Deep within the Savage Mountain Range of the Black-Corner Region, a newly discovered Rank-2 mineral vein had become the eye of an unprecedented storm.
From the outside, the mine looked no different from countless other veins scattered across the region—jagged rock walls, unstable tunnels, and thin veins of low-grade ore embedded in the stone. Ordinarily, such a mine would at most attract Dou Ling–level cultivators and a handful of opportunistic Dou Wang experts.
But today, the Savage Mountain Range had turned into a battlefield.
At the mine's outer perimeter, dozens of Dou Ling and Dou Wang experts clashed in chaotic melee. Blades rang, Dou Techniques detonated, and bodies were constantly thrown back by shockwaves before being swallowed again by the fray. Blood stained the rocks, and shattered ore littered the ground like gravel.
Yet compared to the chaos outside, the battle above the mine's core was on an entirely different level.
High in the air, violent Dou Qi surged like raging tides.
Several figures hovered in confrontation, their auras colliding again and again. Each exchange was accompanied by thunderous explosions, and every strike distorted the surrounding space. The mountain trembled repeatedly, as if unable to bear the pressure of their clash.
Under normal circumstances, such a scene would be unthinkable.
A Rank-2 mine should primarily produce Rank-2 ore, with occasional Rank-3 deposits and, at best, a few scattered fragments of Rank-4 ore near the deepest layers. Such resources were valuable, but nowhere near enough to draw Dou Zong-level powerhouses into a life-and-death struggle.
However, buried deep beneath the mine's core lay something entirely different.
A Rank-7 ore.
Over countless years, this rare ore had continuously drawn in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, forcibly reshaping the surrounding terrain and giving birth to the mine itself. The so-called Rank-2 vein was merely a disguise—an outer shell formed under the influence of this terrifying core.
When the Sunagakure Ninja first began mining the area, they noticed something strange almost immediately. The deeper they excavated, the denser the surrounding energy became. Rank-3 ore appeared far too frequently, followed by several large veins of Rank-4 ore.
When a Rank-5 ore was unearthed, the truth became impossible to ignore.
There was a treasure at the core.
Several Ninja were instantly tempted. With such a discovery, Sunagakure could quietly monopolize the vein and skyrocket in power. Yet after only brief hesitation, Rasa chose to honor the agreement. The information was reported to the mine's nominal owners—Yuan Yi and Su Mei—without delay.
Unfortunately, integrity alone was not enough to prevent disaster.
Already wary of Sunagakure, Yuan Yi and Su Mei immediately expelled the Ninja and chose to investigate personally. But the moment the Rank-7 ore revealed itself before their eyes, any fragile alliance collapsed.
In the narrow mine tunnel, Dou Qi erupted violently.
The clash between the two Dou Zong experts shook the entire underground structure. In the end, Su Mei was defeated, forced to retreat while badly wounded. In desperation and fury, she sealed the mine entrance, trapping Yuan Yi deep within the tunnels.
Negotiation became impossible.
Cold hatred flashed through Su Mei's eyes as she made her decision.
If she could not obtain it—then no one would.
The mine's information was sold.
Like blood in the water, the news spread through the Black-Corner Region. Within days, forces great and small swarmed in, and the Savage Mountain Range descended into the carnage now unfolding.
Above the mine's core, the battle reached its peak.
Elder Su Qian of Canaan Academy looked utterly disheveled. His robe was torn, his hair scattered, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Yet his eyes remained razor-sharp.
Every movement was precise. Every dodge flirted with death.
Fighting at his side was Vice Dean Hu Gan, the two of them maintaining a flawless formation born from decades of cooperation.
Their opponents were no less terrifying.
The Golden and Silver Elders of the Black-Corner Region pressed relentlessly, while Gu Yuena, the Grand Elder of the Douluo Alliance, stood coldly at the edge of the battlefield, her power suppressing the entire area. Looming above all of them was Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, Chief Advisor of the Ninja World Alliance, her presence alone distorting the flow of energy.
Six Dou Zong-level beings surrounded the mine's core.
Every clash sent shockwaves ripping through the mountain. Tunnel after tunnel collapsed, until the mine's core was forcibly exposed to the open air.
At the center, the Rank-7 ore finally revealed itself—radiant, heavy, and pulsing with terrifying energy.
The outer battlefield was no less brutal.
Five Elders of Canaan Academy found themselves locked in combat against an impossibly coordinated trio.
At the front was Kakashi.
His movements were concise, almost lazy, yet every step landed in the most optimal position. With a short blade in hand, he precisely severed Dou Qi circulation points, disrupting techniques before they could fully form.
To his side prowled Thunder Prison, its massive body wrapped in crackling lightning. Each leap carried explosive force, arcs of electricity lashing outward unpredictably.
"Watch the lightning!" an Elder shouted.
Too late.
A stray lightning arc grazed another Elder's arm. His sleeve carbonized instantly, skin blackened, and numbness flooded his meridians. His movements slowed for just a moment—
And Thunder Prison's claws were already upon him.
Only by rolling desperately did the Elder avoid being torn apart.
Outside the immediate clash stood Ning Rongrong.
She maintained perfect distance, her expression calm, her posture relaxed. Yet whenever the battle reached a critical moment, faint green light would flicker at her fingertips.
Her finger strikes were silent.
Invisible.
Deadly.
Each attack arrived at precisely the worst possible moment—shattering Dou Qi formations, piercing defensive gaps, or forcing a sudden retreat. Though she never stepped into direct combat, she dictated the rhythm of the entire battlefield.
The Five Elders grew increasingly alarmed.
Numbers and cultivation were meaningless under such precise suppression.
At the far edge of the chaos, a dark figure moved silently.
Xiao Yan.
He kept his aura suppressed to the absolute minimum, slipping between shattered rocks and lingering shockwaves. Each movement was calculated, exploiting the brief gaps created by the high-level clashes.
His gaze locked onto a reddish crystal lodged in a rock crevice.
Rank-4 Fire Spirit Crystal.
Large. Pure. Perfect.
When his fingers touched it, warm fire-attribute energy surged outward. Joy flashed through his heart.
Just as he exerted force—
"Hmph!"
A sharp sword qi slashed toward his wrist.
Xiao Yan reacted instantly.
Eight Extremities Collapse!
Instead of blocking directly, his fist slammed three inches beside the sword qi. The explosive shockwave twisted its trajectory by a hair's breadth. The blade grazed his arm, tearing flesh and spraying blood.
Before he could retreat, a second, far stronger sword qi arrived.
"Teacher!"
Pale white flame erupted, forming a shield that shattered the sword qi upon contact.
That instant drew attention.
From afar, Ning Rongrong's eyes narrowed.
Her finger flicked.
A condensed strike shot toward Xiao Yan's chest—silent, terrifying.
Yao Chen seized control.
Bone-Chilling Flame surged outward, forming a spinning shield. The finger strike drilled into it, grinding relentlessly.
"Strange…" Yao Chen muttered. "That penetration…"
"Go!"
Purple Cloud Wings unfurled.
Using the chaotic energy as cover, Xiao Yan vanished into the ruins.
Ning Rongrong exhaled softly. "A soul body."
Kakashi sheathed his blade. "He retreated. Not our concern."
Moments later, Elder Su Qian's laughter echoed.
Six afterimages exploded outward.
Clone Shadow Transformation.
In the instant of confusion, the true body seized the Rank-7 ore and vanished toward Sacrifice City.
The mine fell into stunned silence.
Then chaos erupted anew.
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