Buzz.
Darian Kaelthorn stood perfectly still, eyes tightly closed, his entire body suffused with a faint golden Sacred Battle Energy that roared relentlessly, while his golden-red blood energy churned endlessly.
Behind him, the faint silver Spirit Core trembled gently, rising and falling to about the height of a man. As night deepened, dazzling light radiated from Darian's body, within which spread a vast, unfathomable aura.
Seraphina Vale's icy eyes flickered with a trace of irrepressible shock as she looked at the eyes-closed Darian. To her perception, this youth, who had just condensed his Spirit Core and stepped into the initial stage of the Mortal Purification Stage, was utterly beyond her ability to see through.
To be precise, Darian indeed appeared as a cultivator at the initial stage of the Mortal Purification Stage, yet his entire being exuded a subtle, elusive aura that made her heart race. It was as if the youth before her had transformed into a flood dragon deep beneath the ocean. Once the dragon entered the sea, it would be reborn completely.
Selene frowned slightly, studying Darian carefully. Clearly, after condensing his Spirit Core and stepping into the initial stage of the Mortal Purification Stage, Darian had stirred something profound within himself.
Buzz.
After a moment, the Sacred Battle Energy gradually calmed. Darian opened his eyes. Though his expression remained calm, a faint hint of joy flickered deep within his gaze.
Clenching his fists, he felt the severalfold increase in the density of his Sacred Battle Energy. Having condensed his Spirit Core and broken through to the Mortal Purification Stage, Darian knew he was many times stronger than when he had attained the peak of the Ironbody Tier.
He could feel that with his current combat strength, if he were to face Lucian Valeblue again, he had absolute confidence. A single punch would be enough to crush him.
Buzz.
The Spirit Core behind him brought an unfamiliar yet wondrous sensation, rising and falling while emanating waves of cool, comfortable energy. Under this feeling, Darian understood he could maintain absolute clarity and calmness of mind at all times.
"Good! Excellent! The three of you have truly exceeded my expectations. You are indeed all geniuses! Hahahaha."
City Lord Valtor Grimspire's voice rang out, filled with praise. The three immediately cupped their fists together and bowed in unison.
"Many thanks for the City Lord's gracious cultivation."
All three knew their breakthrough today was entirely thanks to Valtor's efforts. Without him, surpassing their previous limits in just seven days would have been impossible. Their gratitude was sincere.
"Hehe, no need to thank me. This time, the three of you will represent my Drakeflare Main City in the Battle of the Thousand Realms. As City Lord, it is only right I contribute. Now then, since you have just broken through, your vital energy is still unstable. Tonight, consolidate your stages. Tomorrow, we have other matters to attend to."
The three nodded and each found a place to sit cross-legged, slowly entering the state of consolidating their cultivation.
Buzz.
Feeling the Sacred Battle Energy in his body at least three times denser than before, Darian took a deep breath, letting the fluctuations of the initial stage of the Mortal Purification Stage spread out as he devoted himself fully to cultivation.
Valtor quietly walked to the side of the Origin Energy River pool, gazing at the milky-white liquid within, a trace of intrigue flashing in his eyes.
"About one-third of the entire Origin Energy River is gone. Of that, only thirty percent was absorbed by Seraphina and Selene; the remaining seventy percent was all taken by Darian. For an Ironbody Tier cultivator to condense his Spirit Core and consume such a staggering amount of energy, it's clear his Moon Ascension process came at an enormous cost. I wonder how far apart his seven souls are. Ordinary geniuses manage only two or three paces. I recall that monstrous talent from the First Main City had six paces.
"The greater the distance between the seven souls, the harder the Moon Ascension process and the more Origin Energy it requires, but the stronger the cultivator will be afterward. Judging by his absorption, his seven souls must be at least five paces apart, perhaps even six. The extreme limit is nine paces. What kind of peerless genius could ever attain that height?"
The figure of Jaren Shanley surfaced in his mind, but Valtor shook his head.
"Jaren may be a peerless genius, but even he could never attain the nine paces limit."
Darian continued cultivating silently. Since he began condensing his Spirit Core, Riven had not spoken a word, as if entrusting everything entirely to Darian. He was used to this.
Buzz.
As the Sacred Battle Energy circulated, Darian's mind gradually sank toward his Core.
The source of the Warborn Covenant remained unchanged, seemingly no different from before. After careful inspection, he discovered nothing unusual. Slowly withdrawing his focus, Darian immersed himself fully in consolidating his new stage.
The sun rose, casting warm light across the mountaintop, outlining it with a faint golden edge.
The three young cultivators, having trained all night, sat bathed in the morning glow, their three Spirit Cores rising and falling behind them, radiating the unique aura of Mortal Purification Stage cultivators.
Seraphina was the first to finish. Standing atop the peak, the cold-natured girl gazed into the distant sunrise. Her form-fitting blue martial dress hugged her graceful curves. Though still slightly youthful, she exuded a striking, unintentional allure.
Selene opened his eyes, fascination filling his gaze as he looked at her. The sunlight bathed her delicate profile, making her seem like a goddess descended from the heavens. Her flawless skin was like porcelain, her exquisite features calm and serene even without a smile. In that moment, to Selene, she seemed eternal.
Hoo.
Exhaling a turbid breath, Darian ended his night of cultivation as well. His eyes shone brightly, a faint golden gleam flickering deep in his black pupils.
Rising to his feet, hands clasped behind his back, he too looked toward the brightening horizon. The warm sunlight pierced countless barriers, spilling its passion toward the endless distance.
"How beautiful."
The words slipped from his lips. By chance, Seraphina, standing not far away, overheard them.
Those three words, as if carrying subtle magic, rippled across the still waters of her heart, stirring gentle waves. Unnoticed, a faint blush crept across her cold face. She did not know whether Darian was speaking of the sunrise or of her.
"Enough. After a night's cultivation, I believe your stages are mostly stabilized. There are just over twenty days until the Battle of the Thousand Realms. Time is short. Follow me."
In an instant, vast Origin Energy enveloped the trio, and Valtor whisked them away, vanishing from the mountaintop.
Buzz.
In little more than a dozen breaths, Valtor brought them to a grand, well-laid-out residence.
"This is my City Lord's Mansion. Come."
Darian, Seraphina, and Selene followed closely as he led them inside. The mansion was strangely empty. Apparently, Valtor lived here alone.
Finally, they attained a vast square paved entirely with green-condensed stone slabs. The slabs were incredibly tough, nearly impossible to damage, ideal for practicing combat techniques.
The sheer quantity of such stone amazed them. None of their families possessed even a small amount, yet here it covered the entire square.
Valtor looked at them, his gaze deep.
"In cultivation, stage is the foundation. But once both stage and Origin Energy attain a certain level, you must draw out their full potential through combat techniques. The cruelty of the Battle of the Thousand Realms will far exceed your imagination, especially the opening team battle, which has the highest elimination rate. Therefore, I will now teach you how to survive to the very end in such a battle."
With a flash of light from his right hand, three small scrolls appeared, each flying toward one of them.
Darian caught his black, palm-sized scroll made of some unknown ancient material. He slowly unrolled it, and the three began reading.
Half an hour later, Darian was the first to lift his head, eyes filled with both admiration and hidden shock.
Selene and Seraphina soon followed.
Seeing this, Valtor nodded.
"You may not yet realize what you hold. This is a Level One Battle Formation."
Battle Formation!
At the mention of these words, the three looked puzzled, clearly unfamiliar with the term.
Valtor was unsurprised and explained patiently.
"A battle formation is a profound combat method that unites the power of multiple people into one. Through the formation diagram, three individuals who would normally fight separately combine into a single entity, offense and defense perfectly integrated, allowing each to bring out their full strength. No matter how harsh the battlefield, you can act as one, advancing and retreating together. This can directly affect the final outcome of a battle.
"If you fight in the Battle of the Thousand Realms' team match as separate individuals, you will be defeated by the other main cities one by one. Don't doubt my words. Out of the hundred main cities, Drakeflare ranks only seventy-seventh. That means most of your opponents will be ranked above us, and their geniuses will be at least as strong as you, likely stronger."
His tone was grave, revealing the harsh reality of the Hundred Main Cities and the cruelty of the upcoming battle.
Yet after speaking, Valtor noticed with satisfaction that none of them showed fear or hesitation, only rising fighting spirit.
"What I have just given you is the battle diagram you must master in the remaining twenty days. Its name is the Dragon Assault Battle Formation."
"Dragon Assault Battle Formation?"
Darian glanced down again at the scroll, noticing the image of a ferocious flood dragon etched upon it.
"This is a three-man formation comprising Dragon Head, Dragon Body, and Dragon Tail. Each of you will take one role, combining your cultivation into a single Dragon Assault. With it, you could endure until the end of the team battle."
The Dragon Body maintains balance, supporting the Dragon Head and guiding the Dragon Tail.
The Dragon Tail focuses on defense, adaptable and evasive, avoiding strikes.
The Dragon Head leads the assault, commanding the formation and striking in all directions.
When the three act as one, they move like a living dragon capable of fierce attack and solid defense, enough to sweep aside enemies of the same stage.
This was the Dragon Assault Battle Formation.
As Valtor spoke, their eyes brightened. If they could master it, they would gain a powerful trump card in the team battle.
Yet, as they learned more, a shared thought arose among them.
The safest role was the Dragon Body, shielded by the Dragon Head in front and the Dragon Tail behind, responsible for maintaining balance between the two.
The Dragon Tail required keen perception to anticipate danger in battle, using the Dragon Body as a link to support and protect the Dragon Head.
The Dragon Head, however, bore the heaviest burden. Launching attacks, giving orders, coordinating both Body and Tail, and unleashing the formation's true power.
Victory or defeat rested on the Dragon Head.
In other words, the Dragon Head was the most crucial role in the entire formation.
So, who would be the Dragon Head?