“Boom!”Merrick Drovane slammed every ounce of his true vital energy into the small silver hammer in his hand. Power surged through his veins, thrumming like a wild drum. The artifact trembled, reacting to the force coursing through it.“Buzz!”The energy exploded outward, and the hammer—no, the tiny tool in his palm—began to grow. Faster than anyone could follow, it swelled monstrously. Within seconds, it towered dozens of meters above the ground, glinting like a silver mountain dropped straight from the heavens.“Boom!”It crashed downward. Grimveil froze. Arwyn shivered violently. Only now did she truly grasp the devastation aimed at her cousin.She felt small. Insignificant. Like an ant clinging to the base of an unforgiving mountain. Every heartbeat screamed helplessness. Despair clawed at her chest.“Clang!”Then, impossibly, Grimveil stretched out a single hand. Palm flat. He pressed against the colossal hammer—and held it. Just like that. As if it were no more than a feather.

The Spirit Tower pulsed with energy—dense, almost tangible, as if the very essence of the world had condensed within its walls. Kael felt it seep into his bones, threading through every fiber of his being, urging him forward, whispering promises of power.As expected of the Shadowfang Sect, the premier sect of the Eldravan Empire, extravagance was everywhere. Towering Spirit Towers sprawled across the sect grounds, each a crucible for disciples seeking refinement. But entry wasn’t free—contribution points were required. The sect didn’t hand out power on a silver platter.Kael had spent the past month wisely. Treasures from his recent journey had been exchanged for points—enough to grant him a full month inside a Spirit Tower for secluded cultivation.Inside that sanctum, he abandoned all mortal distractions. The vital energy around him pressed thick and solid, like a boundless ocean trying to drown him—but Kael thrived in it. His Creation Furnace devoured the surrounding essence, gold

Clang!Kaelen’s hand shot forward slowly, deliberately. In an instant, it gleamed silver, as if forged from pure steel. Raw power radiated off it, an aura so hard, so unyielding, it made the air itself tremble. Before Grimveil could even react, Kaelen’s silver hand clamped down on his fingers.Grimveil froze. The arrogance drained from his face, leaving him pale, ashen.“What?!”A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Grimveil—fifth among the Outer Hall’s Top Ten—restrained so effortlessly by a newcomer? Impossible. Shock painted every face.Serenya Vale, still blocking Darius, froze mid-step. Her expression stiffened. She hadn’t expected this black-robed youth to wield such overwhelming strength. They had all written him off. A shadow. A nobody. Their goal? Humiliate Darius.Now, that illusion was shattered.Grimveil’s face twisted in rage. Veins bulged. “Brat! Let go of me!”Kaelen’s eyes flickered with lethal intent. His voice cut the tense air like steel.“Let go? And when yo

The sky above the Outer Sect trembled with anticipation. Kaelen and Darius stood on a jagged cliff, eyes locked on the massive dueling platform hovering like a floating fortress. Golden light glinted along its edges, scattering the sun into shards of brilliance. Far below, the hum of thousands of disciples reached them—a buzzing tide of excitement that seemed almost alive.“Brother Kaelen,” Darius said, his voice steady but charged, “this time, aim for the top three in the Outer Sect Grand Competition. I heard… the top three get a chance to enter the Dragon Transformation Pool for baptism.”Kaelen’s eyes widened. Heart hammering. “The Dragon Transformation Pool? Are you serious?”Darius nodded, unflinching. “Absolutely. I’ve been holed up in the Skyblade Pavilion’s disciple quarters. Senior Brother Kael mentioned it casually in a lecture. It’s real. Not a rumor.”Kaelen’s pulse spiked. Dragon Transformation Pool. A place of divine blessing, a treasure even elders only whispered about.

Kaelen’s eyes gleamed, sharp as any blade you’d ever seen. Cold. Dangerous. And then it hit him—so, it really was Grimveil.“Anything I take,” he said, voice steady as stone, “I never give back. If you want that artifact, you’ll have to take it from my corpse.”“You…!”The first of the four young Martial Spirit warriors stepped forward, his anger twisting every line of his face.“Brat! You have no idea what’s good for you! Four Martial Spirit warriors are standing right in front of you, and you act as if you are untouchable? You’re already dead!”“Everyone, strike together! Kill him! Take his storage rune ring and leave the Ninth Region!”In perfect unison, they lunged. Rules didn’t matter here. The Grand Competition forbade killing, sure—but Kaelen knew better. Out here, everyone fought with everything they had. Injuries? Inevitable. Death? Always looming, like a shadow you couldn’t shake.Their eyes burned with murderous intent. Grimveil had sent them to kill and take. Nothing would