Next Morning…Kingdom of Almoze...Bezfold Family Estate...After Oasis and his retainers were forcibly expelled from the Celestial Garden Sphere prior to its absolute destruction, Oasis had decided to enter a brief state of meditation while they traveled inside the carriage. However, that brief rest had unexpectedly deepened into a profound, healing slumber. The carriage had traveled continuously throughout the night, arriving at the grand Bezfold Family Estate around noon the following day.By now, a full day and night had passed since their arrival at the estate.Oasis and his companions had been assigned a quiet, luxurious courtyard within the guest quarters, where they had been resting and recovering from their respective ordeals.When the group had first arrived inside the carriage, the protective barrier magic left behind by Oasis was still actively shimmering. Fortunately, the formation was designed with spatial selectivity—allowing individuals from the inside to freely exit,

Oasis listened to Vesta in that quiet, heavy moment, his heart thumping heavier and heavier against his ribs as the sheer weight of the news settled over his mind. Every word spoken by the young Vesta resonated deep within his soul, carrying an undeniable, absolute truth.Listening to Vesta felt like hearing a forgotten reality that he had personally lived through, a lost life echoing back to him from the void. Unconsciously, Oasis's frame began to tremble, a subtle vibration running through his hands and shoulders under the gravity of his own origins.So many lingering mysteries of his existence instantly clicked into place. The reason he had always possessed the Phoenix Claw Pendant... the reason why his internal meridians had been blocked and unable to circulate mana during his early childhood until the day the seal broke... It was all orchestrated.Nothing in his life had been a mere accident or a cruel twist of fate. He had been anticipated, cherished, and deeply loved from the e

Lancelot and Yuri’s eyes darted frantically across the surrounding terrain—scanning the jagged valleys, steep stone ridges, and sprawling, dense wilderness. Every visible cliff face, ravine, and hillside was heavily blanketed in a thick forest of wild bushes and towering trees, creating a maze of shadows that naturally obscured vision.The three of them maintained their high-speed flight through the air, yet their senses worked at maximum capacity as they desperately searched the landscape to identify who—or what—was tracking their movements.Despite their immense focus, neither of them could pinpoint a single precise energy signature or physical location.At this point, even Zane could no longer detect anything through his standard perception or senses. However, he remained absolutely certain that a dangerous entity was lurking nearby. Tilting his head slightly into the wind, he flared his nostrils and began relying entirely on his heightened sense of smell, attempting to track scent

They hovered near the dead assassin that was pinned upon the massive lance, suspended in the middle of the sky like a grotesque display. Crimson blood streamed continuously down the length of the lance, dripping into the chasm below in a steady, heavy cadence.Yuri drifted closer, his feet floating inches above the thin air as he tilted his head, his sharp eyes narrowing into slits. The copper stench of fresh blood hung thick in the wind, mingling with the bitter smell of charred fabric and raw force.Yuri leaned in close enough to observe the subtle, involuntary twitches of the dying nerves in the assassin's limbs, closely inspecting the gruesome point of entry where earth had impaled flesh and bone.“So if we didn’t have heightened battle instinct, we would have been killed by an advanced stage Awakened Realm cultivator,” Yuri said at that moment, his voice low and heavy with solemn realization.As he examined the dead assassin at close range, he picked up the lingering, razor-sharp

About a week later…Verdantia — CindraloreSouth of the scorching expanses of Ignis Vale lay Cindralore—a fiery, sprawling region of Verdantia ruled directly by theThalia Ember. At the absolute heart of this province stood the Great City of Cinderfield, the proud capital of Cindralore.As the late evening sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in deep shades of amber and violent violet, Cinderfield hummed with vibrant, restless energy. Smoke curled lazily from towering stone chimneys, and the cobblestone thoroughfares were packed with bustling crowds, local merchants, and heavily armed travelers. Near the massive Northern city gates, two figures clad in dark azure garments with deep hoods pulled low over their faces moved smoothly through the main thoroughfare, blending with the influx of people seeking entry before nightfall."Halt, sirs! We require a formal inspection. We are not familiar with your faces," one of the city gate guards called out sharply, extending a heavy i