Aiden opened the case, delight spreading across his face. He laughed. "Six beast eyes. That's three low-tier Rank Two kills, right there."He searched the body once more but found nothing else of real value. After a careful glance around, he tucked the fallen battle blade into his storage ring.The Duskdawn Profound Iron embryo still needed to absorb a substantial number of weapons to climb further in grade, and for someone like Aiden with zero interest in actual forging, looting fallen enemies remained the fastest path forward.Aiden crossed to the Silver Dragon Lion's body, dug out a three-ounce chunk of spirit flesh, and swallowed it without a second thought.His martial cultivation ticked upward again almost instantly, and buried within that flesh was a thread of spiritual energy finer than a strand of hair, which he absorbed with real satisfaction.Thin as that thread was, it still counted for something. Even a mosquito's leg was still meat, after all.The first stage of the tria

From what Magnus and Elena described, Aiden gathered the two of them genuinely belonged to Burning Lamp Academy, having enrolled a full year ahead of him. This trip into the Twin Peaks was their own academy assignment too.Everything had gone smoothly, right up until the heavyset hermit tricked them outright, stealing the spirit-beast meat they'd hunted and trapping them inside a formation.Thankfully, the formation carried no real lethal intent, holding them captive for roughly fifteen minutes. Once they'd broken free, they'd tracked the hermit's trail using a secret technique, leading them straight here.Along the way, Magnus had spotted Lucy fighting off several warriors and stepped in to help. That was how they'd learned about the hermit, and the two had been waiting for Aiden to emerge ever since.Aiden's mind raced through the details, and he laughed. "So that shameless hermit got you too. Perfect. This place looks like somewhere a real cultivator once died. We might actually wa

While everyone racked their brains trying to crack the seal, Tobias Quill sat cross-legged atop a sacrificial altar, using blood as a catalyst, chanting incantations as dark clouds pressed down from above in a genuinely terrifying display. Streams of blood flowed freely, heavy clouds bearing down toward the earth as a vast ancient formation roared to life, raging in every direction, like some unparalleled ancient beast stirring awake. The entire Twin Peaks range shook violently. At that moment, the raw power radiating off Tobias had already climbed well past the Energy Refinement Realm. Shock rippled through everyone nearby. Disciples still in the middle of their own trials stared up at the sky in open horror. Lightning cracked and thunder rolled, crimson bolts weaving together beneath a sky gone pitch black, as though ancient war spirits were stirring back to life, their presence rolling outward like a vast, crashing ocean. THUD! In the distance, the ancient cave shelterin

This was clearly no moment to dwell on the mystery, though. Aiden pressed his palm against Alaric's, his strength surging, forcing the man to slide backward. BANG! Alaric staggered back more than thirty feet, crashing into the trunk of a massive tree, coughing up another mouthful of blood. "Your strength even surpasses mine! You're dead today, guaranteed!" Alaric's face twisted into a savage snarl as he roared, "Blood Energy Condensed Beast!" Immediately, the blood inside Alaric's body seemed to ignite, a thick cloud of blood mist rising behind him. Within it, the massive shadow of a wolf took shape, nearly seven feet tall. This was the distinctive mark of the late-stage Profound realm: the Blood Energy Condensed Beast. For warriors in the Profound realm, every step upward brought a sharp increase in blood and energy, producing miraculous changes in varying degrees. Those at the Great Perfection stage could even transform that blood energy into pure spirit. Each stage rel

Already, Aiden matching Lucian's projection within the same realm was a remarkable feat, one that would spark a genuine uproar if word ever got out.And if Aiden managed to cross a full realm gap and defeat Lucian outright, the sensation it caused would be unimaginable."The eighth punch, River Styx Dragon Transformation."Lucian's presence swelled stronger and stronger, surging spiritual energy rippling around his body.He looked like a man practicing boxing while standing atop a great river, the sound of rushing water audible in the air itself.ROAR!The great river transformed into a water dragon over thirty feet long, surging straight toward Aiden."Heavenly Heart Pierces the Plum Blossom!"Aiden thrust his sword toward the water dragon's brow. Instead of piercing through, though, the blade struck as though against an iron wall, a sharp metallic clang ringing out.BOOM!The Purple Cloud Sword was nearly wrenched from Aiden's grip by the sheer force of the impact. In that instant,