Jalen's descent was no longer his own. The Origin Shard pulled him like a comet toward a forgotten island cloaked in mist. Below, ancient formations pulsed beneath the earth, and at the center stood a monolith of diamond, etched with runes older than the continent itself.
He landed hard, the monolith looming before him, humming with energy. The shard throbbed inside him, hungry.
"You manipulative bastard," Jalen muttered. "You couldn't wait?"
The shard didn't answer. But its urgency was palpable. Whatever lay beneath the monolith wasn't just powerful—it was essential.
The runes flared. The monolith split open, revealing a portal of golden light. Jalen stepped through.
The sub-realm was breathtaking.
Golden skies bled into radiant clouds. The ground shimmered with threads of Light Qi. At the center floated an orb with what seemed to be a miniature sun burning at its core—pure, pulsing, divine. It radiated warmth and danger in equal measure.
Just looking at a tit made Jalen's eyes feel like they were going to burn from the socket. Also, if he hadn't achieved Sage Realm and used his flame qi like a bodysuit defense, he would've died just standing here.
Then the truth hit him.
Had the shard orchestrated everything? Rana's rescue, Jael's sacrifice, his own evolution—just to bring him here?
The thought chilled him. The shard claimed to be a tool, an Eternal Grade spirit artifact without personhood. But it felt like a will. A mind. A presence.
As he floated closer, the realm trembled.
A barrier of light erupted around the orb. From its shimmering walls emerged a figure—humanoid, but not human. Its body was woven from light itself, with eyes like twin stars.
"You seek the Luminal heart," it said. "Then prove you are worthy. Survive these ten trials, and the luminal heart will be yours."
This was the last thing Jalen wanted; he needed to rescue his family, but the origin shard didn't care about that. Its main focus was to get him stronger, so if he wants to get out here, he needs to complete this obstacle.
Trial One: Prism Labyrinth.
"You have fifteen minutes to get out of here, or you'll be tossed from the sub-realm."
The voice echoed like a chime through crystal, and before Jalen could respond, the ground beneath him shifted. He was transported into a vast, shimmering maze—walls of refracted light, floors that pulsed with mirrored illusions, and corridors that twisted space itself.
It wasn't just a maze. It was a puzzle. A trap. A test.
Jalen landed lightly, scanning the environment. Three corridors split ahead—each identical in shape, each glowing with a different hue: red, blue, and green.
He activated Dance Like the Wind, not to escape, but to move with precision. His steps barely disturbed the air. The red path flickered. The green twisted. The blue remained still.
"It reacts to movement," he muttered. "It's watching me."
With a flick of his wrist, Gust Dance, the third technique of the Spirit Wind Art, stirred—a breeze slipped down the green corridor like a ghost. The walls shimmered, then folded inward, revealing nothing but illusion.
"Not real."
He turned to the blue path and stepped forward. The walls didn't react. The light didn't bend. He pressed on.
But the maze wasn't done.
A chamber opened ahead, revealing nine floating crystal shards—each etched with runes and glowing faintly. Beneath them, a grid of light formed a 3x3 matrix.
A new voice whispered:
"Reconstruct the Prism Sigil. Only truth will guide you."
Jalen's eyes narrowed. A jigsaw puzzle. Each shard emitted beams of light that bent and split unpredictably. He studied them:
Red shards bent light at 45°, always northeast. Blue shards split into dual beams—one real, one illusion. Green shards pulsed every six seconds, in sync with the chamber's heartbeat.
He marked beam paths with dust from his pouch, watching which ones passed through the grid cleanly. Slowly, he deduced the correct layout. Corner pieces aligned with cardinal directions. Edge pieces reflected inward, forming a closed loop. The centerpiece had to absorb and redistribute light evenly.
He placed the first shard. A beam shot across the grid—and a mirror guardian emerged, its body forged from light and flame.
Jalen dodged its strike, spinning low and countering with Flame Palm. The guardian shattered, but the message was clear: every move had consequences.
Time ticked away. Ten minutes gone.
Another incorrect placement triggered a burst of flame from the floor. Jalen rolled aside, breath ragged. He recalibrated, listening not just to the beams but to the resonance of each shard. He adjusted them by feel, not sight.
One by one, the beams aligned. The sigil began to form.
Then the final piece revealed itself—a translucent shard with no glow, hidden until the others were in place. Jalen placed it at the center.
The grid flared. The sigil is completed. The labyrinth dissolved.
He stood alone in a quiet chamber, the voice returning:
"You have solved the Prism. You are not just strong—you are whole."
A warmth spread through his chest. A new ability awakened:
Light Mapping—the power to visualize energy flows, hidden formations, and illusions in any terrain.
Jalen exhaled, steadying himself. One trial down. Nine to go.
And somewhere beyond this radiant realm, danger still loomed over his family.