Weapon seller in the world of magic

Lan Yujin blinked twice, genuinely startled, while the two Grand Elders looked as though Mark had suddenly announced he wanted to swallow lightning for breakfast.

Grand Elder Yun Renshu raised a trembling hand. ”Patriarch, do not be impulsive. This is the Sect Head Trial. You will not get a second chance. You can’t just go without preparations and...”

Mark lifted a hand lazily and cut him off. ”I will think before making the decision, Grand Elder Yun. And since I already decided, there’s nothing left to think about. I said Let’s go, so let’s go.”

The Grand Elder opened his mouth again, prepared for a long lecture about caution, patience, and wisdom, only to be interrupted by Lan Yujin himself.

”Good,” the older man said sharply. ”Let’s go.”

The elders stared at him as if wondering whether the old patriarch had finally lost his mind, trying to push his own successor into pit. Mark simply exhaled and followed Yujin without looking back.

A few minutes later, they soared into the sky, pushing past the sect grounds, flying toward the remote mountains where the Forbidden Temple rested. The wind curled around Mark’s robes as he kept himself hovering just a few meters behind Yujin. His face remained calm, but his senses were sharpened like blades.

The AI in his head, Ark, was already active, quietly sending him waves of invisible pulses.

[Scanning for ambush...]

[scanning for hostile aura patterns...]

[current threat level: negligible...]

Mark didn’t trust that. He increased his vigilance anyway. If there was ever a moment for Lan Yujin to secretly murder him, this was it. But no matter how much he scanned or probed, the skies remained empty and quiet. Not even a stray beast or insect dared to be near the area the two of them flew across.

And finally, hovering atop a jagged ridge of snow and stone, the ancient structure came into view.

The Forbidden Temple.

It was a massive building carved directly into the heart of the mountain with a pair of enormous doors that towered twenty feet high. There were no guards. No disciples. No living creatures at all. It was as if the entire mountain is desolate.

Mark landed lightly, his boots crunching into the icy ground. The only sound was the faint echo of wind brushing against the old stone.

Lan Yujin stood before the sealed doors, his expression unreadable.

”This place...” he murmured, almost reverently, ”has been untouched for over a hundred years. Ever since I succeeded the previous Sect Head.”

He reached into his sleeve and pulled out the Sect Master’s token. It was a flat medallion, circular, engraved with layers of ancient runes, faintly glowing with silver light.

Mark watched silently as Yujin pressed the token against the cold metal surface of the temple door.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then...

A low, vibrating hum pulsed through the entire mountain. The runes across the token lit up one by one, and the massive stone doors slowly shuddered. Frost broke apart and fell like snowflakes as the seal unlatched. A wave of energy pushed outward, making Mark’s hair lift.

And when the doors finally parted...

Mark stepped forward and stared.

The hall inside stretched almost one hundred feet long.

Along its walls stood towering pillars, each carved with the image of a blizzard Pegasus, a phoenix, A tiger, a turtle, a dinosaur? Various animals were seen, one on each pillar. Between those pillars, arranged in perfect symmetry, were dozens upon dozens of statues in snow white color, gleaming faintly.

They were statues of every Sect Head from the very beginning. Some held blades, some staffs, some pointed fingers toward the sky as if commanding the heavens.

Ark suddenly buzzed sharply in Mark’s mind.

[Scan complete. Alert: All statues are crafted from Elerium. Second strongest metal in the known universe.]

Mark’s eyebrows rose slowly. He whispered, ”Elerium...?”

Lan Yujin paused at his words, looking over his shoulder with mild surprise. ”You can recognize Elerium from this distance?”

Mark gave an easy smile. ”Let’s say... I have a talent for appraising rare things.”

Yujin nodded approvingly. ”Good. Knowledge is a strength. As for your question, the Azure Frost Dominion has the largest reserve of Elerium ore in this entire plane of existence. Our ancestors built their foundations here for that very reason.” He walked deeper inside. ”Don’t worry. You have only just ascended to Clan Patriarch. You will learn everything in time.”

Mark nodded politely.

But inside...

He rolled his eyes hard.

Yeah, right, old man. As if you plan to let me learn anything useful.

His fingers curled slightly.

It’s fine. Once I get what I want from this trial, from this clan, from this dominion, I’ll leave all of you behind and return to my real home.

He looked around at the statues once more, their pristine Elerium surfaces glowing faintly in the cold light.

His lips curled.

And if your ancestors want to judge me... well... I’m sorry, but they aren’t qualified.

*

Soon, Yujin led him toward the very center of the hall, and Mark noticed a strange change among the perfect rows of white.

One statue stood apart.

it was a single figure carved from black metal, so dark it seemed to swallow the faint blue glow around it. Unlike the others, this statue wasn’t smooth or elegant. Its surface shimmered with layered patterns of unbreakable hardness.

”Adamantine. The indestructible metal of the universe.” Mark didn’t need Ark’s whisper for confirmation; his instinct screamed it at him the second he saw the thing.

Yujin stopped right before it and folded his hands behind his back. His expression softened for the first time since they entered the temple.

”This,” Yujin said with a note of reverence, ”is our clan founder. The first Sect Head. The man who built the Ancient Lan Sect. The man who united the Azure Frost Dominion... Mark Spencer.”

Mark froze.

He blinked once. And again. ”Wait, what?”

The name hit him so hard that his heartbeat skipped entirely. His thoughts stalled, tangled messily in shock. For a moment, he wondered if the old man was joking. But Yujin just chuckled, a warm sound that echoed strangely in the massive chamber.

”I know, right? Funny name, isn’t it? When I first learned it, I was surprised too.”

Mark’s lips twitched, but his inner world erupted.

Funny? Funny? Old man, that’s MY name. That’s literally MY NAME.

He swallowed hard and forced his face into a calm expression, though the inside of his skull felt like a boiling pot.

”But... the history books say the founder was named Lan Tian,” Mark asked, trying to calm his heart.

Yujin nodded patiently. ”That is his sect name. The one recorded in all our books. The name I told you is his original name. Just like you, born as Shang Zhen, raised as Lu Zhen, but now known as Lan Zhen. His name was adopted as Lan Tian after marrying into the Ice Tribe’s Lan clan before he founded the sect.”

Mark stared at the towering figure, made in a heroic pose with a great bow in his hand, the string pulled back as if releasing an arrow strong enough to split worlds.

He tried to process what he was seeing, but the more he looked, the more he felt like it shared faint traces of his own facial structure from his past life. A sharper jaw. The same brow ridge. A familiar shape of the mouth. Even the stance...

Mark exhaled slowly, steadying himself.

No way. No way. Not possible.

Unless...

His thoughts spiraled, but Yujin broke the silence.

”Anyway,” the old patriarch said, ”press your palm here.” He pointed to a stone pedestal beside the statue, a carved handprint embedded into the short pillar supporting the Adamantine figure. ”Place your hand upon it. The trials will begin the moment you do.”

Mark walked toward the pedestal, but instead of rushing to place his hand on it, he leaned in slightly and kept his expression neutral.

Ark, scan.

A ping echoed in his mind.

[Scan Complete. Warning: Object contains a spatial gateway.]

[Destination: Hidden sub-dimension. Autonomous, sealed, isolated from external interference.]

[Type: Full physical transport. Not spiritual projection.]

Mark’s eyes narrowed a little. ”So my whole body gets sucked in?”

[Affirmative, Master.]

He bit the inside of his cheek. ”Well... that’s better than my soul sucked in. Can’t leave my body vulnerable to any assassination attempt from this old man.”

[Master, based on calculations, the dimension does not appear lethal by default. However, danger levels inside the trial area are unknown.]

Good enough.

After a steady breath, Mark finally lifted his hand and pressed his palm on the carved imprint.