“He survived, it seems,” Oasis smirked as he took a few slow steps toward the table, his boots clinking softly on the polished wooden floor of the inn.Venak stood, his eyes narrowing as he observed the tension in the room. “Young Master… you know him?”Oasis nodded calmly, gaze locked on the slouching brute surrounded by wine and women. “This bully? Yeah. I know him very well.”Around them, murmurs rippled like a cold wind through the inn.But the whispers weren't in support—they were murmurs of pity for Oasis and his companions.Bozer was a name that struck hesitation in many hearts around these parts. To anger him was considered foolish. Taboo, even."What do we do with them?” Venak asked, his voice low and steady.Oasis turned to him slightly, that calm smile never leaving his lips. “Don’t worry. Just sit down, enjoy the show... and take notes on how stray beasts are punished.”“You dare call this Bozer a stray beast?” Bozer snarled still slouched in his seat, his eyes hazy with w

Venak and Shiye didn’t waste a moment.As soon as the rumbling quieted and the clouds parted above, the two figures dived like streaking shadows into the gaping hole where Lucas Grain’s house once stood.Dust still lingered, and the mana-thick air shimmered with residual energy from the storm.They landed gently within the cracked foundation of the ruined house.And there, in the epicenter of the crater, sat Oasis Volacris, still in a meditative trance—his legs folded in the lotus position, eyes closed, body humming with power.A calm cyan aura flowed softly around him like a windless flame—pure, radiant, and without turbulence.The energy pulsed rhythmically, as if resonating with the world itself.The ground beneath him had formed slight indentations, showing the sheer pressure that had radiated from his body during the breakthrough.Then, his eyes opened.Still and unwavering, his irises glowed faintly with divine azure, and at that moment, the aura around him gently receded, drawi

High in the sky, the wind streamed through Elder Thalara’s robes as she soared toward the capital of Sylvaneth, her flight graceful and sure, yet her thoughts a tangled storm.“That boy is definitely a monster…” she muttered inwardly, her jade eyes narrowed, brow furrowed. “I can’t believe it, his cultivation is completely hidden from me.""Not even a ripple. And yet… it’s said he hasn’t even ascended to the Enlightened Realm.”Her body cut through low clouds like a falcon, but her mind remained rooted in disbelief.“What kind of heaven-defying talent is that?” she wondered. “To slay Varian… and still not have broken into Enlightened Realm? Either that boy’s hiding his true level... or he's not human at all.”She clenched her fists softly, her knuckles tightening in her robe sleeves.“We thought Prince Aelric was the greatest talent of this generation ever seen in centuries… ascending so quickly… but no. That boy—Oasis—he shattered that illusion with a single movement of his fingers.”

Bitterhoney Port — Next Morning...Eighth Floor of the Gilded Whale Inn...The morning light seeped through intricately carved lattice windows of the Gilded Whale Inn, casting a golden glow across the lavish wooden floors of the eighth floor.The air was warm with the scent of pine incense, the faint hum of distant sea waves barely audible beneath the quiet ambiance of murmured conversation and porcelain clinks.In a private chamber draped with silk curtains and reinforced by soundproofing formations, five men in matching dark robes, all bearing the distinct sigil of the Starfall Consortium, sat cross-legged around a circular jade-inlaid table.The low table was filled with breakfast delicacies—roasted flame-fruit, steamed shellfish buns, and tea that shimmered with faint strands of mana.Beside each man lay a sheathed sword, polished, runed, and resting quietly as if waiting to drink blood again.“Are you certain the person you’re talking about has the thing, Itsuki?” an elder spoke,

“So this is the brat said to have the Moon Blooming Lotus…” Daku muttered under his breath, barely louder than a whisper, his tone soaked in wary awe.Despite the warm light of the rising sun cascading across the artifact district—washing over stalls glimmering with enchanted jewelry, fluttering merchant banners, and spell-infused trinkets—Daku’s gaze was fixed solely on Zane.His figure moved effortlessly through the crowd, laughter in his voice, pride in his eyes.“He looks cheerful… friendly even… but something about him is off. Dangerous,” Daku thought, lingering a few rows behind, effortlessly integrating himself with the morning bustle.He looked like any other traveler—modest brown robe, a satchel strapped across his chest, a half-broken fan in one hand, bargaining occasionally with merchants about prices that never really mattered.But beneath the mask, this was Daku of the Starfall Consortium, one of their finest in the arts of stealth, infiltration, and reconnaissance.He ha