Rain poured from the heavens as if the sky itself wished to drown the land.
In the depths of the Ancient Myriad Forest, large trees stood like silent sentinels, their roots twisted and thickened by the passage of time. Mist due to heavy rain lingered between the trunks, disturbed only by hurried footsteps crushing wet leaves beneath them.
A lone figure sprinted through the forest.
His breathing was controlled but strained, each step precise despite the blood seeping through his torn robes. His long white hair, faintly streaked with silver, clung to his face, soaked with rain, sweat, and blood.
Kerus.
A name that was known to the entire Murim world. He was a martial sovereign, the Supreme Ruler of the Northern Domain.
And yet, at this moment, he was running like prey.
"Catch him no matter what happens!"
A furious shout echoed through the forest, infused with true qi, shaking nearby branches. Behind Kerus, figures flashed through the trees like phantoms. Two figures led the pursuit, Elder Gucheon and Cheon Ilseong.
Both were Martial Sovereigns.
Behind them followed more than a thousand martial artists.
To chase only one man.
But Kerus just clenched his jaw and tightened his grip around the object in his hand.
A moment ago, he found a small box in the ruins of the forest. But he was not the only one after that box.
"Crazy," he thought grimly. "Absolutely crazy."
His body ached. Several meridians screamed in pain, and his internal qi flow was unstable from earlier battles…
Clashing auras, exploding techniques, and the shrill sound of weapons tearing through the air had already exhausted him.
He had fought two martial sovereigns and thousands of martial artists all at once.
Even for a Martial Sovereign, that was no small feat. Kerus was a peak martial sovereign. But still facing such a huge number, he didn't escape without any injuries.
In this situation, only one question lingered in his mind continuously.
"Why?" Kerus questioned silently as he leaped over a fallen trunk.
"Why would Elder Gucheon & Cheon Ilseong, cultivation of their level, seek this item like crazy?"
"Ancient treasures were not rare among great sects. They possessed heaven-grade manuals, divine weapons, and even secret realms."
"And yet... they want it as their life depends on it."
Kerus ducked behind a massive tree as a blade of qi sliced past his previous position, cleaving a boulder in half.
"Tch."
He pushed off the trunk and continued running, but they were veterans and masters of tracking.
Still, the forest gave him a moment.
A brief one.
Kerus slowed slightly, his gaze falling to the box in his hand.
"Let me see what greed you had to move two martial sovereigns together like nuts."
He stopped beneath an enormous tree whose bark glowed faintly with spiritual patterns. He noticed the seals etched onto the box. With a flick of his finger, he undid the ancient layers one by one.
Click!
The box opened.
Kerus looked inside and was frozen.
There was a mask, silver colored with a weird pattern curved on it, resting on faded silk.
But a faint, ancient pressure seeped from it, subtle, yet unmistakable.
"…A mask? That was it. I thought it contained ancient scrolls, perhaps a heavenly pill or elixir. But it's just a mask."
Kerus frowned deeply.
"This… is what caused them to lose their minds? Does it have some hidden power?"
He was a Supreme Ruler. His spiritual sense could instantly perceive heaven-grade artifacts. Yet this mask felt… somewhat ordinary. He fixed his gaze upon that mask.
"What power does it hold…?" he wondered.
Before he could examine further....
BOOM!!!
A terrifying force slammed into his back.
"Cough!"
Kerus was sent flying forward, crashing through trees like an arrow piercing its target. He smashed into the ground, carving a trench before finally stopping.
Blood spilled from his lips.
His internal organs are now completely in a mess.
A sneak attack struck from behind. Kerus's eyes darkened.
He struggled to rise, but pressure descended from all directions.
Figures emerged from the rain and mist, forming a wide circle around him.
Elder Gucheon & Cheon Ilseong were floating in the sky, looking down on Kerus.
Kerus looked up and saw, Elder Gucheon came closer to him with sharp eyes. His demeanor radiated unquestionable authority.
"Martial Sovereign Kerus," said calmly, though greed flickered in his gaze. "Hand over the ancient box, and I will let you live."
Kerus laughed hoarsely as he pushed himself to his feet, still holding the mask.
"What delusion you have to think you will let me live?" he mocked. "I am a peak martial sovereign, I have the power to change heaven and earth, and yet you dare to threaten me."
Knowing Kerus is not bluffing, Cheon Ilseong tried to reason with him, "We just want what you are holding. We can trade you other valuable items. But that item belongs to us."
Kerus's eyes turned cold.
"Belong?" His voice carried authority despite his injuries. "I found it. I fought for it. That makes it mine."
"You are wounded," Cheon Ilseong talked calmly from behind, gripping his saber. "You better give that to us."
Kerus straightened his back.
His presence shifted.
Even wounded, Martial Sovereign was still Martial Sovereign.
"Except life & death, everything will happen to my will."
The air grew heavy.
"You leave us no choice," Elder Gucheon said, and his qi surging.
Kerus tightened his grip on the mask.
"So, this is how it goes…"
Regret did not touch his heart.
Only anger.
He had ruled with honor. He had cultivated with discipline. His belief as a martial artist would never allow him to surrender his belongings to others. Looking at them with confidence in his eyes, he knew it would be hard to take it back in one piece.
Then he smirked, "If I cannot have it…" Kerus said slowly, raising the mask, "…then neither will you."
The cultivators' expressions changed.
"Was that inside the box?"
Panick spread among them and shouted, "Stop him!"
They lunged forward.
Kerus poured everything he had left into his arms.
CRACK!
A sharp sound echoed.
A thin fracture appeared across the mask.
The world froze.
"What have you done?!" Elder Gucheon screamed.
The crack spread.
Then,
White light burst forth, and right before Kerus's eyes, the forest vanished.
The rain ceased.
The cultivators' shouts stretched into silence.
Kerus felt his consciousness pulled into an empty space.
"What happened!" Kerus was thinking, "Did I die?"
The last thing he saw was the mask dissolving into light, and he closed his eyes.
But instantly, he heard unfamiliar voices. When his vision returned, young disciples stood before him.
Upright, disciplined, and unfamiliar.