"Contain."
The moment Rowan finished admiring the inner realm of the Jade Apex Sanctum, the shorter disciple guiding him suddenly spun around and thrust forward a gourd that had already been uncorked.
Light surged.
Rowan's body unraveled into a streak of radiance and vanished into the vessel.
The disciple sealed the gourd with a sharp twist of his wrist.
"A beast thinks it can become a disciple? Delusional."
He turned and flew toward the highest peak of the Sanctum, to an octagonal structure etched with ancient sigils. There, he handed the gourd to another attendant stationed beside a massive bronze cauldron.
Inside the gourd, Rowan remained calm.
This was exactly as planned.
Long ago, the Jade Apex Sanctum had truly accepted exceptional non-humans as disciples. Vexar himself had entered that way, as had others who later became attendants or retainers.
That era was over.
Since Archsage Solarian withdrew into seclusion and Vexar took control of daily affairs, any non-human who arrived at the gates was no longer evaluated.
They were harvested.
The gourd used to capture Rowan was a replica of an ancient relic once used to store elixirs. Anything below true immortality could be drawn inside with a simple incantation.
Unfortunately for its creator, Rowan was far beyond what the vessel was meant to contain.
"Change."
Rowan summoned the Ruyi Jingu Staff and reshaped it into a compact rotary drill. He bored a narrow hole through the inner wall of the gourd, compressed his body, and slipped out.
The replica vessel trembled slightly, then went still.
Rowan emerged into a dim chamber.
Dozens of identical gourds were stacked along the walls.
Each one held a creature who had come seeking enlightenment.
"So many already."
He drifted upward and settled silently behind the attendant guarding the great cauldron. With a touch, Rowan seized control of the man's consciousness and searched his memories.
A moment later, Rowan let the body slump gently to the floor and released Vexar and the four Dragon Kings from his private world.
"All elixirs are stored inside the cauldron," Rowan said quietly. "Only Vexar can open it. If we damage or move it, he'll know immediately."
"And my father?" Vexar asked.
"Imprisoned deeper within the Sanctum. Pyros and Glacien were already transferred off-mountain to undergo another trial elsewhere."
Rowan paused.
"My suggestion: we rescue your father first. Then we sabotage the cauldron and take everything inside. After escaping, we head for the trial site and retrieve Pyros and Glacien."
No one liked the plan.
But no one had a better one.
They nodded.
Rowan altered the attendant's memory, leaving behind nothing more than a vague recollection of dozing off.
Then he closed his eyes and focused on the man they sought.
A luminous route unfolded in his mind.
They moved together.
Rowan led.
Vexar guided them around known danger zones.
The four Dragon Kings followed in silence.
After nearly half an hour, they reached a barren field blanketed in snow.
"It's here," Rowan said.
One of the Dragon Kings frowned.
"There's nothing here."
Vexar crouched, examining the ground.
"Not nothing. A high-level concealment field. I'm no specialist in formations, though."
Rowan stepped forward.
"I am."
The Heaven-Sundering Blade appeared in his hand.
One slash.
The air screamed.
The illusion tore apart like wet cloth.
A subterranean palace revealed itself beneath the snow.
They did not hesitate.
Rowan rushed inside.
At the deepest point stood a massive stone gate carved with a monstrous face. A lone attendant sat slumped nearby, barely awake.
Rowan appeared behind him in an instant, seized his mind, and extracted what he needed.
When Vexar caught up, Rowan's expression was grim.
"Your father is behind that gate. But only Vexar himself can open it."
"Then we break it," one of the Dragon Kings growled.
Rowan shook his head.
"This isn't ordinary stone. It's forged from celestial river rock and bound with Solarian's personal seals. Its defense exceeds most legendary relics."
Silence fell.
Brute force would not be enough.
Not this time.