The night was heavy with silence as the Crimson Hawk Mercenary Group made its way back to their camp after a long, grueling day.

The ocean breeze swept across the camp, bringing with it the scent of salt and saltwater. The stars above were like diamonds scattered across the void, cold and distant.

Inside the camp, the mercenaries settled down. Some went to the mess hall to drink, others cleaned their weapons or patched up wounds from the battle with the Death Ship.

Vahn sat quietly by the fire, his thoughts far from the celebration that raged around him.

The moment he had unleashed the Void singularity on the demonic octopus had left an imprint on the minds of all who had witnessed it. To many, Vahn had become something more than just a mercenary—he had become a force of nature.

Suddenly, the stillness of the night was shattered.

"Ahhh! "

A scream echoed across the camp, followed by the sharp sound of metal clashing.

"Argh!"

A few seconds later, another scream. Then another.

Vahn's eyes snapped open, the calmness in his gaze turning to cold alertness. He stood up smoothly, his expression unreadable as the mercenaries scrambled to grab their weapons.

Renka was already in motion, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon as her hand reached for her sword. She turned to Vahn with a look that conveyed no need for words.

"They're here."

"Azure Dragon Sect," Vahn muttered under his breath. The attacks were no coincidence.

Zutian cursed, his eyes narrowing. "Those bastards aren't even waiting for the reward to be handed over. They're coming for us."

Vahn didn't respond. He had already begun walking toward the sound of chaos, each step purposeful, each movement deliberate. He had no fear, no hesitation. To him, this was nothing new. The path he walked was one of conquest, and conquest required domination.

The camp was already descending into chaos when Vahn arrived at the outer perimeter.

Shadowy figures darted in and out of the shadows, their movements swift and calculated. Assassins. Experts. Their mission was clear: eliminate the threat Crimson Hawk posed.

Renka and Zutian led the defense, but their numbers were not enough. Crimson Hawk was strong, but no mercenary group could face a sect's full assault without taking heavy losses.

Vahn didn't hesitate. With a simple motion of his hand, the ground around him began to tremble. The air shifted. A pressure, unyielding and crushing, spread from him like a wave of raw power. The Void Core in his chest surged, and in that instant, he summoned the creatures of the Void.

Dark, monstrous beings materialized from the very fabric of the air.

Tendrils of shadow stretched across the battlefield, their forms coalescing into dark, otherworldly beasts with eyes that glowed with the cold light of the Void.

They were the harbingers of destruction, ancient and deadly.

The assassins, who had been moving with silent precision, froze at the sight of the creatures. Some of them hesitated, fear seeping into their hearts. But before they could react, the creatures descended upon them with terrifying speed.

The clash was brutal.

Vahn stood at the center of the battlefield, his eyes scanning the carnage with a detached, almost clinical gaze. The creatures of the Void tore through the assassins without mercy. Their dark claws cleaved through flesh like a knife through butter. They were swift, unstoppable, and ruthless.

Renka watched in disbelief as the mercenaries around them fell one after another, their bodies torn apart by the creatures.

The sky above seemed to darken further, the moon obscured by the miasma of destruction that Vahn's creatures left in their wake.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, and the sound of death reverberated across the camp. Assassins tried to fight back, but their attacks were futile. Every strike that landed was met with counterattacks that sent them sprawling.

Vahn did not flinch.

He stood still, watching the slaughter unfold, his hands casually behind his back. The Void beasts obeyed his will perfectly. They were extensions of his own power, their every action guided by his cold and calculating intent.

Renka's breath caught in her throat as she saw the extent of Vahn's power.

The creatures didn't just kill. They fed. They consumed life itself.

The last of the assassins fell, their bodies scattered across the battlefield. The creatures of the Void dissipated into the air, their forms vanishing as quickly as they had come. Vahn turned and walked back toward the camp without a word.

Renka stood frozen in place, her eyes wide with awe and fear.

"What... What just happened?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Zutian, who had fought beside them, watched Vahn walk away. "I don't know. But... he's something else."

Renka's gaze lingered on Vahn. She had always respected his strength, but now... there was something more. Something darker. He had saved them, but the price was clear. He had shown no mercy. No hesitation.

It wasn't just the Void creatures that had left an impression on her. It was Vahn himself. His cold, indifferent demeanor. His power. The way he had handled the situation as if it were nothing more than a routine exercise.

"I think we've only just seen the beginning. He's a monster in this game," Zutian said, his voice low.

Renka nodded slowly, her mind racing in thought. "Yes. We have. He breaks our expectation everytime. "

---

The following night, after the chaos of the attack had subsided, Vahn was alone, standing at the edge of the camp, looking out over the water. The starlit sky stretched infinitely above him, but he didn't see the beauty. His thoughts were elsewhere. His mind was already calculating, planning.

He needed more. He needed power. The battle with the assassins had shown him that even in the Immortal Realm, he was still not invincible. There were forces here far beyond what he had imagined. And though his Void power was immense, it was still not enough to dominate the entire world.

But Vahn had always known this would be the case. The world was vast, and he was but a single pawn. But he was not content to remain a pawn.

The next step was simple.

The Azure Dragon Sect had shown him disrespect. They thought they could humiliate him and his group, treating them like nothing more than disposable mercenaries. But the truth was that Crimson Hawk was not just a tool to be used. It was a foundation. And Vahn was going to build it into something much more.

The following morning, Vahn set out on his own. He had no intention of staying idle. There were things that needed to be done.

He headed toward the Spirit Stone Mines of the Azure Dragon Sect.

The walk was long, but Vahn made it with the surety of one who had already decided his path. The mines were located beneath the mountains that bordered the sect's territory.

They were heavily guarded—no surprise there—but Vahn wasn't concerned.

When he arrived at the mines, he immediately activated his Void Dragon Form.

The air around him began to warp, and a powerful force seemed to resonate from his body. A dark energy, thick with malice, poured out from him, and the ground itself trembled under the weight of his presence.

The Void Dragon Form coiled around him, its massive wings spreading wide.

The guards and workers at the mines barely had time to react.

Vahn didn't speak. He didn't need to.

With a single thought, he unleashed his power. The Void Dragon opened its maw and devoured everything. The mines, the spirit stones, the energy within them—they were all consumed, drained of their essence and swallowed by the Void.

The workers and guards fled in panic, but they were too slow. The Void Dragon's hunger was insatiable. It tore through the walls of the mines, devouring every last trace of energy within.

Vahn felt the power surge through him as the last of the spirit stones were consumed. He could feel his cultivation increasing, his power rising.

The Void Dragon's energy fed directly into his own Void Core, amplifying his strength in ways that no amount of spirit stones or external resources could.

By the time the last worker had escaped, Vahn stood alone amidst the ruin of the mines. The Void Dragon form dissipated, leaving him standing tall, his power now at a level that far exceeded what he had been just days before.

Golden Immortal Stage.

He had done it. He had reached a new level of power.

As he turned and made his way back, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

This was only the beginning.

He had grown stronger. And soon, he would control everything.

The news of the Spirit Stone Mine's destruction spread quickly, reaching both the Azure Dragon Sect and the surrounding mercenary groups in tandem. But Vahn was already a step ahead.

The war was coming.

And Vahn was ready.

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