Zuo Qia's pupils remained fixed upon the descending dragon.
Her body was still frozen.
Her soul still throbbed from the invisible attack.
Yet—
her thoughts flowed with astonishing clarity.
To cultivators of her realm—
a single instant was enough for countless thoughts.
Within her mind—
time seemed to slow.
*An excellent trap.*
*Body immobilization.*
*Soul interference.*
*The descending manifestation.*
*Every step perfectly linked.*
Her eyes never left Lizarius.
*But...*
A faint light appeared within them.
*You underestimated one thing.*
*A Nascent Soul cultivator's consciousness.*
*Our thoughts...*
*Move far faster than our bodies.*
Although her flesh could not move—
her will never faltered.
Her connection to the Soul Manifestation remained intact.
Not once had it weakened.
Not once had it stopped.
The colossal white sword continued its inevitable advance.
Straight toward Lizarius.
*Your intention...*
*Was to sever my connection.*
*But it wasn't enough.*
*My objective...*
*Has never changed.*
*Kill the beast.*
*Everything else ends.*
The remaining distance vanished.
---
Lizarius calmly watched the incoming Soul Manifestation.
His enormous body remained perfectly still.
There was no attempt to evade.
No attempt to defend.
His golden eyes merely reflected the approaching sword.
The next instant—
The colossal white blade pierced straight through his chest.
No sound followed.
The sword passed through him cleanly.
Ignoring every physical defense.
There was no wound.
No blood.
The attack wasn't physical to begin with.
It struck the soul directly.
For a brief instant—
the enormous white-scaled dragon froze.
The light within his golden eyes...
Rapidly dimmed.
Zuo Qia's heart finally steadied.
*Got you.*
---
Then—
something changed.
Just before the Soul Manifestation completely emerged from his body—
The fading light...
Returned.
Not gradually.
Instantly.
His golden eyes blazed once more.
Brighter than before.
Perfectly clear.
Perfectly alive.
Zuo Qia's pupils contracted.
*...What?*
There had been no hesitation.
No ambiguity.
For that single instant—
he had unquestionably appeared dead.
Then—
life returned.
As though death itself had merely been an inconvenience.
---
Above—
the colossal dragon continued descending.
It never slowed.
It never dispersed.
It never weakened.
Zuo Qia's expression finally changed.
*...Impossible.*
*The manifestation...*
*Why hasn't it disappeared?*
Her conclusion had been absolute.
Kill the beast.
Destroy the manifestation.
That was the natural order.
Yet—
the dragon remained completely intact.
Its aura hadn't diminished in the slightest.
If anything—
its pressure had become even more terrifying.
*How...?*
*I struck him.*
*I know I struck him.*
*Then why—*
The dragon slowly opened its jaws.
Within them—
an abyss of azure flames and roaring lightning gathered.
Zuo Qia's eyes widened.
*No—*
The colossal maw descended.
In a single motion—
it swallowed her whole.
Boom!!
The heavens erupted.
Storm clouds exploded outward.
Lightning flooded the mountain range.
Azure flames illuminated the world.
For an instant—
nothing remained visible.
Only a blazing sphere of storm and flame suspended between heaven and earth.
Within the engulfing darkness—
Zuo Qia's thoughts echoed.
*What...*
*Is this...?*
She could still feel the instant her Soul Manifestation had pierced through Lizarius.
She remembered it perfectly.
*I killed him...*
*So why...*
*Why didn't the manifestation disappear...?*
Her thoughts raced.
Searching desperately for the missing piece.
Yet—
no answer came.
The storm consumed the heavens.
Azure flames surged through layer upon layer of black clouds.
Lightning roared without end.
For several breaths—
the entire mountain range disappeared beneath the overwhelming radiance.
Nothing could be seen.
Nothing could be heard.
Only destruction.
---
Within the storm—
Zuo Qia remained engulfed.
Her white robes had long since disappeared beneath the raging sea of lightning and azure fire.
Yet—
she still lived.
A brilliant sphere of sword intent surrounded her body.
Countless strands of white sword qi revolved around her without pause.
Every bolt of lightning that approached—
was severed.
Every wave of azure flame—
was split apart.
Even so—
the barrier trembled continuously.
Hairline cracks quietly spread across its surface.
Her breathing gradually became heavier.
*...Such pressure.*
*This isn't merely the manifestation of a Golden Core cultivator.*
*No...*
Her eyes narrowed.
*It isn't merely a manifestation.*
The realization struck her.
*It's a genuine technique.*
*The manifestation merely serves as its vessel.*
Another bolt of lightning crashed against the barrier.
Crack!
Another fracture spread.
She paid it no attention.
Instead—
she continued piecing everything together.
*The Soul Manifestation entered his body.*
*It extinguished his soul...*
*For an instant.*
That much she had not imagined.
Her sword had not failed.
She knew it.
She had felt his soul collapse.
His vitality had vanished.
Even his consciousness had disappeared.
Yet—
it had returned.
Instantly.
Without transition.
Without recovery.
As though...
Another consciousness had simply taken its place.
Her heartbeat slowed.
*A second soul...?*
The thought seemed absurd.
Immediately—
she rejected it.
*...No.*
*A second soul?*
*That's far too absurd.*
Even throughout the countless records preserved within the Cloud Sword Sect—
she had never encountered such a phenomenon.
A second consciousness capable of replacing the first...
No.
There had to be another explanation.
Her eyes narrowed.
She replayed the instant of impact.
Again.
And again.
Every detail.
The Soul Manifestation had entered his body.
It had struck his soul directly.
She had felt it.
There had even been...
Resistance.
Only for the briefest instant.
Then—
it vanished.
*...It wasn't completely effortless.*
Her thoughts sharpened.
*There was resistance.*
*Very slight...*
*But it existed.*
She carefully compared that sensation with every soul battle she had experienced throughout her life.
*Was my attack ineffective...?*
She dismissed the possibility immediately.
*Impossible.*
*If it had failed...*
*I wouldn't have felt his consciousness extinguish.*
She had.
There was no mistake.
His consciousness had disappeared.
His vitality had vanished.
His eyes had lost all life.
Only—
for that single instant.
Then—
everything had returned.
As though nothing had happened.
Her expression gradually became solemn.
*Then...*
*It possesses some method...*
*Of resisting or recovering from soul attacks.*
*If that's the case...*
*I wouldn't be surprised.*
A demon beast capable of concealment beyond the perception of Nascent Soul cultivators...
One that wielded wind, lightning, flames, gravity, soul techniques, and spatial arts...
Possessing yet another incomprehensible ability was no longer beyond reason.
Her thoughts abruptly stopped.
Because—
she suddenly realized—
The invisible force binding her body...
Had disappeared.
Her fingers moved.
Her spiritual qi flowed freely once more.
The immobilization had ended.
Zuo Qia's eyes sharpened instantly.
She discarded every remaining thought.
There would be time to analyze later.
Now—
Only survival mattered.
Boom!
Sword intent erupted from her body once more.
The white barrier surrounding her expanded violently.
---
Outside the raging storm—
Lizarius remained suspended beneath the black clouds.
His enormous body never moved.
Only his golden eyes remained fixed upon the blazing sphere where the dragon had swallowed Zuo Qia.
Thin streams of crimson slowly flowed from the corners of both eyes.
Trailing across his pristine white scales.
His expression never changed.
*...She's stronger.*
His thoughts remained perfectly calm.
*Far stronger than the Nascent Soul opponent within the simulations.*
The difference had become immediately apparent.
*Her Soul Manifestation...*
*Exceeded my estimates.*
He quietly analyzed the exchange.
*My mental defenses were destroyed almost instantly.*
*Fortunately...*
*The Ai intercepted the majority of the attack.*
*But not all of it.*
The Soul Manifestation had still reached him.
His soul had unquestionably been struck.
Pain lingered deep within his consciousness.
Several cracks had spread across the mental barrier protecting his soul.
Fortunately—
the damage wasn't severe.
*Acceptable.*
*The auxiliary consciousness remained operational.*
*The battle proceeded within acceptable parameters.*
His breathing never changed.
Everything...
Had unfolded almost exactly as calculated.
Then—
his thoughts stopped.
---
Crack.
A single white line appeared across the enormous storm dragon.
It stretched from its jaws...
To the very end of its tail.
The dragon froze.
The surrounding lightning abruptly fell silent.
Azure flames stopped burning.
Even the storm itself seemed to hesitate.
Lizarius' pupils narrowed.
*...*
The white line widened.
The dragon's immense body immediately attempted to regenerate.
Storm clouds surged inward.
Lightning rewove its flesh.
Azure flames poured into the widening fracture.
For a brief instant—
it appeared as though the manifestation would recover.
Then—
A second white line appeared.
Then a third.
Countless brilliant fractures rapidly spread throughout the dragon's colossal body.
The entire manifestation trembled violently.
---
Inside the dragon—
Zuo Qia slowly lowered her sword.
The brilliant white blade no longer emitted the slightest radiance.
It had become utterly empty.
As though every trace of power had already been expended.
Around her—
there was no longer storm.
No lightning.
No flames.
Only—
endless white cuts.
They silently expanded throughout every part of the dragon's body.
Her calm voice echoed through the collapsing interior.
"...Sword of Emptiness."
"...Third Form."
"...Empty Heaven."
---
Outside—
the colossal dragon suddenly...
Collapsed.
No explosion followed.
No violent detonation.
Its body simply separated into countless fragments.
Every strand of lightning.
Every cloud.
Every flame.
Was cleanly severed.
The entire manifestation disintegrated before Lizarius' eyes.
The remnants immediately attempted to reform.
Storm clouds rushed together.
Lightning coiled inward.
The dragon's outline briefly reappeared.
Then—
another invisible wave of white swept across it.
Shrrk.
The reforming body was divided apart once again.
This time—
it failed to regenerate.
The remaining storm gradually dispersed across the heavens.
Azure flames faded into nothingness.
Within moments—
the magnificent dragon no longer existed.
Only scattered clouds drifted quietly through the sky.
---
Zuo Qia stepped out from the fading remnants.
Her white robes had been almost completely burned away, leaving them ragged and scorched.
Burn marks covered portions of her body.
A faint trace of blood lingered at the corner of her lips.
Her breathing had become noticeably heavier.
Yet—
the sword in her hand remained perfectly steady.
Her eyes never left Lizarius.
The surrounding heavens gradually fell silent once more.
Across from her—
Lizarius quietly watched the last remnants of the dragon disappear into the wind.
Blood continued flowing from his eyes.
Yet his expression remained unchanged.
His thoughts were as calm as ever.
*...That sword art.*
*It doesn't destroy the energy...*
*It severs the structure maintaining the technique.*
Another conclusion quietly settled within his mind.
*An interesting sword art.*