The ground beneath Leon’s feet trembled as the three colossal figures descended. Each step they took sent shockwaves rolling through the floating islands surrounding them.Aria instinctively moved closer to Leon.“Leon… these Sentinels aren’t like the enemies we’ve fought before. Their energy signatures… they’re ancient beyond understanding.”Rick tightened his grip on his blade.“Ancient doesn’t matter. If they’re hostile, we deal with them.”Narvi shook his head.“No. Hostile or not, we can’t beat them head-on. These things once defended a whole world.”The Sentinels stopped before the group.Their bodies towered higher than buildings—armored in celestial alloy, inscribed with glowing runes that pulsed like heartbeats. They held colossal weapons: a spear, a hammer, and a blade that looked like part of a fallen star.But what terrified everyone wasn’t their size.It was the intent in their eyes.Recognition.As if they knew Leon personally.The middle Sentinel stepped forward. Its vo

lThe light inside the Sovereign’s Tomb didn’t just glow—It roared.A column of pure radiance shot upward, punching through the floating fortress, tearing through the sky, and splitting the clouds like a divine spear.Leon hovered above the platform, suspended, arms outstretched as if weight no longer applied to him.His hair lifted.His veins glowed.And his eyes—once golden—were now white flames, burning with a purity ancient as creation.Aria forced her body forward against the shockwave.“Leon! Can you hear me!?”He didn’t respond.Rick braced himself against a vibrating pillar.“This is bad—this is REALLY bad! His energy’s going off the charts!”Narvi’s voice cracked.“Off the charts?? This is enough power to erase a continent!”The voice of the Tomb thundered again:“ASCENSION PROTOCOL: COMPLETE.THE RESTORED SOVEREIGN CORE HAS TAKEN ITS FIRST BREATH.”Aria froze.Rick stared.Narvi’s jaw fell open.“First… breath?” Rick murmured.The Sentinel of the Spear stepped forward and k

Silence fell over the devastated plains of Astral Rift Valley.Dust floated lazily in the air, illuminated by shimmering cracks of cosmic light still hanging like fragments of broken stars. Ethan stood at the center of it all, chest rising and falling slowly, his eyes faintly glowing with the after-effects of channeling the Astral Monarch’s Authority.Around him, cultivators from every faction—Skyblade Hall, Celestial Dominion, Titanforge Clan, Aetherveil Sect—stared as if witnessing the birth of a new era.Because they were.Ethan had changed.And everyone could feel it.Even the world could feel it.---The World’s Will SpeaksA low tremor vibrated through the air. Not from the ground—but from space itself.A ripple of golden light washed outward, touching the skies and bending the wind. Voices whispered in ancient harmonies no language could capture.Gasps rang out everywhere.Even the strongest experts immediately knelt.Only Ethan remained standing, though even he felt a weight

The world remained eerily silent long after the Abyssal Sovereign’s voice faded from the sky. The shaking of the land slowly ceased, and the chaotic spiritual winds calmed, but the sense of dread lingered like a stain on everyone’s heart.Ethan sheathed the Astral Sovereign Blade and exhaled softly.The battle was over.But the war had only just begun.---The Aftermath of the RiftA crowd of cultivators slowly gathered around Ethan, their eyes filled with awe, fear, and—most importantly—hope. Many still trembled from the overwhelming aura that had poured from the rift, but seeing Ethan standing strong seemed to steady their hearts.Ariel landed beside him, her starfire wings dissolving into particles of light.“Ethan,” she said softly, “that pressure… even I could barely stay standing.”Seraphina wiped the sweat from her brow.“And to think—that wasn’t even his true form.”Ethan nodded.“No. That was just a fragment of the Sovereign’s consciousness. The real one is still beyond the r

The first light of dawn crept over the frozen ridges of the valley, turning the ground into a field of glittering shards.A cold wind swept through the camp, carrying with it the lingering weight of Rick’s warning.Everyone felt it—The world had begun holding its breath.And somewhere beyond the horizon…The First Abyss Gate breathed back.---A Brief Calm Before the StormEthan stood alone on a high rock overlooking their temporary camp.He wasn’t resting.He couldn’t.The system warnings.The expansion of the Abyss Gate.Rick’s traumatic return.The Skycrest Pillar’s urgency.Everything was converging too quickly.He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.“Just a little more time…That’s all we need.”Footsteps approached behind him—light, controlled, familiar.“Planning again?” Ariel asked softly, her white wings shimmering faintly in the sunrise.Ethan didn’t turn.“More like… hoping the world doesn’t end before lunch.”Ariel smiled slightly, standing beside him.“He’s scared, Ethan