Chapter 26: The Beginning of Creation Part 1: The Hidden Workshop Above The Clouds Five days had passed since the battle with the Garuda Clan. The world had slowly returned to normal. The terrifying storm that had appeared above the ocean gradually disappeared. The dark clouds covering the skies of Myanmar became weaker. The heavy rain that threatened to turn into a disaster slowly returned to an ordinary rainfall. People believed it was only an unusual natural event. A rare disaster that had finally ended. No one knew the truth. No one knew that beneath the calm surface of the world... A battle between ancient races had already decided the fate of countless beings. And no one knew that the person responsible for ending that battle... Was now sitting quietly at a normal dining table. "Adrian." His mother's voice pulled him back. "Why are you spacing out again?" Adrian looked up. For a moment, he was silent. Then he smiled slightly. "Nothing. Just thinking about something." His mother placed a bowl of food in front of him. "You've been like this for days." "After your seminar, you disappeared, then came back looking exhausted." "Don't stay up too late. Your body has never been very strong." Those simple words caused Adrian's expression to change slightly. His body... The weak body that had followed him since childhood. The body that had made him feel powerless. The reason he once desired strength. But now... That same person had become someone who could destroy ancient civilizations. Someone who stood above countless cultivators. Yet... At this moment... He was still just Adrian Voss. A son eating breakfast with his parents. Not the Immortal Emperor. Not the existence feared by the universe. Just Adrian. "Okay." He answered softly. "I'll take care of myself." His father glanced at him. "Are you still working on your thesis?" "Yeah." Adrian nodded. A simple lie. Not because he wanted to deceive them. But because some truths were impossible for ordinary people to understand. How could he explain? That he had memories from a previous existence? That ancient races existed beyond human knowledge? That he was preparing to create beings that could exist independently from the laws of the universe? Some things... Were not meant to enter this ordinary world. After breakfast... Adrian returned to his room. He closed the door. Silence surrounded him. On his desk were countless notes. Not university notes. Not engineering calculations. But refinement theories. Formation structures. Material analysis. The information from Aetherion's memories continued flowing through his mind. But Adrian did not simply copy those memories. Because the path he wanted to create was different. Aetherion created weapons. Adrian wanted to create existence. He looked at the materials stored inside his spatial ring. Originless Metal. That was the foundation. But before creating the first guardian... He needed a place where such a creation could safely exist. Adrian looked around his room. Then slowly shook his head. "No." "This place cannot handle it." Even with powerful formations... The energy fluctuations from refining Originless Metal would be too dangerous. The birth of an Originless Core would be even more impossible to hide. His family lived here. This house was peaceful. It was not a battlefield. It was not a refining furnace. It was his home. Adrian stood beside the window. The sky outside was clear. After a long silence... He made his decision. "I'll use the Ark." That night... After confirming everyone was asleep... Adrian quietly left the house. His figure moved upward. Higher. Higher. Until the lights of the city disappeared below him. The clouds surrounded his body. The world became silent. Then... A wave of space energy appeared. The surrounding air distorted. A massive ancient flying ship emerged from hidden space. The Originless Heaven Ark. Its enormous body floated silently above the sea of clouds. No satellites detected it. No aircraft could approach it. No human eyes could discover it. Adrian stepped onto the deck. The moment his feet touched the ancient metal surface... Countless formation patterns awakened. The Ark recognized its master. Adrian looked around. This place had survived countless eras. It had carried him through endless distances. And now... It would become the foundation for his next creation. But first... He needed to prepare. Inside the Originless Heaven Ark... A vast empty area existed. A space untouched for countless years. Adrian entered. He raised his hand. The space before him began to distort. Not destruction. Not forceful alteration. A careful reconstruction. Spatial principles unfolded. The interior space expanded. The empty area gradually became larger. A normal room became a massive chamber. The foundation of the Refining Sanctuary. Adrian moved his fingers. Formation symbols appeared. One after another. Energy Isolation Array. Material Stabilization Array. Spiritual Flame Control Array. Space Reinforcement Array. Every formation served a purpose. Every mistake could destroy countless precious materials. This was not a simple room. This was where impossible creations would begin. Hours passed. Adrian remained focused. No powerful aura erupted. No destructive energy spread. Everything was controlled perfectly. Because creation required more control than destruction. Finally... The basic structure was complete. Adrian looked at the empty refining chamber. There was still much work remaining. The furnace. The research area. The material storage. The core creation chamber. Everything had to be prepared carefully. He did not rush. The Twelve Originless Guardians were not ordinary artifacts. They were beings that would one day possess their own paths. And such creations... Could not be born through impatience. Adrian slowly turned around. The first step had been completed. The foundation was ready. Tomorrow... The true refinement would begin.

Chapter 26: The Hidden Workshop Above The Clouds