Beneath a vaulted sapphire sky, two streaks of light split the clouds and arrowed toward a wilderness of ancient trunks. They landed without a tremor, soft as dew, among roots the size of town walls.
Jared folded away the golden light around his frame. A faint sting of spatial energy still danced along his fingertips, an echo of the storm had carved through to escape Cloud Brecan Mountains, while Flaxseed gulped another lungful, eyes shining. Flaxseed felt the spiritual energy around his body soothe his meridians.
“Wow! Jared, this level six celestial energy is richer than the spirit springs back on level five! I’ve been wedged at Earthly Immortal Realm Level Nine forever. Give me a few months of this bounty, and l might just achieve Human Immortal Realm!”
Jared was already turning in a slow circle, reading the lay of the land the way a seasoned hunter measures scent and wind before the first arrow ever leaves the bowstring.
There, the forest shared nothing with Darkwind Gorge of level five. Bolts of timber, wide enough to demand ten men’s arms to surround them, rose Into the light. Pale-gold moss clung to their bark, pulsing with weak spiritual energy.
Fist-sized spirit crystals littered the soil like scattered pearls. Sunlight rolled across their facets, throwing milky rainbows into the shade.
From somewhere deeper came the roar of a demon beast whose aura alone would send beginner-phase Earthly Immortal Realm cultivators from level five running for shelter.
“Stay sharp,” Jared murmured. His palm rested on the Dragonslayer Sword at his hip. The blade answered with a low, quivering hum, as if telling that the demon beasts on level six might not only be strong, but they could even have skills fused with celestial energy.
A branch snapped to their left. Wind howled in its wake, ripping last season’s leaves into a spinning storm.
Something vast lunged from behind the trunks, a reptilian bulk plated in blue-black scales, a head like a crocodile enlarged by nightmare, three crimson eyes, and the ragged stumps of wings twitching on its spine. Slaver dripped from fangs long as daggers, each drop sizzling a smoking pit into the loam.
“Three-Eyed Corrosive Beast!” Flaxseed’s face drained. “Ancient records from level five archives said its hide turns aside Earthly Immortal Realm Level Seven’s blows, its spit is pure poison. and that third eye coughs soul-eating mist, one touch and your divine soul rots.”
The Three-Eyed Corrosive Beast fixed on Jared, its third eye blazed red, and a lance of ink-green vapor shot toward him.
Blazing Stride flared beneath his soles. He blurred aside, leaving only heat ripples.
The vapor slammed into an ancient tree, bark blackened, flesh dissolved, and in barely three breaths, the proud giant collapsed into a puddle of tar.
“That’s more like it!” Flaxseed exclaimed.
He then flicked a charm. “Flame Charm!”
Two ribbons of fire twisted into serpents mid-air and lashed the Three-Eyed Corrosive Beast. The contact hissed, left twin scorch marks, but failed to break through the natural armor.
The Three-Eyed Corrosive Beast bellowed, pain tipping into fury, and snapped at Flaxseed with a maw wide enough to take his head and shoulders in one bite.
He dared not meet it head-on. A Wind Charm flashed between his fingers, the gust carried over fifteen meters backward. Even as floated, flung a yellow Binding Charm that exploded into runic cords, lashing around the Three-Eyed Corrosive Beast.
“Jared, finish it!” Flaxseed shouted, voice cracking under strain. Golden light surged behind Jared’s eyes. He channeled the Power of Dragons, raised the Dragonslayer Sword high, and cleaved. “Dragon Fire Thrust!”
The arc of sword energy crashed against the Three-Eyed Corrosive Beast’s spine. Scales exploded outward like shards of obsidian. Golden fire flooded the wounds, hungry tongues of heat boring straight into living flesh.
A terrible, mind-splitting roar burst from its three throats, rattling leaves and making the very air shiver.
The Three-Eyed Corrosive Beast bucked wildly, trying to rip free of the Binding Charm.
Flaxseed, face set and hands steady, slapped three fresh charms onto the first. Glowing charms drew tight, pinning the monstrosity to the blood-soaked earth.
With every heartbeat, the golden blaze devoured more of its life force. Its cries dwindled to a ragged wheeze, then silence. At last, the beast sagged, skin cracking, body collapsing into a heap of charred carcass.
Jared stepped forward at an unhurried pace. The Dragonslayer Sword dimmed in his grip, its flame guttering out until only mirror-bright steel remained.
