"It is said that she is a mutated Golden Phoenix. Her color and natal flame are both black!"

"What's more, she possesses the clan inheritance. There's a high probability that the roe deer won't be her opponent."

A demon with folded arms spoke coldly, clearly not optimistic about Ethan.

In the center of the battlefield, Ethan lifted his gaze to Lunara and said calmly, "Your Majesty the Saintess, if you want to capture me, I'm afraid you're still not capable."

"Shameless talk!"

Lunara's eyes flashed with fury.

"I want to see who gave you the confidence!"

Her voice had not yet fallen when her figure turned into a streak of black flame.

Bang

A thunderous explosion echoed through the sky.

Her speed was terrifying—so fast that the air itself was compressed into violent sonic booms. Wherever Lunara passed, space cracked like shattered glass, leaving behind jagged rifts that took several breaths to mend.

"Enough nonsense, Aether!"

Her figure flickered, and in an instant she appeared in front of Ethan.

A sphere of black flame condensed in her palm, dense and oppressive, carrying an aura of annihilation as it blasted straight toward Ethan's face.

Ethan let out a low hum.

Golden light surged through his body. Thunder arcs snapped and danced around him.

He raised his palm.

Gray-blue original spiritual fire burst forth, interwoven with golden Original Power.

Boom—!

Fire collided with fire.

The explosion was deafening.

A violent shockwave rippled outward, tearing through the sky like a raging storm. Buildings trembled, protective formations flared, and countless spectators instinctively shielded their eyes.

When the flames finally dissipated, two figures stood facing each other in midair.

Lunara.

Ethan.

Their auras were steady. Their breaths unchanged.

"That flame…" Lunara frowned slightly, staring at the gray-blue fire lingering in Ethan's palm.

"Its power is not weaker than my black flame."

Her voice carried a trace of genuine astonishment.

"You should know that my natal black flame is not inferior to any original spiritual fire in existence."

She had fought countless experts.

Yet this was the first time she had encountered such an unfamiliar, yet terrifying, flame.

"What kind of flame is this?" she asked coldly.

"You guess."

Ethan smiled faintly.

Then his voice turned sharp.

"You said you wanted to teach me a lesson. You said you wanted to use me as a warning to others and display the majesty of the Palace of the Four Cycles."

"But I'm afraid," he said calmly, "you don't have that ability."

Lunara's expression darkened.

"I will no longer hold back," she said icily. "Fists and feet have no eyes. Life and death are your own responsibility."

As her words fell, she spread her arms.

The massive black wings behind her folded forward, encasing her figure like a cocoon.

Black flames erupted violently, surging upward like a tidal wave.

Her aura skyrocketed.

"This pressure…" someone gasped from afar.

"She's already approaching the threshold of an Ultimate Supreme!"

"So the rumors were true."

"When facing an Ultimate Supreme, she retreated unscathed. The Saintess of the Palace of the Four Cycles truly deserves her reputation."

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

He remained calm, but his mind was alert.

After all, Lunara was one of the Eight Strange and Ferocious Beasts—the Black Phoenix. Even with her bloodline suppressed by a blood contract, her foundation was terrifying.

"There's Princess Liora Verdant of the Verdant Lantern Empire," Ethan thought silently, "and now Lunara of the Demon Territory."

"It seems Oceanreach Continent truly hides countless peerless geniuses. I'll have to be more cautious in the future."

Boom

Lunara's black wings snapped open.

A terrifying wave of pressure swept outward.

The entire Blue-Wave City shook violently.

The river below boiled like molten metal. Countless goldtail fish and aquatic monsters leapt out of the water, flailing helplessly in the air.

Seeing this, Ethan waved his hand casually.

"Don't waste them."

In an instant, all the goldtail fish that had been flung into the air vanished, swallowed into his storage ring.

Thousands.

In a single motion.

"This goldtail fish is indeed a good thing," Ethan said with a smile.

"Thank you for the gift."

He casually tossed dozens of goldtail fish into the Spiritual Orb.

Within the orb, the Evil Mantis—still in its larval state—sent out waves of excitement, clearly delighted by the rich demonic essence.

"Eat well," Ethan thought calmly.

"Grow quickly. When the time comes, I'll take you across the world to devour even more powerful prey."

A flicker of blood-red light pulsed within the orb, as if answering him.

"Aether!"

Lunara's voice rang out, icy and furious.

"You are fighting me, yet you dare to distract yourself collecting goldtail fish?"

Her pride burned.

This was humiliation.

"Even if you catch them today," she sneered, "do you think you'll still have the life to enjoy them afterward?"

Far away, several powerful demon lords watched with solemn expressions.

"This is the true strength of the Saintess of the Palace of the Four Cycles," one of them said slowly.

"At this level, she is no longer weaker than the Ultimate Supremes of the palace."

"It is said the Golden Phoenix clan plans to send her into the Training Trial."

"If that's true," another sighed, "then aside from a handful of monsters in the Demon Territory, who could possibly contend with her?"

They fell silent.

Lunara's current display of power crushed all illusions.

Entering the Training Trial with such strength—even if suppressed by the rules—she would be nearly invincible.

Yet another voice spoke.

"But that roe deer spirit is no ordinary figure either."

The speaker was an Upper Demon Lord, his gaze sharp.

"He looks young. His bloodline is ordinary. And yet he can stand toe-to-toe with the Saintess."

"That alone is terrifying."

"Clearly, he came to Blue-Wave City for the Training Trial as well."

"Indeed," another nodded. "What's more frightening is his composure. Facing Lunara, he even distracted himself to do other things."

"Is that arrogance?"

"Or absolute confidence?"

Their gazes converged on Ethan.

At that moment, a thought surfaced simultaneously in several minds.

This roe deer was a casual cultivator.

From Skyreach Territory.

Most likely—

He does not possess a Sage Token.

If such a monster could be won over…

If a Sage Token were placed in his hands…

A/N:

Extra chapters

100 power stones - 1 Extra chapters

200 power stones - 2 Extra chapters

Massage Chair - 1 Extra chapters

Luxury Car - 2 Extra Chapters

Dragon - 5 Extra Chapters

Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters

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