The moment Frozen in stillness.

Sanatan Flame Sect Memebers stood at the front, Shaurya eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable. His golden aura shimmered faintly as his gaze swept over the strange cocoon. He could feel it — a presence inside, ancient and pure, radiating quiet strength.

Lin Shu took a hesitant step forward, her eyes fixed on the glowing emerald shell. "Should we… wake that being?" she whispered, her voice trembling with uncertain.

Elder Wan held his breath. "Master… this could be dangerous," he warned softly. "Something sealed this being here. Breaking that seal—"

"—means releasing a being we don't even know it's good or evil," Elder Liya finished calmly, her tone sharp.

Shaurya smiled faintly, not turning his head. "If we don't release it, how would we know."

He thinks in his heart. "Hey Systu, can you tell me anything about that being. Should I release it?

System voice comes in his mind. "Host, that being sealed inside that cocoon is not evil so release it or not it's up to you."

A soft smile tugged on his lips. "Can you give some information about it."

System replied. "Yes, ofcourse. Host. She is know as Medicinal Fairy in her time. She is sealed here five hundred years ago. By her pervious sect that betrayed and sealed her here. Her Cultivation in her prime is Nirvana Realm Level 1. Although it's not that high. But her talent in medicine and herbs is exceptional.

A wide smile appears on his face. He didn't said anything. He step forward. But suddenly a emerald protective barrier appears surronding the cocoon.

He stop raise his eye brows. "Oh she is protecting herself. But don't worry. I am here to free you.

He raised his hand slowly, his palm glowing with threads of golden energy. The air rippled around him as the spiritual power gathered — calm but terrifyingly dense.

In a calm tone he said. "Spritual Shoot."

An golden energy orb released from his palm. Collides with that Embreald barrier. Shockwaves errupts outward. Ground trembled.

CRACK.. .

That barrier shatters in pieces and golden energy orb strikes with the cocoon.

Boom.....

Ground cracked in spiderwebbing. Shaurya hands tugged in pocket smiling. Standing calmly. While Elder Wan crying in his heart. Because Shaurya's attack destroyed the herbs there.

Dust slowly vanished. Revealing the Cocoon. The emerald cocoon pulsed once — twice — and then shattered quietly, dissolving into motes of green dust.

A gentle wind blew through the clearing.

And she fell.

The girl within descended slowly, wrapped in soft light. Her long hair cascaded like liquid silver, her skin pale as moonlight. Her white robes, embroidered with faint golden symbols, fluttered as if caught in invisible waves. When her feet touched the ground, the grass regrow in the destroyed ground — blooming into radiant lilies that hadn't existed before.

Her eyelids trembled. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.

Twin sapphires gleamed beneath long lashes, calm yet unfathomable. The faint light in them seemed to draw in the entire world — deep, ancient, and knowing.

The disciples stood frozen, unable to speak. Even Elders, could only stare in stunned silence.

Shaurya hands in pocket, his gaze fixed on her. His tone was steady, almost gentle. "You're awake."

The girl blinked slowly, her gaze drifting across the group before settling on Shaurya. For a moment, there was only silence between them — a meeting of two forces that didn't belong to the same era.

Her lips parted slightly, her voice soft but clear, carrying an ethereal calm. "Who… are you?"

"Sect Master of Sanatan Falme Sect," he replied simply. "Shaurya The Great."

Her eyes flickered briefly, a trace of confusion — then understanding. "So long… it's been so long."

Lin Shu stepped closer, still cautious. "Who are you? Were you sealed here?"

The girl's gaze lingered on Lin Shu, her sapphire eyes glinting faintly under the green light of the herb garden. For a long moment, she said nothing — her expression neither cold nor kind, but ancient, like someone who had seen centuries pass in silence.

A faint breeze rustled the glowing leaves above, carrying the sweet fragrance of spirit herbs and the quiet hum of life itself. Finally, she lowered her head slightly, her silver hair sliding over her shoulder like flowing silk.

"My name…" she whispered, the words almost too soft for the air to carry. "…They once called me the Medicinal Fairy."

Her voice was calm, but beneath that calmness, there was weight — the kind that came from centuries of forgotten pain.

Elder Wan, who had been half-kneeling nearby while trying to salvage what was left of the shattered herbs, froze mid-motion. His hands trembled, his eyes wide. "M–Medicinal Fairy…? You mean that Medicinal Fairy? The Saint of the Ancient Era? The one who created the Divine Dew and Heaven Soul Lotus Elixir?!"

Lin Shu's eyes widened slightly, glancing between the girl and Elder Wan. "She's… that old?"

Elder Wan stepped forward, arms crossed, his tone steady. "Five hundred years ago, the name Medicinal Fairy echoed through every sect in the realm. A legend in the path of alchemy and herbs. Her medicine could heal even a shattered spiritual core. But… she vanished suddenly."

The girl's gaze softened, but her eyes carried the shadow of something long buried. "Vanished?" she murmured. "That's one way to say it."

Shaurya's calm voice broke through the stillness. "You were sealed here, weren't you."

The Medicinal Fairy slowly raised her head, meeting his gaze. Her sapphire eyes reflected his golden ones like calm water meeting flame. "Yes," she said softly. "By those I once called my sect."

The silence that followed was heavy.

Her fingers brushed the petals of a nearby glowing flower. "They feared what they couldn't control. My knowledge, my methods… my power over life itself. In their eyes, I had gone too far." She smiled faintly, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "So they betrayed me. Bound me here — in the garden I created — and took everything from me."

The leaves above trembled as a faint wind swept through. The garden, once peaceful, now felt as though it carried the echo of her sorrow.

Elder Liya lowered her gaze slightly. "To betray one who could heal the dying... pitiful."

The Medicinal Fairy looked toward her. "Power breeds fear. Fear breeds betrayal. That hasn't changed, has it?"

No one answered.

Shaurya tilted his head slightly, the corner of his lips curling. "Maybe not. But times have changed. Not everyone hides daggers behind smiles anymore."

She looked at him, studying him quietly. "You speak with certainty."

"I've seen enough faces," Shaurya replied simply. "I can tell who's hiding fangs."

For the first time, a faint, genuine smile touched her lips. The glow of her aura pulsed slightly, resonating with the life of the garden around her.

But that gentle calm began to shift. A ripple of dark energy coursed through the air — faint but unnatural. The flowers swayed without wind, and the light within the herbs flickered uneasily.

The Medicinal Fairy's eyes narrowed. "So… it begins."

Lin Shu frowned. "What do you mean?"

Her gaze turned toward the deep roots of the ancient tree behind her. "When they sealed me, they bound something else with me. Something I tried to destroy — the Root of Decay. It is a living poison born from corrupted spirit energy. My seal kept it dormant… until now."

Shaurya's eyes sharpened. "And since your seal broke…"

"It stirs," she finished quietly.

The disciples exchanged uneasy looks, the weight of her words sinking in.

Elder Wan clenched his fists. "We freed her… and freed that thing too."

Shaurya turned his gaze toward the trembling ground beneath the tree. "So what? Then we destroy it before it wakes."

The Medicinal Fairy blinked — surprised by the sheer certainty in his tone. "You speak of it as if it's something simple. The Root of Decay is not a beast or a spirit. It is corruption given form. It consumes energy, life, even the essence of herbs themselves."

Shaurya smiled faintly, eyes glowing golden beneath his calm expression. "Then I guess I'll burn it to nothing before it even breathes."

A quiet laugh escaped her lips — delicate and almost forgotten. "You're a strange one, Sect Master."

"Strange," Shaurya said, smirking, "is just another word for different."

Before anyone could speak again, the ground trembled violently. Cracks spread beneath their feet, glowing faintly with veins of dark red light. The herb garden's calm beauty shattered as some of the flowers wilted instantly, their spiritual essence sucked away by something unseen.

The Medicinal Fairy's voice turned sharp. "It's waking faster than I thought."

Elder Liya drew her sword, her pink aura flaring. "Then we deal with it now."

The Medicinal Fairy raised her palm, a soft emerald glow forming above it. "The entrance lies beneath the heart of the tree. I can open it — but once we go in, there's no turning back until it's ended."

Shaurya's aura rippled faintly, his golden energy shimmering like molten light. "Then open it."

She closed her eyes, whispering an ancient incantation. The roots of the massive tree began to shift, curling and parting to reveal a spiral staircase descending into the earth. From its depths came a faint, corrupted pulse — the heartbeat of something monstrous.

Shaurya stepped forward, the disciples following behind him without hesitation.

The Medicinal Fairy walked beside him, the faint green light of her aura contrasting against the golden fire in his.

As they began their descent, the air grew heavier, colder — filled with a scent of rot and earth. Faint whispers echoed in the dark, voices of the corrupted energy below.

Shaurya didn't look back. "Stay alert," he said calmly. "This won't be like fighting beasts."

The Medicinal Fairy glanced at him. "You're not afraid."

He smirked. "I am to powerful to be afraid."

Their footsteps echoed down the spiral path as the light above faded away. The world of herbs and light vanished, swallowed by darkness — and the sound of something alive waiting in the depths below.

The air pulsed once, and from the darkness, a whisper answered them.

Welcome… to the root.

Shaurya speaks to system in his heart. "Hey Systu. What the hell is this root of decy is? Tell me about it."

System in cold tone replied. "Am I your information dex? Why don't you ask the girl beside you."

Shaurya face twisted he yell at system in his mind. "You..... If she start to explain than it will take more time. Can you please tell me."

Silence for a moment. But then system said. Fine. I will explain the story.

System start explaining. "Five hundred years ago, when the Medicinal Fairy was at her peak, she discovered a rare anomaly beneath her sect's sacred herb garden — a living spiritual vein that pulsed with energy even without a core.

At first, it seemed divine — a root of life that could rejuvenate any dying land. But the vein was corrupted — born from the corpse of a fallen Divine Tree that absorbed too many demonic energies during the Great War.

Its essence twisted over centuries, merging life energy with death qi, turning into something unnatural — a root that feeds on vitality instead of giving it.

Unable to destroy it completely, the Medicinal Fairy used her own life force and spiritual core to seal it beneath the garden — sacrificing half her power in the process. Her sect, fearing her growing strength and the forbidden energy she had touched, betrayed and sealed her along with the Root. By breaking the seal to free the Medicinal Fairy, you also released the Root's dormant consciousness.

It now senses new life — and it hungers for the your and your sect's power, which are pure and untainted — the perfect fuel for its rebirth.

Shaurya smiles and streaches his neck. "Oh.... Intresting. Very Intresting."

The ground quivered beneath their feet.

The once-serene Herb Garden — once radiant with emerald light — was now splitting apart. Cracks spread across the marble floor like veins of death, and from within, black-green roots writhed upward, pulsing with foul energy.

The Root of Decay had awakened.

Its tendrils lashed outward, tearing through the soil, devouring spirit herbs and turning the land gray and lifeless. Each pulse of its core sent a wave of decay through the air, filling it with the stench of rot. Even the sky above seemed to dim, as if the heavens themselves recoiled from its corruption.

Elder Wan's eyes widened. "It's feeding on the garden's energy!"

Elder Feng Yu pressed his palms together, summoning barriers of flame and wind. "We must stop it before it spreads!"

Shaurya stood silent, his eyes watching the chaos unfold. Around him, disciples drew their weapons, uncertain whether to fight directly or wait for orders. Lin Shu's hand trembled near her sword, but she held her ground beside him.

The Medicinal Fairy raised her arm, her slender fingers glowing with a soft green light. "This corruption… it shouldn't even exist anymore." Her voice carried both awe and sorrow. "It survived even after centuries of sealing…"

She stepped forward, divine energy swirling around her fingertips. "Let me handle this!"

Elder Wan, Elder Liya, Lin Shu and Elder Feng Yu followed her lead — four elders and one ancient Cultivator standing against the monstrous root that split the land apart.

"Seal Formation — Blooming Heavens!"

Elder Wan flame collided with Elder Liya's wind and Elder Feng Yu spritual energy. The Medicinal Fairy pressed her palms together, summoning countless glowing sigils of life. From the air descended luminous vines made of pure spirit energy, wrapping around the corrupted ones.

For a moment, it worked. The dark roots hissed, recoiling from the divine energy. The air shimmered with blinding light. But then —

A low, guttural hum echoed from the ground.

Crack…

The luminous vines shattered like glass.

A roar erupted from beneath the garden — not the sound of a beast, but of the earth itself in agony. The black roots exploded outward, slamming into the barrier with unstoppable force. One struck near Elder Wan, sending him tumbling backward. Another lashed through the Medicinal Fairy's barrier, grazing her shoulder and leaving behind a dark mark that hissed like acid.

She staggered back, her eyes widening. "Its decay… it corrupts spiritual energy itself!"

The Elders retreated, panting, forming a defensive line in front of the disciples. The Medicinal Fairy pressed her hand on her wound, her breathing uneven. "That thing… it feeds on purification. My energy only makes it stronger."

Lin Shu caught her before she fell. "Medicinal Fairy! Please rest — your energy is unstable."

The garden trembled again. Black vines rose higher, twisting toward the sky like serpents ready to strike.

Shaurya finally sighed.

He rolled his shoulders, golden light glinting from his body. "Seems like I have to stop it."

He stepped forward, the sound of his boots echoing softly over the rumbling earth. The disciples instinctively stepped aside. His aura began to shift — calm serenity melting into terrifying dominance. The air around him distorted, trembling under invisible pressure.

He glanced back once, his tone casual but sincere.

"I'm sorry in advance."

The Medicinal Fairy blinked, confused. "Sorry…?"

Elder Wan's expression changed instantly. His voice trembled. "Everyone, fall back! NOW!"

Lin Shu didn't question. She grabbed the Medicinal Fairy's arm and dragged her backward. The Elders followed, pulling the younger disciples with them. The air grew heavy, golden light slowly expanding from Shaurya's body like the first dawn after an endless night.

He placed his right hand on his sword hilt. His stance widened, left foot slightly Backward, his body low. The ground cracked beneath him from the sheer density of his spiritual energy.

"Divine Sword Art…"

His voice deepened, reverberating through the trembling valley.

"End of Darkness."

The moment his blade left the scabbard — light itself screamed.

A blinding golden burst erupted, slicing through the mist, the air, and the shadows. The pressure was immense — the kind that made the soul itself bow. The sword roared like a divine storm, a wave of radiance cleaving through the monstrous roots.

The Root of Decay howled, its black tendrils disintegrating before the golden arc. The very air trembled as pure destructive force annihilated everything in its path.

BOOOOOOM!

The world went white.

A shockwave tore through the valley, flattening everything in a single breath. Mountains in the distance quivered; the clouds were ripped apart. When the light finally faded, silence reigned.

The herb garden — once overrun with corruption — now lay still. The foul roots had turned to ash. The ground, scorched with gold cracks, pulsed faintly with new life. Even the tainted air felt purified.

Shaurya stood in the middle of it all — sword resting loosely at his side, golden energy still faintly swirling around him.

He exhaled softly. "I told you…" he murmured, glancing at the stunned disciples and elders, "…I'm sorry in advance."

The Medicinal Fairy stared at him, speechless. Her sapphire eyes reflected his golden aura, awe and disbelief mingling in their depths.

"That power…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "You… are what are you?"

Shaurya only smiled faintly.

The golden light around him dimmed, fading into calm sunlight.

Far above, the dark clouds finally broke — and rays of light poured down on the garden.

The once-dead herbs began to sprout again, emerald leaves shimmering where corruption once ruled.

The disciples cheered, their voices echoing through the valley.

Shaurya puts back his sword. Streaches lazily like it was nothing and it was really nothing... For him.

To be continued...

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