Crimson ash drifted down like cold snow in the dead air of the pocket dimension. Jagged pillars of ancient stone rose toward a bruised, purple sky, casting long, distorted shadows across the cracked plaza. Screams of terror erupted from the hunters behind Ruan as the massive stone statues perched atop the ruins began to stir. Mina scrambled backward, her twin daggers drawn, her knuckles turning white as she watched the grey stone peel away to reveal glowing, emerald eyes. "Draw your weapons!" she screamed, her voice cracking under the sudden spike of mana in the air. "We have to form a defensive circle now or we will be slaughtered!" "Stop," Ruan said. His voice was not loud, yet it cut through the rising panic like an icy blade, instantly silencing the frantic shouts of the elite hunters. Her daggers trembled in her grip as she turned to stare at him, her eyes wide with frantic disbelief. "What are you saying?" she demanded, her breath hitching. "There are dozens of them! If we do not fight, they will tear us to pieces in seconds!" "You will only feed the domain," Ruan replied, his tone flat and entirely devoid of human warmth. Standing with his hands resting loosely at his sides, he looked up at the grotesque stone monsters, his eyes narrowing as he recognized their features. "These gargoyles are carved in the likeness of my fallen brothers," he murmured, his jaw tightening until the bones in his face stood out sharp against his pale skin. "Their souls are trapped inside the stone, forced to serve the Constellations." "But we can help you fight them!" one of the high-ranking hunters called out, stepping forward with his heavy shield raised. "We are S-rank!" "Stand down," Ruan commanded, not bothering to look back at the man. "If any of you step into this circle, I will cut you down myself before the monsters can touch you." Silence fell over the group, absolute and suffocating. None of them doubted his threat; the raw, violent pressure radiating from his frame was a physical weight that pressed down on their chests, making breathing a chore. Up on the high pillars, the gargoyles let out a series of metallic, high-pitched screeches that grated on the ears and shook the loose gravel on the ground. Cold anger flared deep within Ruan's chest, buried beneath a thousand years of rigid emotional discipline and bitter isolation. With a slow, deliberate motion, Ruan drew his sword from its simple wooden scabbard, the metal sliding free with a faint, whispering hiss. "Rest easy," Ruan whispered to the wind, his eyes locked on the leading gargoyle. "I am here to bring you home." First to strike was a massive beast bearing the unmistakable face of Elder Brother Chen, the man who had taught Ruan how to hold his first wooden training sword. Chen's stone duplicate lunged from the pillar, its heavy claws outstretched, aiming to tear Ruan's throat open. Instead of dodging, Ruan stepped directly into the path of the attack, his feet moving in a precise, fluid pattern that traced the ancient footwork of the Mount Hua Sect. "Nine Fold Dragon," Ruan murmured, his voice carrying the heavy weight of an ancient era. "First Form." His sword flashed, a brilliant line of silver cutting through the gloom with absolute precision. Shattered stone exploded outward as the blade connected, releasing a sharp, sorrowful howl that sounded like a dragon mourning its lost kin. "Second Form," he whispered, his body spinning into a tight, lethal vortex of motion. Another strike landed, cleaving the stone beast clean in half before it could even register the movement of his blade. Chen's spirit emerged from the crumbling stone, bathed in a soft, pale blue light that illuminated the dark plaza. Pale eyes met Ruan's, and for a fraction of a second, the ancient disciple looked down at his freed hands. "Third Form," Ruan continued, his movements accelerating into a blur of steel as three more gargoyles closed in on him. Every strike he delivered released that same mournful howl, a sound that echoed off the high walls of the pocket dimension and filled the air with solemn grief. Three more stone monsters fell to the ground in ruins, their wings severed and their chests pierced by the swift, effortless thrusts of his sword. "Fourth Form," Ruan muttered, leaping high into the air as the remaining beasts gathered below him. A wave of invisible, crushing force rolled off his blade, striking all five monsters at once and shattering their stone shells. Howls of agony turned into sighs of relief as the trapped spirits rose from the debris, their glowing forms filling the cavern with a brilliant light. They did not speak, but as they floated upward, they turned toward Ruan and bowed deeply, paying their final respects to the last living legacy of their sect. "Fifth Form," he roared softly, driving his sword downward into the cracked earth with immense force. Shockwaves of pure, unadulterated energy rippled outward in massive concentric circles, tearing through the remaining gargoyles that scrambled toward him. More spirits arose, dozens of them, their pale blue light pushing back the oppressive darkness of the pocket dimension. "Go," Ruan whispered, his eyes scanning the familiar faces of his fallen family. "Do not look back." One by one, the spirits began to fade into the ether, their expressions peaceful and free from the agonizing chains of the Constellations. Sect Leader paused before departing, his glowing hand hovering near Ruan's shoulder in a silent gesture of comfort before vanishing into the quiet air. Ruan stood in the center of the cleared plaza, his sword pointed toward the ground as the last of the blue light dissolved. Determination, cold and unyielding, solidified in his mind, transforming his grief into a sharp, lethal weapon. "I will kill them all," Ruan said to the empty air, his voice barely a whisper but carrying the absolute weight of a blood oath. Behind him, Mina and the other hunters stood frozen, completely unable to comprehend the level of power they had just witnessed. "Did you see that?" one of the high-ranking hunters whispered, his hands shaking. "He didn't use a single skill or call upon a system power." Mina could only nod, her throat too dry to form words as she stared at the back of the lone swordmaster. Suddenly, the ground began to vibrate violently, a low, bass-heavy rumble shaking the entire domain and throwing several hunters off balance. Cracks spread across the stone floor, glowing with a hostile, purple light that pulsed like a dying star. A massive, black stone structure began to rise from the very center of the ruins, grinding against the earth. Everyone watched in absolute horror as the towering monument ascended, its surface covered in glowing, alien runes. "What is happening?" Mina gasped, drawing closer to the others as the air grew heavy and suffocating. Ruan did not move, his eyes fixed on the giant monument as the glowing runes began to shift and form numbers. From the center of the domain, a giant obelisk rises, displaying a countdown timer of exactly twelve hours before the entire pocket dimension collapses, killing everyone inside.

Chapter 12: Ghost of the Mount Hua Sect