"What do you want?" Samuel frowned."What are you doing in the Blood Canyon?" the creature shot back.Samuel studied it carefully. Now that he could see it up close, it resembled lava more than rock."Are you a lava demon? I’ve read about your race before." Lava demons are not actually demons, just creatures born from lava.They could be powerless, powerful, or insanely powerful, depending on how much energy they had devoured from the magma.Considering how powerful the creature before them felt, Samuel deduced that the magma here must have once contained an immense amount of energy."It's none of your business what race I am. I am the first guardian of the Blood Canyon. Before you reach the testing ground of the great demon queen, you must pass through me." It pointed at itself with its massive molten hand.Samuel understood immediately. It was like a beginning boss."Allow me to handle him," Sheena said with a wicked smirk, fixing her gaze on the lava demon."Alright. But be careful

Boom!The impact sent shockwaves tearing through the air. The massive undead wyvern shuddered violently, its entire body jerking backward as it was driven several meters away.But it did not fall.Samuel frowned. These creatures are strong.For an undead to retain this level of power… when alive, it must have been severally times stronger.The twin-headed wyvern pulled back slightly, its remaining head releasing a low, guttural screech as it retreated.The lesser undead surged forward in response, filling the gap like a living tide.They came from all directions.Above. Below. Behind.No space left.No escape.Samuel exhaled.“Abyssal Void Fire.”Grey flames erupted from his body, spreading outward in a slow, expanding ring. The temperature plummeted as the fire burned, swallowing light instead of giving it.The undead halted mid-charge.Their movements stuttered as something primal seized them.Fear.Even in death… they feared it.The flames continued to spread, licking across bone a

A translucent barrier of condensed soul power formed in front of him, rippling as the spears crashed into it. The impacts echoed through the void, but the barrier held firm, absorbing and dispersing the force.Without wasting a second, Samuel’s other hand moved as soul energy flowed outward, weaving into a wide, tightening net that shot toward the white-robed man, aiming to bind and restrict him.“Petty tricks,” the man said with a sneer, flicking his wrist.A burst of force erupted from him, shredding the net apart before it could reach him.“You call that petty?” Samuel replied, his voice steady. “Then try this.”The energy around him shifted sharply. Instead of shaping it into traditional forms, Samuel compressed it into a dense, cylindrical construct. The structure elongated, reinforced layer by layer until it took on a strange, unfamiliar shape.The man tilted his head slightly, examining it. “What is that? Some kind of toy?”Samuel’s lips curved faintly. “No. It’s a cannon.”The

"I suggest we just do it. I mean, even if we go for the normal inheritance, it's not like there's no risk at all. I'd rather die failing the generals’ inheritance test than die over the inheritance of an ordinary Zaki tribe," Carson said."You have a point. I agree as well. But if any of you is not sure, you can opt out and go for the normal inheritance," Heng Mei said.They all looked at one another, silent for a moment, then shook their heads."We’ve come too far to stop now. I don’t see any reason to quit. It’s either the generals’ inheritance test or nothing," Amelia said stubbornly, a faint, secretive glint flashing in her eyes. If this inheritance was truly as powerful as rumored, then she would rise rapidly and finally stand on equal ground with her.Samuel would see it. He would see that she was not inferior.The others nodded in agreement with Amelia’s words. At this point, life and death no longer weighed as heavily on them. They had brushed against death too many times alre

"I'm not a successor of any Ananias. He's not worthy," Samuel said calmly.The dragon fell silent. It had never seen anyone boast like this. "You shouldn't speak like this, Master. The Heavenly Thunder might strike you out of nowhere," it warned."Shut up," Samuel commanded.He turned his gaze toward the army of the undead."Even if I bind with you, is that enough for them to serve me instead?" he asked, frowning."Yes. You might not know this, but Lord Ananias used this sword to bind their souls while they were alive. Before he died, he performed a powerful ritual that turned them into undead. The Demon queen, surprisingly, did not stop them," the dragon explained."Hmm." Samuel nodded.Suddenly, something stirred on his hand. He glanced down. It was Nyx's tattoo.How long had it been since it last moved? He couldn't remember.The black tattoo slowly peeled away from his skin and emerged, taking form as Nyx. Samuel felt a flicker of happiness. It had been a long time."Nyx," he calle