand what he was seeing... Everything around him was an infinite expanse, a vast void scattered with shimmering stars and dancing galaxies in a sky with no ceiling. It was as if the very universe had bowed before this place.
He stood in awe, mouth agape at the majesty of it all. His eyes were wide, eyebrows raised, his face glowing with astonishment. This wasn't a dream or hallucination... it was a reality far beyond anything he had ever imagined.
And suddenly… a familiar figure appeared before him.
It was him... the librarian. But not as he had seen him before. Now, he stood tall and imposing, dressed in a black robe stitched with silver threads that sparkled like celestial bodies. A halo of dark blue light surrounded him, and his eyes radiated wisdom and mystery—as if they had witnessed the birth and death of entire worlds.
Before Arkan could speak, a magnificent palace appeared behind the librarian.
No… not a palace. A divine masterpiece—built from dark ethereal stones that reflected the colors of the stars. Its roof was made of cosmic crystal, shimmering with entire galaxies. Towering gates of black gold bore ancient symbols that moved slowly, as if alive.
Arkan took a step back, speechless, overwhelmed by the grandeur before him.
The man smiled and spoke in a deep voice:
"Gather yourself, heir of the Guardians."
Arkan hesitated for a moment before asking, his voice laced with confusion,
"What is this place? How did I get here? And why... are you here?"
The man answered calmly,
"You didn't arrive here by accident, Arkan. Everything that happened was the beginning of your destiny's thread. You are a descendant of a great bloodline… a family that chose to bear the burden of maintaining balance between the worlds."
Arkan looked at him in disbelief.
"But… I don't know anything about this. I was just an ordinary young man…"
The man interrupted with a faint smile.
"There's no such thing as 'ordinary' when the blood of the Guardians runs in your veins. What you see before you… is but one of the constructs of our lineage. This palace is not merely a symbol—it is a gateway… to a destiny that has awaited you for millions of years."
He then continued in a voice full of reverence:
"But the true name of our family… is not the Guardians.
We are the bloodline of Chu—a name known only to a rare few among the transcendent immortals."
A silence fell.
Then the man raised his hand, and a massive formation appeared in the void—a gateway of pulsing light and energy, glowing with the rhythm of the cosmos.
He spoke softly:
"Before your journey begins, there is a task you must complete.
You will seek to unlock twelve seals, scattered across twelve worlds.
Once these seals are broken, the Immortal Domain—lost for millennia—shall return."
Then, in a whisper as if revealing an ancient secret, he said:
"Our family sealed the Immortal Domain by choice… to protect the realms from the ultimate evil. But the time has come… for its return, and with it, the return of House Chu to its rightful place.
And you must be the one to lead that return."
He stepped closer to Arkan, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, and declared with strength:
"Enter… and let your mission begin."
"Know this: you will be very weak when you enter the first world.
But the ring your father left you will awaken your legacy… and grant you the legendary cultivation foundation: the Transcendent Core, at level ninety-six."
"But beware… your power will be completely suppressed to match the world you enter. Other realms cannot withstand the energy of a true Transcendent.
Only when the Immortal Domain returns… will your full might be restored."
With a voice like thunder, he proclaimed:
"Once you enter, there is no return.
Your family has waited for generations… and the time has come!"
Arkan looked toward the formation, then back at the man, and said firmly:
"I understand. Whatever it takes… I will restore the Immortal Domain and fulfill my family's legacy."
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and whispered:
"I'm ready…"
Then he stepped forward… into the formation, leaving behind his world—
and stepping into a fate that would echo across all realms.
End of Chapter