The shadow of dawn over Azure City no longer brought peace. In the alleys still reeking of sulfur, Ravian moved as fast as thought itself. His black robe blended with the remnants of darkness that refused to fade. He was no longer merely running, he was hunting."System, how many Blue Cloud Sect disciples are guarding the perimeter of the market sector?"[Detecting forty-two disciples, Master. They are divided into six small teams. Their focus is split between searching for ‘Yanis’ and calming the increasingly restless civilians.]"Good. Find me the most unstable one. Someone wounded in the heart, not the body."[Analyzing energy profiles... Potential target identified. A low-ranking disciple named Elian. He was publicly flogged earlier for failing to guard the logistics post you destroyed yesterday. He is currently behind the barracks, alone.]A grin spread beneath Ravian’s mask. "Disappointment is the finest gateway to betrayal.

The sky above the Blue Cloud Sect no longer bore the clear blue of dawn. Beneath his feet, Ravian saw a sea of violet flames devouring every corner of the structures he once revered as the holiest place on the Astrala Continent. The stench of blood mixed with the smell of burning wood and biting sulfur. Elian, the disciple who had become his shadow, was still kneeling, his breath ragged.“Master, is this the end for them?” Elian asked, his voice trembling with a mix of horror and awe.Ravian looked toward the center of the sect’s complex. There, a tower as tall as the clouds stood proudly, radiating a dim yet steady blue light. It was the Horizon Tower, the heart of energy that powered the sect’s entire defensive formation. As long as that tower stood, the Blue Cloud Sect had not truly fallen.“Not yet, Elian. As long as its heart is still beating, a beast will keep struggling,” Ravian replied softly. His glowing red eyes pierced through the haze of smoke. “That heart must be torn out

The avalanche triggered by Ravian’s laughter still roared at the foot of the mountain, but inside the silent cave, the air felt far more suffocating. Ravian stood tall, letting his silver hair gleam as the cold wind slipped through the cracks in the stone. In his hand, the black talisman trembled faintly, carrying Elian’s voice, distant yet filled with fear.“Heaven-Severing Weapon?” Ravian murmured, his voice now carrying a vibration that could fracture the layers of ice along the cave walls. “So they truly intend to gamble the world for a single life?”[Confirmed, Master. Analyzing forbidden database. The “Heaven-Severing Weapon” is an ancient artifact powered by the essence of seven hundred seventy-seven high-level cultivators. Its use will create an energy vacuum within a radius of one thousand kilometers for one hundred years.]“Seven hundred seventy-seven lives to kill me?” Ravian let out a soft laugh, dry and full of mockery. “The humanity they glorify turns out to be very chea

The scorching desert sand whipped through the air, striking Ravian’s black robe, which was already thick with dust. Behind him, the green trees from the outskirts of Astrala’s capital had vanished, replaced by an endless sea of reddish-orange dunes stretching to the horizon. The Searing Desert, a place where the laws of the kingdom no longer applied, and only those strong enough or foolish enough dared to cross.Ravian came to a stop. He felt the burning heat beneath his feet, yet his skin, reconstructed by the essence of his fire, registered no pain. To him, this extreme temperature was nothing more than a passing warmth.“System, report the distance to the coordinates you provided,” Ravian said flatly.[Calculating... Master, you are currently at the center of an energy vortex within the Searing Desert. The anomaly point is five kilometers ahead. Warning: Spatial disturbances detected nearby. Someone is manipulating the frequency of the sand.]Ravian narrowed his silver eyes. “Manip

Ravian turned and walked away from the valley. He no longer ran or tried to hide. He moved with steady steps, his aura pressing down on the entire forest around him.Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet trembled violently. A massive crack split open along his path. From within it, a brilliant golden light burst forth, stark against the darkness of the night.Ravian stopped and braced himself. “System, what is that?”[Report: Spatial anomaly detected. An ancient gate is being forced open from the other side. Its energy frequency is… Divine Kingdom.]“Another envoy of the gods?” Ravian sneered. “Good. I need a target to test my new power.”A gigantic portal of golden light formed before him. From it stepped a man clad in magnificent white armor, holding a spear that radiated an overwhelming holy aura. His energy pressure far surpassed that of the Grand Inquisitor Ravian had faced before.“Heir