Chapter 20: The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel Part 3: The Ancient Wings Descend The battlefield became silent. Not because the battle had ended. But because everyone understood. The true battle was about to begin. The three ancient Garuda elders floated above the clouds. Unlike the younger warriors who carried the pride of their race, these three beings carried something heavier. Time. Experience. Countless battles. Their golden feathers were no longer bright like the younger generation. They had become darker, refined by thousands of years of cultivation. Every feather contained condensed spiritual energy. Every movement carried the pressure of ancient power. The oldest elder looked at Adrian. "You have defeated the younger generation." "You have broken through our formations." "You have forced our fortress to reveal its defensive power." His eyes narrowed. "But you still do not understand the Garuda." Adrian stood on the Originless Heaven Ark. The Void Sovereign Skyblade floated beside him. "I understand enough." The elder frowned. "Enough?" Adrian looked toward the thousands of Garuda warriors surrounding the battlefield. "You are not fighting because you hate the Naga." "You are fighting because your ancestors taught you that hatred is your duty." The Garuda warriors became silent. The elder's expression changed. "You speak as if you know our history." "No." Adrian shook his head. "I only understand people." For a moment... Nobody moved. Then the second elder attacked. His wings opened. The sky itself changed. "Ancient Garuda Art." "Golden Heaven Piercing Wings." Countless golden feathers separated from his wings. But these were not normal feathers. Each one contained the power of a sword. Thousands of golden blades filled the sky. The attack was completely different from the previous warriors. The younger generation relied on numbers. The elder relied on precision. Every feather locked onto Adrian's position. There was no escape. Adrian looked at the attack. His eyes became slightly serious. "Interesting." He raised his hand. "Originless Sword Path." The Void Sovereign Skyblade moved. Silver light appeared. But this time... Adrian did not simply block. He changed the technique. During the battle, his understanding continued evolving. A sword was not only for cutting. A sword was a concept. A path. A connection between intention and existence. "Originless Thousand Reflection." The single sword became countless afterimages. Not clones. Not illusions. Each sword reflection represented a different possibility of movement. Every golden feather was intercepted. Boom! The sky exploded. Golden and silver light covered the clouds. The Garuda elders' expressions became serious. "He created a new technique during battle?" The oldest elder whispered. Impossible. For ordinary cultivators, creating techniques required years. Sometimes centuries. But Adrian's Originless Path was different. He did not memorize techniques. He understood principles. Every battle became a source of knowledge. Every enemy became a teacher. The third elder suddenly appeared behind Adrian. His speed surpassed the younger warriors by countless times. "Ancient Garuda Body Technique." "Heavenly Wing Step." His claw moved toward Adrian. But before it reached him— A barrier appeared. Originless Heaven Barrier. The elder's attack collided with the Ark's protection. BOOM! The entire Originless Heaven Ark shook. Adrian looked back. "The fortress." "The warriors." "The elders." "All connected." He finally understood. The Garuda did not fight individually. Their entire civilization was built around cooperation between generations. Warriors provided numbers. Elders provided power. The fortress provided support. A complete war system. Adrian smiled slightly. "Then I will answer with my own system." The Originless Heaven Ark released countless formations. The Naga elders watching from behind were shocked. "This artifact..." "It is changing." They could feel it. The Ark was not a finished creation. Like Adrian's guardians in the future... It was something capable of growth. The Originless Core inside the artifact responded to Adrian's understanding. New formations appeared. "Originless Celestial Formation." The Ark's defensive barrier transformed. Instead of only blocking attacks... It began analyzing them. Every Garuda attack that touched the barrier became information. Patterns. Energy flow. Weakness. Adrian's eyes flashed. The Originless Path was evolving. The Garuda elders noticed. "This human..." "He is learning from our techniques." The oldest elder's expression became darker. "Then we cannot give him time." The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel reacted. The entire fortress moved. Ancient weapons awakened. The floating city itself became a battlefield weapon. Massive golden chains descended from the fortress. They were not designed to destroy. They were designed to restrict. To trap enemies powerful enough to threaten the Garuda. Adrian looked at the chains approaching. "Interesting." He placed his hand on the Void Sovereign Skyblade. "Then let me create something new." The sword trembled. A new understanding appeared. Distance. Movement. Cutting. Freedom. All combined. "Void Severing Blade." The sword moved. A single slash. The space in front of him split. Not destroyed. Separated. The golden chains passed through the empty gap. The Garuda elders' eyes widened. He did not break the chains. He removed the relationship between Adrian and the chains. A technique born from understanding space itself. The first elder became serious. "His path..." "It does not follow existing laws." Adrian looked toward the fortress. "That is why it is called the Originless Path." The battle continued above the clouds. Thousands of warriors. Ancient elders. A fortress built from generations of pride. Against one existence. One sword. One path. But the Garuda still had more. Deep inside the Celestial Golden Sky Citadel... Something ancient was watching. Something older than the current clan leader. Older than the elders. An existence sleeping beneath the fortress. The ancestor. And as the battle intensified... The ancient presence slowly opened its eyes.