The air in the Inner Sanctum suddenly turned freezing. It wasn't just cold; it was the lack of life. The birds stopped singing, and even the spiritual waterfalls seemed to slow down.
A figure in pure white robes descended from the sky. He didn't use a crane or a sword to fly; he simply walked on the air as if it were solid ground. His face was hidden behind a silver mask with no eye holes.
[SYSTEM WARNING: UNKNOWN POWER DETECTED]
[LEVEL: ??? (BEYOND FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT)]
[SYSTEM ADVICE: DO NOT ACTIVATE ANY SOVEREIGN SKILLS!]
"Master Yun," the Observer's voice was like grinding stones, emotionless and flat. "You claim a mere boy from a mortal village has emptied the Dragon-Pool. In my realm, such a thing is only possible for those with a God-Grade Physique."
Master Yun bowed deeply—a sight that shocked every disciple. "Lord Bai, the boy has a rare affinity for wood and dragon elements. It was a fluke of nature."
The Observer, Lord Bai, turned his silver mask toward Akash. Akash felt as if his very soul was being peeled like an onion. But thanks to the Dragon-Pool, the gold of the Sovereign Core was buried under layers of thick, emerald dragon-qi.
"You," Lord Bai said, appearing in front of Akash in a blink. "Show me your hands."
Akash felt a bead of sweat roll down his back, but he stayed calm. He held out his hands. Lord Bai grabbed his wrist, and Akash felt a pulse of icy energy invade his body, searching for the Sovereign Core.
[INTERNAL STATUS: EMERGENCY MASKING AT 100%]
[DRAGON BLOOD ACTING AS A DECOY...]
The icy energy circled the Sovereign Core but couldn't see through the emerald scales protecting it. After a tense minute, Lord Bai released him.
"Dragon-Scale Meridians. Impressive for this lower world," Lord Bai muttered, his voice showing a hint of disappointment. "But you are not the one I seek. The one I seek carries the 'Breath of the Eternal King'. You are just... a lucky lizard."
Akash felt a surge of anger at being called a 'lucky lizard', but the System flashed a green light in his vision.
[MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: SURVIVE THE INSPECTION]
[BONUS REWARD: STEALTH RANK UP]
"However," Lord Bai continued, "since you have consumed the entire pool, you have technically stolen a resource that belongs to the Heaven-Palace's tribute. To pay for your 'theft', you will represent the Cloud-Sword Sect in the Tournament of the Seven Sins."
Master Yun's face turned pale. "Lord Bai, that tournament is for the strongest disciples of the entire continent! Akash is only at Level 7!"
"Then he has three months to get stronger," Lord Bai said, his body beginning to fade into the air. "If he doesn't win the top three spots, I will return... and I will take his heart as interest for the dragon blood."
With those words, the pressure vanished, and Lord Bai disappeared.
Akash stood there, his fists clenched. He looked at Master Yun. "The Tournament of the Seven Sins... what is it?"
"It is a slaughterhouse," Meera said, walking up to him, her voice trembling. "The seven most powerful sects send their best killers. And the 'Sins' aren't just a name—each stage of the tournament forces you to face a sin. Greed, Wrath, Pride... most people go insane before they even reach the final round."
[NEW MAIN MISSION: THE SEVEN SINS TOURNAMENT]
[TIME LIMIT: 90 DAYS]
[GOAL: REACH FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT LEVEL 1]
[FAILURE PENALTY: DEATH BY LORD BAI]
Akash looked at the system notification and then at the Broken Sovereign Blade in his spatial ring. "Three months to reach Foundation Establishment? A normal person takes thirty years."
He smirked, his eyes flickering with a hint of gold. "System, open the Sovereign's Cultivation Chamber. It's time to show this 'Upper Realm' what a lucky lizard can really do."Master Yun looked at Akash with a mixture of pity and hope. "Three months... Akash, even with the Dragon Blood, it's a suicidal task. I will give you access to our Forbidden Library, but I fear it may not be enough."
"I have my own way, Master," Akash replied, his gaze already distant.
He hurried back to the Golden Peak Lodge. As soon as the doors were sealed, he mentally summoned the System.
"System, initiate Sovereign's Cultivation Chamber."
[INITIATING CULTIVATION CHAMBER...]
[TIME DILATION RATIO: 10:1 (10 DAYS INSIDE = 1 DAY OUTSIDE)]
[TOTAL TRAINING TIME AVAILABLE: 900 DAYS]
[COST: ALL REMAINING SPIRIT STONES AND 500 SYSTEM POINTS]
"Do it," Akash gritted his teeth.
The space around him blurred, turning into a vast, white void. In the center sat a massive throne made of ancient, weathered stone. The Qi here wasn't just thick; it was ancient, vibrating with the power of the first cultivators.
[MISSION UPDATE: THE PATH TO FOUNDATION]
[STEP 1: BREAK THROUGH TO QI GATHERING LEVEL 10 (PEAK)]
[STEP 2: COMPRESS THE SOVEREIGN CORE INTO A FOUNDATION PILLAR]
Akash sat in the center of the void. He pulled out the Broken Sovereign Blade. "You're thirsty too, aren't you?" He placed the blade on his lap and began the Sovereign Breathing Technique.
Month 1 (Inside):
Akash's body was a furnace. The Dragon Blood he had absorbed began to truly merge with his bone marrow. His skin started shedding like a snake's, revealing new, tougher skin that had a faint, invisible scale pattern.
[LEVEL UP! LEVEL 7 -> LEVEL 8]
Month 5 (Inside):
The loneliness was the hardest part. But every time Akash felt like giving up, he remembered Lord Bai's silver mask and the way he looked down on this world.
"A lucky lizard? I'll show you a dragon that can swallow the heavens!"
[LEVEL UP! LEVEL 8 -> LEVEL 9]
Year 1 (Inside):
Akash began to practice the Thousand-Sword Rain technique he got from the Elite Pack. But with his Sovereign Qi, the technique evolved. Instead of a rain of swords, each drop of his Qi turned into a tiny, golden needle of pure destruction.
Year 2 (Inside):
Akash reached the absolute limit of Qi Gathering.
[STATUS: LEVEL 10 - PEAK]
[WARNING: FOUNDATION BREAKTHROUGH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS]
[90% CHANCE OF MERIDIAN EXPLOSION]
"System, I don't want a normal Foundation," Akash whispered, his eyes glowing like stars. "I want the Sovereign Foundation. Even if it kills me!"
The Sovereign Core in his chest began to spin so fast it created a vacuum. All the ancient Qi in the chamber started rushing into his body. His veins turned gold, then violet, then a blinding white.
CRACK!
The white void began to shatter. Outside, in the real world, only 90 days had passed, but at the Golden Peak Lodge, a massive golden storm cloud was forming in the clear blue sky.
Master Yun and Meera stood at the base of the peak, looking up in horror. "A Lightning Tribulation? For a Foundation Establishment? That's impossible! Only those reaching the Golden Core realm face the heavens' wrath!"
A bolt of black lightning, thick as a dragon, slammed down from the sky toward Akash's lodge.