Roaring wind swept across the outskirts of Terra City while the earth below trembled as though responding to a distant earthquake. Violent currents twisted through the sky, bending the clouds into spiraling formations as cosmic energy gathered from every direction toward a single figure suspended high above the ground.
Ery floated in the center of the storm.
For nearly two years he had secluded himself in relentless cultivation, refining the Beast Emperor's inheritance while pushing his own limits further than ever before. The knowledge he had accumulated during that ti now surged through his body like a raging river, demanding release.
His Dao of Heaven and Earth ignited.
Cosmic energy descended from the sky in shimring currents, enveloping his body. Streams of celestial essence flowed through his ridians, strengthening both body and soul while stabilizing the turbulent forces that had long existed within him.
Deep inside his domain, two primordial powers stirred.
Khaos.
Elysian.
In the past, these two forces had clashed violently whenever Ery attempted to draw upon them together, each attempting to dominate the other. Yet the years of ditation and training had gradually changed that fragile balance. Now the two energies no longer fought for supremacy.
Darkness and light rotated within his inner world like twin celestial bodies. Opposites, yet perfectly aligned.
The pressure around him intensified as the storm expanded outward, shaking the surrounding plains and sending gusts of wind racing across the landscape. Hours passed while Ery remained suspended in the sky, his aura expanding and contracting with every cycle of cosmic energy that entered his body.
Then, at last, he felt it.
The Second Layer of his Second Cosmos Realm ultimately reford.
The mont the layer stabilized, cosmic power flooded through his entire body like a surging tide. His bones strengthened, his muscles refined, and his soul expanded under the pressure of the universe's essence. For a brief mont he felt as though he had beco part of the cosmos itself, standing between heaven and earth as the storm gradually began to calm.
The winds slowly faded.
The trembling earth returned to stillness.
Ery opened his eyes.
With this recovery, nearly half of the injuries he had suffered during the battle with the Astiel faction had finally healed.
But he knew the process was far from complete.
Only one step remained.
The third layer of the Second Cosmos Realm.
Based on everything he had experienced during the past two years, Ery estimated that reaching that final stage would take at least five more years of cultivation.
Unfortunately, ti was sothing he could not afford.
The coming duel challenge issued by the Astiel.
Although Ery had confidence in facing their Storm Lord, the intelligence gathered about the Astiel hierarchy painted a troubling picture. The difference between their Second Elder and First Elder was enormous. The Sky Lord was said to stood at the very peak of the Third Cosmos Realm.
Against such a figure, even Ery's current strength might not be enough. Breaking through to the Third Cosmos Realm before that confrontation could very well be the solution
The thought made him release a long breath.
Even after mastering the Beast Emperor's powerful Tier-8 technique, the enlightennt he had hoped for had still not appeared. The mysterious Law of Origin, which he believed would allow him to advance further, remained just beyond his reach.
After a mont of silent contemplation, Ery opened a spatial gate and stepped through it, returning to Terra City.
Monts after, Rosia arrived, she brought two people with her.
The first was a middle-aged formation master who specialized in talisman crafting. His robe was embroidered with intricate runic threads, and his calm, analytical gaze suggested decades of experience studying ancient magical inscriptions. The second visitor was a grand magus from Zodiac City, a spirit master known among the halfblood community.
Both had been invited for a single reason.
To examine the Eye of Raven talisman.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Ery said as he welcod them into the chamber.
Rosia stood beside him while Ery carefully opened a wooden box and revealed the talisman resting inside. The formation master leaned forward first, studying the object with a professional calm as his fingers hovered above the ancient markings carved across its surface.
"This is quite an old talisman," the man began considerately after a few monts. "At least two thousand years old, perhaps even older. The structure is built around fragnts taken from a divine beast aligned with the darkness elent. It is a unique design, but not entirely unusual for relics from that era." He continued tracing the runic patterns until his eyes suddenly narrowed.
"...Wait."
His hand stopped at the bottom of the talisman where several darker markings could be seen mixed among the older inscriptions.
"What is this blood marking?"
The formation master leaned closer, his previous composure slowly giving way
to genuine surprise. For a mont he remained silent, examining the symbols repeatedly before finally speaking again with a tone of unexpected respect.
"The final marking on the bottom was not carved by a craftsman," he said slowly. "It is not artificial. Sothing... whatever it was, it ca from the creature sealed inside this talisman."
After the initial assessnt, the spirit master from Zodiac City stepped forward.
He was a one-cosmos bird halfblood, known for his expertise in controlling both living and spiritual avian creatures through the enslavent path. His sharp eyes imdiately locked onto the talisman as curiosity flickered across
his face.
"Summon it," he said calmly. "Let see the spirit."
The formation master nodded and began activating the talisman.
It took a mont of careful effort before the seal finally responded. Dark energy pulsed outward from the talisman as a faint shadow began to gather above it. Slowly, a creature started to rise from within the artifact.
At first it appeared as nothing more than a swirl of smoke.
Then the shape beca clearer.
A raven.
But not an ordinary one.
The creature's body seed to be ford from layers of living shadow, while
streams of dark crimson energy flowed beneath its feathers like veins of liquid blood. Its wings spread wide as it erged from the talisman, each movent leaving faint trails of black mist in the air. Its eyes glowed with an eerie scarlet
light that made the entire room feel colder.
Ery imdiately noticed the difference.
This creature was far larger than the raven Chumo had once summoned. The presence surrounding it felt heavier, darker, and the crimson energy flowing within its body reminded him of another incident entirely.
The encounter with Lodos and the Blood To.
"... Blood magic," Ery muttered quietly. The spirit master, however, reacted very differently.
Instead of concern, his expression lit up with excitent.
"This... this is a Blood Raven!" he exclaid.
At the sa mont, a stream of information appeared in Ery's mind
through the VIA library system.
[Blood Raven]
[Classification: Nightmare Creature]
Blood Ravens were extrely rare creature believed to be born in places where
unimaginable bloodshed had occurred. When thousands-or even millions-of lives were lost in violent conflict, the lingering resentnt of the dead could mix with corrupted spiritual energy and darkness. Under extrely rare circumstances, that terrifying mixture would condense into a living entity.
A Blood Raven.
These creatures were often described in ancient texts as ons of catastrophe, appearing only in battlefields soaked in centuries of blood.
In their complete form, a fully awakened Blood Raven could evolve into a
nightmare entity capable of rivaling god-level dragons.
Unfortunately, the spirit before them was incomplete.
Only a fragnted soul remained.
"If this were a complete soul," the spirit master said with visible fascination, "it
could eventually beco an extraordinarily powerful being."
He then turned toward Ery.
"The mutation increased its grade," he explained. "That is why it cannot bond
with it just anyone anymore. Its evolution changed the compatibility requirent. It now demands a Grand Magus who possesses a strong affinity
with darkness."
Even as a fragnted soul, the Blood Raven possessed trendous potential.
"If refined properly," the formation master added quickly, his eyes shining with interest, "this could beco an exceptional material for artifact creation. It could also be attached to powerful techniques or spells to enhance their
destructive nature."
Both n stared at the spirit creature floating above the talisman.
Then the formation master spoke again.
"I will buy it."
"Three hundred million spirit stones."
He paused briefly before imdiately raising his offer.
"No... five hundred million."
The spirit master glanced at him with mild annoyance. Ery's reputation
within half blood community compelled him to speak the truth.
"This creature could beco the core component of a Tier-8 spell. In that case
its value could easily exceed one billion spirit stones. If properly cultivated, it might even beco priceless."
The formation master frowned, clearly unhappy that the true value had been
revealed so easily.
Ery, however, paid little attention to their bidding.
His gaze remained fixed on the Blood Raven hovering in the air.
Selling it had never once crossed his mind.
This spirit creature was the final legacy left behind by his dear friend.
After a mont of silence, Ery gently closed the wooden box and scaled the talisman once again.
"I'm not selling it, thank you for coming"
Both visitors fell quiet.
Ery looked at the box for another mont before making his decision.
Instead of letting the talisman beco soone else's treasure-or turning it into nothing more than crafting material-he would refine the spirit creature
for himself. That way, Chumo's legacy would not disappear. It would continue to exist through him.
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