THE FALLEN CELESTIAL SOVEREIGN: I AWAKENED AFTER ELEVEN LIFE

Chapter 2: The Mountain That No One Returns From

The wolves should have killed him. Their glowing green eyes emerged from the darkness one pair at a time, surrounding the narrow mountain path. Low growls rolled through the cold night air, vibrating against the rocky cliffs. There were at least a dozen of them, Spirit Wolves, beasts feared even by seasoned hunters. Their silver fur shimmered beneath the moonlight, and faint wisps of spiritual energy curled around their claws.

An ordinary man would have run. Mo Tianyu did not. Not because he was fearless.Because he had nothing left to lose. He tightened his grip on the crooked walking stick in his hand, though he knew it would do little against creatures capable of tearing through steel.

"So..." he murmured, his cracked lips curling into a tired smile. "This is how it ends."One wolf crouched. Its muscles coiled. It leapt. Mo Tianyu closed his eyes. The impact never came. Instead, a sharp yelp shattered the silence.

He opened his eyes just in time to see the wolf crash into an invisible wall before tumbling backwards across the dirt. It whimpered, its tail tucked between its legs as though it had seen something horrifying.

The rest of the pack immediately backed away. Their growls disappeared. One by one...They lowered their heads. Not in aggression.In submission. Mo Tianyu blinked....What?"The largest wolf met his gaze for a brief moment. Its fierce eyes suddenly filled with unmistakable fear. Without another sound, the entire pack turned and fled into the forest.

Within seconds...They were gone. Only silence remained. Mo Tianyu looked around, confused. He wasn't relieved. He was unsettled."Even beasts don't want me."He laughed bitterly, though the sound carried no joy. Perhaps the woman in Azure Cloud City had been right.

Perhaps Heaven truly had cursed him. Not even death wished to claim him. He continued walking. By dawn, the mountain stood before him, the Forbidden Spirit Mountain. Its towering peaks pierced the clouds like jagged black spears. Dense white mist coiled around ancient cliffs, swallowing everything beyond a few dozen steps. Enormous trees twisted toward the heavens, their roots breaking through weathered stone paths that no traveller had used in centuries.

Stories about the mountain were known across the entire Azure Province. Cultivators entered seeking ancient treasures. None returned. Bandits who fled into the mountain vanished without a trace. Entire expeditions disappeared overnight.

Some claimed demons guarded forgotten ruins. Others believed the mountain itself was alive. The oldest legends whispered that an immortal prison lay buried beneath its roots. Whether any of it was true...No one knew. Mo Tianyu gazed at the sea of mist. If I die here..."

His voice was almost lost in the wind."...at least I won't die in front of people laughing."He stepped forward. The mist swallowed him. The world changed. The mountain was unnaturally quiet.No birds sang.No insects buzzed. Even the wind seemed hesitant to move. Only the rhythmic sound of his footsteps echoed through the forest.Crunch.Crunch.Crunch.

Hours passed. His hunger worsened. His injured hand throbbed beneath its makeshift bandage. Several times he nearly collapsed. Still...He forced himself onward. There was nowhere else to go. Then A strange warmth brushed across his skin. He frowned. The air itself had changed. It felt...Alive.

Ancient trees surrounded him in impossible silence, yet countless tiny particles of golden light floated lazily between their branches. Spirit Essence. Mo Tianyu had seen cultivators absorb such energy before. Ordinary people couldn't perceive it. Yet somehow...He could."...Am I hallucinating?"

The glowing particles drifted toward him. Not away.Toward him. One by one, they settled upon his torn robes before disappearing into his body. A gentle warmth spread through his exhausted limbs. His breathing eased. Even his hunger seemed slightly less painful. He looked down at his hands."What is happening?"

No answer came. Far deeper within the mountain...Hidden beneath miles of stone...Ancient mechanisms stirred.Click.Click.Click.Massive gears, dormant for countless ages, slowly began turning. Dust fell from colossal stone pillars carved with symbols no mortal language could decipher.

Faded formations etched across cavern walls emitted faint golden light. One after another...They awakened. Outside...The mountain trembled. Mo Tianyu steadied himself against a nearby tree. The earth continued shaking.

Loose stones tumbled down distant cliffs. Ancient echoes rolled through the valley like the breathing of some unimaginable beast. Then...Everything stopped. The silence that followed felt heavier than before. Almost expectant. As he continued deeper into the forest, something peculiar caught his attention. Animals.

Dozens of them.Spirit deer.Wild boars.Silver foxes. Even a massive Black Iron Bear stood less than thirty feet away. The creatures watched him quietly. None attacked. None fled. They simply observed. The bear slowly lowered its enormous head.

The deer followed. Soon, every beast within sight had done the same. Mo Tianyu stared in disbelief."...What are you doing?"No response. Yet the strange behaviour continued. It was almost...Respectful.A chill ran down his spine. By afternoon, exhaustion finally overcame him. He collapsed beneath the remains of an ancient stone archway nearly consumed by vines.

Only after catching his breath did he truly notice his surroundings.Ruins.Massive ones. Broken pillars stretched toward the sky. Fragments of marble statues lay scattered across the ground. Cracked staircases vanished beneath roots thicker than houses.

Every surface was covered with intricate carvings. Despite centuries of decay...The craftsmanship remained breathtaking. Mo Tianyu brushed moss away from one weathered wall. Beneath it...He uncovered a symbol. A circle.

Within it rested nine stars surrounding a single sun. The moment his fingertips touched the carving, golden light erupted. The symbol blazed brilliantly. Then another.Then another.Across the ruins...Thousands of ancient inscriptions ignited simultaneously.

The forgotten city awakened. Mo Tianyu stumbled backwards."What...?"The entire mountain shook again. This time much harder. Stone pillars groaned. Massive cracks spread across the earth. Far below...Something enormous shifted. Elsewhere within the mountain...An old man dressed in patched grey robes suddenly opened his eyes inside a small wooden hut. His long white beard reached the floor. Before him sat an unfinished game of Go that looked as though neither player had touched it for centuries.

He slowly turned toward the direction of the awakening ruins. His weathered face lost all colour."...Impossible."He stood so abruptly that the wooden stool shattered beneath him."The Guardian Formation...It activated."

For the first time in thousands of years...Fear appeared in the old man's eyes. He disappeared from the hut without making a sound. Meanwhile...Mo Tianyu found himself standing before a staircase descending beneath the ruins.

It hadn't been there moments ago. The earth itself had split apart to reveal it. Cold air drifted upward from the darkness below.

Ancient.Heavy.Almost sacred. His instincts screamed at him to leave. Yet another feeling...Stronger.Deeper.Pulled him forward. It wasn't curiosity. It felt like...Recognition.As though something hidden beneath the mountain had been waiting specifically for him.

His heart began beating faster. Each pulse echoed strangely inside his chest.Thump.Thump.Thump.A faint golden warmth returned. Stronger this time. His injured hand suddenly stopped hurting. The wound closed slightly before his eyes. Mo Tianyu froze."No..."His voice trembled."That's impossible."He wasn't a cultivator. He possessed no spiritual roots.

Every sect had confirmed that years ago. Yet...His body was healing. On its own. He hesitated only a moment before descending. Each step carried him deeper beneath the mountain. The darkness grew thicker. The air became colder.

Ancient stone walls surrounded him, covered with faded murals depicting celestial figures kneeling before a young man whose face had been deliberately destroyed. Only one detail remained intact. Above the kneeling figures floated nine magnificent thrones. Eight faced the centre.

One stood alone.Empty.Mo Tianyu frowned. A strange ache blossomed behind his eyes. For the briefest instant...He saw flashes. Golden palaces.Endless stars.A throne. Someone laughing.Blood.Chains.The vision vanished.

He stumbled against the wall, breathing heavily."...Who..."The words escaped before he realised it."...am I?" Silence answered.

Then...The darkness ahead rippled. Not physically.Spiritually.Like still water disturbed by a falling stone. A heartbeat later, a voice echoed through the underground chamber.Old.Gentle.Filled with immeasurable relief."Master..."

Mo Tianyu's entire body froze. The voice trembled. As though holding back countless years of grief."You've finally returned."The chamber burst into brilliant golden light. And somewhere far beneath the earth...Something ancient opened its eyes.