Chapter 22: The Ancient Sky Battlefield Part 1: The Primordial Garuda's Trial The Primordial Sky Domain remained silent. The golden sky stretched endlessly in every direction. There was no mountain. No land. No sound except the movement of wind created by two powerful beings standing against each other. Adrian stood with the Void Sovereign Skyblade in his hand. The silver blade reflected no light. It looked simple. But every time it moved, the surrounding space trembled. Across from him, the Primordial Garuda slowly spread its wings. The ancient feathers moved gently. Yet each movement caused waves of golden energy to spread through the domain. The battle had reached a different stage. The Primordial Garuda no longer attacked with overwhelming force. Every movement became precise. Every strike carried the weight of countless years. Adrian stepped forward. His figure disappeared. Originless Unbound Step. The distance between him and the Primordial Garuda vanished instantly. The Void Sovereign Skyblade moved toward the ancient existence. A simple slash. The Primordial Garuda lifted one wing. A golden feather moved. CLANG! The sword collided with the feather. The impact created a wave that split the golden clouds above. Adrian's body stopped. The feather remained floating. It had blocked the attack. The Primordial Garuda moved again. A second feather appeared. Then a third. Then hundreds. The golden feathers surrounded Adrian from every direction. They were not flying randomly. Each feather locked onto his movement. Adrian's eyes became focused. The Void Sovereign Skyblade rotated. "Originless Thousand Reflection." Silver sword images appeared around him. Each sword image collided with a golden feather. Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound echoed through the entire domain. The golden feathers continued advancing. The silver sword images disappeared one after another. Adrian stepped backward. His eyes observed the battlefield. The attack was not based on speed. It was based on control. The Primordial Garuda controlled every feather like an extension of its own body. Adrian raised his sword. The sword intent around him changed. A cold pressure spread outward. The golden feathers near him slowed. The air became filled with sharp invisible blades. "Originless Sword Domain." The moment the domain expanded— The golden sky trembled. Thousands of sword marks appeared around Adrian. They floated silently in the air. Every sword mark released sharp sword intent. The space around Adrian became a forbidden area. Any object entering the domain would be cut by countless invisible sword edges. The golden feathers approaching him were immediately sliced apart. The Primordial Garuda's eyes moved slightly. It stepped forward. The ancient wings created a golden storm. The storm entered the sword domain. BOOM! The two forces collided. The sword intent cut through the golden wind. The golden wind pushed against the sword domain. The entire domain shook. Adrian moved through the storm. His sword appeared in front of the Primordial Garuda. Slash. The ancient being blocked with its wing. The impact pushed both sides backward. Golden feathers scattered. Silver sword light flashed. Adrian continued attacking. One strike. Two strikes. Ten strikes. The Void Sovereign Skyblade moved faster with every exchange. The sword intent inside the domain became sharper. The Primordial Garuda's movements became restricted. Not because its body became weaker. But because every movement now passed through thousands of sword intents. Each step. Each wing movement. Each attack. Was surrounded by invisible blades. The ancient existence raised its wings. The golden feathers around it gathered. A powerful pressure erupted. "Primordial Sky Barrier." A massive golden shield appeared. The sword intents surrounding Adrian collided with the barrier. Boom! Boom! Boom! Cracks spread across the golden shield. Adrian disappeared. A silver flash crossed the battlefield. The Void Sovereign Skyblade struck the same point repeatedly. One slash. Two. Three. The golden barrier shattered. The Primordial Garuda moved backward. For the first time, it had been forced to retreat. Outside the domain, the Garuda Ancestor and the three elders watched silently. They could not see every movement. But they could feel the changes happening inside. The first elder looked at the trembling golden sky. "The domain is suppressing the battlefield." The second elder watched the endless sword marks. "The entire area has become a weapon." The third elder remained silent. His eyes stayed fixed on Adrian. Inside the Primordial Sky Domain— The Primordial Garuda looked at the countless sword intents surrounding it. Then it moved. The golden feathers on its body began changing. Each feather became sharper. The surrounding space started vibrating. The ancient being released a stronger force. The golden sky behind it transformed. A massive figure appeared. An ancient Garuda phantom. Its wings covered the entire domain. The pressure instantly increased. Adrian's sword domain shook. The sword marks around him trembled. The Primordial Garuda attacked. The phantom wings moved. A wave of golden energy descended. Adrian raised the Void Sovereign Skyblade. The sword intent around him gathered into one point. The thousands of sword marks began moving. They gathered toward the blade. The simple sword became surrounded by countless sharp lights. Adrian stepped forward. "Originless Thousand Blade Collapse." The sword moved. Thousands of sword intents followed. The golden wave was split apart. The ancient phantom cracked. The Primordial Garuda blocked the attack with both wings. BOOM! The entire Primordial Sky Domain shook violently. Golden feathers and silver sword lights filled the sky. When the light faded— Adrian stood in the same position. The Void Sovereign Skyblade remained in his hand. The Primordial Garuda looked at the cracked feathers on its wings. Then it slowly raised its head. The battle inside the ancient domain continued.