Chapter 116 - - 116 - The Will Beyond Death

Chapter 116: Chapter - 116 - The Will Beyond Death

Prince Rumil shifted his gaze toward Caelia, his brow furrowing as he gestured toward the ancient object in her hands. "What is written on the jade tablet?"

Caelia traced the faint, glowing runes running down the smooth surface before looking up. "Three hundred years ago, this place was neither a dungeon nor a ruin. It was a sanctuary known as the Eternal Dawn civilization, one of the greatest civilizations of its era."

"What happened to them?" Prince Rumil asked, stepping closer to examine the faint light radiating from the artifact.

"The civilization discovered something extraordinary," Caelia explained, her voice low and measured. "They discovered a way to cultivate the laws of the world directly."

"Isn’t that what cultivators in the Law Manifestation Realm already do?" Prince Rumil countered, shaking his head slightly in skepticism.

"No, not quite," Caelia said, her eyes darkening. "They didn’t merely comprehend the laws—they consumed them. The civilization developed a technique capable of extracting fragments of the world’s natural laws and refining them directly into cultivation energy."

Prince Rumil stared at her, the implications settling in. "That sounds impossible. If someone could truly do that, it means they could advance their cultivation by devouring nature itself, taking its spiritual energy and consuming every law this world set for us."

"It should have been impossible," Caelia admitted softly. "But they succeeded. And for a time, their civilization thrived beyond measure."

"Then why don’t we see them anymore?" Rumil pressed, looking around at the ancient, weathered stone surrounding them. "Where did they go?"

"Because something entered our realm," Aelvera interjected, her voice carrying a solemn weight. "An entity from a different realm entirely. Since consuming the laws meant tearing at the very fabric of this world, the entity came to imprison them."

"Imprison who?" Rumil asked, his curiosity deepening into a sharp, uneasy edge.

Lysandra took a step forward, her gaze fixed on the glowing tablet. "The civilization didn’t discover that cultivation method by accident. There was something buried deep beneath these lands that guided them. When the entity realized the civilization was simply exploiting the spiritual energy provided by the being beneath us, it imprisoned that being instead. That entity made it the source of this domain, creating the giant prison we now call the Hollow of Ten Thousand Forms."

"And what about the cultivators who are sealed here?" Prince Rumil asked, looking at the silent walls around them.

"Well..." Caelia let out a slow, quiet breath. "After that, every generation sent people here in the hope of freeing that being or acquiring an unimaginable power to rule the world. Some were driven by greed, some by curiosity, others simply sought power, and a few wanted to destroy the ancient being beneath this dungeon entirely. But in the end, they all became part of the seal. Their energies were forcibly refined and used to strengthen the grand formation, turning this place into an endless loop of human greed. The seal naturally weakens over time, the dungeon opens, powerful realm masters rush inside seeking treasure, and they end up strengthening the seal all over again before dying."

"So the dungeon simply captures and kills everyone who enters?" Rumil asked, turning back to Caelia.

"No... it tests them," Caelia replied quietly, tapping the edge of the artifact. "But the only thing recorded on this jade tablet is history—how this place was created in the first place."

Prince Rumil looked back toward the dark corridors stretching out into the gloom. "Maybe we should figure out how to get out of this dungeon rather than searching for treasure."

Princess Lysandra let out a sharp, mocking scoff. "Is your loser mentality starting to show again, little brother?"

Rumil’s jaw tightened instantly, his eyes flashing with irritation. "You...!"

On the opposite side of the sprawling ruin, Lucien, Beiro, and Aelene navigated a maze of silent stone passageways. Every shadow seemed to conceal more questions than answers, and though they walked together, each carried their own motives.

Trailing slightly behind them was Beiro, his nerves stretched as he is on the edge of frustration. Looking at Lucien and Aelene walking side by side, a bitter jealousy burned deep in his chest. Yet he forced himself to keep his mouth shut. He was younger, weaker, and lacked the standing of those before him. What stung the most was the reality of their ages—Lucien was only a year or two older than him, yet Aelene treated Lucien with a warmth and familiarity she had never shown Beiro.

Ahead of him, the two continued their calm conversation, oblivious to his brooding silent glare.

"So, were you born in Azurefall?" Lucien asked, glancing at Aelene with an easy smile.

"No," Aelene replied, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I was born in Valtheria. But there was continuous discrimination against us, even though my father maintained a good relationship with the emperor. I was even close with the prince and princess of Valtheria back then—we used to play together as children. But eventually, circumstances forced us to leave, and we came here."

"Still, rising from a refugee to the fiancée of a prince is quite a remarkable leap," Lucien said, his tone carrying a light, teasing edge.

"It was largely my father’s effort," Aelene said modestly, though a touch of pride glinted in her eyes. "He served as a minister, and over time, I managed to become a Healing Realm Master. It represents years of relentless effort on my part."

Lucien chuckled softly, glancing down the quiet hallway. "Prince Rumil must be feeling quite lonely right now with his fiancée walking beside me. I wonder if he’s red with envy and furious at me."

Aelene tilted her head, a playful smile touching her lips. "Oh? Are you planning to steal me away?"

"Well, who am I to steal anything from Prince Rumil?" Lucien replied with a light laugh. Then, leaning in close, his voice dropped to a low whisper right beside her ear. "Though... I wouldn’t mind."

Without waiting for her response, he straightened up and kept walking as if he hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary at all.

Aelene broke into a soft, melodic laugh, watching his composed figure as he moved forward. This guy isn’t even afraid of Prince Rumil, she thought to herself, a strange warmth fluttering in her chest. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him show fear toward anyone. It’s actually fun teasing him... or am I enjoying my time with him a little too much? Compared to him, Prince Rumil can be quite dry and rigid. Still, I need to stay sharp and ensure I don’t do anything that could trigger a scandal.

Lucien took another step forward, but his feet suddenly froze. A sudden, familiar sensation washed over his perception—a distinct spiritual signature belonging to someone he had already encountered.

"So, what was the reason for teleporting us here?" Lucien asked smoothly into the open air.

He turned around slowly. Standing a few paces away was Elyra. She hovered slightly off the ground, her body glowing with an ethereal, translucent light that revealed she was not physically present, but merely a spiritual projection.

"As expected," Elyra said, a faint smile gracing her features. "You are all still surviving."

"We’ve already figured out the truth behind the monsters in these halls," Lucien said, taking a step toward her. His tone shifted instantly, becoming cold, sharp, and commanding. "Now it’s time for you to tell us what is truly hidden here, and why you need so many cultivators to strengthen your will. This time, I need answers."

Elyra looked at Lucien for a long moment, her eyes softening as if she were looking through him toward a memory long past. Beside him, Aelene shifted her posture, looking at Lucien with newfound respect—his natural dominance and absolute lack of hesitation made him seem like a true leader in moments like this.

"Those who survive the outer trials and reach this central chamber are granted a choice," Elyra said softly.

She raised her hand and pointed toward the center of the spacious chamber. Beneath their feet, a massive circular formation lit up with intricate light, echoing with ancient spatial energy. Three distinct glowing symbols materialized within the grand array, representing three separate paths:

Power. Knowledge. Sacrifice.

"Those who choose Power receive a ancient inheritance," Elyra explained, gesturing toward the floating runes. "Those who choose Knowledge learn the unfiltered truth of this world. And those who choose Sacrifice become a living part of the seal."

Lucien’s eyes narrowed slightly as he read the glowing symbols. "And you chose Sacrifice?"

"Yes," Elyra answered plainly.

"Why?" Aelene asked, her voice tinged with quiet disbelief.

"Someone had to choose sacrifice," Elyra replied, her expression calm and resigned.

Lucien studied her projection carefully. "Is this choice related to saving Caelia’s ancestor?"

"Back then, he was not an ancestor or a powerful realm master," Elyra said, a faint melancholy touching her voice. "He was just a frightened young man."

She lifted a slender finger toward the ceiling. A shimmering projection of light unfurled in the air above them, projecting a scene from centuries ago like a living memory.

In the projection, a young cultivator stood amid the blackened ruins of a burning, crumbling city. He was covered in deep, bleeding wounds, gasping for breath as he was cornered by horrifying monsters—creatures that had long since vanished from the modern world and existed only in old myths.

Suddenly, Elyra appeared in the vision, stepping fearlessly between the wounded young man and the horde of beasts. She looked exactly as she did now—young, vibrant, wearing the same delicate robes. She fought valiantly, driving back the creatures with incredible power, until the sky above the ruin violently split open.

Something vast and indescribable descended from the tear in the heavens. Its shadowy form stretched across the entire horizon, and its massive, terrifying eyes resembled twin black suns shining down upon the earth.

The memory flickered wildly as a blinding wave of energy erupted. Elyra was swept into the air, her body encased within a crystal barrier as the seal activated. A violent explosion of divine light consumed the scene, and the projection abruptly shattered into fading motes of light.

Lucien watched the entire vision unfold without a single change in his expression. He felt no pity, no awe, and no emotional resonance with her past struggle. He cared nothing for tragic heroism; his mind was entirely focused on the raw information embedded within her words.

"You said you became part of the seal three hundred years ago," Lucien said, his voice piercing through the heavy silence that followed the vision. "If that is true, then why is your cultivation still progressing?"

He took a slow step closer to her ethereal form, his eyes sharp and calculating. "A normal cultivator’s foundation inevitably breaks down after the physical body and soul are destroyed. The energy drains away, and the spirit fades. Yet yours hasn’t."

Elyra remained silent, watching him attentively.

"Your physical body is dead, and your soul is incomplete," Lucien continued, his tone carrying a trace of genuine admiration. "So you created an entirely new method of cultivation. You began cultivating will itself. And after maintaining that singular focus for three hundred years, you actually succeeded."

To Lucien, this was by far the most significant discovery he had made since entering the ruin. It vastly eclipsed the ancient inheritance, the Heavenly Marrow, or the identity of the sealed entity beneath the earth.

Will Cultivation.

A standard cultivator could lose their physical form in battle, suffer the destruction of their soul, or have their cultivation base wiped out by severe backlash. But if the will itself could survive and continue to grow even after physical death, the path forward remained open.

The applications crossed through his mind in a rapid flash of strategic clarity: Possession. Soul transfer. Immortal consciousness. Body reconstruction. Artificial immortality.

The possibilities were virtually limitless. He had no immediate way of knowing if he could replicate her specific technique right now, but seeing a living proof standing right in front of him changed everything. It proved the concept was real. And if it was possible, then with enough time and calculation, he could master it too.

Before he could speak further, a violent tremor shuddered through the entire structure.

THUMP.

The ground beneath their feet groaned loudly as dust drifted down from the vaulted ceiling, the shockwave vibrating through their very bones.

"It seems like it is waking up," Elyra noted calmly, her projection flickering slightly from the sudden disturbance in the surrounding spiritual ley lines.

"And what happens when it fully wakes up?" Lucien asked, stabilizing his footing instantly.

"The seal will shatter completely," Elyra warned, looking down toward the deep abyss below. "And the very first thing that will happen is that every living soul within a five-thousand-kilometer radius will instantly perish."

Without a moment’s hesitation, Lucien dropped to one knee and pressed his hand firmly against the cold stone floor.

He immediately activated his World Tree Heart. Instantly, a surge of vibrant astral energy flooded out from his palms, spreading through the subterranean rock layers like an invisible web of root systems extending as far as his perception could reach.

As his consciousness plunged deep into the earth, he sensed the underlying spiritual currents. The energy moving below was not wild or chaotic—it was chillingly organized, flowing in vast, structured rivers.

Something massive down below was actively drawing energy from a single central point.

Lucien pushed his spiritual senses even further, plunging his mind deep into the abyssal darkness underlying the entire dungeon layout. He forced his perception through layers of ancient arrays until his vision cleared, revealing a colossal underground chamber suspended in total darkness.

Bound within that hollow space were thousands of thick, ancient chains forged from dark metallic runes. Every single chain was anchored directly into a massive, monolithic black object floating in the center of the void.

Suddenly, without warning, a colossal, terrifying eye split open on the surface of the black object.

The sheer pressure of its gaze struck Lucien’s probing perception like a physical hammer. In less than a second, his spiritual sense was violently annihilated, ripped to shreds by the entity’s overwhelming presence.

Lucien snapped back to his physical senses, pulling his hand from the floor as a sudden, sharp pain stabbed straight through his heart.