One day and one night later.
Meng Duoluo rode a giant beast and arrived beneath the red-leaf tree at the cliff. This was the place she had agreed to meet Suo Lun.
At first glance, she did not see Suo Lun’s figure, and her heart sank slightly.
She circled the red-leaf tree once, but still found nothing.
What was astonishing was that the tree hollow that had existed yesterday had now healed completely.
Meng Duoluo had not even noticed the hollow on the back of the tree yesterday. Now that it had closed, she naturally had even less chance of discovering Suo Lun inside.
Even though Suo Lun was only a few feet away from her, she could not sense even the slightest trace of his energy.
The Blood Shore Maze City was a place of extreme danger, where entering meant near-certain death. For someone of Suo Lun’s level, it was almost a guaranteed fatal journey.
But Suo Lun was the legendary host of the Demon Star. Moreover, he had insisted on entering himself. Everyone had to take responsibility for their own life and death, even if it meant walking into doom.
So Meng Duoluo had not tried to stop him that day.
She felt she bore neither the obligation nor the responsibility to do so. In fact, if it were not for her duty to the Venomous Snake Tribe, she herself might even have felt the impulse to seek death there.
For example, the Bloody Wedding at Black Flame Castle was also the result of her own suicidal impulse.
…
Following their agreement, Meng Duoluo sat on the cliff and waited quietly for a full day, gazing toward the direction of the Blood Shore Maze City.
Soon, another day passed.
She let out a soft sigh, then turned and left. She had agreed to wait one day, and she would not wait a single hour more.
But one hour after leaving, she turned back again.
After that, she waited another day, then two days, then three days.
Suo Lun still did not appear, and she could not sense any energy aura at all.
“It seems he is either dead, or something else has changed,” Meng Duoluo said. “But none of this concerns me. I have already fulfilled my promise beyond what was required.”
Then she mounted her beast and left, never looking back again.
…
Ao Xing continuously released Dragon Force, tempering Suo Lun’s meridians, bones, and muscles.
One day, two days, three days…
Previously, the longest tempering session had barely exceeded one day.
But this time, seven full days passed.
Seven days and seven nights later, Suo Lun finally opened his eyes and woke up.
This tempering had lasted an entire seven days and nights.
The first thing he wanted to know upon waking was how much his cultivation had improved.
Although the only purpose of coming to the Blood Shore Maze City was to save Yan Yan…
As Tu Lingduo had once said, martial strength was merely decoration for someone like him, not truly important.
Just like Jiang Xue. In the eyes of others, treasures were priceless, but in his eyes, they were nothing. Dragon Gold swords worth a fortune were casually discarded. Even the mysterious and powerful sword he obtained from the temple was thrown directly into the blood sea, simply to test whether it would corrode.
But Suo Lun still cared deeply about his own cultivation. If his martial strength was strong enough, he would not be so helpless if he were ever captured again like before.
Especially since Ao Xing had said that this time, the absorbed Dragon Force was many times greater than all previous gains combined.
And the tempering had lasted seven days and seven nights, far longer than ever before.
So the improvement was something he greatly anticipated.
“Ao Xing, how much has my cultivation advanced?” Suo Lun asked.
Ao Xing remained silent for a long time before replying.
“Master, you should know that every person’s dragon blood talent is different. If one’s strength talent is high, most Dragon Force will be converted into physical strength during tempering. Thus, most people can only specialise in one martial path, and at most have one secondary path. For example, your companion Ye Jingyu mainly cultivates swordsmanship and secondarily archery.”
Suo Lun nodded. Although Ye Jingyu used curved blades and was a semi-swordsman, semi-assassin type, it still fell under swordsmanship.
“That is correct,” Suo Lun said.
Ao Xing continued, “Previously, during tempering, I mainly enhanced your strength. Your agility, bones, endurance, and other attributes received very little improvement.”
This was true. At that time, Suo Lun had only requested strength and mental power.
“And this time,” Ao Xing said, “after seven days and seven nights of Dragon Force tempering, all your attributes have improved simultaneously. Strength, agility, endurance, mental power, and constitution… everything has been enhanced.”
Suo Lun froze.
“In other words, your speed, strength, durability, and combat endurance have all increased significantly. You are no longer limited to one martial profession. You can be an archer, swordsman, assassin, warrior, knight, or spiritual cultivator. If you wish, you can master any path.”
Suo Lun was completely stunned.
“Then… how much has my level increased?”
Ao Xing replied, “Your archery cultivation has directly advanced ten levels, from Level 3 warrior archer to Mid-tier 3-star warrior archer. This is your own Dragon Force cultivation, without any external assistance.”
“In normal circumstances, this would take at least two years.”
Suo Lun exhaled sharply.
Ao Xing continued, “Other professions such as assassin, swordsman, warrior, and knight have also all advanced by ten levels, from zero to Level 9 warrior status, only one step away from mid-tier.”
In other words, Suo Lun was now a Level 9 assassin, swordsman, warrior, knight, and more.
Assassins were lethal but had no status. Swordsmen were noble favourites. Warriors and knights were the backbone of armies. Their cultivation was notoriously difficult and required years of blood and sweat.
Yet Suo Lun had reached this in a single night.
“And this is nothing compared to your mental power,” Ao Xing said.
Suo Lun’s expression changed immediately. “What about my mental power?”
This was what he cared about most. His two greatest breakthroughs had both relied on mental attacks.
Ao Xing said slowly, “Previously, your mental power reached mid-tier. Now, it has risen from early mid-tier to mid-tier six-star. A total of six levels.”
“Additionally, your mental talent has increased from 8.7 to 8.9. In the entire Nuolang Kingdom, there are probably fewer than ten people above you.”
Suo Lun was genuinely shaken.
Mid-tier six-star spiritual strength meant that even high-tier warriors could potentially be threatened by his mental attacks when combined with Ao Xing.
“But… wasn’t there no mental energy in the Dragon Flame?” Suo Lun asked.
Ao Xing replied, “The Dragon Flame is the purest and most powerful energy in existence. It transcends attributes.”
Suo Lun was completely stunned again.
What should have taken fifteen years of cultivation had been achieved in a single night.
Ao Xing added, “Moreover, this is entirely your own power, not borrowed from me. It comes from your bloodline.”
Suo Lun asked, “How did this happen? Previously, only one or two attributes improved at a time.”
Ao Xing said, “Because the Dragon Flame baptism in the temple altered your dragon blood fundamentally. Even though it lasted less than half a second, it completely transformed your bloodline.”
Suo Lun recalled that night of near-death. Without the blood sea, he would have been annihilated instantly.
Ao Xing continued, “To ensure stability, I still retained a portion of Dragon Force within you, allowing for repeated explosive usage.”
Suo Lun was silent.
A single fragment of Dragon Flame energy had already produced such terrifying results.
If this relic were fully absorbed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
…
At that moment, the hollow in the red-leaf tree slowly opened again.
Suo Lun stepped out.
But Meng Duoluo was nowhere to be seen.
“Ao Xing, how long have I been cultivating?” Suo Lun asked.
“Seven days and seven nights,” Ao Xing replied.
Suo Lun frowned. “Then I’ve already exceeded our ten-day agreement with Meng Duoluo?”
“Yes,” Ao Xing said.
“And you didn’t wake me?”
“If I had, your cultivation would have been interrupted. The loss would have been immense,” Ao Xing replied. “Besides, I believed she would wait.”
Suo Lun let out a bitter laugh.
“You overestimate us. She only helps me because I am the Demon Star host. Beyond that, there is no bond.”
He stepped forward.
Now came the real problem.
How was he supposed to return?
Return to the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Return to Yan Yan.
Time was already slipping away.
Then suddenly—
A sharp cry echoed through the sky.
A massive griffin descended from the north.
And on its back…
Suo Lun saw a face so beautiful it seemed almost unreal.
Jiang Xue.
Why… was he here again?