The Black Dragon Faction's mountain stronghold buzzed with restless energy. The air crackled faintly with suppressed qi, the scent of iron and herbs lingering in the courtyards. As Lu Mao and Yan Mei stepped through the stone archway, their crimson-scaled firedrakes exhaled mist, claws sparking faintly against the obsidian path.
Behind them, their juniors—promising Spirit-Accession disciples clad in dark robes trimmed with silver—marched proudly. The faint thunder of the firedrakes' feet faded, leaving only the whisper of the wind through the banners that bore the Black Dragon sigil.
Li Xian, Bao Fu, and Chen Yuan were already waiting near the great hall. Their faces were drawn but satisfied, eyes glinting with the pride of hard-won victories.
"Finally back," Li Xian said, arms crossed as her long black hair drifted in the breeze. Her golden eyes flickered toward Lu Mao. "You took your time."
Lu Mao smirked faintly. "Some deals are worth the wait."
Bao Fu grinned, voice rumbling like a satisfied beast. "You missed the fun. The Moonfire and Iron Fang factions tried to posture again. We broke their bones and left them howling."
Yan Mei raised an eyebrow. "Broke their bones?"
Chen Yuan nodded proudly. "Multiple times. They won't be picking any missions soon. Their elders came crawling to Senior Li Xian to make peace. They've learned not to mess with the Black Dragons."
A faint chuckle escaped Lu Mao. "Good. Let the lesser factions learn their place. The Red Hawk faction's fall has thrown the balance—now the others will scramble to fill the void. We'll let them… until they realize we've already taken it."
Li Xian smiled knowingly. "Black Dragon Faction… tier two in name, but with what you've done, Lu Mao, we've become a force to fear. Even the Jade Owl Syndicate trembles after what happened. Still… we only have one War Blood cultivator—me. We need more."
Her words hung heavy in the air. The others nodded solemnly.
Lu Mao's expression turned calm, yet his eyes gleamed like molten gold. "That's about to change."
The courtyard fell silent. Only the hum of qi lines beneath the stone broke the stillness.
"I'll be entering seclusion," Lu Mao said simply. "It's time to break through."
Yan Mei's eyes widened slightly. "You've reached your bottleneck?"
Lu Mao nodded. "The Spirit Apprentice stage of the Spirit Accession realm no longer holds me. I've refined the Spirit Transcendence Pill I took from Wei Quing's vault and i have one of the Potent Foundation Pills he sent. Now… it's time."
The others exchanged glances. Even Li Xian looked intrigued. "Combining two pills for a breakthrough? That's dangerous."
Lu Mao gave a small grin. "Danger and opportunity walk the same path. I can't stop here. We've made enemies too powerful to face half-prepared."
Li Xian exhaled and nodded. "Then we'll keep watch. The sect knows we've returned victorious; the eyes of the southern factions will turn toward us soon. Don't worry about interruptions."
Lu Mao inclined his head slightly. "Good. I'll need a few days."
He turned toward his private chamber within the Black Dragon's inner sanctum—a vast structure carved into the mountain itself, where shadows shifted and qi veins pulsed faintly beneath the floors. As he entered, the stone doors sealed behind him, isolating him from the outside world.
⸻
Inside the Chamber
Lu Mao sat cross-legged upon a smooth obsidian platform, his breathing deep and measured. Threads of black and gold qi flickered across his skin like living lightning. His body relaxed, yet every nerve thrummed with tension.
With a thought, his consciousness descended into his inner world—a vast, ethereal realm forged through years of cultivation.
At its center loomed a colossal golden-black vein, a titanic pillar of intertwined energy pulsing like the heartbeat of a god. It pierced the sky and ground alike, radiating both serenity and power. Around it floated circular rings of vaults, massive golden-black monoliths orbiting the vein like planets around a sun. Twelve of these vaults blazed with light, active and resonant with his cultivation. Beyond them, dozens more lay dormant, sealed in shadow, waiting to awaken.
The air within this inner realm hummed with ancient resonance—each breath here weighed like a mountain.
Lu Mao appeared at the center, hovering in meditation. He looked up at the colossal vein, its glow reflected in his eyes.
"It's time," he murmured.
He raised his right hand, and two pills materialized in his palm. One was a Spirit Transcendence Pill, glowing faintly with silver mist. The other was a Potent Foundation Pill, its yellow-orange hue warm and steady, infused with the stability of mountains.
He inhaled deeply, channeling his cultivation technique—Heaven Pressing Mountain Aura Manual. Qi surged through his meridians, slow and deliberate at first, then building momentum like an unstoppable tide.
The twelve active vaults resonated, their surfaces rippling with light. Qi flowed into him from every direction, feeding his growing storm.
His veins lit up with golden-black light, his dantian roaring like a thunderstorm. The colossal vein at the center pulsed in rhythm with his heart, each thrum sending waves of energy through the realm.
Lu Mao's aura expanded, pressing against the limits of the Spirit Apprentice stage.
"Now."
He consumed the Potent Foundation Pill first.
Instantly, warmth spread through him. The chaotic flow of qi inside his body stabilized, threads of energy smoothing into perfect harmony. His meridians widened slightly, his body glowing with steady radiance. The golden-black vein pulsed approvingly.
Then, without hesitation, he swallowed the Spirit Transcendence Pill.
A roaring storm erupted.
Inside his body, qi surged violently, colliding with the steady foundation like a tempest crashing into stone cliffs. His muscles trembled, his meridians strained. His inner world quaked.
"Hold!" he gritted out, his jaw clenched, sweat running down his brow.
The twelve vaults began to shake violently, beams of golden-black light shooting into the colossal vein. The world around him thrummed, distorting under pressure.
Lu Mao's body began to float, energy spiraling around him like a tornado of molten light. His robes whipped violently as his aura grew heavier, denser.
"Break!"
The words echoed across his inner world, carrying the weight of divine command.
The bottleneck shattered.
A thunderous sound rolled across both realms—his physical chamber trembled as cracks formed along the walls. The air thickened, trembling with wild energy.
In the outer world, disciples across the mountain paused mid-training. "What was that?" one gasped as the floor quivered beneath them.
Yan Mei, standing guard outside the chamber, looked up sharply. "His qi… it's raging out of control!"
Inside, Lu Mao's breakthrough had entered chaos.
The surge of qi in his body grew too vast, more than his meridians could handle. His bloodline responded instinctively—the black-gold veins under his skin began to glow brighter, consuming stray energy. But the flow intensified still.
"This is too much," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Even my veins can't contain it—"
Then, in his inner world, one of the dormant vaults pulsed faintly.
Lu Mao's eyes widened. "No… it'll destroy everything—"
Acting swiftly, he extended his hand toward the glowing vault that housed his ancient artifact—the Obsidian Cat Figurine.
"Devour it!"
The vault burst open, releasing the cat-shaped relic. Its surface shimmered with ancient runes, and as it emerged, it let out a silent roar. The figurine inhaled, and a vortex formed—devouring the excess qi like a black hole.
The wild storm subsided slightly.
But the energy didn't just vanish—it flowed into the cat, making it glow with golden cracks that spread like veins of molten lava across its surface.
The colossal golden-black vein pulsed violently in response, sending arcs of lightning across the sky of the inner world.
"Good," Lu Mao whispered hoarsely, controlling his breath. "Balance… maintain the flow."
In the physical world, his body rose several inches off the ground, glowing lines crawling across his skin. The entire chamber trembled. Glass lamps burst, walls cracked, and the protective formation around his quarters flickered under pressure.
Li Xian, Yan Mei, Chen Yuan, and Bao Fu appeared outside his sealed door.
"What's happening?" Bao Fu shouted.
Li Xian's expression was tense, her War Blood aura flaring faintly. "He's breaking through—but something's… different. Fall back!"
A shockwave erupted from the chamber, throwing dust and shattered stone outward.
Inside, Lu Mao's aura had reached critical mass. His body blazed with golden-black light, qi swirling around him like a cosmic storm. His dantian expanded, glowing like a miniature sun.
His meridians twisted, broke, and reformed, larger and denser. Power flooded every fiber of his being.
The storm's color changed—from golden to yellow, from yellow to a deep crimson. The very air vibrated as thunder rolled.
Lightning cracked through the roof, snaking down like a celestial serpent.
Li Xian's eyes widened. "Tribulation lightning—already?"
Yan Mei gasped. "He's… ascending to the War Blood Realm?"
The others fell silent as the sky above the mountain darkened.
⸻
Inside, Lu Mao roared. His voice echoed like a dragon's bellow.
The crimson lightning crashed down, enveloping him. Each strike seared his skin, but he absorbed it—devoured it—turning pain into power. The Heaven Pressing Mountain Aura Manual activated on its own, circulating qi through his body in relentless cycles.
The colossal vein within his inner world surged, golden-black lightning dancing along its surface. The vaults blazed one by one—twelve, thirteen, fourteen…
Twenty new vaults unlocked, bursting open in a circle of divine brilliance.
The pressure within the realm skyrocketed. Waves of power erupted outward, and the golden-black energy condensed into Lu Mao's form, reshaping his bones, strengthening his flesh, fortifying his foundation.
In his dantian, the qi pool expanded exponentially, glowing with the hue of liquid fire.
When the storm finally subsided, Lu Mao floated silently in the air, surrounded by the faint afterglow of crimson lightning. His aura had stabilized—powerful, vast, and terrifyingly calm.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
Two streams of golden-black light shot from them like blades, piercing the dim chamber walls.
The storm outside dissipated. The dark clouds parted.
He descended slowly, feet touching the cracked floor.
In his inner world, the colossal vein pulsed with quiet satisfaction. The Obsidian Cat Figurine, now covered in faint golden lines, returned to its vault, which slammed shut with a thunderous echo. The surrounding newly awakened vaults hummed softly, awaiting future use.
Lu Mao exhaled deeply, his aura still shimmering faintly crimson.
"War Blood Realm," he whispered, clenching his fists. "First stage… Martial General."
Outside, Li Xian, Yan Mei, and the others stared in awe as the chamber doors finally opened. The air that rolled out was thick, charged, alive.
Lu Mao stepped through the smoke, eyes blazing with quiet dominance.
The Black Dragon Faction had gained its second War Blood cultivator.
And with his rise, the Southern Lands would tremble anew.