Raqin sat motionless in a lotus position within the dim chamber, his breathing calm yet heavy with pressure. Spiritual energy circulated slowly through his meridians as countless thoughts raced through his mind like a storm.
For the first time in both his current and previous life, his mind operated at an unprecedented speed.
Calculations.
Possibilities.
Risks.
Solutions.
Again and again, he simulated countless methods of breaking into the Fourth Level Mortal Realm.
Minutes passed.
Then hours.
Finally, Raqin opened his eyes slowly, a cold glint flickering within them.
"A normal breakthrough won't work…"
His voice echoed faintly.
To reach the Fourth Level Mortal Realm, he required something infused with spirituality — a heavenly treasure, beast core, spiritual herb, relic, or any item capable of nourishing both flesh and soul simultaneously.
Without external assistance, forcing a breakthrough would only damage his foundation.
Yet before he could continue planning, the outside world had already descended into catastrophe.
—
The Black Mountain Range had become a living hell.
The sudden emergence of the undead spread through nearby cities, villages, and sect territories like an unstoppable plague. Entire bloodlines vanished overnight. Streets became rivers of blood while desperate screams echoed beneath darkened skies.
The most terrifying part was not the slaughter itself.
It was what came after.
The dead did not remain dead.
Cultivators watched friends, brothers, lovers, and comrades rise moments after death, their flesh pale and rotting as empty eyes stared back at the living before lunging at them with maddened hunger.
Fear spread faster than the undead themselves.
Inside the mountain range, countless cultivators fought desperately to survive with their meager cultivation.
Everywhere one looked, there was chaos.
A disciple had his throat ripped apart beside his crying companions.
A wandering cultivator lost both arms before being devoured alive.
A mother begged for help while carrying her wounded child before the undead swarm buried them beneath countless corpses.
The entire Black Mountain Range had transformed into a slaughterhouse.
Meanwhile, seven figures moved swiftly through the forest under the cover of darkness.
The members of the Mollock Syndicate.
Despite their cultivation, fear was clearly visible on their faces.
Their clothes were stained with blood and dirt while their eyes remained vigilant of every movement around them.
The concealment pills given by their leader masked their living aura from the undead, allowing them to move undetected.
Otherwise…
They would have died long ago.
One of the members suddenly halted atop a rocky ridge.
"Boss… look over there."
The others narrowed their eyes toward the distance.
Several injured survivors were desperately fleeing toward a strangely formed tunnel hidden beneath the mountainside.
What happened next caused everyone's expressions to change.
The undead chasing them suddenly stopped near the tunnel entrance.
Then, as if restrained by an invisible force, they turned around and chased other prey instead.
The syndicate member swallowed hard.
"The undead… they're avoiding the tunnels."
Another member whispered nervously.
"Should we hide there too?"
The squad leader remained silent briefly before immediately changing direction toward the tunnel.
His eyes flickered with greed and exhaustion.
He was terrified of dying.
But he also knew this was an opportunity.
If he completed this mission successfully, the organization promised enough resources for him to finally break into the Qi Gathering Realm.
That realm had been his obsession for years.
Failure was not an option.
As more survivors discovered the strange phenomenon, rumors spread rapidly throughout the Black Mountain Range.
"The undead refuse to enter the tunnels!"
"There must be some protective formation inside!"
"No… this could be an inheritance ground!"
Driven by fear and greed, countless survivors flooded underground.
The tunnels stretched endlessly beneath the mountains like veins inside a giant corpse.
The deeper one traveled, the colder the air became.
An unnatural chill seeped into their bones.
Eventually…
They saw it.
A massive golden gate stood before them.
Ancient.
Majestic.
Covered in dark runic patterns that pulsed faintly like living veins beneath metal.
An invisible pressure radiated from the gate, causing many to instinctively hold their breath.
When the Mollock Syndicate arrived before the gate, their leader immediately pulled out a communication device.
A distorted voice echoed softly.
"Awaiting orders, Boss."
Almost instantly, Levi's calm voice sounded from the other side.
"How is the situation? Report everything in detail."
The squad leader quickly relayed all they had witnessed since entering the Black Mountain Range.
Silence followed.
Then Levi finally spoke.
"So… the vault has appeared."
The squad leader's eyes narrowed slightly.
Vault?
Levi continued calmly.
"Your orders are simple."
"Gather every valuable resource within."
"If something cannot be taken…"
"Destroy it."
A brief pause followed before his voice turned colder.
"And if possible…"
"Obtain ownership of the vault."
The surrounding members exchanged nervous glances.
However, Levi's next sentence caused the squad leader's expression to stiffen completely.
"If ownership cannot be obtained…"
"Then ensure no one else leaves alive."
Another pause.
Then—
"Including your own team if necessary."
The communication abruptly ended.
Silence filled the tunnel.
The squad leader lowered the device slowly while veins bulged across his clenched fists.
At that moment, he understood the truth.
To the organization…
They were disposable.
Still, he suppressed his emotions quickly and turned toward his subordinates.
"We proceed with the mission."
He calmly relayed Levi's instructions while hiding the final part concerning their deaths.
One of the members frowned.
"So boss… how do we eliminate the others?"
A cold smile appeared on the squad leader's face.
"You six will split up and move toward the tunnel entrances."
"When you arrive…"
"Ignite the feral beast incense and the aphrodisiac incense simultaneously."
The others immediately understood.
Cruel grins spread across their faces.
The squad leader looked back toward the countless survivors flooding underground.
"Then we sit back and watch the chaos."
—
Not long after, disaster erupted.
Deep beastly roars suddenly echoed throughout the tunnels.
The crowded survivors froze in fear.
Then chaos exploded.
Boom!
Massive berserk beasts charged through the tunnels with bloodshot eyes, tearing through people like wild monsters possessed by madness.
Screams instantly filled the underground passages.
"Run!"
"AHHHHH!"
"My arm—!"
Blood splattered across stone walls while bodies were ripped apart mercilessly.
The scent of the incense had completely driven the beasts insane.
They attacked everything in sight.
Even their own kind.
One elderly cultivator's face turned pale as he smelled the lingering scent in the air.
"Feral beast incense…"
"And aphrodisiac incense…"
His pupils trembled violently.
"Which bastard orchestrated this?!"
Another cultivator gritted his teeth.
"Someone wants the inheritance for themselves!"
As the massacre intensified, survivors desperately rushed toward the giant golden gates.
Some noticed a slight opening between the doors and immediately squeezed inside without hesitation.
Even death behind the gates felt safer than the madness outside.
The Mollock Syndicate also moved quickly toward the gate.
Behind them, the tunnels had become rivers of flesh and blood.
Oddly enough…
Despite their madness, the berserk beasts never crossed the golden gates.
It was as if they feared something beyond them.
—
After stepping through the gate, everyone found themselves inside a massive black palace.
The structure towered endlessly upward like an ancient monument built for gods rather than mortals.
At the center stood an enormous staircase leading toward the upper floors.
An oppressive aura filled the surroundings.
Nobody dared to move first.
Everyone watched one another cautiously.
Finally, a thin man with greedy eyes rushed forward.
"I'll take the inheritance first!"
He stepped onto the staircase confidently.
The moment his foot landed—
His expression changed drastically.
"My cultivation…!"
Panic appeared in his voice.
"It's sealed!"
He climbed another step.
Then another.
Soon, his face turned pale.
"My strength… it's disappearing…"
Everyone's expressions shifted instantly.
A middle-aged cultivator narrowed his eyes.
"The stairs suppress cultivation."
"Everyone starts equally here."
One by one, people began climbing cautiously.
Soon, they discovered something strange.
Although cultivation was sealed, physique and body foundation still mattered.
Those with stronger physiques climbed easier and faster.
When the Mollock Syndicate began climbing, their superiority became immediately obvious.
They moved far faster than ordinary cultivators.
"Who are those people?"
"How are they climbing so quickly?"
The others stared with shock and envy.
The syndicate members sneered inwardly.
Every one of them possessed physiques comparable to Second Level Mortal Realm cultivators.
Their leader's physique was even comparable to the Third Level Mortal Realm.
Naturally, they possessed a massive advantage.
However…
As everyone climbed higher, the staircase revealed even stranger abnormalities.
After reaching halfway, the climbers suddenly became separated individually.
The surrounding figures vanished entirely.
Each person found themselves alone.
An eerie silence swallowed everything.
Some panicked immediately and tried retreating down the stairs.
But the instant they turned around—
Black mist erupted from the staircase beneath them.
"NO—!"
Their screams lasted only moments before their bodies were devoured completely.
Not even bones remained.
Those below witnessed the horrifying scene and instantly froze in terror.
The staircase had become a point of no return.
Fear spread rapidly.
Some immediately abandoned the idea of climbing.
But before anyone could escape—
SLAM!
The giant golden gates suddenly shut closed.
The entire palace trembled violently.
Then black mist began pouring from every corner of the hall like living darkness.
Those nearest the gates were swallowed instantly.
Their flesh dissolved into nothingness.
Panic exploded.
"RUN!"
"Climb the stairs!"
"Move!"
The survivors had no choice anymore.
To stand still meant death.
To retreat meant death.
The only path left…
Was forward.
Some collapsed midway due to exhaustion and injuries suffered during the undead outbreak.
Others climbed while coughing blood.
Those with weaker physiques eventually reached their limits completely.
The moment they stopped moving—
The staircase beneath them began absorbing their bodies slowly.
Screams echoed endlessly throughout the palace as flesh and blood vanished into the ancient black stairs.
Above them all…
The endless staircase continued upward into darkness.
Like the maw of some ancient monster waiting patiently for its prey.