A lore excerpt explains the Chuluu Korikh through the story of Sanshengmu, a goddess who defied the Pantheon to help humans and was imprisoned beneath a mountain by her brother Erlang Shen. The passage establishes the Stone Mountain as a place capable of containing gods and as the origin of stories about shamans, imprisonment, and divine power trapped in the mortal world.

In Golyn Niis, Rin prepares to leave with Altan and reluctantly tells Kitay that Altan intends to raise an army from the Chuluu Korikh. Kitay believes her but condemns the plan as reckless because the Empire imprisoned those shamans for a reason. Rin admits the danger but has decided that Mugen’s extermination of the Nikara leaves no acceptable alternative, so she warns Kitay to flee if Altan succeeds.

Altan gives the Cike instructions to wait at the base of the Kukhonin Mountains and follow Chaghan’s orders if Altan and Rin do not return. On the road, Altan reveals that Chaghan had previously searched for the Gatekeeper, believing the Gatekeeper might be sealed in the mountain. During the journey, Altan explains that possessed shamans cannot truly be killed, only immured, and insists that he can find a way to restore control to those the Empire has abandoned.

Rin and Altan reach the Chuluu Korikh, find its hidden entrance, and descend into a hollow mountain filled with plinths and registries of imprisoned shamans. Inside, they are cut off from the Pantheon and discover thousands of names dating back to the Empire’s earliest history. Rin finds Jiang Ziya’s name, frees him, and learns that Jiang is the Gatekeeper; Jiang warns that leaving the mountain will weaken the Seal and that freeing the imprisoned shamans would unleash gods, not soldiers, into the world.

Jiang confronts Altan’s motives, arguing that Altan wants vengeance against Mugen more than salvation for Nikan, and pleads with Rin not to follow him. Rin chooses Altan and her orders over Jiang, so Jiang re-immures himself. Desperate to prove his plan can work, Altan releases Feylen, who briefly responds to Altan’s appeal but then reveals the god’s control, throws Altan toward the abyss, and escapes through the open entrance.

Rin saves Altan from falling, and the two rush after Feylen, only to find Federation soldiers waiting outside the mountain. The soldiers force Rin and Altan back into the Chuluu Korikh, where the stone cuts them off from the Phoenix and leaves them unable to use fire. Outnumbered and disarmed, Altan is overwhelmed, and Rin is struck in the head during the hopeless fight.