A flash of ice-blue Mystic Power spiraled around Dathric Valen, scattering shards of crystal across the battlefield. Within a hundred-pace radius, the air had turned to solid frost, glittering under the cold sunlight. Dathric stood perfectly still at the center, eyes locked on the ice layer twenty paces ahead. Curiosity? Calculation? It was hard to tell.“Defeated? Darian Kaelthorn… defeated just like that?” someone murmured in disbelief.“Freezing a hundred paces with a single wave of his hand… Dathric Valen is insane!”“Are you blind? Didn’t you see what happened the last time he froze the central battlefield?”“This time… Darian doesn’t stand a chance. It ends here.”The whispers spread through the ancient Dawnspire like wildfire—shock, awe, disbelief—all mingling in the eyes of those watching. For the first time, they had seen Dathric unleash his full power. No hints, no teasing—it was raw, unfiltered force, the kind you could feel in your bones.The ice wasn’t just thick—it was m

Shockwaves from the three crystal giant palms tore through the arena, rippling across a hundred paces. Ice-blue Mystic Power shot straight into the sky, sharp, blinding, freezing the battlefield in its wake. Every spectator felt their chest tighten. Darian Kaelthorn… he looked doomed. There was no way he could survive that.And yet. Through the swirling, icy light, a figure emerged. Dathric Valen. Clad in the imposing Ice Emperor Dragon Armor, his face calm but grave, eyes cold as ice, unyielding. He stared at the light ahead with a gaze that didn’t flinch. No fear. No hesitation. Just calculation—as if the threat before him were a worthy rival, not some mortal trying to survive.Outside the arena, Balfar Mohr’s eyes went wide. He had expected a decisive finish, a final moment of glory. But Darian? Not only was he standing, but he was also breaking through. His cultivation had surged into the early stage of the Vital Soul Stage—a milestone that most never reached in a lifetime.The ai

The Elder of the Holy Light’s voice cut across the battlefield like a bell. The words hung in the air, heavy and certain: the Champion of this year’s Battle of the Thousand Realms had been decided.From Drakeflare City, a youth in black robes had emerged like a shadow in the sun. One by one, opponents had fallen before him, their power no match for his. Until, finally, he alone remained.Darian Kaelthorn stood at the battlefield’s center, calm, yet his eyes burned with a fire that no exhaustion could dim. He had defeated Dathric Valen. He had claimed the championship. But deep down, he knew this was not the end—it was only the beginning.His gaze drifted to a lone figure just outside the battlefield. A simple green robe, quiet presence, but with an unmistakable air of authority. Sharp. Calculating.“To meet the Grand City Lord… I have to face you first, Balfar Mohr.”A sudden cough wracked Darian’s body. Blood and mystic energy from his clash with Dathric surged again, remnants of a f

The pale purple Spirit Core pulsed quietly, almost like it had a heartbeat of its own, yet the void around it seemed to shiver with every thrum. At the same time, waves of Mystic Power—far beyond the peak of the late Ironbody Tier—radiated outward, stretching in all directions like ripples on an endless lake.“I only just broke through shortly before the Battle of the Thousand Realms,” Balfar Mohr said, a calm smile playing on his lips, almost serene. “Darian Kaelthorn… your luck, it really is terrible. If this were before my breakthrough, maybe—just maybe—you’d have had a chance.”“The Force-Spirit Realm… Brother Mo has broken through!” whispered a young cultivator, disbelief lacing his tone.“And he’s only nineteen!” another added, eyes wide as saucers.“My heavens… how is this even possible?”Murmurs spread like wildfire among tens of thousands of spectators. Every gaze was drawn to the pale purple Spirit Core hovering behind Balfar Mohr, awe etched deep on every face.Darian Kaelt

“Boom—”A terrifying force ripped through the void, twice the strength of the Azure Dragon Emperor’s Ultimate Break. The air itself seemed to shiver beneath it, bending and shimmering as though reality had suddenly become liquid. Light twisted chaotically, sharp and alive, lashing out in every direction.Darian Kaelthorn’s black hair whipped around his face. His eyes shone—sharp, unwavering, calm in a storm no one could survive. Before him, Balfar Mohr unleashed his final move. The Sun-Moon Martial Emperor had already ascended, transformed into pure Yang energy, yet even that wasn’t enough to hold back the pressure now pressing on Darian.Only twin azure beams separated them. Only that. And yet, the overwhelming might of the Azure Breaking Nine Heavens pressed on Darian as if he were nothing but dust on the wind, ready to be crushed.“Hu…”Darian exhaled softly. A quiet breath, warm with memories he’d buried deep inside. His long, fair fingers moved deftly, weaving intricate hand seal