The Black-Horned Earth Bear charged.
**BOOM!**
Lían didn't retreat.
Instead—
he stepped forward.
Thunder Vein rose in his hand.
The water surrounding the blade suddenly compressed.
The thin streams of water gathered tightly along its edge, becoming denser and more concentrated.
Then—
Lían swung.
**SHING!**
A sharp arc of water and lightning tore through the air.
**BOOM!**
The attack struck the bear directly across its chest.
Its thick black scales split apart.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
The Black-Horned Earth Bear staggered backward.
Lían's eyes widened slightly.
*It worked.*
The Lightning Essence hadn't been completely suppressed this time.
The water had carried it through the attack.
*So that's how it works.*
His gaze sharpened.
*The Earth attribute can suppress Lightning.*
*But it can't completely suppress the Lightning Essence when it's being carried through Water.*
The bear roared furiously.
**GRAAAAAH!**
It slammed both paws into the ground.
**BOOM!**
The earth violently trembled.
Several massive earthen spikes erupted from the ground around Lían.
He immediately moved.
**WHOOSH!**
One spike tore past his side.
Another erupted directly beneath him.
Lían jumped.
But—
the bear was already waiting for him.
Its enormous paw swung toward him.
Lían's pupils contracted.
*Too close.*
He couldn't dodge normally.
His Water Elemental Physique reacted instantly.
The moisture surrounding his body gathered beneath his feet.
**WHOOSH!**
A thin circular platform of water suddenly formed beneath him.
Lían stepped onto it.
The platform tilted.
His body was carried sideways through the air.
**WHOOSH!**
The bear's claws passed beneath him.
Lían's eyes widened.
"...I can do this?"
He quickly adjusted his spiritual energy.
The water platform moved exactly as he wanted.
It wasn't solid.
It wasn't a shield.
It was simply a thin layer of condensed water supporting his feet.
*If I can control the water in the air around me...*
*I can change my direction in midair.*
Lían immediately pushed off.
The platform shifted beneath his feet.
His body shot sideways.
**WHOOSH!**
He landed on a nearby tree branch.
The bear turned toward him.
Lían stared down at the battlefield.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
*This is useful.*
He raised Thunder Vein.
The water around the blade gathered again.
The mist throughout the forest began flowing toward him.
Tiny droplets condensed.
More.
And more.
The sword slowly became surrounded by a thin layer of flowing water.
White lightning crawled through it.
**ZZZT!**
Lían's eyes narrowed.
*I don't need to overpower it.*
*I just need to keep attacking.*
The Black-Horned Earth Bear roared and charged.
Lían stepped off the branch.
Instead of falling—
another water platform appeared beneath his feet.
**WHOOSH!**
He slid through the air.
The bear's claws swept toward him.
Lían shifted his weight.
The platform tilted sharply.
His body changed direction.
The claws missed by mere inches.
Lían swung at the same time.
**SHHK!**
Thunder Vein cut across the bear's back.
Blood sprayed.
The bear roared in pain.
Lían landed on another thin platform of water.
He looked at the wound.
*The water is allowing the Lightning Essence to bypass some of the suppression.*
His eyes sharpened.
*And the mist gives me a continuous supply.*
The bear turned around.
Its crimson eyes became even more furious.
Lían raised his sword.
"Come on."
The water beneath his feet began rotating.
"Let's see how long you can endure."
---
After a long while—
the forest had fallen into silence.
The Black-Horned Earth Bear stood motionless.
Its massive body was covered in countless wounds.
Blood dripped from between its black scales.
Several deep cuts ran across its chest and back.
Its breathing became increasingly weak.
Then—
its enormous body finally collapsed.
**BOOM!**
The ground trembled beneath its weight.
Above the battlefield—
Lizarius hovered silently.
His golden eyes remained fixed upon the scene below.
He had watched the entire battle.
He hadn't interfered.
Not once.
Below—
Lían remained standing for several seconds.
His breathing was ragged.
Blood ran down one of his arms.
Another deep claw wound crossed his chest.
His clothing was torn in several places.
The thin layer of water that had once wrapped around his entire body was already gone.
Lían's legs finally gave out.
He dropped onto one knee.
**THUD.**
He supported himself with Thunder Vein.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
"...That..."
He struggled to catch his breath.
"...Didn't go how I thought it would."
He glanced toward the dead Earth Bear.
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"I thought I had the advantage after figuring out the mist."
He touched the wound on his chest.
"...But one mistake..."
His expression became serious.
"...And I would've died."
Lían slowly looked upward.
Lizarius remained hovering above him.
His golden eyes were completely calm.
Lían stared at him for several moments.
Then—
he sighed.
"I had a feeling..."
"...You would've just watched if I died, wouldn't you, Master?"
Lizarius didn't answer.
Lían gave a helpless smile.
"...Of course."
He slowly pushed himself upright.
His body still felt heavy.
Every muscle ached.
But—
he could move.
That was enough.
Meanwhile—
Lizarius descended toward the corpse.
His jaws slowly opened.
A faint dark aura emerged around his body.
Lían watched.
The soul of the Black-Horned Earth Bear slowly emerged from its corpse.
It struggled for a moment.
Then—
**WHOOSH!**
The soul was pulled directly into Lizarius' mouth.
Lían watched silently.
Even after seeing it countless times—
the sight still felt strange.
He slowly looked away.
"...I still don't think I'll ever get used to that."
He glanced toward the enormous corpse.
Then—
his eyes narrowed.
*This should be enough.*
He slowly approached.
"If this doesn't let me break through..."
He crouched beside the corpse.
"...Then I don't know what will."
Lían placed his palm against the bear's body.
He took a slow breath.
"Hopefully..."
"...This will be enough."
His spiritual energy began circulating.
The reconstructed art activated.
**WHOOSH!**
Crimson energy immediately surged from the corpse.
The Black-Horned Earth Bear's enormous body began drying beneath his palm.
Its blood essence.
Its life force.
Everything it had accumulated throughout its existence—
was drawn into Lían's body.
His breathing gradually steadied.
The energy flowed through his meridians.
His cultivation began rising.
Lían closed his eyes.
*Come on.*
*Just a little more.*
*Third Stage...*
*Let me break through.*
The final traces of energy disappeared into Lían's body.
The enormous corpse beneath his palm gradually lost its remaining moisture.
The once-mighty Black-Horned Earth Bear was now completely dry.
Lían slowly lifted his hand.
He stared at the corpse for several seconds.
"...That's everything."
He could clearly feel the difference.
The enormous amount of energy he had absorbed was circulating through his meridians.
His spiritual energy continued surging.
His body trembled faintly.
Lían's expression changed.
*...It's coming.*
He immediately sat down beside the dried corpse.
His legs crossed.
His hands rested upon his knees.
The surrounding spiritual energy began gathering toward him.
**WHOOSH!**
A faint pressure spread throughout the forest.
Lían closed his eyes.
His cultivation began circulating at full speed.
The spiritual energy within his meridians surged again and again.
His Second Stage foundation trembled.
Cracks gradually appeared within the invisible barrier separating his current cultivation from the next stage.
Lían's expression became focused.
*Break.*
The barrier shook violently.
**BOOM!**
A powerful wave of spiritual energy erupted from his body.
The surrounding leaves were blown outward.
Lizarius hovered silently above him.
His golden eyes remained fixed upon Lían.
He watched the entire process without interference.
The spiritual energy continued circulating.
Lían's meridians expanded.
His spiritual energy became denser.
Stronger.
More refined.
The barrier between the Second and Third Stage finally shattered.
**BOOM!**
A powerful surge of energy exploded outward.
The pressure surrounding Lían suddenly disappeared.
Silence returned to the forest.
The breakthrough—
was successful.
Lían remained seated for several moments.
Then—
he slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was filled with disbelief.
"...I did it."
He looked down at his hands.
A smile gradually appeared on his face.
"I actually broke through."
He clenched his fists.
His spiritual energy circulated through his body.
Stronger.
Faster.
More powerful than before.
Lían couldn't help but smile.
"Third Stage."
He laughed softly.
"I really reached the Third Stage."
Then—
he suddenly noticed something else.
His hand moved toward his chest.
He touched the place where the Black-Horned Earth Bear had torn through his flesh.
There was nothing.
No wound.
No blood.
Not even a scar.
Lían's expression froze.
"...Huh?"
He quickly checked his arm.
The deep claw wound was gone as well.
His torn clothing was the only evidence that he had ever been injured.
Lían stared at his body.
"My wounds..."
He looked confused.
"They're completely healed."
He moved his arm.
There wasn't even the slightest trace of pain.
"...When did that happen?"
His brows furrowed.
*Was it the reconstructed art?*
He thought about it carefully.
*The moment I absorbed the life force...*
A realization slowly formed.
"...Maybe."
He looked toward his hands.
"If the art absorbs life force..."
"Then perhaps some of it is being used to repair my body."
He wasn't completely certain.
But—
there didn't seem to be another explanation.
Lían slowly stood.
Then—
his gaze shifted upward.
Lizarius was still hovering above him.
Lían stared at him for a moment.
"...Master."
Lizarius looked toward him.
"You were watching everything, right?"
He gestured toward himself.
"You saw me use the reconstructed art."
"You saw me absorb the beast."
"And you saw me break through into the Third Stage."
A brief pause.
"So..."
Lían's smile widened.
"You've seen everything you wanted to see, right?"
Silence.
Lían waited.
Then—
Lizarius calmly answered.
"Correct."
"I have seen enough."
Lían's expression immediately brightened.
"Yeah!"
He smiled.
"Alright."
He glanced toward the dried corpse.
Then—
he suddenly raised a finger.
"Wait a moment, Master."
Before Lizarius could respond—
Lían quickly ran toward the remains of the Black-Horned Earth Bear.
**SHING!**
Thunder Vein flashed.
Several cuts appeared across the dried corpse.
Lían quickly collected the remaining valuable materials.
The thick black scales.
The massive horns.
Several claws.
Anything that could still be used.
He stored them inside his pouch.
Then—
he returned to Lizarius.
"Done."
He smiled.
"Let's go."
Lían raised his head.
"Take me home, Master."
Lizarius stared at him.
Then—
gravity quietly descended around Lían.
His body slowly floated upward.
"Whoa—"
Before he could react—
he was lifted into the air.
Lizarius flew toward him.
His small body landed lightly upon Lían's head.
Lían blinked.
"...Again?"
He sighed.
"Fine."
He put Thunder Vein into his storage pouch.
"Let's just go."
Lizarius didn't answer.
The surrounding space remained completely still.
Then—
the two figures vanished.
There was no explosion.
No flash.
No disturbance.
Only the faint movement of leaves remained.
A moment later—
even that disappeared.
The forest returned to silence.
As though—
no one had ever been there.