Cedric's eyes turned cold as he attacked.He raised his blade slowly, the surrounding air trembling as if sensing the birth of a terrifying force."Solar Severing Blade Art, Third Form!"BOOM!The moment he activated the third form, the power of the technique surged violently. The attack was amplified eight times, causing the blade light to swell into a dazzling, scorching arc of destructive brilliance.But that was not all.Hidden beneath the surface of the strike was the silent flow of his Lightning Domain.Cedric did not release the domain outward. Instead, he compressed it and slid its power along the blade's edge like a forbidden blessing wrapped inside destruction.No one could detect it because what they felt was only an overwhelmingly terrifying sword light that seemed far beyond what a Seed Soul Stage cultivator should possess.The blade descended.CRACKLE—!Lightning exploded silently inside the scorching golden-white slash, turning the attack into a storm of compressed anni

Cedric stood silently amidst the collapsing storm of lightning energy. For a brief breath, the battlefield seemed frozen between thunder and death.BOOM!!!Then, Cedric's aura erupted again. This time, he did not restrain even a single trace of his aura and even released the Level 4 Lightning Domain completely.The sky above darkened once more, almost immediately, as if a layer of storm clouds had descended into reality. Lightning veins spread outward from Cedric's body in all directions, forming a vast sphere of crackling blue-violet brilliance. The air trembled violently, and the ground beneath fractured inch by inch, unable to withstand the terrifying suppression of the fully unleashed domain.CRACKLE—CRACKLE—KRAAAASH!Bolts of condensed lightning rained downward like divine punishment, striking randomly within the domain. Each bolt carried a destructive force capable of tearing through the defenses of Bloom Soul Stage warriors. The environment transformed into a true thunder world

As Cedric continued walking across the quiet land of the Black Desert, he found that the land around him was mostly empty, but the distant horizon had already begun to change.Far ahead of him, he could faintly see the endless dark line of the Black Desert Sword River. Even though it was still dozens of miles away, the countless swords standing on the ground created a strange and powerful feeling that could be sensed from afar.As Cedric kept walking forward for another few miles, signs of human activity slowly began to appear. First, he saw faint tracks left by vehicles and travelers. Then he began to see scattered stone markers along the road. Finally, after some more time passed, a large settlement appeared in the distance.This place was about ten miles away from the Black Desert Sword River. Over many years, it had slowly grown into a huge town.The town was built and maintained mainly by the Midnight Mercenary Alliance, along with several other strong forces from the Emerald Bay

At that moment, near the entrance of the town, two beautiful women were standing beneath a large tree. Both of them appeared to be just over twenty-five.The two women seemed to be in the middle of a conversation.However, their voices suddenly stopped at the same time.They turned simultaneously to see a figure rapidly approaching.Within a few moments, Cedric arrived near the two women and introduced himself, "Hello, my name is Cedric Veyra. I'm interested in going to the Desert Forest with you two."As Cedric spoke, he showed the aura that belonged to a Bloom Soul Stage warrior.Sensing his aura, the two women looked at each other with a surprised expression. But then, they quickly showed ecstasy. One of them immediately stepped forward with a smile and greeted, "Hello, welcome. You can call me Maya.""Maya!"Cedric responded with a slight nod.Soon after, his eyes shifted toward the woman standing beside Maya.Seeing this, Maya quickly introduced her with a cheerful tone. "This is

About three hours later, a rich and refreshing fragrance suddenly began to emanate from the tree bearing the Evergreen Soul Fruits.As the scent drifted through the air, Cedric and his companions immediately felt their spirits lift. The fatigue from waiting for so long seemed to vanish instantly, replaced by a refreshing clarity of mind.However, at that very moment, the previously motionless Green-scaled Python abruptly raised its massive head.Its cold, amber-colored eyes slowly swept across the surroundings, vigilantly observing every corner of the cliff. This beast appeared extremely cautious.Clearly, it was well aware that once the Evergreen Soul Fruits fully ripened, their powerful fragrance could easily attract other covetous creatures.Therefore, it had to remain alert to prevent any unforeseen intruders from stealing its treasure.Buzz!Dozens of minutes passed in tense silence.During this time, the fragrance emitted by the Evergreen Soul Fruits grew increasingly rich and c