“Die, then.”Kael Draven knew—if he let this chance slip, he’d never forgive himself. Not now, not ever. No hesitation. No second thoughts.He stepped forward. One stride, and he crossed into the cave.Instantly, it was like walking into a furnace. Heat slammed into him from every direction, flames licking at his skin. He tensed. Forget the Qilin’s strength—its aura alone was crushing, almost impossible to stand against.“Shameless human… you’re asking for death.”“Who’s there?” His eyes snapped wide. He scanned the cave as if expecting some ghost to leap out at him.“Damn… such a weak human. Never seen one like you.”Then it hit him. The voice—loud, clear—it came from the Fire Qilin itself. Not far ahead. And yes… it was speaking. Kael Draven’s jaw nearly dropped.“You… you’re talking?”He’d never cursed in his life. And yet, the words just slipped out. A spirit beast talking? Who had ever seen that?“Why can’t I?” Qilin’s massive head rose slowly, eyes glinting like molten fire.Kae

Kael Draven’s blade did more than kill a man — it catapulted him to the eleventh rank on the Hundred Battle Ranking.That wasn’t a quiet rise. It was a storm. Celestia felt it.The Flame Royal Household was stunned. Shock turned quickly to fury. If they hadn’t been watching the Thunder Empire and were wary of the Ghost King Sect, they would have already moved. No question.A quick reminder: the Hundred Battle Ranking is regional. Nine regions across the Eryndor Continent, nine separate lists. If your name shows up, you’re not ordinary. Breaking the top twenty is news. Hitting eleventh? That’s close to legendary.At first, challengers swarmed — the usual show of hands from those chasing fame. But the moment Kael Draven locked down that eleventh spot, the noise stopped. Nobody wanted to test a man who’d just slain Malvinn Valmar. Everyone knew Malvinn Valmar’s name. So ask yourself: someone who can cut down Malvinn Valmar — what does that even mean? It means you don’t mess with him.The

In the end, Kael Draven didn’t even have to move.He poured all his focus into resisting the freezing air crashing toward him from every direction. It wasn’t just cold—it bit into him, sharp and alive. And before long, he realized something was wrong. This chill carried poison. Subtle at first, almost harmless. But with every breath, it gnawed at his strength, stealing it little by little.Corpse Slave.Death Mantis.The Corpse Slave stood at the Transformation Thunder Tribulation Realm. The Death Mantis, only in the Unity Realm. Both were strong in their own right, but the difference between them? Worlds apart.The Soul Slaves and Corpse Slaves forged by Eldric through the Blood Pool weren’t truly alive anymore. They couldn’t die, couldn’t bleed, couldn’t stop.And that was exactly why Kael Draven wasn’t worried.He ignored the creeping poison, leaving the Corpse Slave and the Death Mantis to fight it out. The clash was brutal, echoing through the cave, neither side giving in. For a

The Ghost King and Kiera Thane stayed behind. Andrew Anderson, after a long moment of hesitation, finally turned and left.He wasn’t stupid. He knew that as long as the Ghost King and Kiera Thane stood by Kael Draven’s side, killing him was nothing more than a dream.The Ghost King’s strength was bottomless—something far beyond Andrew Anderson’s understanding.“Kiera Thane,” the Ghost King said, his voice calm but firm, “I’ll give you three hours. Come find me afterward.”“Thank you, Father.”When the Ghost King walked away, silence hung heavy between Kael Draven and Kiera Thane. Finally, Kael Draven broke it. “Tell me,” he said, his tone low, “are you really going to marry him? In three months?”Kiera Thane’s expression wavered. She nodded. Then hesitated. Then she shook her head. “Before my father became sect master of the Ghost King Sect,” she began softly, “he fought a powerful enemy and was gravely injured. The sect master of the Golden Sun saved his life. To repay that debt, my

“Are you Kael Draven?”Arnold Vance’s voice sliced through the night like a shard of ice. Sharp. Cold. Dangerous.He was a Transformed Realm cultivator, brimming with unshakable confidence. And across from him… a mere Unity Realm fighter. A boy. Nothing more.The difference wasn’t just skill. It was a chasm. A gulf so wide that even the strongest Unity cultivator would crumble against someone who had survived a Thunder Tribulation and emerged as a Transformed Realm powerhouse.“That’s me,” Kael Draven said, calm. Unshaken.“Do you know who I am?”“You’re the Patriarch of the Starcloud Royal Clan… Arnold Vance,” he replied, without a flicker of hesitation.Arnold Vance’s lips curved into a faint, almost approving smirk. “I’ve heard of you. I must admit… you’ve done well. Ten years of perseverance, and in just a few months, you’ve risen so fast. Standing here now, your talent, your determination… impressive. Few could ever match you.”Kael Draven said nothing. He didn’t need to. Silence