Xing Xue unleashed a dense white aura swirling around his body, while he raised his sword. Xing Jin released an aura radiating heat, while from Xing Yan flowed an aura wrapping around his blade. The three charged simultaneously toward the massive dragon's chest, but it countered with a colossal black breath, twisting the sky as if splitting the void. Xing Yan leapt aside with lightning speed to avoid the devastating storm, while Xing Jin spun mid-air, executing a swift lateral slash at the dragon's wing, scattering shards of hardened black scales. Xing Xue climbed a high rock and struck from above, targeting the beast's neck. The mountain shook from the impact, waves of energy rippled around them, tearing distant peaks apart. Yet the dragon did not falter. It slammed its wide tail onto the ground, raising thick dust and shattering rocks beneath their feet. Xing Yan was flung backward, while Xing Jin seized the moment to thrust his aura-clad sword into the dragon's flank. Part of its body was pierced, but the black blood evaporated before touching the ground.
The dragon roared, and spirals of darkness formed around it, transforming into a spear of energy, which it launched toward Xing Yan, piercing his chest. He remained standing. Xing Jin tried to block the next strike but was swallowed by the wave of darkness, losing balance before the dragon's foreclaw struck him, causing heavy bleeding. He collapsed, motionless, in pain.
Xing Xue stood alone, his eyes burning with a cold light. Gripping his sword with both hands, he pushed his aura outward, engulfing the battlefield, shattering the dragon's shadows. He focused all his power into a single strike at the dragon's chest, creating a deep fissure, revealing a glowing dark core. He attempted to cut it, but the core shattered into scattered fragments and instantly reassembled. A wave of darkness exploded around him, staggering his body. The dragon rose again, opening its mouth to release a torrent of black flames. Xing Xue closed his eyes, channeling all his aura into his sword. Delicate threads of light extended from the dragon's body, linking to its soul. He drew all threads into his sword, which shone brilliantly, and launched one final strike.
The blow pierced the dragon's body, passing through its entire being. The dark essence was released, and the soul fragmented into shards of light, disappearing into the horizon. The dragon fell lifeless. Xing Xue stood, breathing heavily, his sword dripping with fading aura, blood filling his mouth.
After the battle, he rushed toward his two companions, but the dragon's body regenerated, turning black with violet streaks. Before a strike could hit him, it was intercepted. Xing Jin and Xing Yan were unharmed, revealing that the previous attacks were merely illusions formed with aura, not real bodies. They approached Xing Xue, covering him with their aura to heal him.
Suddenly, a wave of aura gathered, revealing another dragon. The three agreed that Xing Xue would face the first dragon alone, while Xing Yan and Xing Jin would confront the black-violet dragon.
Xing Jin ignited his sword with aura and leapt toward the dragon's leg to strike. The dragon's massive foreclaw rose suddenly, deflecting the attack with sparks flying. Xing Yan seized the opportunity and lunged at the dragon's neck, but the dragon twisted its massive body, releasing a shockwave that destroyed the surrounding terrain. Xing Yan retreated, planting his feet firmly. The dragon's wing struck downward like a massive blade; the two leapt and switched positions. Xing Jin delivered a horizontal strike to the dragon's side, cutting through its scales and causing a minor wound, but it was not enough to stop the beast. The dragon roared, releasing a blue aura-mixed flame, countered by Xing Yan's protective aura, pushing him back several meters. He steadied himself again.
Xing Jin signaled Xing Yan, and they understood each other immediately. They began merging their auras at a single point. Xing Jin compressed it with his hands, producing destructive energy, and Xing Yan added his blue aura, amplifying it to near-explosive levels. They channeled the compressed aura into a massive energy sword, leapt into the air together, with winds swirling around them, and launched it directly at the dragon's chest. The sword sliced through the air with a thunderous roar, tearing space itself. It struck the dragon's body, causing a colossal explosion of light, shaking the entire mountain and obliterating nearly eighty percent of it in an instant. The dragon staggered, then its body began to crack from within outward. The core shattered, and the soul exploded completely, vanishing forever.
A synchronized attack caused cell disintegration and chaos. Collecting this energy, they released a strike that made the soul dissipate, prevented regeneration, and shattered the body.
Meanwhile, Xing Xue fought the first dragon he had faced. It had grown stronger and fully regenerated. Its aura had doubled, and its strikes were overwhelming, its movements faster than before. The problem was that Xing Xue's body was riddled with wounds, barely dodging. He finally raised his sword, concentrated all his energy, and delicate aura threads shot out from his body, wrapping around him and his sword. His body became a living aura, moving with imperceptible agility. In an instant, he disappeared from sight, appearing behind the dragon. Thousands of strikes opened simultaneously, an assault as if wielding millions of swords, cutting the dragon's body at once. The dragon was torn completely, leaving no trace, and its soul vanished from existence.
Xing Xue collapsed, but his companions lifted him. Xing said, "It's time to return. I think I've grown to dislike this place."
Tian Shi was shocked when he heard that the mountain of monsters had been destroyed and a giant entity had appeared. Ling Tian grabbed his sword and rushed toward him, thinking, "Damn, I shouldn't have left them there for two years without preparation."
Upon arrival, Tian Shi gaped in shock as he saw the three drinking tea casually at the battlefield. Ling Tian laughed, saying, "Hehe, this father is kind. He feared for his children, but in the end, he had no reason to fear."
As Ling Tian finished speaking, a strike hit his ear, making his head feel like a pea. When Tian Shi saw their auras and peak-level sword mastery, he was terrified. They jumped on him in a group hug. Tian Shi, gasping, said, "Step back a little, give me room to breathe."
He asked, "How did you all reach this level in just two years?" Xing Xue was stunned, realizing why his body had grown taller.
Xing Jin continued, "After the dragon attacked me, I woke in a strange place, my soul dissipated, and after death, I overcame the ordeal. A skeletal figure spoke strange words, but I ignored them. I arrived at the tree and found Yan. Minutes later, younger brother Xue arrived. Three portals opened as soon as we passed through, and we ascended. Time there lasted 8 hours, but it was two years in the real world—roughly 2,190 hours, about 91 days at most."
Yan added, "I went through many trials, faced a mirror , overcame mental pressures, then reached a stage where darkness filled my body. After accepting it, I moved to the tree and found Jin. The ordeal happened for a reason I still don't know."
Ling asked, "Xue, how long did your stage last?" He replied, "Over half an hour, but I got lost because I couldn't find the exit."
Ling added, "Strange, the stages there happened for several reasons: awareness of a goal—your first stage, understanding your goal before entering the mountain, leading to the second stage; search for a goal—the search stage, differing depending on whether it is a mental entry or a question; final stage—finding the goal, formed through the trials you endured."
"The last stage completes the goal. After understanding the drive and passion pushing you, you reach enlightenment, surpassing mere awareness. Completion occurs after accepting trials, reconciling with all issues, and having a purpose or unknown drive," he continued. "This is often called the Lampararchis world, or the world of discovery. Only experts in sword integration at peak world level reach it. There are two reasons: either you overcame them and found a pre-existing drive from experiences, or it comes from internal factors."
Tian Shi said, "We won't focus on the reasons, because what has passed is beyond recall. Also, congratulations."
After some time, the three showed remarkable progress. Now that strong leaders had been built, it was time to form a new team with a solid foundation.
At the same moment, I flipped through the side shelves of Master Shap's desk and found a reward of 900,000 gold coins to aid the Green Jade Village. I asked Master Shap if he knew the village. He replied, "Yes, the village offers a reward for help, but anyone who went never returned, and even if they did, they came back broken and insane. People fear going because life is more important than money."
I thanked him and decided to go now, as I needed this amount. Also, helping the village might spread our reputation. I called the others and discussed the plan. Ling said, "If this is a reward for the village, it seems there's a deeper issue." Yan agreed, "Yes, it seems too dangerous to handle casually." Jin added, "I heard someone I know went there and died, but his level was only first rank, so his death wasn't significant. There are even monsters in the Ascension world, like a massive mid-level dragon."
After finishing their discussion, I said, "Agree or not, if we complete the village mission, we can build a new, powerful team. If you refuse, we will recruit and participate in easier battles instead of solving this problem."
They deliberated, and Ling said, "I'll go because I want combat experience, and maybe we can gain money too." Jin replied, "I'm with you always, brother, so I'll go." Yan answered,