Over a land that looked like it had experienced countless deaths was a ship that was heading toward a destroyed mountain that was hundreds of thousands of miles away. Inside of the ship was rather plain interior all it had was a table and chairs. As well as a rather plain carpet.
Sitting around the table were three individuals drinking tea. One kept his appearance completely covered with a black robe with only a kirin mask being displayed. His aura was concealed as if it was being held back by the black robe.
The other was a young man with a very handsome appearance. He had long black hair, sword like eyebrows, and brown eyes with white pupils. He was wearing a white robe and had black bracers around his wrist. His name was Han Huo to his friends while those who didn't know him called him Moon Spear Saint Lord.
The final person was a middle age man. He wore a golden armor and his hair was black with streaks of grey. His looks were extraordinarily ordinary and he had black eyes that held a sense of tiredness in them. This could be a cause of the great burden laid on him by the empire to guard the empyrean door. This man was known far and wide as General Yuan Peng.
Pang Yuan took a sip of tea as he observed the odd duo. He was keenly studying the young man as if he was a unique specimen that was newly discovered in the world. A slight admiration grew at the fact that Han Huo was so young, yet his cultivation was so deep that he couldn't help mumble out loud. "It seems like having talent defiantly makes the martial path easier."
Han Huo looked up from his tea cup and stared at Pang Yuan. "Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy. Do not presume that I have not poured blood, sweat, and tears to get where I am today. Talent can only carry an individual so far on this path. After all your a man of war, how many have you seen fall from the sky that the world had put them in?' He continued staring at Pang Yuan for a little longer. Finally turning back to his tea and taking a sip
"Everyone has talents general, its just finding them. My talent doesn't lay with the martial way. In fact I would consider my talent to be in hard work and perseverance. When I broke through the phenomenon realm do you know what my reaction with the heavens was?" A bit of frustration crept into his voice as he looked at the bearer this time. Upon being looked at he lifted his head and shook it.
Smiling Han Huo said. "All I caused was the calming wind effect."
Pang Yuan stood up quickly spilling tea every where and shouted. "That impossible that level of effect in any place is considered the lowest! It shows that you are not even suited to practice martial arts and that giving you resources would be the equivalent of throwing them in the garbage." He stood there breathing heavily as if he had just said everything in a single breath. After a moment he seemed to regain his bearing as he quickly waved his hand and cleaned up the tea and sat down. "Forgive me, I forgot myself there for a moment." Said Pang Yuan Embarrassingly.
"Why do you bear the name Han then? From what i know is that anyone who has that name and yet no talent is cased out of the main family and given the branch family name of Jiang." Pang Yuan looked curiously at Han Huo. "Not only that but you reached your level of strength pretty much with nothing."
"I bore that name for a long time till i broke through a three thousand years ago. The following three hundred years were probably the most ammusing time of my life so far." Laughed Han Huo. "The family sent all sorts of letters, representatives and they even sent my own parents. Begging me to as 'they say reunite with the Han family'. This one is my favorite they said they were doing it as a test ha! They thought I must have been really unhappy being apart of the Jiang branch." Han Huo continued chuckling as he sipped is tea with a renewed vigor.
"You said it took them three hundred years to take you back? Why so long?" The bearer asked in a tone that was surprisingly warm as though even he was laughing.
"Well, I requested a personal apology from the Head of the disciplinary force. Obviously he refused for quite some time. It wasn't until I broke through to Saint Lord that the clan head personally stepped in." Replied Han Huo. "Oh was his face twisted with such anger as he spoke every word."
As they were speaking they had finally reached the mountain. Pang Yuan looked at the mountain and pointed at a cave that was located where the mountain was split. "The entrance is over there in that cave." Said Pang Yuan.
"How did you mange to find such a secluded place?" Said the Bearer as he used his divine will to try and pierce the secluded space.
"It was a scouting party that discovered it. I have scouts always traveling the area when they felt the space realize all its unstable energy. They thought that it would be bright idea to look around real quick before reporting to me." said Pang Yuan as his eyes squinted at the entrance of the cave.
"Where are they? I would like to ask them of their experience. And to know what the original state of the place was." Said Han Huo as the ship slowly descended to very front of the cave. The three men took a step forward as they vanished and appearing on the ledge of the cave.
Pang Yuan seemed to grow a little nervous as he took a step forward and said. "Well unless you understand the laws of life and death. I won't stop you from asking them. If not however then I regret to say that is impossible. Due to their low cultivation level the couldn't survive the spatial turbulence that they experienced in the passage way with out some sort of protection."
"Well then, how did you find out about this exact location then?" Han Huo looked curiously at Pang Yuan as they continued to walk further into the cave.
"I have everyone in my army maintain a soul tablet. When they go out on missions the hand in their tablets. Which is then monitored by several of my advisers." They finally reached the end of the cave and ran into a chasm that seemed to have no bottom.
"What an amazing array you have set up! I must admit a part of me was wondering why you didn't have any guards posted." Exclaimed Han Huo as he looked down the chasm, with admiration written on his face. "The shadow dragging array, anyone who can't either crack the array or is an enemy would be pierced by shadow threads. Following which they would be dismembered and their limbs would be dragged into the shadows. How did you acquire it I thought the array was lost during the cultist wars."
Pang Yuan produce three plain wooden tokens with a runes carved into and passed it around. "I managed to have a bit of luck when I was younger. I actually manage to stumble upon a distant branch of the cult of hedonism. In their dao tower I found a jade slip explaining how to make it." Said Pang Yuan turning back and walking to the center of the chasm.
"You could've been a very rich man general had you took the time to sell this array. Many sects, clans kingdoms, and even the fell families would pay a rather handsome price." Said the bearer with a strong hint of excitement in his voice. Following Pang Yuan to the center all three of them looked below their feet and descended into the shadows. Shockingly enough however instead of just slowly fading from sight. They disappeared instantly causing a ripple of waves on the surface.
On the other side the three reappeared stepping into an area that surprisingly was full of life nothing like outside. They were surrounded by trees that extended hundreds of meters into the air. On the tree leaves if one looked closely they could see a light blue drop of liquid. "Amazing! the yuan qi here is so thick that it has liquefy. To cultivate in here would usually be twice the speed half the effort." Exclaimed Han Huo excitedly which quickly switched to disappointment. "To bad its highly volatile. If anyone of the lower realms took in one drop of this without caution they'll be dead."
"Lets keep moving I'm certain the next part would be more exciting for you." Laughed Pang Yuan as he leapt up above the trees and pointed toward the center.
Both Han Huo and the bearer looked at each other excitement clearly visible in their eyes. Finally jumping up and over the trees looking in the direction that the general was pointing at. Slowly the excitement in their eyes went to shock.
For what they were looking at was a massive fortress so big that it seemed the end was no where insight. But the shock didn't come from the fortress itself, but the flags that were on the towers waving in the light breeze. The flags themselves were tattered from age and experiencing the elements. Obviously this alone was not the reason for it was the symbol that was the flag bore.
On the Flag was a oni wielding a blood red scythe in his right hand sitting on a decorated throne. He had a smile on his face and his teeth were decorated with rubies. Despite the years this part shined as if brand new. Han Huo abruptly turned around a seized Pang Yuan by the arm. If one listened closely the could hear the bones groaning under the pressure "Is the dao repository still intact?!" Shouted Han Huo.
"The whole fortress is still intact. None of us that has been present has had sufficient strength to break through the array that has been left on it. Even though its been hundreds of millions of years since the merging war. The array still attains about fifty percent of its original strength. The only people capable of breaking through by themselves unless their cultivation is at the saint emperor level, or we have multiple saint lords like yourself." groaned Pang Yuan as he tried to retrieve his arm.
Han Huo came to a realization of him displaying his strength. Quickly letting go of his arm "I apologize I didn't mean to lose my bearing. Its just the shock of finding the lost fortress of the demon king Redfang." apologized Han Huo as he did a quick bow.
"No one can blame you for this." said the bearer as he continued to study the fort. "After all we have long since been told that the crimes of Redfang was so atrocious. That when Sacred Time Saint Empyrean, Sundering Void Saint Empyrean and their armies came across the fortress. Seeing the crimes having been committed here. As well as upon seeing their sons and daughters strung up on the battlements. In their anger they decided to completely destroy the place with out even searching the place. They separated it from space and time so no one can come and worship it."
"Yes, because of that many consider them fools. As well as say that it is their fault that we have lost so much of our history" sadness was in is voice as Pang Yuan said this.
"This would help humanity completely recover after all these years." said Pang Yuan as he looked at the other two. "This is something we really need. Its also why i demanded the utmost secrecy when I sent a messenger to the empress." He began to lead the way toward a camp that was situated outside of the main door of the fortress.
"A secret is like a dove general, once it leaves your hands it grows wings." said Han Huo as they increased their speed toward the camp. "We can't delay any longer. If we do word will get out to the fell families and it would make everything a lot more complicated. Who are the other saint lords coming to meet you general."
"She didn't say, all she said was she was going to send three keepers. Now that you here we just need to wait for the other two and they will be here within three days. In that time i would set you up with a living area." said general Pang Yuan. They finally landed in front of a white tent that had gold edges with two guards in silver armor "This is where I live if you need anything let me know. You, give them a tent in the eastern area by the lake.' Pointing to one of the guards before disappearing inside the tent.
"There is no need to guide us we will just stay in our mobile abode. Thank you for the help though anyway." Said Han Huo. He looked toward the bearer. "Array cracking is your area of expertise. Find the weak point of it so we can be ready to break it. When the other two finally arrive or if you think we can break it before they get here then that is even better."
"Yes, my lord" bowed the bearer