Awakening: Immortal Tianlong Spirit! (1)

"From here on, Xiao Bai, you must proceed alone. If I come any closer, the alarms will trigger," Eternal Su said, her voice smooth as silk, as she and Su Xiaobai hovered in the air.

Before them stood a grand structure, its dome made of glass gleaming under the celestial light—the Institute of Science, humanity's beacon of hope.

"But won't I also trigger the alarm?" asked Su Xiaobai, his figure draped in a loose, white robe, confusion painting his features.

Eternal Su fell silent, her gaze shifting away, evading his question.

"Mother... You're not sending me into the jaws of death, only to be scorched by the barrier, are you?" Su Xiaobai's voice was tinged with skepticism, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Eternal Su found herself at a loss for words, guilt creeping into her heart as she met her son's doubtful gaze. "The truth is... they never anticipated someone at the qi initiation stage would dare to infiltrate the barrier. So..."

"So, it doesn't detect anything at the Qi Refinement stage?" Su Xiaobai concluded, his expression growing stern.

"Umm... Xiao Bai," Eternal Su began, guilt lacing her tone, "it's not because you are weak—it's just a flaw in their design..."

"Uh-uh!" Su Xiaobai placed a hand on her shoulder, cutting her off gently, his voice carrying an almost sage-like wisdom. "No, mother, you are mistaken," he said, locking eyes with her, a spark of determination in his gaze. "They must have overlooked this deliberately, fearing my greatness. Imagine if their puny barrier were to provoke my wrath, they would have to endure the fury of this titan!"

"..." Eternal Su could only respond with silence, a mix of awe and concern in her eyes as she contemplated her son's bold declaration.

Seeing the speechless look on his mother's face, Su Xiaobai couldn't help but tease, his tone laced with a mix of sarcasm and genuine curiosity. "By the way, how do you plan to send me inside? I can't exactly fly, you know. Or am I supposed to just barge in through the front door? I doubt they'll welcome me with open arms, much less flowers..." His words were light, almost joking, but underneath lay a real concern about his precarious situation.

However, mid-sentence, a sudden, ominous premonition struck him, chilling his humor to a nervous laugh. "Mother... you do remember I'm your only son, right?" His attempt at lightening the mood barely masked the apprehension in his voice.

Boom!

Before he could further articulate his concerns, Eternal Su, with a pained expression and eyes tightly shut as if to spare herself the sight of the impending act, gave him a gentle yet decisive push from behind.

Whoosh!

"Fuck patriarchy..." Su Xiaobai's expression turned grim as he was propelled towards the open balcony, the wall rushing up to meet him at an alarming speed. His mind raced with a mix of resignation and disbelief at his mother's drastic measures.

Bang!

His body slammed against the wall with a thud, the impact echoing ominously in the quiet night.

Eternal Su's eyelashes fluttered open, a hint of panic in her voice. "I-I didn't push him too hard, right?" Guilt washed over her as she saw Su Xiaobai crumpled on the ground, not moving after the harsh impact against the wall.

Her heart ached at the sight, the line between a necessary push for his infiltration and the fear of having hurt him too severely blurring in her mind.

________

"Damn... Which insolent soul dares spread rumors about this emperor?" Su Xiaobai muttered under his breath as he stood up, stretching his limbs to shake off the impact. "I haven't fallen yet..." With a dramatic flourish, he flashed a thumbs-up towards Eternal Su's direction, reassuring her of his unbroken spirit.

Eternal Su, visibly relieved by his resilience, let out a deep sigh before her figure vanished into the shadows, escaping the prying eyes that might have lingered.

Now facing the dark pathway leading into the heart of the Institute of Science, Su Xiaobai couldn't help but release a heavy sigh. "I hope the rumors that parents want the best for their child hold some truth..." he mused, his voice a mix of hope and skepticism.

His thoughts were shadowed by the daunting task ahead as he took his first determined step into the unknown.

He had a grim premonition, feeling as though he was stepping not just into darkness but into the mouth of a beast, where he might be consumed by flames.

And in this dire moment, he realized he couldn't even call for help from his mother, the very person who had pushed him towards this peril.

The Institute of Science was on the brink of a significant event. Next week marked the beginning of the Star Guardian Tournament, a prestigious competition to select new Star Guardians.

Unbeknownst to many, the entire institute was plunged into darkness a week before the tournament.

This wasn't a mere coincidence but a carefully timed event.

During this period, except for the main barrier, nothing within the institute functioned as usual.

It was a time when most evacuated, leaving only a handful behind.

Those who remained were tasked with a crucial job—they were deep in the underground basement, laboring over the power generator, refueling it to ensure the institute's heart continued to beat.

The dean himself oversaw the operation, a vigilant guardian against any potential sabotage to the array.

With the institute closed to outsiders, this period of vulnerability provided a golden opportunity for infiltration.

Eternal Su had chosen this moment for their daring plan, leveraging the darkness as their cloak.

And how did she come upon such critical information?

The answer lay in her late husband's legacy—an S-ranked star guardian whose knowledge and secrets had paved the way for this very moment.

___________

Institute of Science, in a realm that seemed detached from the world — The room was a marvel of metallic ingenuity, its walls, floor, and ceiling composed of an alloy that shimmered with an almost ethereal glow under the room's ambient light.

The architecture was a blend of sharp, geometric patterns and fluid, organic shapes, creating a space that felt both futuristic and ancient.

In the heart of this chamber, suspended in a beam of light that cascaded down from the ceiling, floated the Tianlong Spirit, a stone that pulsed with a spectrum of colors so vivid it seemed to contain the very essence of the cosmos.

Its glow bathed the room in shifting hues, casting ethereal shadows that danced along the walls.

This chamber was the sanctum sanctorum of the Institute of Science, safeguarded by layers of security measures, each more intricate than the last.

A single door, crafted from thick, reinforced minerals, served as the only point of entry or exit, suggesting that those who designed this room were as concerned with keeping something in as they were with keeping intruders out.

Normally, the room would be a labyrinth of laser security, a network so complex it could only be deactivated with the dean's biometric signature.

But now, with the institute plunged into darkness and its power sources diverted, the lasers lay dormant, the usual hum of energy that filled the room conspicuously absent.