Lucian stood in front of the main building's door.
He didn't know what was waiting for him behind the door, but he decided to take the risk and go inside.
He made a small opening in the big door, just enough to enter.
He saw a dark hallway.
Lucian closed the door behind him and walked forward.
It was very dark, but Lucian had a skill that made his senses stronger, so he could see.
The place was huge. There were tall pillars holding the ceiling, decorated with dragon drawings. At the end of the hallway, there was a room.
This was the Sect Master's room. Lucian knew that because there was a throne at the top of the stairs. The room was round, and in the middle, there was a big and complex formation.
Lucian saw the marks of a treasure vault formation under the throne.
But he didn't find anything.
After searching, he found that behind the throne, there was a small wind leak.
Suddenly, he heard a clicking sound, and a door started to open. It made a loud noise, and Lucian felt worried.
Luckily, the sound stopped when the door was fully open. Behind it, there were stairs going deep underground.
A scary aura came from below. Lucian felt afraid, but he decided to go down.
If he could get the treasure vault's formation, it would be a great gain.
When Lucian reached the bottom, he stopped breathing.
In front of him was a monster.
It was bigger than any monster he had seen. He could only see its eye.
It felt alive.
But it was still sleeping.
Lucian didn't feel safe until he saw a strong formation around the monster.
It was the same formation as the one under the throne.
Lucian understood now where the formation got its power.
It was using the monster's life energy.
Sadly, Lucian couldn't make this kind of formation, especially with such hard requirements.
He looked to the right and saw spiral stairs going down to the lower part of the monster.
At the bottom of the stairs, there was a black door. Lucian opened it and saw a small room. It looked like a bedroom.
There was a bed in the corner and a study table in the middle. It was a normal room.
Lucian walked to the table. There was a small paper on it. The paper looked expensive and well-protected. Lucian took it and started to read:
---
"I don't know who will read this message after me, but I wrote it anyway. I want people to know how we ended up here and know my story.
I am one of the Eleven Immortals. Unlike the ten families, we did not build a kingdom or have many children. We lived simple lives as farmers and focused on cultivation.
But this was a mistake. My family was small and had no power, but we had powerful techniques. This made the ten families greedy.
Because we had no fame or power, no one in the world knew us. Everything that happened to us was in the shadows.
The ten families attacked and killed many of us. In the end, I escaped and protected the family's legacy. Even if I was the only one left, I didn't give up.
I took some people and traveled far away. It was a hard journey, but I found a safe place. There was a big and powerful monster living in a cave. Luckily, I captured it.
This monster had a special aura that made other monsters stay away. Even after I took it from the cave, monsters didn't come near.
This monster was very strong. Maybe only the leaders or princes of the ten families could defeat it.
After I caught the monster, I chose a place and built the sect. We lived here for hundreds of years. The sect became a big city full of people and students.
But I could not have children, and I was getting old. I was afraid to die and lose everything. I chose a new sect leader and told everyone that I will go into isolation.
I didn't want anyone to know I died. I wanted them to keep living for many years and forget me.
Maybe one day, the ten families will find this place. But I don't care anymore. I just want the people in the city to live in peace.
Don't fight. Give them the techniques under this table.
I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry I was weak. I'm sorry I didn't get revenge for my family.
I'm sorry for bringing your ancestors here and making you live in this place.
I'm sorry I exist. Please, live in peace. I'm sorry…"
---
Lucian was shocked. There were not ten Immortals, but eleven. And people had lived in this place before. The man who built this place had caught a monster like that.
But why did the monster's aura stop working? Maybe not all monsters were affected by it.
The message was very old, and the city didn't look destroyed at the same time as the letter.
Lucian felt sad for the man who wrote the message. He didn't even write his name. He wanted to disappear and be forgotten, but he still left a reason behind.
The guilt of bringing people here and not explaining anything was too heavy.
But because this man's dream of saving the city failed, Lucian decided to follow his own dream more strongly:
Destroy the Ten Families…