As Eleice focused all her spirit energy into the life-saving weapon, Leon moved like a shadow around the Earth Dragon — swift, silent, relentless. He circled the beast again and again, weaving through the shattered trees and broken ground, using the forest itself as his shield.
To an outsider, it looked like he was simply running — evading death.
But in truth, he was gathering his power, concentrating every thread of his spirit energy for a single, decisive strike.
Fighting this thing head-on would be suicide. The gap between them was far too vast.
Even with the ancient-ranked sword technique he'd inherited, it could only bridge the gap so much — and he had mastered only its first form: Shattering Earth.
The beast roared again, its claws tearing through the ground as Leon darted past, his black robe flickering in the dust and flame.
Two minutes.
That was all he needed to buy.
Sensing Eleice's energy peaking behind him, Leon's obsidian eyes sharpened.
This was the moment.
He stopped running. Spirit energy surged through his veins, the air trembling as he raised his blade.
"Domin Pericer Sword Technique — First Form: Shattering Earth!"
He roared the words, his voice cutting through the chaos as his blade descended, bursting with blinding light and raw destructive force.
Leon's strike landed true.
BOOOOM!
The blade carved through the air and slammed straight into the Earth Dragon's eye. A gush of thick, crimson blood erupted as the beast howled in agony, its roar splitting the sky. The ground shook beneath its thrashing body as it staggered backward, massive claws clawing at the earth in blind fury.
The air was filled with its pained bellows — yet even as blood poured from its ruined eye, the creature refused to fall. Its immense form trembled, but its spirit energy still surged violently.
Leon grit his teeth, his chest heaving, his body trembling from the recoil of his own attack. He knew — that strike alone wasn't enough.
"Damn it…" he hissed, lifting his gaze toward the cave. "Eleice—"
He drew in a sharp breath, his obsidian eyes blazing.
"NOW!!"
His shout tore through the battlefield like thunder.
At that very instant, Eleice's violet eyes snapped open. The golden arrow floating before her flared brighter than the sun, its form trembling as though eager to be unleashed. She whispered something under her breath — a short, ancient incantation — and then released it.
FWOOOOOSH!
The golden arrow shot forth with divine speed, leaving a trail of blazing light in its wake.
In the blink of an eye, it pierced straight into the Earth Dragon's remaining eye.
The impact was silent for a fraction of a second — and then the world erupted.
A deafening BOOM! split the air as golden energy exploded within the beast's skull, cleaving through flesh and bone from the inside. The Earth Dragon convulsed violently, its massive body arching in pain before it finally collapsed to the ground with a thunderous crash.
The earth quaked. The trees bowed. And the beast's final roar faded into silence.
The Earth Dragon — the terror of the forest — was dead.
Silence fell across the battlefield.
The ground was scorched, the air thick with the stench of blood and dust. Only the faint crackle of fading spirit energy lingered in the air.
Leon stood there for a moment, chest heaving, his sword trembling faintly in his hand. His obsidian eyes scanned the fallen beast — the once-mighty Earth Dragon now lay still, its enormous body sprawled across the shattered ground.
"…Is it dead?" Leon asked between breaths, his voice low and cautious.
Eleice, still seated near the mouth of the cave, exhaled softly. "Seems like it," she replied, her tone calm but weary. The faint golden glow around her hands faded as she finally allowed herself to rest.
"Haaa…"
Leon sighed deeply, the tension leaving his body all at once. His knees gave out, and he dropped onto the ground with a dull thud, sitting heavily on the cold earth. The exhaustion hit him like a wave. His spirit energy reserves — more than half of them — were completely drained from his final strike.
He wiped the sweat from his brow, chuckling weakly. "Guess… we actually did it."
Without wasting another second, he crossed his legs and closed his eyes, sinking into meditation. Spirit energy began to circulate through his body, faint ripples spreading around him as he worked to stabilize his internal flow.
Eleice glanced at him quietly from where she sat, a small smile ghosting across her lips.
"…Reckless boy," she murmured softly, her voice barely audible.
For the first time since the battle began, the forest was truly silent.
After a few minutes of rest, Leon finally rose to his feet. His body ached, but curiosity pulled him toward the fallen dragon. The immense corpse still radiated a faint pressure — the lingering echoes of a creature that had once ruled over the forest.
He approached cautiously, the scent of scorched earth and metallic blood thick in the air.
Before he could take another step, Veile's voice echoed sharply in his mind.
"Stupid master, you were lucky. If that woman hadn't carried a life-saving weapon, both of you would've been crushed long before now. Even so — that was far too reckless."
Leon exhaled slowly, his eyes fixed on the dragon's body. "I know," he murmured.
Veile's tone hardened, her voice cold and cutting.
"In the world of cultivation, strength is everything. Mercy without power is suicide. Until you can protect yourself — don't risk your life for others again."
Leon's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. "I understand… I won't repeat it."
"Hmph. We'll see."
Leon wiped the sweat from his brow, realizing that the heat in his body wasn't from exhaustion. His pulse raced, and his breathing grew shallow.
Something was wrong.
When he turned, he saw Eleice.
Her usually calm face was flushed, her violet eyes shimmering faintly, unfocused — her body trembling as if she were struggling against something unseen.
"Are you… alright?" he asked, stepping closer.
She didn't answer. Her lips parted slightly, her breaths uneven, and for the first time since he'd met her, she seemed completely defenseless — not from pain, but from something deeper.
Leon's chest tightened; the same strange fire was rising inside him, twisting through his veins.
Then Veile's urgent voice echoed in his mind.
"Stupid master! Move away — now! The dragon's corpse… it's releasing an aphrodisiac mist!"
But the warning came too late.
The faint haze in the air shimmered under the sunlight, sweet and intoxicating. Leon's thoughts blurred as his body moved on instinct. Eleice, too, rose from her meditation, her steps unsteady, her eyes dazed.
Their gazes met.
The world seemed to fall away — the forest, the blood, even the battle that had just ended.
Only the sound of their hearts remained, beating in wild sync.
Leon raised a trembling hand, brushing against her cheek. Her skin was warm, soft — far too close.
For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke. The distance between them vanished.
And under the fading light, two cultivators — trapped by fate and the lingering breath of a dying beast — lost themselves to the moment.
The air between them grew thick — charged, heavy, and strangely sweet.
Both of them stood still, their gazes locked. The faint pink shimmer glowing in their eyes was no illusion — it was the mark of the dragon's lingering aphrodisiac mist, twisting emotion and spirit alike.
Neither could look away.
Leon's breath hitched. Eleice's lips parted slightly, her violet eyes hazy yet filled with something raw — something she couldn't suppress.
The space between them narrowed, inch by inch.
He could feel her warmth, her spirit energy pulsing faintly against his own like a second heartbeat.
And then — she moved.
Eleice rose slightly on her toes, her hands trembling as she reached toward him. Their foreheads brushed, and the world seemed to fall silent.
The scent of her hair, the rhythm of her breath, the heat in the air — everything blurred together.
Leon's hand found her waist, steadying her instinctively.
For a moment, it felt as if their hearts aligned — drawn together not by reason, but by something deeper, uncontrollable.
The faint shimmer of spirit light danced around them as the forest breeze whispered through the leaves.
And in that still moment, the boundary between reason and instinct vanished completely.
Their lips met — softly at first, almost hesitant — then deepened with a rush of heat neither could resist. The world outside fell silent, leaving only the sound of their unsteady breaths.
The warmth of the moment wrapped around them like fire and silk. Her hands trembled as they touched his chest; his heart thundered beneath her fingers. Leon's senses blurred — the faint scent of her hair, the tremor in her lips, the way her breath melted against his — everything pulled him deeper.
When their foreheads touched, their eyes fluttered open just slightly, both breathing hard. What had started as instinct now burned with something unspoken — something neither of them fully understood.
"Slurrrrrrrp ~ Slurrrrrrrp"
warm, trembling, and hungry for more.
Each breath between them melted away as they lost themselves in the moment, tasting the sweetness of the other, slow and deep.
The faint sound of their kiss echoed softly, filling the air with heat and longing.
After what felt like forever, they finally parted, gasping —
"Haa... haa…"
Their eyes met again, hearts pounding, neither able to say a word.
A\N:
"I know this novel hasn't reac
hed many readers yet, but your small support means the world to me. Add it to your library, leave a comment, or vote with a power stone — every bit helps me keep going."