With my preparations complete, I turned my attention to the Endless Sea.
A sphere of magic bloomed around me as I stepped from the shoreline and allowed myself to sink. The water pressed in from every side, yet never touched me, held back by layers of carefully woven spells. Light faded quickly as I descended, the surface vanishing above like a forgotten memory. Below, I could already feel it—the ancient magic of the tomb, vast and disciplined, utterly unlike the wild power I commanded.
Soon, the entrance revealed itself.
The tomb of the First Spinjitsu Master opened before me, carved from stone older than Ninjago itself. I passed through the threshold without hesitation, my bubble of magic gliding effortlessly into the first chamber. It was almost disappointing how easy it was. I had seen all of this before—memorized every test, every illusion, every false promise.
I let out a quiet breath."Foreknowledge really does ruin the mystery," I murmured.
I summoned Spinjitzu, letting the familiar energy spiral around my body as I analyzed the chamber. The doors waited, each one a trap designed to punish arrogance or ignorance. I barely spared them a glance. I already knew which path led forward.
Without hesitation, I entered the correct door.
As expected, the illusion revealed itself almost immediately—the Staff of the First Spinjitsu Master, standing proudly as if waiting to be claimed. I didn't slow, didn't even reach for it. Instead, I leapt forward, letting gravity pull me down as the false chamber dissolved around me.
The world shifted.
I landed within a vast crystalline cavern, ice and crystal interwoven into impossible shapes. The air itself felt sharp, biting at my senses. This was the chamber I remembered well—the cave of reflection.
I stepped forward, my boots crunching softly against frost-coated stone, and caught my reflection in the icy walls.
The crystal responded.
A vision shimmered to life.
I saw myself—not twisted, not broken, not dead. I looked… the same. Powerful. Whole. Unchanged.
I studied the image carefully, searching for cracks, corruption, some sign of downfall. There was none.
"Hm," I said softly. "Good. I'd be worried if I saw a corpse."
The vision faded, leaving only my reflection staring back at me. It seemed I had already become what I was meant to be. Growth, yes—but no fundamental transformation. I had already climbed most of the mountain.
That realization brought a small, satisfied smile to my face.
"I suppose that's what happens when you're already near the peak," I said to the empty cavern. "Aside from the Source Dragons, there's very little left above me."
With that, I turned and left the crystal cave behind.
The final chamber awaited.
There, resting in eternal stillness, lay the corpse of the First Spinjitsu Master. His body was preserved by ancient magic, robes unmoving, hands clasped around a round crystal that pulsed faintly with power. Even in death, his presence was immense—disciplined, controlled, absolute.
I approached slowly, then reached out.
Carefully, deliberately, I removed the crystal from his grasp.
Not the right one.
I slipped it into my satchel without ceremony, already knowing the deception at play. The true prize would come later; this was merely another test, another layer of the old man's arrogance.
I looked down at the corpse and scoffed.
"You arrogant old man," I said coldly. "You really thought you'd still be in my way, even in death?"
My foot lashed out, kicking the body aside. The impact echoed through the chamber, the sound sharp and final. The tomb did not react. No punishment came. No divine wrath struck me down.
Nothing.
I knelt, gripping the ancient form, lifting it with a grunt. The First Spinjitsu Master had been unimaginably powerful in life—his body, his essence, even his lingering magic would be invaluable.
"Don't worry," I added, almost mockingly. "You'll still serve a purpose."
With a gesture, I tore open a portal, the familiar energies of my castle bleeding into the tomb. The air warped, shadows folding inward as the gateway stabilized.
Cradling the corpse and my stolen prize, I stepped through.
The Endless Sea vanished behind me.
Moments later, I emerged within my castle, the portal snapping shut as if it had never existed. I stood alone once more, surrounded by obsidian walls and runes of my own design.
The crystal rested in my satchel.The body of the First Spinjitsu Master lay in my grasp.
I had stolen from legend itself.
And soon—very soon—I would uncover everything he had tried so desperately to hide.