The Return Of The Conqueror Of The Cosmos

Late in the evening, the orange glow of the setting sun bathed the quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of Mexico. Shen Hao stood on the balcony of his room, looking out at the distant hills, his thoughts focused.

Ever since they arrived a week ago, he had been preparing mentally, waiting for the right moment to begin the real reason behind this journey.

His goal: to find an ancient artifact once possessed by Mo Han's previous disciple — an object capable of opening portals between dimensions and across the universe.

Mo Han had explained everything about the Echoing Mountain Realm, Dragon Qi, and the purpose behind traveling there.

But there was still one thing left unclear.

Shen Hao looked up and asked silently, "Master, by the way… you never told me the name of the artifact."

"You never asked," Mo Han replied in a calm voice.

"It's called the Shard of Nexus."

Shen Hao tilted his head slightly. "That sounds important."

"It is. It's a fragment of a greater artifact — Celestial Nexus Array. Even though it's just a shard, it holds enough power to open gateways between realms and faraway places in the universe."

Shen Hao's heartbeat picked up. "And it's somewhere here in Mexico?"

"Yes. My disciple's castle was hidden in this region thousands of years ago. When he disappeared, all of his treasures, including the shard, were hidden underground. Using high-level concealment techniques, he made sure no one could find them easily. But after all this time, the concealments have likely weakened — enough for someone like you to sense it."

Shen Hao's eyes sharpened. "Do you know exactly where it is?"

"I know the general area," Mo Han said.

"It should be located in the forest east of your house. There's an old patch of land there — unmarked, quiet, forgotten. That's where you'll find it."

"Go tonight. Once everyone's asleep. Move quietly. Don't tell your family."

Shen Hao nodded. "Understood."

The clock read 1:17 AM.

The house was silent.

Shen Hao moved carefully through the hallway, grabbed his jacket and slipped out through the back door.

The wind outside was cool. He made his way toward the forest, sticking to the shadows.

He needed be extra careful so he decided not to fly instead walk there, the trees were tall and dense, but Shen Hao had walked this way before during the day. It took about twenty minutes to reach the area Mo Han described — a quiet, untouched patch of land filled with tall grass, broken rocks, and thick vines.

Shen Hao stopped in the center of the clearing and knelt down, closing his eyes.

He pressed his hand to the soil.

At first, nothing.

Then — a faint pulse.

A spiritual pressure… subtle, but there.

He opened his eyes.

"I feel something," he whispered.

Pulling out a small digging tool that he picked up at the last moment before leaving the house, he infused his Qi into the shovel to increase it's efficiency and started to dig. Inch by inch, the pressure grew stronger. It felt as if something beneath the surface was watching — waiting.

Then — clang.

The tool hit something hard.

Shen Hao cleared the dirt. A large, round stone slab appeared, buried deep under the earth. It had faint carvings, mostly worn away by time.

"What is this?" he asked.

"You've found it," Mo Han answered.

"This is one of the underground entrances to my disciple's castle. He didn't hide things in plain sight — he created underground chambers and sealed them with invisibility techniques and ancient energy locks."

Shen Hao took a deep breath. "So this is really it."

He placed a small spiritual talisman in the center of the slab, charging it with a bit of Dragon Qi.

A low vibration echoed through the ground.

The stone slowly split open down the middle, revealing a spiral staircase leading into darkness.

Cold air rushed out from below — carrying the scent of age, dust, and something far older.

Shen Hao stepped to the edge, staring into the unknown.

"Be cautious," Mo Han warned.

"There may be traps. Though after so long… most of them are probably dead. But the spiritual energy down there is real. And the shard might be close."

Shen Hao nodded, eyes sharp.

"Let's find it."

With that, he stepped onto the staircase, descending slowly into the forgotten depths of the past.