Arrival at the Skypierce Realm

The moment Lee Haeun stepped through the veil of light, the Mortal Realm vanished behind him like a dying ember, and silence took its place. The transition had no fanfare—no thunder, no tremor, no trumpet of the gods. Just a soft pulse… and then the breathless still.

Then he opened his eyes.

The sky above was not blue—it was layered, like ripples of silk painted with galaxies. A thousand constellations shimmered faintly even in daylight, locked in slow orbit around a massive, golden ring floating in the heavens. It was not the sun, yet it radiated warmth and judgment alike.

Below him stretched an endless range of floating islands suspended in the air by glowing ley lines, like veins of spirit energy pumping life into an entire dimension. Each island was a world of its own—some teeming with life, others cracked and ruined, some shrouded in fog, and a few wrapped in colossal chains that led into the void beyond.

This was not the Mortal Realm.This was Skypierce—the first step into the Middle Realm.

And Haeun could feel it.

The air here was denser, not with weight but with pressure—cosmic pressure that made even his enlightened, post-battle body feel like it had stepped back into infancy. His breathing slowed. His blood vibrated with each inhale. Even his spiritual core, the one reforged during his final fight with the Demon God, trembled like a leaf in a divine storm.

So this is what real power tastes like.

He took a knee.

The ground below was crystal, hard and radiant, pulsing softly like the beat of a heart. It wasn't natural, but forged—by someone or something far beyond mortal comprehension. As he planted his hand to steady himself, a sigil flared beneath his palm: an ancient rune in a language he didn't understand.

Suddenly, the island shuddered.

A pulse echoed through the ley lines. And then—a voice.

"New arrival confirmed. Mortal origin: verified. Divinity level: Zero. Compatibility: Pending."

It was mechanical, emotionless, and vast. The voice of the realm itself. A judgment.

"Recommendation: Redirect to Pilgrimage Grounds. Gate opening in ten… nine…"

Pilgrimage Grounds?

He didn't get to ask. A light enveloped him again.

The Pilgrimage Grounds – Outer Edge of the Middle Realm

The new location was far more grounded—literally. Haeun stood on solid stone surrounded by open sky, yet the horizon showed peaks of mountains and flickers of divine palaces in the distance. In the center stood a massive obelisk, surrounded by countless stone platforms—hundreds, maybe thousands—each floating independently, connected by glowing walkways of light.

This was no welcome center.

It was a test.

And he wasn't alone.

Across other platforms stood figures—some cloaked, some armored, others bare-chested or robed—but all powerful. He could feel their auras. Each one burned like a star, some colder than others, but all beyond what he had ever faced.

A sharp clang rang out—someone had landed beside him.

She was young—or at least appeared that way—her white hair braided and her eyes silver like moonlight. But her aura screamed centuries. She didn't look at him, simply muttered:

"Another Mortal? Hmph. Let's see how long you last."

Then she vanished in a blink, teleporting to a higher platform.

Trial of Entry Begins

A divine glyph flared above the obelisk.

"Welcome, Pilgrims of the Outer Gate. You stand before the Skypierce Trial—first test of the Celestial Pilgrimage. Those unworthy shall fall. Those prepared shall rise. Those chosen... shall ascend."

A wave of force erupted from the obelisk—blunt and overwhelming. The weaker cultivators screamed as platforms shattered and dropped them into the clouded abyss below.

Haeun held his ground, barely.

This realm doesn't play fair.

But he didn't flinch. His soul flared. The memory of the Demon God, the death of his sect, the betrayal of Murim's elite—all burned within him like coals. His core spun, his dantian blazing with chaotic harmony.

And the force paused.

Then a glyph floated toward him, a symbol etched in golden fire. It hovered, waiting.

"You may proceed."

He grabbed it.

The moment he touched the glyph, his vision blurred. When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer at the Pilgrimage Grounds.

Welcome to Dawnforge Academy

He now stood on the steps of a grand temple—crafted from jade and obsidian, stretching high into the clouds, its pillars wrapped with glowing runes. A large sigil hung above the entrance: Dawnforge Academy.

Waiting at the base of the stairs was a tall man with violet eyes and a long robe lined with stars. His aura was calm, but endless—like standing before the night sky itself.

"Lee Haeun. You've been acknowledged by the Skypierce Realm.""You will now walk the path of true cultivation. Welcome to Dawnforge.""You are no longer a mortal. But you are far from divine."

Haeun took a breath.

Everything in his past—Murim, his brother Haneul, Jin Haru, the bloodshed, the rise—had led to this.

Now, he would walk among gods.

And he wouldn't bow to any of them.