Igaris stepped beyond the stone threshold, where the whispers of time lingered like fading incense. Faint runes shimmered across the stone walls with remnants of ancient wards meant to deter the foolish and unworthy.
The moment he crossed the final gate, the environment changed.
It became heavier, thicker, as though every breath carried the presence of forgotten legacies.
Before him stretched a grand underground hall carved from obsidian rock. Pillars etched with dragon motifs lined the path ahead, and at the far end, a single sarcophagus stood upon a raised platform. It bore no name, no decoration, only silence and a pressure that rivaled a mountain.
This was the tomb of the First.
The Founder of the Soaring Dragon Sect: Jian Longchen.
Igaris approached with steady steps, his footsteps muted by the sacred earth. He knelt before the sarcophagus and placed a hand upon its surface. It was cold—unnaturally so.
"Let us see if this Yin-Yang Reversal is truly worthy of its name."
A soft glow began to radiate from his palm. It was not the violent flare of fire, nor the gentle shimmer of healing. It was something in-between. Light and shadow swirled in harmony, wrapping around his fingers like strands of silk and ash.
The Concept of Yin-Yang Reversal pulsed within his soul.
Yin: Death. Stillness. Silence.
Yang: Life. Motion. Awakening.
He poured energy into the sarcophagus, not forcibly, but with guidance. As if inviting the soul within to rise if it so willed. The seal around the tomb reacted with a soft hum. Runes flickered. The ground trembled.
Then, a voice echoed inside his mind.
"After nine centuries, who disturbs my slumber...?"
It was deep, calm, and unhurried.
"Igaris Vance," he answered. "I have awakened a forbidden Concept. And with it, I call upon your wisdom and power."
Then, laughter. "Hahahaha..."
Soft at first. Then deep and resonant.
"Foolish... but bold. The blood of the true path runs in you. Perhaps I will rise once more."
The lid of the sarcophagus trembled.
A crack appeared down its center.
Dust curled and drifted in the silent chamber, as if stirred by a breath long forgotten. From the deepest crevice of the ancient tomb, a thin, withered figure began to rise.
His body was a husk, more bone than flesh, the skin stretched taut across the frame like dried parchment over brittle wood. His eyes, though sunken, glowed faintly with intelligence that had withstood the passage of centuries.
Then he spoke, his voice hollow and ancient, yet still resonant.
"Chosen one, would you care to restore this broken vessel of mine? If you truly desire the wisdom and strength that I once held, that is."
Igaris regarded the skeletal form with cold eyes. A pause followed. Then he nodded, his voice low and steady.
"Very well. But do not make the mistake of betraying me. If I have the power to revive you, I also possess the power to end you again."
The ancient one laughed, a raspy yet amused sound that echoed through the stone walls.
"Ha ha... It has been so long since anyone dared to threaten me. I welcome it. But you need not worry. Do you know why I wrote down my life’s comprehension of the laws and arts on that scroll? It was not merely to preserve knowledge. I was waiting. Waiting for one who would walk the true path. You are that one."
A gleam shone in his eyes. Part reverence, part obsession.
"You have acquired a power that would make even the gods weep in envy. To follow you will not be shameful. It will be my honor."
Igaris remained silent for a moment, studying the founder’s expression. He was uncertain whether the words came from true sincerity or from some hidden ambition. Still, he made a choice.
He would not enslave the old man.
Instead, he would offer trust and see if loyalty could be born without shackles.
Besides, the founder was little more than a whisper of his former self. Should he ever grow too bold, Evernight would act swiftly.
And besides, Igaris now could also destroy him with but a single finger.
But, he also knew that if this man returned to his prime, he would need to tread with caution.
Or this was only the beginning.
The first step in forging trust. The first brick laid in the foundation of a rising dominion.
Next, with a calm breath, Igaris raised his hand.
The swirling force of Yin and Yang, black and white in eternal balance, coiled around his fingers. His body glowed faintly, as if touched by the hands of heaven and hell both. The power of the forbidden concept channeled within him.
He directed the force toward the founder’s skeletal form, his eyes locked upon the ancient man’s soul.
A quiet hum filled the chamber. Then, like a river flowing backward through time, the energy enveloped the old body.
Bones shifted. Muscles reformed. The parchment-thin skin regained color and life. The transformation continued until the former husk now stood tall, clothed in the tattered remnants of a ceremonial robe that had seen a hundred winters.
His hair flowed long and silver-white, cascading to his back. His irises glowed with a deep crimson hue, as if containing the flickers of a forgotten flame. His presence, though not yet in its prime, radiated an aura that bore witness to his once-mighty self.
He looked like a cultivator of ancient immortality, reborn from the ashes of time.
Though no longer at the pinnacle of his former strength, he had regained the vitality of a man in his forties. He was wise, experienced, yet strong of body and steady of soul.
Founder Jian stood in awe, gazing at his own hands, flexing them slowly.
His breath caught in his throat as he turned toward Igaris with reverence in his eyes.
"I... have no words," he said softly. "You are no ordinary human. No mere genius. You tread a path that touches divinity itself. To turn back the tide of age... even Martial gods struggle with such feats."
He placed a hand upon his own chest, feeling the steady thrum of life once more.
"This body... this breath... I owe it to you. If I remain by your side, I shall never know death again, shall I?"
Igaris did not speak. He merely looked on, calm and cold.
But Jian Longchen understood without words. The instinct within him whispered a silent warning.
Should he betray this young man, he would not simply die. He would cease to exist.
Every trace of his name would vanish from the Akashic Record itself.
That truth silenced any devilish thoughts that might have once lurked within him. He was naturally a sly old fox, but even he knew to make enemy of the young man.
As such, he fell to one knee and bowed deeply.
"I, Jian Longchen, Founder of Soaring Dragon Sect, hereby offer my service to you. From this day forth, I follow not the Sect, not the Empire, but you Lord Igaris. The Lord of Life and Death!"
A faint breeze stirred the dust around them.
And with it, destiny changed once more.