Aji's physical frame was torn apart. The violent recoil generated by neutralizing the volatile, dark attributes of the Heart Dragon left horrific lacerations across his entire body. Crimson sprays burst from his pores; had it not been for the combined protection of the Soul Deep artifact embedded within his core and the legendary Water of Life, his physical vessel would have disintegrated under the sheer pressure.

The Water of Life—a divine elixir he had secured at the ends of the earth during his twenty-year solitude—alongside the Soul Deep artifact transplanted into him by Saint Yonan, formed an impenetrable shield that preserved his physical structure against total internal collapse.

By channeling his absolute aura, Aji systematically drove out the volatile side effects of the Heart Dragon, purifying the celestial artifact directly with his own life force. Such a feat had never been attempted in recorded history. It required not only monumental martial capacity, but the willingness to stake one's very existence on the line.

Lacerations carved deeper into his skin one after another, tearing across his legs, arms, face, shoulders, and torso. Blood splashed onto the cold stone floor. Yet, miraculously, every wound that opened underwent instantaneous cellular regeneration.

The process mirrored the rapid healing executed by high-tier dark cultivators using Blood Black. The key distinction lay in Aji's source: he relied on the sanctified energy of the Soul Deep artifact and the Water of Life. Though his flesh mended the instant it tore, he was forced to endure the unmitigated, agony of the process.

The sensation felt as if thousands of white-hot blades were continuously flaying his body alive. Still, Aji held his cross-legged stance within the isolated cultivation chamber deep inside Dompai, refusing to yield as he purged the artifact's corruption.

To prevent the volatile shockwaves from shattering the surrounding structure, Aji had erected an absolute isolation barrier around himself, containing the violent energy bursts entirely within his personal space.

This agonizing struggle would prove invaluable for the Sky Squad and Aaman. At that very moment, the young warriors were undergoing intensive physical and spiritual conditioning, expanding their internal channels to forge stable, expanded energy reservoirs capable of containing vast aura reserves.

Aji had directed Warrior Jiro to push their internal circles to their absolute ceiling.

The core objective was to prepare their physical vessels to receive and regulate high-density celestial energy. Gaining immense power without the capacity to control it was utterly pointless—it would only result in total corruption, driving them mad just like the dark army's mutated abominations.

To achieve supreme combat parameters while retaining one's absolute humanity—that was the true mark of a grandmaster. Having already endured and transcended those grueling trials in his previous life, Aji now focused on guiding the next generation of guardians to stand for justice.

He held no doubts about his purpose: he had been granted a second chance specifically to lead them.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Another agonizing cry escaped Aji's lips as fresh wounds tore open across his torso just as the previous ones mended.

Living with an immortal vessel often felt like a curse rather than a blessing. It was a lonely existence, depriving him of his fallen comrades. Yet it was an absolute responsibility he had sworn to carry—a sacred trust passed down by the Three Legends, who believed only he possessed the fortitude to bear it.

He was the Thunder Striker returned from death, bound by a singular directive: to eradicate Lord Demon Shura!

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The agony was unbearable. Sweat poured down Aji's face as he concentrated his aura, methodically separating the celestial essence of the Heart Dragon from its volatile, destructive attributes particle by particle.

"HHH... HHH..."

By late afternoon, thoroughly drained, Aji temporarily halted the purification process. Gazing at the floating gem, he noted that the Heart Dragon was transforming day by day as its corrupting properties were systematically stripped away.

Closing his eyes, Aji entered deep meditation to stabilize his depleted core. Though his physical vessel felt thoroughly shattered and drained of stamina, surrender was a concept that did not exist in his mind.

While he labored inside the isolated chambers of Dompai, the Sky Squad trained relentlessly day and night to transcend their limits. Meanwhile, Aji knew that Lord Demon Shura was steadily recovering his original power, preparing to unleash devastation upon the world.

Shura was nearing the final stages of assimilating the Blood Supreme artifact—a process that would soon grant the Demon Lord his complete, unbridled strength.

Exhaling slowly, Aji focused his intent, harmonizing the elemental forces within his vessel. As his internal aura stabilized, a serene tranquility washed over his core. Re-establishing his physical strength, he prepared to exit the cultivation chamber to meet with Warrior Jiro as usual.

"Have they all succeeded, Warrior Jiro?" Aji asked, seeking confirmation once more.

"Their parameters have elevated significantly," Jiro replied, observing the deep fatigue etched across Aji's face. Jiro knew the youth had been performing the impossible: purifying a celestial artifact with his own body.

"You need not worry about me, Warrior Jiro," Aji said softly, offering a reassuring nod. "I am merely fatigued. I will resume the process tomorrow!"

Taking his leave, Aji returned to his private quarters to continue his meditative recovery. Watching him depart, Warrior Jiro felt a profound reverence for the young master who inherited the legacy of the Three Legends. Never in his long life had Jiro encountered a youth possessing such unshakeable resolve.

While Jiro subjected the Sky Squad to hellish physical drills, Aji was sacrificing his own body to purify the Heart Dragon for their benefit—not to claim supreme power or global dominance for himself, but to safeguard others.

He was a youth who transcended the grandmasters of every era—a true teacher in every sense of the word.

Initially, when Aji had asked Jiro to subject the squad and Aaman to the hellish training regimen, Jiro had been uncertain of the underlying purpose. Only when Aji revealed his plan to transplant the refined essence of the Heart Dragon into the young warriors—and into Jiro himself—did the veteran master grasp the scale of Aji's foresight.

Aji had simply explained that this was the absolute will of the Three Legends: there was no other path to halt the dark army except through building an invincible coalition of grandmasters.

The fatal error committed by the Three Legends twenty years ago was their isolation—they had faced the dark invasion without a united alliance of peers by their side, only discovering the terrifying extent of Shura's power when it was already too late.

To correct that tragic history, Aji had been tasked with forging a unified vanguard of elite warriors. They would not be caught unprepared when Shura launched his final campaign.

Jiro watched Aji's receding back as he disappeared down the corridor, well aware of the hidden lacerations covering the youth's frame. No ordinary human body could withstand the toxic recoil of the Heart Dragon.

Jiro was well-versed in history, remembering the ancient grandmaster whose vessel had detonated upon attempting to absorb the artifact's raw power. Yet Aji had endured that exact agony daily for over a month, driven entirely by his resolve to forge a brighter future for the realm.

For over thirty days, Aji had maintained this grueling ritual until the purified Heart Dragon was finally delivered into Warrior Jiro's hands at the conclusion of the squad's training. Aji had directed Jiro to execute the celestial transplantation immediately—bestowing the refined essence upon every member of the Sky Squad, Aaman, and Jiro himself.

Aji held firm faith that their conditioned vessels would successfully absorb the celestial essence, forging them into an invincible vanguard ready to face the Five Gates, the dark army, and Lord Demon Shura himself.