The wind howled across the Mountain of Dao as the bandits climbed the final steps of the ancient path.

  Their torches flickered violently in the night.

  Steel scraped against stone.

  At the center of the monastery courtyard, Dago slowly stood up from the wooden bench where he had been eating.

  Across from him, the old monk Manki calmly placed his bowl down. One of the bandits laughed loudly.

  “So this is the great Dao mountain?”

  He looked around mockingly.

  “I expected warriors… not monks and a kid.”

  Another bandit spat on the ground.

  “Stop talking. Kill them and take whatever they have.”

  Their leader stepped forward, resting a jagged blade on his shoulder. “Boy.”

  His voice was rough.

  “Move aside if you want to live.”

  Dago didn’t move.

  “You shouldn’t be here.”

  The bandits burst into laughter.

  “Did you hear that?”

  “The brat is warning us!”

  Their leader raised his blade.

  “Kill him first.”

  Five bandits rushed forward.

  Manki took a step forward.

  But before he could move—

  Dago walked ahead.

  The moment he stepped forward, something changed. The air became heavy.

  The bandits slowed.

  One of them suddenly grabbed his chest.

  “W-wait…”

  Another’s eyes widened.

  “My cultivation… why is it shaking?”

  Their leader clenched his teeth.

  “Stop acting like cowards!”

  Dago raised his hands slowly.

  Golden light gathered around him.

  “Heavenly Technique…”

  Energy erupted from his body.

  “Hands of the Buddha.”

  Four additional arms burst from his back like a divine statue. The bandits froze.

  “What kind of technique is that?!”

  But Dago had already moved.

  Six arms struck like lightning.

  Two grabbed a bandit’s skull.

  Another crushed a throat.

  Golden flames erupted from his palms.

  The bandits screamed as their bodies ignited. The fire didn’t just burn their flesh.

  It burned their life force.

  Within seconds their bodies collapsed into ash. The courtyard fell silent again.

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  Dago slowly lowered his hands.

  Behind him, Manki stared in disbelief.

  “One year…”

  The old monk whispered.

  “He reached Yin Ding in one year…”

  Before either of them could speak—

  The sky suddenly trembled.

  A deep rumbling sound echoed across the mountain. Both of them looked upward.

  The clouds were splitting apart.

  Something enormous was descending.

  A massive celestial gate formed in the sky.

  Manki’s face turned pale.

  “No…”

  Dago frowned.

  “What is that?”

  Several armored figures stepped out of the glowing gate. Their presence alone warped the air around them. Their armor carried an ancient symbol.

  The leader looked down toward the mountain.

  “So this is where the royal bloodline was hiding.” Dago’s eyes narrowed.

  “Who are you?”

  The guard ignored the question.

  He looked at Manki.

  “You sheltered him.”

  Manki stepped in front of Dago.

  “This boy is under my protection.”

  The guard laughed.

  “Protection?”

  He raised his hand.

  “You monks really overestimate yourselves.” Five guards descended from the sky.

  Their feet touched the ground with crushing force. The mountain trembled.

  Dago stepped forward.

  “I don’t know what you want…”

  His eyes sharpened.

  “…but you’re not taking anyone from here.” The guards looked at him like he was an insect. “Kill him.”

  They moved instantly.

  The first guard appeared in front of Dago. His fist slammed into Dago’s stomach. The impact launched him across the courtyard. Stone shattered as he crashed into the ground.

  Dago coughed blood.

  He forced himself up.

  They're… stronger…

  Another guard appeared behind him and kicked him into the air. A third slammed him into the ground again.

  Each blow felt like a mountain crushing his body.

  Dago tried to counterattack.

  “Heavenly Technique—!”

  Before he could finish, a guard grabbed his throat and slammed him into the stone floor.

  “Pathetic.”

  The guard tightened his grip.

  “So this is Rajock’s son?”

  Dago’s eyes widened.

  Rajock…?

  The guard’s grip tightened further.

  “Your father caused quite a bit of trouble.”

  Manki shouted from behind.

  “Dago!”

  Another guard struck the monk, throwing him against the temple wall. Dago’s breathing became ragged.

  Pain flooded his body.

  The seal inside him burned violently.

  His vision blurred.

  The guard raised his sword.

  “Time to erase the bloodline.”

  For a moment—

  Everything went silent.

  Then something inside Dago snapped.

  His pupils turned black.

  A violent aura erupted from his body.

  The guards froze.

  “What… is this…?”

  The air warped violently.

  Reality itself seemed to bend.

  Dago slowly stood up.

  But his eyes were empty.

  The boy was no longer conscious.

  Something else had taken control.

  The ground cracked beneath his feet.

  A guard attacked first.

  His body exploded into pieces before his blade could reach Dago. The others reacted instantly.

  But they were too slow.

  Limbs tore apart.

  Armor shattered.

  Bodies were shredded like paper.

  There was no technique.

  No mercy.

  Only destruction.

  The massacre lasted only seconds.

  When the last guard fell, the courtyard was covered in blood. Dago stood in the center.

  Then his body collapsed.

  When he opened his eyes again, the sun had already risen. Manki sat nearby.

  The monk looked exhausted.

  Dago slowly sat up.

  “What… happened?”

  Manki looked at him carefully.

  “You possess it.”

  Dago frowned.

  “Possess what?”

  The monk’s voice grew heavy.

  “You are not an ordinary person.”

  Dago looked confused.

  “The technique you used before…”

  Manki continued quietly.

  “…was not born from pure creation.”

  Dago’s heart began racing.

  “Then what was it?”

  The monk looked directly at him.

  “It was a power of ruthless destruction.”

  Dago looked down at his hands.

  “But… I don’t remember anything.”

  “That is exactly the problem.”

  Silence filled the courtyard.

  Dago finally asked quietly,

  “Master… have you seen this power before?”

  Manki hesitated.

  For a moment it looked like he might answer.

  Then he slowly shook his head.

  “No.”

  But his eyes told a different story.

  He stood up and looked toward the distant horizon. “However…”

  Dago waited.

  Manki finished quietly.

  “…someone once possessed something similar.”

  Dago’s heart pounded.

  “Who?”

  The monk did not answer.

  Instead he stared at the sky where the celestial gate had appeared. Dark clouds were gathering again.

  Manki whispered to himself.

  “So they finally noticed…”

  Dago frowned.

  “Who noticed?”

  The old monk turned away.

  His expression was grim.

  “You will understand soon enough.”

  The wind grew colder.

  And far beyond the mountain—

  something far more terrifying had begun moving.