The sky was a brilliant blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds, but in the blink of an eye, it darkened into an ominous shade of ink-black.


    The once-clear heavens were now shrouded in thick, oppressive clouds, exuding an unbearable pressure that spread across the land, enveloping everything in its suffocating grasp.


    The man in the black robe shuddered. A chilling stiffness crept into his very soul as an overwhelming force pressed down upon him, weighing heavily on his chest.


    He felt it—an undeniable, piercing gaze from the heavens, as if the cosmos itself had locked onto him, preparing to unleash divine judgment upon the sinner who dared defy fate.


    Run!


    The thought surged through his mind like lightning. He did not know where this crushing force originated or what danger lurked in this place, but he had no intention of staying to find out.


    Without hesitation, he turned and fled.


    Boom!


    Thunder roared across the sky the moment he moved.


    From within the massive serpent of the earth, a brilliant purple light erupted, flashing like a divine beacon before exploding violently. The dazzling burst shot straight toward him at an unimaginable speed.


    The black-robed man was fast—his cultivation at the Sacred Manifestation Realm ensured that. But the purple light was faster!


    The earth serpent shattered into countless fragments, dissolving into dust and returning to the land. And amidst the ruins, a lone figure emerged unscathed.


    Han.


    He stood there, unharmed, as a radiant white dragon coiled protectively around him, warding off all attacks.


    Not a single scratch marred his body.


    In his grasp, a white dragon scale shimmered faintly, pulsing with power. This was the source of the protective dragon’s might.


    It was a treasured artifact bestowed upon him by Ao Xuanwei, capable of blocking even the strikes of a Sacred Manifestation expert. Han hadn’t expected to use it so soon.


    The white dragon, having fulfilled its duty, retreated back into the scale, which now bore a fine crack along its surface.


    One of its three protective uses had been expended.


    But it was worth it.


    Against an opponent of this caliber, it had served its purpose well.


    Boom!


    Thunderous explosions continued to resound. The source? The very purple light that had erupted from Han moments ago.


    Upon closer inspection, the streak of radiance was no ordinary glow—it was a bolt of heavenly lightning!


    Majestic and terrifying, the purple thunder carried the full weight of the heavens, locking onto the black-robed man with a divine decree of annihilation.


    "This is... the Heavenly Thunderfire Seal?!"


    The man bellowed in fury, his voice laced with disbelief. "Impossible!"


    "How could someone of your cultivation level possibly master the Heavenly Thunder Seal?!"


    "No... it must be Lu Qingmo! How could she—?!"


    His furious protests were cut short as the divine thunder struck him head-on.


    He tried to escape. He failed.


    Boom!


    A deafening roar shook the heavens as the purple lightning descended, consuming everything in its wake.


    Amidst the blinding light, hints of earthen brown flickered within the storm, interwoven with various arcane forces battling for dominance.


    The black-robed man roared in desperation, unleashing every ounce of his strength to resist the assault of the Heavenly Thunder Seal.


    Meanwhile, Han calmly reached out and retrieved a floating mystical mirror before him.


    This was no ordinary artifact—it was a treasure obtained from Dai Lin of the Earth Corpse Sect, a sacred mirror capable of replicating the divine arts of Sacred Manifestation cultivators.


    From the moment he had acquired it, Han had entrusted it to Lu Qingmo, who imprinted one of her most formidable techniques upon its surface.


    She had debated copying a defensive spell, but ultimately, she knew better.


    Defense alone would never be enough. The mirror could only be used once—whatever technique was stored within would vanish upon activation.


    And for an enemy formidable enough to force Han to use it, mere defense would be meaningless.


    The best defense was a decisive attack!


    However, activating such a powerful artifact took time—time that an opponent of this level would not simply grant. The use of the dragon scale was inevitable.


    Without it, even if Han had activated the mirror immediately, the black-robed man could have launched a desperate counterattack, dragging Han into mutual destruction.


    The treasure of the Dragon Maiden had indeed saved his life.


    A great debt was owed.


    In the midst of the battlefield, the Heavenly Thunder continued its relentless rampage, its fury unyielding.


    Han did not remain idle. He formed intricate hand seals, channeling his arcane energy.


    The Heavenly Thunder Seal did not discriminate. Even its wielder was not immune to its devastation. If Han ventured too close, he too would be engulfed in its merciless wrath.


    Even his spiritual senses dared not extend into the storm, lest they be instantly obliterated.


    But that was fine. There were other ways.


    Blazing flames of blue, green, and gray surged into the lightning-infested zone, latching onto the soul of the trapped figure within.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Then, from the void, a deep crimson fire manifested, roaring as it surged into the battlefield.


    The union of Yin and Yang.


    The clash of fire and fire. A violent, explosive reaction beyond measure.


    The Yin-Yang Earthfire Seal!


    And as the twin flames merged with the thunder, something changed.


    The Heavenly Thunder Seal and the Earthfire Seal—two sides of the same coin, bound by the same origin—resonated, amplifying each other’s might to an even greater, more terrifying level.


    Boom!


    A cataclysm erupted. A mere ember of their combined power struck the ground, leaving behind a crater dozens of meters wide.


    Then, a massive spectral hand appeared in the sky, gleaming with seven-colored radiance, crashing down with divine force to cleanse the land of corruption.


    Above Han’s head, a golden wheel emerged, spinning with sacred light.


    It pulsed once.


    Blinding rays of destruction shot into the storm, adding fuel to the inferno.


    The Tenfold Celestial Radiance!


    Strike while the enemy is down. Leave no chance for recovery!


    The battlefield descended into utter chaos.


    Lightning and fire intertwined in an apocalyptic storm, holy radiance and thunderclaps shaking the very fabric of reality. The once-dark clouds had long since dissipated, but the sky was now stained a deep, foreboding purple. The land beneath cracked and withered, its moisture evaporating into nothingness.


    Destruction. Devastation.


    A calamity unlike any other.


    At long last, the Heavenly Thunder lost its strength and dispersed into the air.


    As the smoke cleared, the battlefield was revealed.


    Han exhaled slowly, exhaustion weighing on him. But his gaze sharpened as he took in the sight before him.


    The black-robed man’s attire had been utterly annihilated.


    Beneath it, a protective battle armor remained—but it was in tatters, barely clinging to his spectral form.


    Above his head, a small yellow bell hovered weakly—a defensive artifact, now riddled with fractures.


    Then—


    Crack.


    A gentle breeze passed.


    The bell shattered into countless fragments before even touching the ground, crumbling into dust.


    On the scorched earth beneath him, remnants of charred artifacts and dissipated ashes lay scattered.


    In the relentless fury of the Heavenly Thunder, the black-robed man had lost far more than a mere treasure.


    Not only did he bring out his defensive artifacts, but he even resorted to using offensive ones in a desperate attempt to weaken the power of the violet lightning.


    He went as far as hurling high-grade materials he had collected before, hoping to shield himself from the relentless assault.


    Many of these high-grade materials were incredibly tough, requiring prolonged refinement with true fire before they could be used in forging.


    It was evident—he had exhausted every last resource at his disposal.


    His soul body was in a horrifying state. His lower half had been completely vaporized, leaving him as nothing more than half a man.


    A gaping hole had been blasted through his right chest, exposing him from front to back.


    His left arm had vanished entirely, while his right still clutched a now-dim, broken jade pendant, split in two.


    His features, usually sharp and androgynous, were now contorted with fury and pain.


    His right eye and the surrounding area had been obliterated, leaving behind a ghastly, nightmarish visage, akin to that of a vengeful ghost.


    “Huff…!”


    He panted heavily, his chest rising and falling violently. His gaze locked onto Han, seething with venomous hatred.


    “The Mirror of Imprint, the Yin-Yang Fire Seal, the Aura of Righteousness…”


    “Heh… what a genius you are. If not for this Life-Saving Pendant, I, a cultivator at the late stage of Manifestation, would have perished at the hands of a mere junior like you.”


    Han’s gaze flickered as he glanced at the shattered jade in his opponent’s grasp.


    So this was the Life-Saving Pendant?


    Just from its name, he could already infer its function.


    Had it not been for this pendant, the man before him would have been dead.


    What a pity.


    Indeed, the world was vast, filled with countless treasures. Facing enemies in the future, he could never afford to let his guard down.


    But where exactly did this man come from, possessing such an invaluable artifact?


    Even without thinking too hard, Han knew that a life-saving treasure of this caliber was extremely rare and precious.


    Manifestation…


    Damn it, this guy was a whole major realm and two minor realms above me! If not for the Mirror of Imprint and the Guardian Dragon Scales, I would’ve met my end here today.


    “My talent is not something you need to comment on.”


    Han sneered, “Do you really think you can walk away from this?”


    With a deafening roar, the Grand Haoran Palm descended. In its center, two flames burned fiercely, exuding an overwhelming, oppressive aura.


    Had it not been for the Mirror of Imprint, I would’ve turned and fled at the sight of a late-stage Manifestation cultivator.


    But in your current state, what makes you think you can still act so arrogantly?


    A divine radiance cascaded down, merging with the sacred light of Han’s natal artifact, purging everything in its path.


    “Without the Mirror of Imprint, do you think you have the right to challenge the might of Manifestation?!”


    “Han, I’ll kill you!”


    The mangled soul-body let out a furious roar. His last remaining arm suddenly severed itself at the root, covered in intricate runes that flared to life.


    “Boom!”


    His severed arm exploded violently, transforming into a dark crimson mist, brimming with corruption and malice.


    The sinister fog surged forward, enveloping Han like a tidal wave, leaving him with no space to evade.


    After unleashing this devastating attack, the black-robed man charged forward with what remained of his body. The ground quaked beneath him, sending towering waves of dirt into the air.


    “Boom!”


    Explosions thundered in rapid succession. A luminous wheel spun above Han, raining down protective light, shielding him.


    His natal artifact hovered over his head, radiating divine brilliance, resisting the assault.


    A surge of golden light erupted, enveloping Han’s body in a sacred glow.


    The clash of Daoist techniques and soul power sent ripples through the heavens and earth, energy colliding in an earth-shaking struggle.


    Once again, purification light flared, banishing the corrupt mist, countering the dark sorcery of the severed arm.


    Under Han’s layered defenses, the crimson soul mist was held at bay, unable to harm him.


    “I underestimated you, Han!”


    The black-robed man’s lone remaining eye gleamed with madness. Despite his attacks being thwarted, his determination remained unshaken, his assaults relentless.


    Han’s heart tensed. This man’s cultivation technique was, at the very least, an advanced visualization method—most likely a top-tier one.


    Even in his grievously wounded state, he retained enough strength to pressure Han. If he were at full power, Han wouldn’t even have the chance to flee.


    This brief encounter had already shown Han the sheer dominance of Manifestation-level cultivators. Compared to the Day Wandering stage, the power leap was beyond comprehension.


    The gap between Day Wandering and Manifestation was far greater than the gap between Bone Refining and Marrow Cleansing.


    In the path of soul cultivation, once past Day Wandering, challenging a higher realm became exponentially more difficult.


    This was because the power disparity between soul cultivators of different realms was simply too vast.


    And this black-robed man’s sheer strength was further proof of his exceptional background.


    Only a handful of forces could grant top-tier visualization techniques as part of their legacy.


    This was no ordinary cultivator from the Tianyue Prefecture—he had to hail from one of the great sects or prestigious aristocratic clans.


    As for the highest-tier foundational visualization techniques? That was impossible.


    If he had cultivated such a technique, Han would have already used up all three of his Guardian Dragon Scales’ life-saving chances—and then perished.


    A Manifestation cultivator who built his foundation with a root-tier visualization technique was someone on the level of Lu Qingmo, a direct disciple of the Xuan Du Sect.


    That said, Han was not completely powerless against his current opponent. The black-robed man was in no condition to take him down easily.


    Between them, the boundless energy of heaven and earth churned wildly, as if it were their mere plaything.


    The fluctuations of their techniques were awe-inspiring, radiating for miles, shining brilliantly.


    But after just a few more clashes, the black-robed man’s strength began to wane further. He could no longer maintain the power of the Manifestation stage.


    His injuries were too severe. Sacrificing his soul arm had only worsened his condition, and failing to take Han down had put him in an even more precarious state.


    He was slipping below the Manifestation threshold, while Han’s momentum only grew stronger.


    The gap between Day Wandering and Manifestation was vast—but if you can no longer exert Manifestation-level strength, what do I have to fear?


    The black-robed man sensed his dwindling power. He was overwhelmed by frustration and rage.


    If this dragged on any longer, his condition would only worsen.


    “I curse my fate! How could you possess the Mirror of Imprint?!”


    “Without it, without the Thunder Seal, killing you would’ve been effortless!”


    “There’s no ‘if’ in battle!”


    Han shouted back, “If you came to kill me, then you should have been prepared to die!”


    The Yin-Yang Fire surged forth, reducing everything in its path to ashes.


    “Han! You are a menace! As long as you live, I will never be at peace!”


    The black-robed man lunged at Han, forcing himself to endure the onslaught.


    “To perish alongside a prodigy like you…”


    Before he could finish, his body detonated!


    A cataclysmic explosion of soul energy erupted, unleashing a storm akin to a natural disaster.


    Han’s expression darkened. This man was utterly ruthless—choosing to self-destruct in an attempt to drag him down as well.