"Stonehaven. Come."

After giving Marcus a brief explanation of the First Emperor’s Tomb, Liam turned and led him deeper into the hidden domain. They walked through endless ranks of stone soldiers, passing row after row of silent warriors frozen in eternal formation. The air felt heavy, almost reverent, as though even sound itself hesitated to disturb the ancient army standing guard.

Eventually they reached the northern edge of the formation.

There, an enormous yellow mystic turtle towered before them, its body rising more than a hundred meters into the air. The statue looked less like carved stone and more like condensed history itself, massive and ancient, its shell etched with complex runes that pulsed faintly with earth energy. Beneath it, a swirling yellow vortex rotated slowly, emitting a steady hum that vibrated through the ground.

An entrance.

"So what’s my trial?" Marcus asked, already cracking his knuckles and rolling up his sleeves as if preparing for a heist. His eyes gleamed with unmistakable excitement. "We going into the tomb?"

In his mind, treasure chests were already opening one after another.

’Hope Liam hasn’t looted everything already.’

"Going into the First Emperor’s Tomb?" Liam repeated, giving Marcus a look that mixed amusement with faint pity.

"According to ancient records," Liam began calmly, "the First Emperor unified humanity and conquered the Dreamland Continent in the tenth year of his reign. That same year, he ordered construction of his tomb. The project lasted five hundred and fifty years. It was completed fifty years before his death, during the five hundred and sixtieth year of his rule."

He paused deliberately, letting the scale of that history settle.

"That tomb is not a dungeon you casually walk into. It is filled with lethal traps, shifting labyrinths capable of trapping intruders forever, guardian monsters ranging from level ninety to one hundred, entire battalions of animated stone soldiers, and several Divine Beasts powerful enough to erase anyone who dares step inside."

Liam pointed back toward the vast formation they had just crossed.

"The true entrance to the First Emperor’s Tomb lies within that army. And for thousands of years, no one has opened it. Five thousand years ago, the five founding grand sorcerers of the Dragon Dynasty, masters who had already stepped onto the Divine Path, attempted to break the seal together."

He shook his head.

"They failed."

Marcus blinked.

"Entering the First Emperor’s Tomb?" Liam added. "That’s a dream people whisper about. Nothing more."

Marcus scratched his head and turned back toward the glowing vortex beneath the giant turtle.

"...Then what exactly is this entrance? If the main tomb is sealed, why does this thing look so inviting?" he asked.

Liam gestured toward the vortex.

"This is the entrance to the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb. One of the Four Spirits’ Guard."

"The Four Spirits’ Guard?"

"The First Emperor did not conquer the world alone," Liam explained. "He fought alongside allies known as the Four Spirits of Heaven and Earth. Without them, humanity would never have survived that era."

Marcus felt his curiosity spike. The deeper they went, the richer the lore became.

"The Four Spirits were Divine Beasts possessing limitless power," Liam continued. "Evil spirits feared them. Demons fled from them. The Eastern Spirit, the Azure Dragon, represented life and renewal. The Western Spirit, the White Tiger, devoured demons and warred endlessly against darkness. The Southern Spirit, the Vermilion Bird, embodied destruction and rebirth. And the Northern Spirit, the Mystic Turtle, served as guardian of the earth itself."

He swept his hand across the surroundings.

"Because of their strength and loyalty to humanity, they became known collectively as the Four Spirits of Heaven and Earth. Many legendary beasts across the Dreamland Continent trace their bloodlines back to them."

Liam’s voice lowered slightly.

"But during the ancient wars against demons, ghosts, arcane beasts, and the Primal Behemoths, the Four Spirits exhausted too much of their power. In the First Emperor’s three hundred and thirty-third year of rule, they faded from existence, dissolving back into the elements."

He nodded toward the massive statues surrounding the tomb.

"To honor them, the First Emperor constructed four sacred tombs around his own resting place. Together, they form the Four Spirits’ Guard."

Marcus turned slowly, finally noticing the full arrangement.

To the east stood a colossal dragon statue coiled toward the sky. To the south, a blazing bird spread stone wings wide. To the west, a towering tiger crouched in silent vigilance.

Each monument rivaled the Mystic Turtle in size and presence.

"So... anyone can just walk into these tombs?" Marcus asked cautiously.

Liam snorted. "Throw a rock in and find out."

Marcus immediately suspected a trap. "Sanctuary Covenant."

He summoned Pebble, his temple guardian, and pointed dramatically toward the vortex. The creature charged forward with heroic enthusiasm.

BOOM.

Mid-charge, Pebble froze into a solid stone block. A split second later, the spinning yellow light erupted into motion.

Shing. Shing. Shing.

The vortex shredded the stone into fine dust.

"...Damn." Marcus winced sympathetically.

Liam sighed. "With my current strength, I could probably escape alive if I forced my way in. But breaking into the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb without the proper method? That’s Impossible."

So the First Emperor’s Tomb was sealed and the Four Spirits’ tombs were sealed. Marcus crossed his arms, increasingly confused.

Then Liam reached into his pack and pulled out a glowing yellow gem. The crystal radiated dense earth energy, its surface shimmering with faint golden light.

Marcus’s eyes widened instantly.

"Stonehaven," Liam said, holding it carefully, "this is a Four Spirits’ Tear. The Mystic Turtle’s Tear."

"A... Four Spirits’ Tear?"

"The Four Spirits foresaw their disappearance," Liam explained quietly. "Before fading from the world, each shed a single tear. The Azure Dragon’s Tear, the White Tiger’s Tear, the Vermilion Bird’s Tear, and this one, the Mystic Turtle’s Tear. Together, they are known as the Four Spirits’ Tears."

His voice softened with memory.

"Ten years ago, I discovered this tear inside a hidden cave, along with a treasure map. The map described how to cross the Golden Dragon Divine Sky Formation and locate the Four Spirits’ tombs. That is how I found this place."

He lifted the gem slightly, watching Marcus’s barely concealed excitement.

"The rule is simple. Whoever possesses a Spirit Tear may enter the corresponding tomb. This tear opens the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb."

Marcus leaned closer. "You’ve already been inside?"

"Ten years ago," Liam replied. "I reached the fifth level. Then I encountered a massive sealed door. I couldn’t find the key to open it, so I was forced to retreat."

"What’s it like inside?" Marcus asked quickly. "Traps? Boss monsters? Treasure?"

For a moment Liam looked ready to answer, then he stopped himself.

"...That," he said at last, "is something you’ll have to discover on your own." He extended his hand and placed the glowing gem into Marcus’s palm.

"I’m sending you into the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb, Stonehaven," Liam said firmly. "Complete two tasks and prove your strength."