Ultimate Magus in Cultivation World

The storm of light and runes kept raging, cutting down anyone too weak or too slow. Across the plain, disciples screamed as glowing fragments tore through flesh and bone. Protective treasures shattered one after another, spirit beasts cried out in pain, and even the great banners were ripped apart.

The fight had already started before a single weapon even clashed.

Haiyun's sword moved constantly, each swing sending out sharp arcs of sword qi that blocked the incoming fragments. His movements were steady and controlled, careful not to waste strength but also not giving any ground.

Elder Lin spread out his formation further. Layers of glowing symbols hung in the air, catching the falling shards and breaking them apart. Sweat covered his forehead, but his expression stayed calm. His eyes glowed faintly, runes flickering inside them.

Tian Lei did not fight back at all. He didn't even bother to defend himself. Instead, he kept observing everything. When a glowing shard of a rune came near him, he reached out his hand. The fragment suddenly stopped in midair before breaking down into harmless sparks of light that vanished in his palm. Each time this happened, his expression didn't change, but his eyes grew sharper, as if he was understanding something deeper with every moment.

Haiyun cut apart a dangerous shard that flew close to Tian Lei. He frowned. "If you keep staring like that, brat, you'll get yourself killed one day!"

Tian Lei answered in a calm, flat tone.

"If death can teach something, then even it is worth learning from."

Haiyun gave a short laugh in the middle of the storm. "Hah! Then make sure you're the one giving the lesson, not the one receiving it!"

All around them, the chaos grew worse. Disciples from the other Divine Lands were being forced to fight against the storm as well. Some were cut down, while others resisted with their own skills. Shouts rang out as protective formations were activated, talismans lit up, and treasures flared to life like stars.

Then it happened—

The distortion in the distance twisted violently. Out of the collapsing barrier, a massive gate formed from light. It was covered in moving runes that released waves of power into the air. Though cracks ran across its surface and it looked unstable, it still stood tall, and inside it was nothing but endless space, glowing and dark at the same time.

Elder Lin's voice carried over the noise, calm but heavy with meaning.

"The gate to the Myriad Sect's ruins has opened."

Haiyun's hand tightened around his sword, his eyes shining with eagerness.

"Good. Now the real battle begins."

Tian Lei rose to his feet. His gaze fixed firmly on the glowing gate. This time he wasn't just watching or studying—it was different. His eyes narrowed, showing that this was the moment he had been waiting for all along.

The storm was only the start.

The gate pulsed with unstable light, and the pressure rolling off it pressed down on the entire plain. Disciples staggered under the weight, some coughing blood as their spiritual defenses cracked.

A voice rang out from the opposite camp, sharp and commanding.

"Forward! The Divine Thunder Alliance will not fall behind!"

A group of disciples shot into the air, their formation master guiding them with glowing seals that wrapped around their bodies like armor. They rushed toward the gate, talismans blazing.

Another sect was quick to follow, their leader shouting, "Open the path! The Starfire Pavilion claims the ruins first!"

The sky filled with flying figures, treasures, and battle cries as groups from each Divine Land surged forward. Alliances formed in an instant, only to break apart the next heartbeat as rival factions clashed midair.

Haiyun smirked, sword already half drawn. "See that, brat? Once the gate opens, it's not the ruins that kill people first—it's greed."

Elder Lin remained steady, his fingers weaving symbols in the air, analyzing the runes on the gate. "The Myriad Sect didn't leave this entrance unguarded. The gate itself is a formation, and only those who can withstand its trial will pass through alive. The rest…" His eyes hardened. "…will feed the seal with their corpses."

As if answering his words, the gate shuddered. From its cracks burst streams of light that twisted into shapes—beasts made of runes, roaring as they charged at the disciples trying to enter. Screams filled the air again as the first wave was torn apart.

Haiyun's sword sang free of its sheath. His qi surged, sharp and unrestrained. "Finally, something worth cutting."

Elder Lin's voice sharpened. "Stay close. If you break formation, the gate's backlash will crush you!"

But Tian Lei was already moving forward. His steps were slow, deliberate, like he was walking into a lecture hall instead of a battlefield. His eyes reflected the rune beasts, tracing their patterns as they lunged.

Haiyun barked at him, "Brat! Don't get ahead of yourself—"

Yet before one of the beasts could even reach him, Tian Lei raised a hand. His fingers traced a single line in the air. The rune beast froze mid-charge, its glowing body unraveling into streams of harmless light.

Elder Lin's brows rose slightly. His lips curved into the faintest smile.

"…So. He really is learning."

Around them, the chaos of countless Divine Lands trying to force their way in only grew worse. Blood, light, and shattered talismans painted the battlefield as the gate continued to test every challenger.

Haiyun exhaled sharply, eyes blazing as he lifted his sword to his shoulder.

"Fine then. Brat, elder, let's carve our way in. The ruins won't wait forever."

And together, they stepped toward the storm of runes and death at the Myriad Sect's gate.

The battlefield at the gate turned into chaos. Every moment, new rune beasts surged out, their bodies glowing with unstable light, each one different in size and form. Some were shaped like wolves, others like serpents or birds, but all carried the same deadly sharpness that cut through both flesh and spirit.

Disciples from the Divine Lands fought with everything they had. Swords clashed, talismans burst like firecrackers, and treasures burned bright before shattering in the storm. For every beast cut down, another was born from the cracks in the gate, stronger and faster than the last.

Haiyun charged first, his sword qi bursting in sharp waves that cleaved through two rune wolves at once. "Stay close to me! If you're split apart, you're dead!" His blade moved in wide arcs, every strike clean and efficient, leaving no wasted motion.

Elder Lin followed behind, fingers flashing as he layered protective symbols around their group. Each array caught fragments of light and redirected them outward like blades. His voice was low, but firm. "Don't lose your rhythm. The gate feeds on chaos. Keep your steps steady."

Tian Lei walked between them, calm as ever. Where Haiyun fought with force and Elder Lin with control, Tian Lei moved with observation. When a serpent-shaped rune beast lunged at him, he didn't dodge. He simply traced his finger through the air, marking the weak point in its body. The beast unraveled instantly, breaking down into sparks that drifted into nothing.

Haiyun clicked his tongue. "You're still treating this like a lecture, brat. At least swing a sword once in a while!"

But Tian Lei's eyes never left the gate. His voice was steady, almost distant. "The sword cuts the beast. But if you know the rune, you don't need the sword."

"Che," Haiyun spat, splitting apart another beast in two strokes, "say that again when one of them takes your head."

The closer they moved toward the gate, the heavier the pressure became. The ground cracked under each step, and weaker disciples from other sects screamed as they were forced to their knees. Some were crushed outright, their bodies bursting into mist before they even touched the gate.

Still, more groups pushed forward, desperate to be the first inside. The air was filled with shouts:

"Break through!"

"Don't stop, the ruins are ours!"

"Kill anyone who stands in the way!"

The sound of greed, fear, and ambition mixed with the roars of the rune beasts, making it impossible to tell where battle ended and slaughter began.

At last, Elder Lin's voice cut through the chaos. "There—the center of the gate! That's where the formation's core is weakest. If we reach it, we can pass through."

Haiyun grinned, his sword glowing with condensed qi. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's tear it open!"

Tian Lei's eyes sharpened as he lifted his hand once more. For the first time, instead of breaking a rune beast apart, he traced a series of marks in the air. The fragments of light from the beasts around him shifted, bending instead of vanishing, forming faint lines that pulsed in rhythm with the gate itself.

Elder Lin's eyes widened slightly, realization flashing through him. "He's… rewriting the runes."

Haiyun barked out a laugh even as he cleaved another beast in two. "Hah! Brat, if you can pull that off, maybe we won't just enter—we'll control the damn gate itself!"

The gate shook violently, runes bursting like sparks from a forge. The trial was reaching its peak.

And in the middle of the chaos, the three of them pressed forward, carving their way step by step toward the glowing entrance of the Myriad Sect's ruins.