Chapter 20: The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel Part 3: The Ancient Wings Descend (Continuation) The Originless Heaven Ark began changing. The massive artifact that had remained silently beneath Adrian's feet started releasing waves of energy. At first... It was only a faint vibration. Then— Countless ancient symbols appeared across its surface. The mysterious patterns that Adrian had created during its refinement began moving. Not randomly. Not according to a fixed formation. They moved according to Adrian's thoughts. The Garuda elders immediately noticed. The first elder's expression became serious. "The artifact..." "It is adapting." The second elder narrowed his eyes. "Impossible." "An artifact should have a fixed structure after refinement." The third elder stared at the Ark. "Unless..." He looked at Adrian. "The creator continues evolving." Silence. Because they understood something. The Originless Heaven Ark was not a completed treasure. It was a growing existence. Just like Adrian's cultivation path. The Garuda had spent countless generations improving their techniques. They inherited ancient arts. They refined existing methods. They reached higher levels through the foundation left by their ancestors. But Adrian was different. His foundation was not something inherited. It was something he created. The Originless Path. Adrian looked at the three elders. "You have spent thousands of years perfecting your techniques." The Void Sovereign Skyblade floated beside him. "I respect that." "But..." His eyes became calm. "My path was created to continue evolving." The first elder remained silent. Then he raised his hand. The entire sky changed. The clouds surrounding the Celestial Golden Sky Citadel began moving. The wind stopped. The atmosphere became heavy. "This is the territory of the Garuda." "You have learned our techniques." "You have analyzed our methods." "But you have forgotten one thing." The elder's golden eyes flashed. "You are still standing inside our domain." The next moment— The entire sky became golden. The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel activated its second defensive layer. The previous formations were only the outer defense. The real power of the fortress had not yet appeared. Golden rivers of spiritual energy flowed around the city. Ancient runes connected together. The floating fortress became like a living creature. The Naga elders felt their expressions change. "The fortress..." "It is absorbing energy from the heavens." Adrian looked at the formation. Interesting. The Garuda did not simply build a fortress. They created a structure that could continuously recover. A defensive civilization. A weapon that had been refined for thousands of years. The first elder spoke. "Celestial Sky Domain." The world changed. Suddenly— The surrounding space became different. The clouds. The wind. The spiritual energy. Everything now belonged to the Garuda. Inside this domain, their techniques became stronger. Their movements became faster. Their attacks became more precise. Adrian looked around. "A domain technique." The elder nodded. "Yes." "Inside this place, the Garuda are the rulers of the sky." Adrian looked toward him. "Interesting." He did not reject it. He did not underestimate it. Instead... He studied it. The Garuda elders were confused. Most enemies would panic after being trapped inside an enemy domain. But Adrian was different. He looked like someone discovering a new concept. The second elder attacked. "Golden Heaven Piercing Wings." This time, the technique was completely different. The golden feathers surrounding him merged together. Instead of thousands of individual blades... They became one enormous golden wing. A wing capable of cutting through mountains. The entire sky shook. Adrian raised the Void Sovereign Skyblade. "Originless Sword Path." The sword moved. Silver light collided with golden light. BOOOOM! The explosion created a massive shockwave. The clouds below were destroyed. The ocean far beneath the sky created enormous waves. But neither side retreated. The second elder's eyes changed. "Your sword..." "It is improving during the battle." Adrian looked at the blade. The Void Sovereign Skyblade was absorbing the battle. Not copying. Not stealing. Understanding. Just like Adrian. The sword had followed him from the beginning. It had experienced every battle. Every enemy. Every challenge. And now... It was beginning to develop its own evolution. A faint silver pattern appeared on the blade. Adrian noticed. A smile appeared. "You are growing too." The sword released a quiet vibration. The Garuda elders felt something strange. The sword was not a weapon. It was a companion. A treasure born from Adrian's path. The third elder attacked again. This time, his body disappeared. Not movement. Pure speed. His physical strength exceeded normal limits. Adrian turned. The claw was already beside him. He blocked with his arm. BOOM! The impact pushed Adrian backward. The Originless Heaven Ark moved beneath him to stabilize his position. The third elder looked surprised. "You blocked my attack directly?" Adrian looked at his arm. A faint mark appeared. The first time the elders had managed to touch him. The Naga warriors became nervous. But Adrian was not angry. Instead... He smiled. "Your body refinement is impressive." The elder frowned. "You are praising your enemy?" "No." Adrian looked at him. "I am learning." The elder's expression became complicated. For thousands of years... He had fought countless enemies. Most feared his power. Some hated him. Some tried to surpass him. But this human... He looked at battle differently. For Adrian... A powerful enemy was not only an obstacle. It was knowledge. The Originless Core inside Adrian began circulating. The information gathered from the three elders merged. Speed. Control. Defense. Domain. Three concepts. Three different paths. A new understanding formed. Adrian slowly raised the Void Sovereign Skyblade. The Garuda elders became alert. Because they felt it. Something was changing. Adrian was about to create something new.