The sun hadn't yet risen when the teams moved. Mist clung to the trees. The forest felt alive with tension—every branch a blade, every shadow a threat.
Ash walked silently at the front of Team Black. Yan Qing and Lian Rou followed, both unusually quiet. The final clearing was just ahead—where the battle would begin.
And then he stopped.
> "Both of you," Ash said, turning to face them, "stay back once the fight starts."
Lian Rou narrowed her eyes. "We're not weak."
Ash shook his head. "I know you're strong. But this time… I've stepped into Qi Condensation."
Yan Qing blinked. "You—when?!"
Ash's expression was unreadable. "Last night. Barely. But enough to survive what's coming… hopefully."
He turned before they could ask more.
> "Let me be the bait. That beast is mine."
---
The Battle Unleashed
The trap was set. Formation masters channeled spiritual arrays into the forest floor. Arrows dipped in beast poison gleamed on bows. All teams surrounded the central basin like wolves circling a titan.
And then the Golden Bone Ape arrived.
It tore through a line of trees, its eyes burning like molten gold.
Roar!
Ash moved first.
Like a phantom, he flashed through the trees, spirit-infused legs kicking off bark and stone. He aimed a slash at its leg—not to kill, but to provoke.
It worked.
The ape saw him. Recognized him.
Targeted him.
> "Come on, then," Ash muttered. "Let's finish this."
---
Endless Punishment
The battle raged. Arrows flew. Traps snapped. Beasts clashed.
But for Ash—it was personal.
The Golden Bone Ape slammed into him with full force. He barely managed to block with his bracer and spirit-enhanced arm—but the shock still tore through him.
Boom!
One strike. Then another. And another.
Six times he was launched into the dirt, bones creaking, blood leaking from his lips. His robe was shredded, body screaming in pain.
Still—he stood again.
Even the other disciples gasped.
> "How is he still alive…?" one muttered.
> "He's just Root Forg—wait… Qi Condensation? That's still insane!"
Yan Qing gritted her teeth. "You idiot. You're going to die."
Lian Rou watched, fists clenched. "Why won't he stop?"
---
The Blade of Vulcan
Ash coughed blood, one eye nearly swollen shut. He pulled himself upright as Shen Mu whispered calmly in his mind.
> "Now, boy. Use everything. Show it your will."
Ash gripped the sword Vulcan had forged—dark steel, laced with spirit fire. A weapon crafted with the memory of ancient wars.
The ape charged again.
Ash roared, leaping directly at it.
The beast raised its fist.
Too slow.
Squelch!
Ash's sword stabbed deep into the ape's left eye—a flash of black flame and red blood exploding outward. The ape screamed, shaking the heavens.
Ash didn't let go.
He gripped the sword tighter and climbed onto its shoulders, straddling the beast's neck like a madman.
Stab. Stab. Stab.
Again and again, he drove the blade into the skull, each strike backed by every ounce of strength he had, Mrit's power fueling his muscles, Shen Mu guiding his mind.
> "You're not just prey anymore," Ash growled. "You're my step forward!"
---
The Beast Falls
With a final roar, the Golden Bone Ape collapsed, slamming into the earth like a falling mountain.
Ash stayed perched on its skull as the beast twitched, then grew still.
Blood soaked the clearing.
Silence.
Every disciple, elder, and beast stared in disbelief.
A Tier 5 beast.
Killed by a Qi Condensation cultivator.
---
Lian Rou and Yan Qing
Lian Rou didn't speak. Her breath had caught in her throat as she watched Ash, bloodied and battered, lower himself to the ground.
> "He did it," she whispered.
Yan Qing stepped forward, still stunned.
> "Ash..."
Ash barely turned.
> "We'll talk later."
Then he passed out.
---
Closing Scene – The Prize
Hours later, while elders carried the body away and disciples regrouped, Ash lay inside a medic tent. Shen Mu's voice echoed softly.
> "You've earned it."
Inside his soul realm, the Obsidian Throne pulsed and grew taller—its base now carved with battle scars, a black crown hovering above it.
> "The world has seen your strength," Shen Mu whispered. "But they still don't know the truth."
Ash's fingers twitched.
> "Let's keep it that way."