The darkness had barely settled.
Shattered shadows still floated in the air like torn cloth. Cracks spread across the valley floor in jagged veins. The remains of An Ning’s broken darkness domain dissolved slowly, swallowed by golden afterglow and molten heat.
At the center—
Shadow Blade An Ning moved first.
He vanished.
A black streak tore through the air.
Shaurya’s eyes sharpened.
"Lorgann—!"
Too late.
An Ning appeared mid-step between them, sword already moving.
Shaurya reacted instantly.
He swung.
"Ultimate Sword Strike!"
The teorite Sword scread as golden spiritual energy exploded outward, forming a massive crescent slash that tore across the ground, ripping stone apart and lighting the valley in blazing gold.
But—
An Ning was gone.
The slash cut through empty space and detonated against a distant cliff, vaporizing half the rock face.
Shaurya’s pupils shrank.
Behind Lorgann.
"No—!!"
An Ning reappeared directly in front of the Primal Dragon.
His sword descended.
A pure, rciless arc.
Ti seed to slow.
Lorgann’s molten eyes widened.
Shaurya felt his heart seize.
Then—
BOOOOM—!!
Lorgann roared and slamd his massive fist forward, molten veins flaring violently. The punch t An Ning’s blade head-on.
A violent shockwave exploded.
The collision blew Lorgann backward, his gigantic body skidding across the ground, molten claws carving deep trenches as sparks and lava sprayed everywhere.
"LORGANN!!"
Shaurya launched himself forward.
He slashed.
An Ning didn’t even look at him.
He stepped aside.
The blade passed where his neck had been a mont earlier.
Then—
A diabolical black slash erupted from An Ning’s sword.
"Shadow Rend."
Shaurya didn’t have ti to block.
The slash hit him square in the torso.
CRAAAAASH—!!
Blood burst from Shaurya’s mouth as he was sent flying, his body spinning violently through the air. He hit the ground, bounced once, flipped instinctively, and slid across the stone before stopping right in front of Lorgann.
Dust settled slowly.
The battlefield went quiet for a split second.
Lorgann trembled as he tried to push himself up.
"Shaurya..."
His voice shook, low and strained.
"Are you... alright?"
Shaurya lay flat on his back for a mont.
Then one eye opened.
He coughed, blood dripping down his chin.
"...Yeah," he muttered hoarsely.
"Of course."
He slowly sat up.
"I just really liked the floor," he added dryly.
"So I laid on it."
Lorgann snarled, molten breath leaking from his jaws.
"This is no ti for your jokes."
Shaurya inhaled deeply, chest heaving.
Then he exhaled.
"...Then let’s get back to business."
He stood.
Slowly.
Pain scread through every nerve.
And then—
He raised both hands.
And pulled his sleeves back.
Two silver bracelets were revealed on his forearms.
They glead faintly.
Nine engraved stars on each bracelet.
And then—
Those stars began to glow.
Golden light ignited inside the engravings.
One by one.
The entire valley felt it.
Sanatan Fla Sect bers froze.
"...Wait," Xiao Rui whispered.
"...those are—"
Elder Wan’s eyes widened violently.
"W–Wait... don’t tell ..."
Shaurya rolled his wrists.
Each movent felt heavy.
Each breath carried pressure.
"These..." Shaurya said casually, glancing at them,
"are advanced weight bracelets."
He looked up.
"One star," he continued,
"eight tons."
Nine stars.
Two bracelets.
"Which ans..."
His eyes glead.
"One hundred and forty-four tons."
The sect exploded.
"WHAT!?" "He was wearing those!?" "THE WHOLE TI!?"
Elder Wan staggered.
"Master... you an to say... you’ve been fighting like this the entire battle!?"
Shaurya smiled.
"Yeah."
An Ning tilted his head slightly, curiosity finally breaking through his calm.
"...Interesting."
Shaurya snapped his fingers.
SNAP.
The bracelets vanished.
Not fell.
Not shattered.
Vanished.
The pressure disappeared instantly.
The air around Shaurya seed to ripple.
He rolled his shoulders.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
He stretched his arms, jumped lightly in place.
"...Wow," he muttered.
"So light."
He did a few casual jumping jacks.
"I forgot when the last ti I felt this lightly."
A golden system window popped up.
> [System: That would be before Chapter 57, Host. When you didn’t get those weight bracelets.]
Shaurya almost tripped mid-step.
"...Why do you always do this?" he growled ntally.
> [System: I am rely providing factual accuracy.]
"...I was saying it casually."
> [System: Then fight seriously. Otherwise you will be defeated casually.]
Shaurya sighed.
"...Fair."
He raised his head.
And vanished.
BOOM—!!
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Aerial Steps exploded under his movent.
Shaurya reappeared directly in front of An Ning.
Too fast.
An Ning’s eyes widened.
Shaurya’s fist ca first.
An Ning barely sidestepped—
But Shaurya twisted his waist mid-strike and swiped his fist sideways.
THUD—!!
The punch connected.
An Ning’s cheek was scratched.
A thin line of blood appeared.
The valley froze.
"...His speed increased."
Shaurya grinned.
He thrust his left fist.
An Ning dodged.
Spun.
And slamd a back kick straight into Shaurya’s spine.
BANG—!!
Shaurya flew.
He flipped mid-air, slid across the ground, and stopped beside Lorgann.
Lorgann stared at him, molten eyes wide.
"...Shaurya."
"...Were you wearing those while fighting ?"
Shaurya chuckled through blood.
"Well... yeah."
Lorgann went silent.
"...You’re insane."
Shaurya wiped blood from his chin.
"I know."
"But I can’t win like that anymore."
An Ning laughed.
A deep, amused laugh.
"Hahaha..."
"Still not enough to win."
He raised his sword.
"But I must admit—"
His aura surged.
"If I weren’t an ancient monster with techniques refined over centuries..."
"A normal Spirit Lord Level 3 cultivator wouldn’t survive against the two of you."
He smirked.
"But that’s your bad luck."
Shaurya spat blood.
"Let’s see..."
"...whose bad luck it really is."
He gripped the teorite Sword.
Spun it once in his hand.
Then rushed towards An Ning.
He thrust forward.
An Ning parried easily, blades colliding with a deafening clang.
Shaurya twisted and slamd a back kick into An Ning’s abdon.
An Ning slid backward several ters.
Shaurya cracked his neck.
Then scread.
"AAAAAA—!!"
And rushed forward.
An Ning t him head-on.
Their swords collided.
CLANG—CLANG—CLANG—!!
Shockwaves erupted outward.
The valley shook violently.
Sword, fist, elbow—fluid transitions.
A slash aid high. A kick to break balance. A poml strike toward the jaw.
An Ning blocked, redirected, countered.
But Shaurya’s speed—now unburdened by the weight bracelets—kept forcing openings.
CLANG—CLANG—CLANG—!!
Their swords beca blurs.
Golden arcs and black crescents overlapped, slicing the air apart.
The valley floor cracked under the pressure.
Sparks exploded like fireworks.
Stone beneath their feet shattered continuously.
Shaurya attacked aggressively—
Vertical slashes. Horizontal sweeps. Spinning cuts. Quick thrusts.
An Ning responded with terrifying precision—
Minimal movent. Perfect angles. Counter-slashes that barely missed vital points.
Shaurya pushed.
Then—
An Ning adjusted.
His stance shifted subtly.
Shoulders lowered. Grip changed. Sword angle reversed.
Shaurya felt it.
The rhythm changed.
An Ning stepped inside Shaurya’s swing, ignoring the shallow cut to his arm.
His sword flashed upward—
Shadow Blade Art: Night Fang Ascension.
A vertical black slash exploded upward.
Shaurya crossed his blade—
BOOOOM—!!
The force hurled him back.
He slamd into the ground, skidding, coughing blood.
An Ning followed instantly.
His sword blurred—
Shadow Blade Art: Hundred Silent Cuts.
Dozens of thin, near-invisible slashes tore through the air.
Shaurya blocked so. Dodged others.
But not all.
Blood sprayed across his chest and arms as several cuts landed.
He dropped to one knee.
Breathing ragged.
Then another strike slamd into his shoulder.
CRACK—!!
He flew backward, flips in the ground 5 tis before stopping.
System window popped up.
> [System Notification]
Congratulations, Host.
You have now suffered 125 broken bones more than previous ti.
You are making excellent progress.
Shaurya laughed hoarsely.
"...Nice."
"At least I’m improving sowhere."
An Ning stepped forward.
Then—
A roar split the valley.
Lorgann finally stood.
Molten aura erupted from his body as he charged.
"RAAAAAAA—!!"
Shaurya smiled.
"Thanks."
Lorgann snarled.
"Don’t thank yet."
They rushed together.
This ti—
Their coordination was different.
Shaurya’s speed had increased drastically.
He moved unpredictably.
Lorgann covered blind spots.
They attacked in sync.
Shaurya slashed high.
Lorgann struck low.
An Ning blocked one—
The other clipped him.
A shallow wound ford on his shoulder.
Shaurya rushed low, sword angled toward An Ning’s waist.
Lorgann attacked high, molten breath spiraling downward.
An Ning blocked Shaurya’s blade—
But Lorgann’s flas slamd into his shoulder.
BOOOOM—!!
An Ning was forced back several ters.
His robe burned. Shadow aura flared violently.
An Ning’s eyes narrowed.
"Tch."
They pressed harder.
Shaurya feinted.
Lorgann forced An Ning’s movent.
Shaurya landed another cut.
Blood dripped.
The ancient master was being injured—again.
Lorgann roared.
Flas gathered in his maw.
Shaurya shift his sword from right to left. His right hand ignited in sapphire fire.
He raised it.
Middle finger brushing thumb.
Lorgann inhaled.
Shaurya scread.
"HELLFIRE — MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!!"
He snapped.
Lorgann unleashed it.
"LAVA CATACLYSM CANNON!!"
A colossal molten beam erupted.
Simultaneously—
A sapphire inferno surged from Shaurya’s snap.
Two hellish flas.
One molten.
One sapphire.
They converged toward An Ning.
The ground lted.
The sky burned.
An Ning raised his sword slowly.
Shadow condensed along the edge, compressing, folding inward like collapsing space.
"Two against one," he said coldly.
"Then I will cut both."
He stepped back, blade held horizontally.
Shadow Blade Supre Art: Abyss Severance.
The sword descended.
A single slash.
The air split.
A massive crescent of condensed shadow tore forward, crushing the ground, swallowing light itself.
The combined inferno collided with An Ning’s shadow slash.
For a heartbeat—
Everything froze.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM—!!!!
Light and darkness annihilated each other.
The explosion erased sound.
Stone vaporized. The valley cracked open. A massive crater ford where the attacks t.
Dust swallowed the battlefield.
Silence.
Every cultivator held their breath.
Waiting.
To see—
Who would erge.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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