Ten minutes earlier.“What? What is Miralda doing, fighting against the Old Master? Has she lost her mind?”Bersena froze the moment she stepped into the courtyard. She had rushed there after seeing the other masters fleeing in panic, but the sight before her left her breathless. She had come because she was worried about Miralda—and it seemed her fears were more than justified.Miralda had just been hurled more than thirty feet back after being hit by Nebulus’s strong inner energy.Before Bersena could run onto the battlefield, Varom appeared in front of her, blocking her path.“Bersena, please understand. This is a sacred duel. We must not interfere.”Varom was right. Nebulus was no ordinary man. He was the Guardian of the Living Forest, a being who would never act without reason, much less in malice. He would never intentionally harm Miralda. On the contrary, it was considered an honor for the young woman to face the Mist Lord in combat.“B-but…”Bersena bit her lip, her face tense

A week later.“Miralda, thank goodness you’re awake.”Bersena immediately embraced the girl lying on the bed as soon as she saw her eyes flutter open.“Bersena,” Miralda whispered, returning the hug. “I’m… I’m so sorry.”Her guilt weighed heavy—she knew her actions had hurt Bersena. But before she could say more, she froze. Something felt terribly wrong in that embrace.“Bersena, y-you…” Miralda’s voice trembled, her face paling with grief. “You’ve lost your power?”It wasn’t just damage to Bersena’s dantian. From what Miralda could sense, it was impossible for her to ever cultivate again.Tears streamed down Miralda’s cheeks.“This is my fault. I never thought… I never thought it would come to this because of me.”As a cultivator herself, she understood all too well the agony of losing one’s core—of having the very essence of cultivation stripped away.“If only I hadn’t used that technique…”“No, Miralda. This isn’t your fault.” Bersena pulled her closer, holding her tightly.“What h

In the end, without her realizing it, more than a decade had passed. Instead of gaining control over the Phoenix within her body, Miralda found herself growing more and more dependent on it."You will never reach the peak of your cultivation without my help."That was the whisper the Phoenix repeated endlessly in her mind.And, as if those words held their own undeniable truth, Miralda did manage to reach the pinnacle of her cultivation—Level One Hundred. But she did so by constantly relying on the immense power of the Phoenix.Of course, that power came with a price.The more she leaned on the Phoenix’s strength, the more her mind was slowly being washed away. The patience and gentleness that once defined her gave way to coldness and cruelty.That transformation reached its peak a year ago, when she founded Dark Star. At the time, she had convinced herself that the kingdom of Lanshire deserved a more reliable ruler than a feeble king who couldn’t wield a shred of cultivation power.T

Without wasting a moment, Marc extended both hands forward, hovering about a foot above Miralda’s chest. A faint green aura began to radiate from his palms, growing brighter and stronger with each passing second.At the same time, Miralda felt a refreshing, soothing energy seep into her body. The flow mended the internal injuries that had ravaged her organs, rapidly restoring them. Gradually, her physical strength returned as well.But that wasn’t what thrilled her most.She felt a powerful surge of energy stir once again in her dantian. As Marc continued channeling the green energy, Miralda’s heart swelled with gratitude. “Thank God… I haven’t lost my cultivation energy after all!”Marc’s healing zhenqi had already repaired her internal wounds completely. From there, the energy shifted outward, tending to the severe burns and damage on her skin.What happened next was nothing short of miraculous.The charred, blackened flesh that had nearly rendered her unrecognizable gradually gave

They were now about fifty meters away from Marc. Since it was night and they were deep in the forest, everything was cloaked in darkness, save for the faint glow of the full moon above.But to Skarleta, that was hardly a problem. With a snap of her fingers, the surroundings instantly shifted into broad daylight.This was the mental realm—and here, Skarleta could bend reality however she pleased.“Why did you bring me here? Why not let me interrogate him? If he finds out about our plan, I’m certain he’ll spill it. Let me take care of him before that happens.”“Calm down.” Miralda lifted both hands in a soothing gesture.“Marc isn’t who you think he is. Once he understands, he won’t oppose our plan. He’ll know this is the best thing anyone in this kingdom can do for our homeland.”Skarleta folded her arms tightly, her face restless and tense.“Besides,” Miralda added, “sooner or later, he’ll figure it out. Marc can read both of our minds. There’s nothing we can hide from him.”“That’s i