"Target in sight, Elder," a scout reported, his voice trembling with a mix of awe and predatory hunger.

Elder Xuan Ni stood on the bridge of the Invictus, a colossal warship spanning dozens of kilometers. Beside it, dozens of smaller escort vessels swarmed like metallic hornets. Driven by ancient runes and spiritual engines, the fleet hovered in the high atmosphere, casting a shadow that swallowed the clouds.

Below them, the massive shimmering dome that had hidden Ethan’s world for eons was finally visible.

"So, this is the place," Xuan Ni mused, his eyes narrowing. "Strange. It sits right on the edge of our territorial waters. Why was it never detected?"

Beside him, an expert in runic formations known as the Venerable Open Sky extended his withered hands, weaving complex patterns in the air. After a moment, he spoke. "The concealment matrix is damaged. If it weren’t for that decay, it would remain invisible to us."

"Is it that powerful?" Xuan Ni asked. "I can see it now, but I still can’t sense its presence."

"It is ancient and terrifyingly complex," Open Sky replied. "In its prime, not even the Great King could have scratched it. I certainly have no hope of breaking it through finesse. But it is a dying formation now. Its energy is leaking."

"Then what? Do we go back empty-handed?"

"I said we couldn’t break it with finesse," the Venerable smirked. "But a dying wall can still be kicked down. Prepare the Spiritual Cannons. I have the coordinates for the structural weak points. Order the escort fleet to attack in sequence."

In the distance, atop his spire, Ethan watched as the sky itself began to spark.

The smaller ships fired first. The dome groaned, its semi-invisibility flickering like a dying lightbulb. For the first time in history, the outsiders saw the truth: lush green land, sprawling cities, and a terrified civilization beneath the veil.

"Vast territory," Xuan Ni remarked. "To hide an entire island for thousands of years... the creator must have been a monster. How did we find this again?"

"The Young Master’s distress signal was linked to our sect’s internal matrix. Without those coordinates, we would have sailed right past it."

"The Invictus is ready, Elder," a subordinate shouted.

"Good. Open Sky, give the word."

"Fire!"

BOOOOMMMM...!!!!

An explosion that made the very tectonic plates of the earth shift resonated across the world. Thirty-seven spiritual blasts from the escort ships struck in rapid succession, followed immediately by the Invictus’s main cannon—a beam of concentrated crimson energy that tore through the heavens.

The dome shattered. A massive hole, miles wide, opened in the sky. To the millions below, it looked as if the firmament itself was being peeled away.

"Go! Activate the portal NOW!" Ethan screamed, his voice raw.

The evacuation was in its final, frantic stage. The Great Matrix was packed with thousands of vehicles, crates of food, and the 100,000 Chosen. The energy systems were screaming at 110% capacity, but Ethan’s heart was sinking. If the enemy detected the massive spatial pulse of their teleportation, they would fire. If the portal node was destroyed while they were mid-jump in the void, they would be erased from existence.

The enemy ship was moving at an impossible speed—surpassing Mach 10—heading straight for the coordinates where Su Ni had been intercepted.

Suddenly, a blur of dark mist appeared beside Ethan. It was Matriarch Blackwood, her face paler than he had ever seen it.

"Ethan, you have to leave! It’s the Crimson Sect! They’ve come for your head!"

"Anne, are you sure?"

"Look at the sails, you fool!" she pointed upward. "That logo—it’s the same one from the armor of the men you killed. They didn’t come to explore. They came for blood!"

Ethan’s last shred of hope withered. The Invictus was a nightmare made of wood and iron. If they sensed the portal’s activation, that main cannon would turn his 100,000 survivors into ash before the jump even began.

"Crul," Ethan growled, the purple void energy erupting from his body in a violent aura. "Is the portal ready?"

[92% stability, Master. If we jump now, we risk a 40% casualty rate during transit.]

"We stay, we have a 100% casualty rate," Ethan spat, looking at the looming warship. "Initiate the sequence. I’ll buy you the time."

Ethan launched himself into the sky, a violet streak of defiance against the dying sun, but he skidded to a halt mid-air. Above him, the colossal Invictus didn’t descend; it hung in the atmosphere like a silent, predatory god. Its bay doors groaned open, and dozens of escort ships—each five hundred meters of reinforced crimson wood and runic steel—dived toward the surface like hawks.

From the decks of the descending fleet, voices amplified by spiritual arrays boomed across the continents, rattling the windows of every surviving city.

"PEOPLE OF THE ISLAND! SURRENDER THE KILLER OF YOUNG MASTER SU NI IMMEDIATELY OR FACE TOTAL EXTERMINATION!"

The warning Ethan had broadcast years ago was being validated in the most brutal way possible. The world knew these beings were gods compared to them, but even a cornered rat will bite. As the first escort ship reached the clouds, it didn’t wait for a response. It opened fire.

A beam of concentrated fire-elemental energy struck a coastal metropolis. In a heartbeat, skyscrapers that had stood for a century were reduced to molten slag and scorched earth. There was no negotiation. There was no investigation. The Crimson Sect hadn’t come to conquer; they had come to harvest souls.

Groups of civilians who had been ready to wave white flags and swear eternal loyalty realized with horror that their submission meant nothing. The invaders weren’t looking for subjects—they were looking for a graveyard.

"They aren’t stopping!" a soldier screamed from a Royal defensive battery. "They’re just leveling everything!" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Fight!" another roared, firing a desperate volley of laser fire that dissipated harmlessly against the escort ship’s runic shields. "Fight or die like dogs!"

War erupted across the globe in an instant. It was a one-sided massacre. The 500-meter ships glided over the ruins, their cannons methodically turning cities into charred craters. The "peace" Ethan had maintained for five years was shredded in ten minutes.

Ethan watched from the sky, his teeth bared in a snarl. He looked down at the Royal Citadel, where the 100,000 were still funneling into the portal. The massive spiritual signature of the Hail Mary was becoming impossible to hide. It was a beacon in the darkness, and the Invictus was already beginning to turn its massive prow toward the Citadel.

"Crul! How much longer?" Ethan roared over the sound of a nearby city exploding.

[120 seconds until the jump window is viable, Master! But the Invictus has locked onto our energy signature. Their main cannon is recharging!]

Ethan looked at the crimson monster in the sky and then at his people below. He wasn’t a hero, but these were his people. His property. And no one destroyed what belonged to the King of the Void.

"Anne!" Ethan shouted, looking at the Matriarch who was still hovering nearby. "Take the lead of the defense! I’m going to give that big bastard something else to think about!"

Without waiting for an answer, Ethan’s aura exploded. The Void Nightmare manifestation behind him grew to a size that rivaled the escort ships. He didn’t fly toward the invaders—he vanished into a spatial fold, reappearing directly in the path of the Invictus.

--------------------

From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.

Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.

Body Refinement Realm

Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement

Spiritual Gathering Realm

Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation

Spiritual Core Realm

Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)

Spiritual Soul Realm

Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion

Golden Core Realm

Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction

Spiritual Sea Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Dao Manifestation Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Spiritual Transcendence

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??