The Vault of Origin loomed like a mountain turned upside down in the sky, its surface carved with endless golden runes older than any known dynasty.
Each rune pulsed with suppressed power—each stroke a vow of an ancient immortal never to be broken.
Before departing, the Main Character stood before the gathered sect.
Thousands of disciples, from outer students to core geniuses, stood at attention. Spirit beasts circled the skies. Weapons gleamed under the starlight. The Celestial Beast Pillars behind them hummed with protective energy.
The Main Character's voice carried across the entire mountain:
> "Today, we step beyond the mortal world's limits.
We do not seek conquest.
We seek understanding, evolution, and truth.
What we find in the Vault is not for hoarding—but for sharing, for building a future beyond fear."
The sect roared as one.
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Crossing into the Vault
Using the Star Compass, the Main Character tore open a Stellar Rift, a swirling portal of starlight and void energy.
The first team—formed of the sect's strongest disciples and their bonded Celestial Beast spirits—stepped through.
The world shifted.
Inside, they found themselves standing on floating islands made of jade crystal, suspended in an endless expanse of stars.
The air was thick with Primordial Qi — so dense it nearly formed liquid rivers, dragging at their bodies.
This was not just a trial of strength.
This was a trial of will, mind, and soul.
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The Three Great Trials
Before them rose three massive monuments, each glowing with ancient might:
1. Trial of the Body — where disciples must withstand the impact of Primordial Lightning to temper their flesh.
2. Trial of the Mind — where illusions of fear, desire, and past regrets would try to break their spirit.
3. Trial of the Soul — where ancient souls of fallen immortals would test the purity of their cultivation path.
Each disciple was required to pass all three to be acknowledged by the Vault.
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Challenges and Growth
In the Trial of the Body:
The outer disciples struggled, their bodies nearly crushed.
Core disciples, trained in the sect's new Celestial Beast Body Refinement Art, endured and advanced.
Several disciples gained insights into Body Cultivation Techniques lost for millennia, forming golden marks on their bones.
In the Trial of the Mind:
Horrifying visions of failure, betrayal, and death assaulted their hearts.
Those who wavered nearly fell into eternal illusions.
But thanks to the Main Character's previous training in Mind Protection Talismans, most overcame their fears.
In the Trial of the Soul:
Ancient spirits, cloaked in celestial robes, judged each student.
Only those who held no evil intentions and whose path remained unbroken were allowed to proceed.
Some disciples even formed fleeting Soul Contracts, receiving blessings of ancient Immortals.
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The First Battle: Ambush of the Ancient Blood Sect
As the Main Character and his students completed the last trial, the skies tore open again.
An army descended—wearing black armor inscribed with blood runes, riding demonic spirit beasts twisted by corrupted Qi.
It was the Ancient Blood Sect — an exiled, fallen sect once banished by the Immortal Clans, now seeking to steal the Vault's treasures for themselves.
Their leader, Blood Ancestor Yuan Heng, a monstrous figure half-man, half-wraith, led the charge.
The clash between sects exploded like a thunderstorm:
Celestial Beast Disciples summoned their companions: the Azure Dragon roared, the Vermilion Bird unleashed seas of fire.
Star-imbued weapons clashed against blood-forged blades.
Formation Masters created living walls of energy to shield the wounded.
Talisman Users unleashed storms of divine seals, binding enemy cultivators mid-air.
At the center of the battlefield, the Main Character faced Blood Ancestor Yuan Heng directly.
Their clash shattered the floating islands, tore rivers of Primordial Qi into storms, and echoed across the entire Vault Realm.
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Victory and New Rewards
After a brutal battle, the sect prevailed.
The Vault of Origin recognized their triumph.
Pillars of light descended, gifting the victors:
Primordial Spirit Seeds (to grow soul-strengthening spiritual trees)
Chaos-Iron Essence (to forge weapons capable of harming even demi-gods)
Ancient Immortal Art Books (containing world-defying techniques)
The sect returned home—richer, stronger, and now truly recognized by the world as a rising divine force.
But they also knew:
This was only the first Vault.
The greatest challenges—and greatest treasures—still lay ahead.
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End of Chapter
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Next: Chapter Twenty-Nine – The Oath of Ten Thousand Stars: Declaring War on the Old Immortal Clans