True power is not built in a forge; it is tapped directly from the screaming, bleeding veins of the world below.The broken stone bridge behind us collapsed into the sea of boiling magma, but the narrow iron ledge ahead led straight into a subterranean cavern that dwarfed every chamber we had passed through before. We had descended past the anchor platform into the very heart of the continent. Suspended in the center of the vast, hollow abyss was a colossal, web-like network of glowing purple tubes, each as thick as an imperial transport car, pulsing with liquid Titan energy. Millions of smaller copper conduit lines branched off from this central trunk, rising up through the dark ceiling to feed every city, selection factory, and sky harbor across half the known world."Look at the density on those primary arteries, Lu Feng," Elder Gu whispered, his dark iron axe held low as he stared out into the purple gloom. "The entire sky empire was running on less than five percent of what is mo

Power from the earth is an arrogant poison when you mistake its violent current for your own strength.The heavy iron lift shuddered violently mid-ascent, grinding to a dead halt in the dark, vertical shaft miles beneath the capital plaza. High above us, the emergency brass clamps had slammed shut against the steel guide rails, locking the lift car in total darkness. From the walls of the narrow shaft, a freezing, damp draft blew past, carrying the sharp scent of ozone and copper friction."The capital lords dropped the primary brake pins from the surface, Commander!" the vanguard sergeant yelled, his hands gripping his glowing pike as the floor plates tilted under our feet. "We are suspended in the middle of the vertical shaft!""They didn't just drop the pins, sergeant," Elder Gu spat, his glowing violet axe casting long, distorted shadows across the dark cage. "Look at the main cable housing above the roof. They are winding the magnetic spools backward to crush the