Chapter 21: The Battle Beyond the Golden Heavens Part 7: The Sky That Cannot Be Bound The Primordial Sky Domain continued trembling. The endless golden sky that surrounded Adrian was no longer peaceful. Countless cracks appeared across the domain. Each crack was created by the collision between two different powers. The origin of the Garuda bloodline. And the Originless Path. The Primordial Garuda looked at Adrian with interest. The mark left by the Originless Skybreaker slowly disappeared from the golden space. But the ancient existence did not show anger. Instead... It looked pleased. "For countless years..." "My descendants have inherited my techniques." "They have inherited my bloodline." "They have inherited my understanding of the sky." The Primordial Garuda slowly moved its wings. "But very few have understood the true meaning behind them." Adrian held the Void Sovereign Skyblade. The sword remained quiet. The previous clash had not damaged either side. But Adrian understood. The being before him was different from every opponent he had encountered. The Garuda Ancestor possessed overwhelming strength. The three elders possessed experience and coordination. But the Primordial Garuda represented the foundation of an entire path. It was not simply a powerful opponent. It was a complete answer created millions of years ago. The Primordial Garuda moved. This time... It did not attack immediately. Instead, it stepped forward. One step. The golden sky beneath its feet changed. The distance between them disappeared. Adrian's eyes narrowed. The movement was simple. But it contained absolute control over space. The Primordial Garuda appeared before him. Its claw moved. Adrian raised the Void Sovereign Skyblade. CLANG! The collision created a wave that spread across the domain. Adrian was pushed backward. The first time since entering the domain... His body moved from the impact. The Primordial Garuda did not chase. It simply observed. "Your sword is powerful." "But your movement still carries limitation." Adrian looked at the ancient existence. The Primordial Garuda continued. "You cut through distance." "You cut through connections." "You cut through the existence of attacks." "But..." "The moment you believe there is something to cut..." "You are already accepting that something exists before you." The words were simple. But Adrian's expression changed slightly. The Originless Path had always been about surpassing restrictions. Breaking away from established limits. But the Primordial Garuda had pointed toward something deeper. Not destroying restrictions. Not cutting through restrictions. But existing beyond the concept of restriction itself. The golden sky around them moved. The Primordial Garuda attacked again. This time, the attack was different. No overwhelming power. No ancient technique. Only a single movement. A simple wing strike. Adrian blocked. BOOM! The impact spread through his entire body. The Originless Heaven Ark behind him trembled. Adrian stepped backward. The Primordial Garuda followed. Another strike. Another collision. Each attack seemed simple. But every movement contained the complete understanding of the sky. The Garuda race had spent countless generations trying to imitate this. But they had only inherited the surface. The Primordial Garuda had created the foundation itself. Adrian's sword moved faster. The Void Sovereign Skyblade released silver arcs. "Originless Thousand Reflection." Hundreds of sword lights appeared. The Primordial Garuda moved through them. Not faster. Not stronger. Simply because it understood the path of the attack. Every sword light passed beside it. Adrian watched carefully. The technique failed. Not because it lacked power. Because the opponent had already understood its principle. The Primordial Garuda looked at him. "Your greatest strength..." "Is also your weakness." Adrian remained silent. The ancient existence continued. "You create." "You adapt." "You evolve." "But sometimes..." "You focus too much on surpassing what exists." The golden domain became quiet. Adrian lowered his sword slightly. The words entered his mind. Not as criticism. But as another perspective. In his previous battles... Adrian had always searched for a way to overcome enemies. A way to break techniques. A way to surpass limits. But the Primordial Garuda was showing him another possibility. A path did not always need an opponent. A path could simply exist. The Void Sovereign Skyblade trembled. The Originless Core inside Adrian responded. A new understanding formed. Not destruction. Not separation. Not severing. Existence. Adrian slowly raised his sword. The silver light around the blade disappeared. The sword became completely silent. The Primordial Garuda's eyes changed. For the first time... It felt something different. Adrian moved. No flash. No explosion. No visible sword aura. Only a single step. He appeared beside the Primordial Garuda. The sword stopped. The ancient being blocked instantly. But... The sword did not attack. It passed beside the defense. The Primordial Garuda's eyes widened. Because Adrian's sword had not attempted to break through. It had simply existed where it needed to be. "Originless Unbound Step." Adrian's voice was calm. The technique was not about speed. It was not about space. It was about removing the limitation between intention and action. The Primordial Garuda looked at the sword near its body. Then it slowly lowered its wing. A smile appeared. "Interesting." "Very interesting." The golden domain began changing. Not collapsing. Transforming. The ancient existence had stopped attacking. Instead, it looked toward Adrian with a deeper expression. "Perhaps..." "Your path truly has no origin." Outside the domain... The Garuda Ancestor and the three elders watched the golden sky silently. They could no longer sense the details of the battle. But they could feel one thing. The Primordial Garuda had changed its attitude. It was no longer testing Adrian as an enemy. It was observing him as an equal.