Chapter 21: The Battle Beyond the Golden Heavens Part 5: The Secret Beneath the Celestial Citadel The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel was falling apart. The battlefield above the clouds had already surpassed the limits of ordinary combat. The clash between Adrian and the Garuda Ancestor had destroyed countless ancient formations. Golden towers cracked. The floating islands surrounding the Citadel trembled. The sky itself seemed unable to endure the battle. Yet... Neither side had fallen. The Garuda warriors looked toward their ancestor. For countless generations, the Garuda clan had believed that their ancestor was the absolute peak of their race. An existence that represented the glory of the heavens. But now... A human cultivator had forced their ancestor to reveal techniques that had remained hidden for countless years. The three ancient elders remained silent. Their eyes stayed on Adrian. The battle had changed their understanding. At first, they believed Adrian was simply a powerful outsider. Then they believed he was an unusual genius. But now... They understood. Adrian was something completely different. He was an existence walking a path that had never existed before. The first elder slowly spoke. "His techniques..." "They are not inherited." The second elder nodded. "They are born from his own understanding." The third elder clenched his fist. "Such a path..." "How can someone create something beyond countless generations of inheritance?" No one answered. Because they did not know. Above them... The Garuda Ancestor looked at Adrian. The ancient being remained calm. But his eyes carried a deeper emotion. Respect. "You have surpassed my expectations." Adrian stood on the Originless Heaven Ark. The silver light surrounding him slowly faded. "The battle is not over." The ancestor smiled. "No." "It is not." The next moment— The entire Celestial Golden Sky Citadel shook. Not from Adrian's power. Not from the ancestor's attack. Something beneath the fortress had awakened. The ancient formations protecting the city suddenly changed. The golden energy that had been supporting the ancestor began flowing downward. Toward the deepest part of the Citadel. The Garuda warriors became confused. "What is happening?" "The Citadel is absorbing the energy?" The three elders' expressions changed. Because they understood. Something that had been sleeping for countless years was waking up. The first elder looked toward the center of the fortress. "The Forbidden Ancient Chamber..." The second elder's expression became serious. "That place should never open." The third elder looked at the ancestor. "Ancestor..." The Garuda Ancestor remained silent. For the first time since appearing on the battlefield... His expression became complicated. "The time has finally arrived." The ground beneath the Celestial Golden Sky Citadel split. A massive ancient door appeared. Unlike the golden structures above. Unlike the magnificent towers built by the current generation. This door was simple. Ancient. Covered with marks left by countless years. The moment it appeared... The entire sky became quiet. Even Adrian looked at it carefully. A strange feeling appeared in his heart. Not danger. Not fear. Recognition. As if something behind that door was connected to an ancient truth hidden from the current world. The Garuda Ancestor turned toward Adrian. "You have already seen the strength of the current Garuda clan." "But what stands behind this door..." "Is the beginning of our bloodline." The Naga elders became alert. The Naga King looked at Adrian. "Adrian..." "This presence..." "It is different from anything before." Adrian nodded. He could feel it. The energy behind the door was not simply powerful. It carried an ancient origin. A source. A beginning. The ancient door slowly opened. A wave of golden energy swept across the heavens. The younger Garuda warriors immediately fell to their knees. Their bloodline reacted instinctively. From inside the chamber... A voice echoed. Ancient. Powerful. Filled with endless time. "After so many years..." "Someone has finally forced the Garuda bloodline to awaken again." The entire battlefield froze. The Garuda Ancestor lowered his head. Even he showed respect. Because the existence behind the door was not below him. It was the one who came before him. The first ancestor of the Garuda lineage. The origin of their bloodline. The Primordial Garuda. Adrian's eyes narrowed. Another ancient existence. Another being from an era forgotten by time. The Primordial Garuda slowly emerged from the chamber. Unlike the current Garuda Ancestor... This existence did not release overwhelming pressure. Instead... The entire world seemed to acknowledge its presence. Its golden feathers were not bright. They were ancient. Each feather carried countless memories. The rise and fall of civilizations. The birth of races. The passing of eras. The Primordial Garuda looked at Adrian. For a long moment... Silence. Then it spoke. "Interesting." "You carry a power that has no origin." Adrian remained calm. The Void Sovereign Skyblade floated beside him. The Primordial Garuda looked at the sword. Then at the Originless Heaven Ark. Then finally at Adrian. "An existence without a beginning..." "Walking toward eternity." The Garuda Ancestor looked surprised. Even he had not expected those words. The Primordial Garuda continued. "Tell me, human." "What are you seeking?" Adrian looked at the ancient being. "Freedom." The answer was simple. But the heavens became silent. The Primordial Garuda stared at Adrian. Then... It laughed. A deep ancient laugh echoed across the sky. "Freedom." "Such a simple word." "Yet countless beings spend their entire lives chasing it." The ancient being spread its wings. The entire Celestial Golden Sky Citadel trembled. "Then prove it." "Prove that your so-called Originless Path can stand before the origin of the Garuda." The battle that had ended... Was beginning again. But this time... Adrian was no longer facing the guardian of a clan. He was facing the source of an ancient bloodline. The heavens waited. The next clash would decide the fate of the Celestial Golden Sky Citadel.