One day and one night later.
Mengduoluo rode a giant beast and appeared beneath the red-leaf tree on the cliff, the agreed meeting point with Soren.
At first glance, she could not see Soren anywhere, and her heart sank slightly.
She circled around the red-leaf tree once, but still found nothing.
What was even more surprising was that the tree hollow that existed yesterday had now sealed itself shut.
And Mengduoluo, who had not noticed the hollow on the back of the tree yesterday, naturally could not detect anything now that it had closed.
Although Soren was only a few feet away from her, she could not sense even the faintest trace of his energy.
The Blood Shore Lost City was perilous beyond imagination, and everyone knew that entering it meant a narrow chance of survival. For someone of Soren’s level, it was practically a death sentence.
But Soren was, after all, the legendary host of the Demon Star. Secondly, he had insisted on going in himself. Everyone had to take responsibility for their own life, even if it meant death.
So Mengduoluo had not stopped him that day.
Because she felt she had neither the obligation nor the responsibility to stop him. In fact, if not for her duty to the Poison Serpent Tribe, she herself would have been tempted to go in and die there.
For example, the blood-red wedding at Black Flame Fortress last time had also been the result of that same death-seeking impulse.
…
Next, Mengduoluo followed their agreement and sat on the cliff for an entire day, quietly watching the direction of the Blood Shore Lost City.
Soon, another day passed.
Mengduoluo sighed softly, then turned and left directly. She had agreed to wait one day, and not a moment more.
But an hour after leaving, she turned back again.
Then she waited another day, then two days, then three days.
Soren still did not appear, and she could not sense any trace of his energy.
“It seems he is either dead, or something else has happened,” Mengduoluo said. “But none of this concerns me. I have already fulfilled my obligation beyond what was agreed.”
Then she mounted her giant beast and left, never looking back again.
…
Meanwhile, Aoxing continued to release dragon power, tempering Soren’s entire meridians, bones and muscles.
One day, two days, three days…
Previously, the longest tempering session had never exceeded a single day.
But this time, three days passed, then four, then five.
A full seven days and seven nights passed before Soren finally opened his eyes and woke up.
This tempering had lasted seven days and seven nights.
So how much had his cultivation improved?
The first thing Soren asked upon waking was exactly that.
Although his only purpose in coming to the Blood Shore Lost City was to save Yan Naier, as Turing Duo had said, martial strength had always been nothing more than an accessory to him.
Just like Jiang Xue, who treated priceless treasures as nothing, throwing them away without hesitation.
But Soren still cared deeply about his own cultivation. With sufficient strength, he would not be so passive the next time he was captured by Turing Duo.
Especially since Aoxing had said this time’s dragon power absorption was many times greater than everything he had previously absorbed combined.
And the tempering had lasted seven full days and nights.
“So, how much has my cultivation improved?” Soren asked.
Aoxing remained silent for a long time, then said, “Master, you should understand that everyone’s dragon bloodline talent is different. If someone has high strength talent, most of the dragon power will be converted into strength. That is why most people can only specialise in one martial path, and at most one secondary path. For example, your companion Ye Jingyu mainly cultivates swordsmanship and secondarily archery.”
Soren nodded. Even though Ye Jingyu used curved blades and was more of a hybrid swordsman and assassin, it still fell within sword-related disciplines.
“So what now?” Soren asked.
Aoxing continued, “Previously, when I tempered your dragon power, it mainly increased strength, while speed, endurance and physique improved very little.”
That was true. At the time, Soren had only requested strength and spiritual power.
“Then?” Soren asked.
Aoxing said, “This time, over seven days and nights, your strength, speed, bones, spirit, endurance, everything has improved. It is a full-spectrum, all-attribute enhancement.”
Soren was stunned.
“In other words,” Aoxing said, “your movement speed has increased, your strength has increased, your resistance has increased, your stamina has increased. You are no longer limited to being an archer. You can be a swordsman, assassin, brute warrior, knight, spiritual cultivator, anything. As long as you wish, you can take up any martial profession.”
Soren was completely shocked. “Then how much exactly has my cultivation improved?”
Aoxing said, “Your archery cultivation has jumped ten levels, from a level three warrior archer to a mid-tier three-star warrior archer. This is entirely your own dragon power, without my assistance.”
Ordinary advancement from level three to three-star would normally take at least two years.
Yet Soren had achieved it overnight.
Aoxing continued, “As for assassin, swordsman, brute warrior and knight paths, you have also improved by about ten levels, from zero to level nine warrior standard, only one step away from mid-tier.”
That meant Soren was now a level nine assassin, swordsman, brute warrior and knight.
These professions varied greatly in battlefield roles. Assassin was lethal but low status. Swordsman was noble and favoured by aristocrats. Brute warriors and knights formed the backbone of armies.
In this world, brute warriors and knights were the most difficult to train, requiring blood and sweat with almost no shortcuts.
Yet now, he had reached level nine in all of them.
Aoxing then said, “However, all of this is far less important than your spiritual power. That is your true strength.”
Soren immediately asked, “How far has my spiritual power advanced?”
That was what he cared about most. His two life-saving reversals had both relied on spiritual attacks.
Aoxing replied, “Previously, in the Tomb of Heaven, your spiritual power reached mid-tier. This time, it has advanced from initial mid-tier to mid-tier six-star, a full six-level increase.”
“Also, your spiritual talent has increased from 8.7 to 8.9. In the entire Fury Wave Kingdom, fewer than ten people surpass you now.”
Soren was deeply shaken. Mid-tier six-star spiritual power meant that even high-tier warriors could be disrupted by him under certain conditions.
“But this time’s energy had no spiritual component, right?” Soren asked.
Aoxing replied, “The flame released by the ancient dragon is the purest and most powerful energy in existence. It transcends attributes.”
Soren was utterly stunned.
If each of these breakthroughs normally took years, what he had achieved in a single night would take more than fifteen years of effort.
“And this is entirely your own cultivation,” Aoxing added. “It comes from your bloodline.”
Soren frowned. “Why was it different this time? Previously it only improved one or two attributes.”
Aoxing replied, “Because of the dragon flame body tempering in the temple. Even though it lasted only half a second and nearly destroyed you, it fundamentally transformed your dragon bloodline.”
…
After waking, Soren emerged from the tree hollow.
Mengduoluo was nowhere to be seen.
Aoxing said, “Seven days and seven nights have passed.”
“So I missed our ten-day agreement,” Soren said.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?” Soren asked.
Aoxing replied, “It would have interrupted your cultivation. And I believed she would wait.”
Soren gave a self-deprecating laugh. “You think too highly of our relationship.”
He then realised he had no idea how to return to the human world.
He could not traverse the vast mountain range alone. Once he left, he would be hunted immediately by the barbarians.
And then, from the sky came a cry.
A huge griffin approached from the north.
On its back sat Jiang Xue.
Soren sighed inwardly. The gap between high-born elites really was absurd.
Soon, the griffin landed on the cliff.
Jiang Xue looked at him. “You’re out?”
“Yes.”
“Did you enter the temple?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see the Dragon Mark relic?”
“Yes.”
“Did you take it?”
Soren hesitated, then nodded.
Jiang Xue extended his hand. “Let me see.”
Soren handed over the dragon flame relic.
Jiang Xue studied it for a long time, eyes bright with rare excitement, then handed it back.
“I’ve seen enough. Thank you.”
Soren was completely stunned.
This man had no greed at all.
After a brief exchange, Jiang Xue prepared to leave.
“Wait,” Soren said. “Can you take me back to the human lands?”
After a moment, Jiang Xue agreed, but only up to the Ten Thousand Mountains.
They crossed the mountains.
Jiang Xue left.
Soren finally returned alone to the human world.
But the kingdom was in chaos.
And war had reached its peak.
Soren mounted his horse and rushed towards the desert.
“Yan Naier, hold on. I’m coming.”