Thick blood dripped slowly from the edge of Lucian Ravencroft’s worn robe.The dark, viscous liquid stained the luxury of the red velvet carpet in his wife’s residence.A severe, brutal tear split open his left shoulder without mercy.His flesh was exposed, revealing flashes of white bone from the deadly battle in the Eternal Ruins.Tonight’s fight was the absolute price for his dwindling abilities.Yet, Lucian’s eyes shone with overwhelming relief.In his trembling, numb hand, he tightly clutched a wooden box.The Fire Lotus Core artifact pulsed, radiating warmth inside the filthy box."This will definitely break her cultivation bottleneck," Lucian murmured with hope.He pushed the carved oak door open with the last of his strength.Instead of a warm welcome, a scroll of parchment flew and struck his face harshly.The white paper landed on the floor, absorbing the drops of blood from his chin."Sign it." Seraphina Dawncrest broke the silence of the room with a flat voice.The woman s

The poisoned dagger stopped instantly as if it had struck an invisible steel wall.Its blade froze just one millimeter from Lucian’s pale chest.The air in the filthy, foul-smelling alley suddenly felt thick, pressing against the chest.The raindrops pouring heavily from the night sky halted midair."This loser can use magic?" the assassin leader muttered."Is there still an artifact left on his body?"He tried to pull his weapon with all his strength, but his muscles refused to move.Time itself seemed to be forcibly dragged to a halt within that cursed space.An ancient existence awakened from its long slumber at the depths of Lucian’s soul.Lucian’s eyes, which had been tightly shut, slowly opened.A pair of eyes emitted a sharp golden light that split through the darkness of the night."Don’t expect me to die that easily," Lucian’s voice sounded hoarse, yet echoed.The golden light illuminated the faces of the assassins, who were utterly shocked.Under that gaze, Lucian could see

"Today marks the beginning of a new era of glory for all high-ranking factions of our academy."Aldric Stormbane’s voice echoed with authority, greeted by cheers of admiration from hundreds of students in the main hall.The golden emblem on his elite uniform gleamed dazzlingly under the morning sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows.Beside him, Seraphina Dawncrest smiled gracefully, wrapped in a perfectly tailored white silk gown."We will no longer allow irrelevant individuals to hinder this academy’s great progress moving forward," she added in a soft yet lethal tone.The two of them stood atop the marble stage like an untouchable ruling couple.The academy elders nodded in satisfaction from their honored seats, captivated by the flawless charisma of the two young heirs.BANG!The three-meter-tall oak double doors were kicked open and shattered from the outside.Chunks of thick wood scattered through the air, instantly silencing the applause inside the hall.The sound

"Clean up these shards of glass, and no one is allowed to make a sound."Aldric Stormbane spoke in a very calm and controlled tone.A servant bowed trembling and immediately picked up the broken glass pieces scattered across the red carpet of the study. "Y-yes, Young Master."Aldric gazed out the large window of his study, overlooking the glittering academy bathed in moonlight."That crippled man is apparently clever enough to dig up my old secrets.""Do you want me to send the academy’s elite forces to kill him tonight?" his shadow commander asked from the dark corner of the room."No, ordinary forces would only waste my time and leave dirty traces," Aldric replied coldly."Zephyr Ironveil has surely placed his tracking hounds to protect that outcast in every corner of the city.""Then what is your next order to silence him, Master?"Aldric opened a hidden drawer in his wooden desk."Lucian Ravencroft knows the history of my crimes far too clearly. That sensitive information must not

Lucian Ravencroft ran through the dense darkness of the underground corridor beneath the academy’s main building.Each step of his shoes struck the stone floor with a heavy thud that drew protests from the bones in his legs.The wounds from his previous battle were still gaping, some only temporarily patched by the remnants of karma energy.The resonance inside his chest continued to vibrate violently—as if a war drum were being beaten directly over his heart.He had no choice but to move while Amara was in danger.The academy prison block was located in the western wing, buried three levels beneath the frozen ground.Lucian descended the stairs at a dangerous speed, his hand brushing against the rough stone wall to maintain balance.He was nearly at the main corridor leading to the isolation cells when his primal instinct jerked sharply toward his mind.His steps halted instantly before his body passed the final corner.His breathing grew ragged...Yet his ears were forced to work, c