Chapter 20: The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel Part 2: The First Clash Above the Heavens The sky trembled. The moment Adrian accepted the battle, the entire Celestial Golden Sky Citadel awakened. For thousands of years, this floating fortress had remained above the clouds, protected by generations of Garuda warriors. It was not merely a place where they lived. It was the symbol of their pride. The symbol of their dominance over the sky. And now... An outsider stood before it. A human cultivator. A person who had never belonged to the ocean or the heavens. Yet he dared to challenge everything the Garuda had built. Golden formations spread across the sky. Countless ancient runes appeared around the fortress walls. Each rune contained the power accumulated by generations of Garuda ancestors. The Naga elders standing on the Originless Heaven Ark felt the pressure immediately. "This is not just a city..." One elder said quietly. "This entire fortress is a weapon." Adrian looked at the formations calmly. He could see it. The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel was created with one purpose. Defense. A fortress that could withstand attacks from powerful beings. A place where the Garuda could survive even against enemies far stronger than themselves. Interesting. Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly. The Garuda were arrogant. But they were not weak. They had survived because they possessed their own strength. At that moment— A horn sounded from inside the fortress. BOOOOOOM! The entire sky shook. Thousands of Garuda warriors rose into the air. Their golden wings covered the sky. The sunlight disappeared beneath their formation. The sight was overwhelming. Each warrior carried weapons made from rare materials. Golden spears. Ancient bows. Spiritual blades. They moved with perfect coordination. Not like individuals. But like one massive army. The Garuda Clan Leader watched from above the palace. "Human." "Last chance." "Leave." Adrian looked at the army before him. "You already know my answer." The Clan Leader's expression became cold. "Then begin." The next instant— "Sky Severing Formation!" Thousands of Garuda warriors moved simultaneously. Their spiritual energy connected. The entire sky changed. Golden lines appeared between them. A massive formation formed above the clouds. Then countless golden blades descended. Not physical weapons. But condensed spiritual attacks created from their combined power. The attack covered the entire area. There was nowhere to escape. The Naga warriors looked shocked. Even the elders became serious. "Such coordination..." "The Garuda have prepared for war for generations." The golden blades approached. Adrian remained still. The Void Sovereign Skyblade floated beside him. A faint silver light appeared. "Originless Sword Path." The sword moved. One slash. Only one. A silent silver arc crossed the sky. No explosion. No overwhelming shockwave. But the moment the silver line touched the golden blades— Everything stopped. The countless attacks were divided perfectly. Not destroyed. Not blocked. Separated. The Garuda warriors' expressions changed. "What?" "The formation..." "It was cut apart?" Adrian lowered his hand. "Power without understanding is only force." The Garuda elders watching from the fortress narrowed their eyes. This was not a simple sword technique. Adrian had not broken their attack. He had understood the structure of their formation and found the weakness. Then— The fortress itself attacked. The walls of the Celestial Golden Sky Citadel opened. Ancient weapons emerged. Huge golden cannons formed from spiritual energy. Hundreds of them. The Naga elders immediately sensed danger. "The fortress is attacking." Adrian looked at the weapons. This time... He did not move. Because the Originless Heaven Ark moved first. The massive artifact beneath his feet released countless symbols. The dark surface of the Ark shone. A transparent barrier appeared around it. Not a normal barrier. A defensive structure created from Adrian's understanding of protection. "Originless Heaven Barrier." BOOOOM! The golden attacks struck. The entire sky exploded. Clouds disappeared. The ocean below created enormous waves from the impact. But the Originless Heaven Ark remained unmoved. The Naga watched silently. They had never seen such a battle. The Garuda fortress attacked. The Ark defended. Two ancient creations clashed above the heavens. The Garuda Clan Leader's expression became heavier. "The artifact..." "It can withstand the Celestial Golden Sky Citadel's main weapons?" An elder beside him spoke. "That human is more dangerous than we expected." Adrian stood on the Ark. His eyes remained calm. But inside... He was analyzing. The Garuda's strength. Their formations. Their techniques. Their weaknesses. The Originless Path was not only about gaining power. It was about understanding. Every battle was information. Every enemy was a new experience. Adrian raised his hand. The Void Sovereign Skyblade returned beside him. "Your fortress is powerful." The Garuda warriors became alert. "But a fortress cannot move." The next moment— The Originless Heaven Ark disappeared. Not teleportation. Movement beyond ordinary understanding. The distance between the Ark and the fortress shortened instantly. The Garuda warriors panicked. "Impossible!" "The Ark crossed the formation?" Adrian stood before the fortress walls. The Skyblade pointed forward. "Originless Movement." A technique created from his understanding of space. Not true control over space. Not breaking the laws of the universe. But finding a way to move through the gaps between them. The Garuda immediately attacked. Thousands of warriors surrounded him. The sky became a battlefield. Golden wings. Silver sword light. Ancient techniques. Modern understanding. Everything collided. A Garuda warrior charged with a spear. Adrian moved aside. The Skyblade lightly touched the spear. The weapon flew away. Another warrior attacked from behind. Adrian turned. A sword wave pushed him backward. He was not killing them. Every strike was controlled. Every movement had precision. Because Adrian did not come here for revenge. He came here to end a cycle. But the Garuda warriors did not understand. To them... A person standing before their home was an enemy. They fought with everything. A thousand years of pride. Generations of hatred. The belief that the sky belonged only to them. All of it was carried in their attacks. The battle continued. Then— A powerful aura descended. The battlefield became silent. Three figures appeared above the fortress. The ancient Garuda elders. Their wings were not bright like the younger warriors. They were darker. Older. Containing the weight of countless years. The oldest elder looked at Adrian. "You are strong." "But you have only faced the children of the Garuda." The atmosphere changed. The elder slowly raised his hand. "Now..." "Experience the strength of those who have protected this sky for thousands of years." The ancient elders released their power. The clouds below scattered. The entire Celestial Golden Sky Citadel began glowing. Adrian looked at them. Finally... The true battle was beginning. The battle above the heavens had only reached its first stage.