Still on the Phosphite continent, nestled between two colossal mountain ridges, stood a grand manor concealed beneath a veil of illusory mist. Resting on a wide balcony was a striking woman softly fanning her fair face with a silk folding fan. Though her features were breathtakingly lovely, her sharp eyes and subtle smile belied a lethal intent capable of striking down anyone foolish enough to cross her path.

Her name was Widi, an elemental grandmaster who commanded wind magic and high-tier illusion techniques with absolute perfection. Even Lord Demon Shura held her in profound respect. Despite her delicate appearance, she possessed devastating destructive power.

Shura esteemed Widi above almost all others among the 10 Annihilation Demons. Widi and her nine fellow warlords represented an independent pillar of authority, standing completely separate from the Four Gates.

The Demon Lord's military force was divided into two distinct arms: the Four Gates served as his personal counselors and high stewards, guarding his vessel and managing his court, while the 10 Annihilation Demons operated as his supreme field marshals.

Consequently, while the Four Gates commanded small, specialized honor guards, the 10 Annihilation Demons led vast, standing armies. When all ten marshals mobilized alongside the Demon Lord, the resulting conflict between the righteous alliance and the forces of darkness would go down as the most catastrophic war in recorded history.

Twenty years ago, the Three Legends had recognized this exact reality. Knowing Shura commanded both the Four Gates and the vast legions of the 10 Annihilation Demons, they had launched a preemptive strike while the Demon Lord was hibernating to synthesize the Blood Supreme. At that moment, Shura was vulnerable and his ten warlords remained scattered across the continents.

By striking at that critical juncture, the Three Legends had severely wounded the Demon Lord, forcing him into a two-decade slumber and delaying the global invasion.

Widi pondered when the Demon Lord would call her back to the field. She yearned to carve through the ranks of the orthodox cultivators and harvest their life force once more. The mere thought brought a thrill of anticipation to her chest.

She casually manicured her nails while her elite honor guards sat in deep meditation around her, absorbing dark magic to fortify their mutated vessels as Widi had instructed. She possessed an uncanny intuition—a sharp, demonic premonition that had made her famous among the warlords—and she felt her sovereign's call was imminent.

As she rested with her fan, the communication bracer on her right wrist ignited with a dark, pulsing light. Her eyes brightened at the incoming transmission from Nesia, the intelligence commander among the Four Gates.

Is it time to mobilize? It was the message she had awaited for twenty long years.

Injecting a thread of dark aura into the bracer on her left wrist, Widi activated the receiver. As her internal energy saturated the magical array, Nesia's voice resonated clearly through her mind.

"Widi, supreme marshal among the 10 Annihilation Demons. A direct directive from Lord Demon Shura for the legendary Widi. Mobilize your legion immediately. The hour has arrived to shatter the mortal realm and bring human civilization beneath our boots!"

A triumphant smile crossed Widi's lips. The waiting was over. Her body felt stiff from two decades of forced idleness, and her core hungered to slaughter the arrogant cultivators. The time had come to subjugate the five continents.

Had it not been for Shura's strict command, her restless nature would have driven her to level a continent single-handedly years ago. Yet the 10 Annihilation Demons answered strictly to the Demon Lord. Their loyalty belonged to Shura alone.

They had endured twenty years of quiet hibernation solely to allow their master to mend his vessel and achieve flawless synthesis with the Blood Supreme. They recognized only one sovereign: Lord Demon Shura!

Now, the time had come to unleash total devastation.

"Fierce warriors of Lady Widi! Break your meditation!" Widi's voice rang out across the sanctuary. "Assemble the dark legions. It is time to crush those self-righteous cultivators!"

A wave of suffocating, bloodthirsty dark magic erupted from Widi's vessel. Sensing their master's unbridled aura, her elite guards snapped their eyes open, rising as one before dispersing at high velocity to mobilize their sub-commands.

Widi's laughter echoed through the grand manor—a chilling sound filled with unholy delight.

Meanwhile, the allied vanguard led by Commander Dasatama halted to rest along the outer approach to the city of Samarkan on the Frost Line continent. They prepared to pass through the central teleportation arrays in organized rotations to reach the city of Prisma.

Traversing the vast distance from the Tulisma Forest to the metropolitan center of Samarkan required considerable time, making a brief pause necessary before entering the city gates.

Aji knelt by the bank of a crystal-clear stream running near the encampment, using the cool water to wash his face. The pristine surface reflected his reflection as he leaned over the bank.

The cool water refreshed his senses. Throughout the march, Aji had been quietly regulating his internal pathways. Destroying the celestial Moon Flower had required an immense volume of internal aura, yet thanks to his mastery over the absolute peak tier of internal circles, his core recovery rate was astonishingly fast.

He could draw in atmospheric mana seamlessly while engaging in ordinary tasks. The ambient wind, the vitality of the natural world, and the deep kinetic energy of the earth all flowed continuously into his vessel to replenish his reserves. He moderated his absorption rate intentionally, keeping his aura output subtle so as not to arouse suspicion among his companions. As he walked and chatted casually with the Sky Squad members, his core was steadily restoring its full parameters.

Gazing down at the water, Aji paused. The reflection staring back at him was that of a twenty-five-year-old youth. Yet as he offered a faint, tired smile, the reflection suddenly shifted, displaying the weathered face of an old man with a long, snow-white beard.

Aji remained frozen, staring at the ancient face lingering in the water's reflection.

"Aji!"

A woman's voice broke his reverie. Ordinarily, Aji's sensory domain would have picked up an approaching presence long before they drew close, yet he had been so deeply engrossed that he had failed to notice her standing beside him. Still crouching by the riverbank, Aji looked up to find Gayatri, her fair face framed by a soft travel hood, gazing down at him.

"You startled me, Gayatri. Is the vanguard preparing to move out already?" Aji asked, shifting his posture.

Gayatri let out a soft sigh. "Not yet. I was simply taking in the scenery when I saw you staring blankly into the stream."

Stepping back, Gayatri sat down beneath a large ancient tree behind Aji, pulling one knee up toward her chest. She looked out over the flowing water and the surrounding woodland, a cool breeze brushing against her face. Her eyes drifted back to Aji—the mysterious youth whose actions and strength continually defied explanation.

"Aji, may I ask you something?" Gayatri asked quietly.

Still rinsing his hands in the cool current, Aji remained perfectly composed. "Go ahead, Gayatri. If I can answer it, I will."

"What truly happened to the Moon Flower?"

Aji's hands froze in the water. Gayatri's direct question caught him completely off guard. He had deployed the signature seismic strike of Saint Thunder Striker, executing a high-density paralyzing wave designed to freeze the entire field.

The kinetic shock of that technique temporarily halted all physical movement and suppressed conscious awareness across its operational radius, leaving everyone within range momentarily unconscious.

Dasatama had managed to retain partial mobility only because Aji had intentionally dampened the shockwave's intensity in his immediate sector. Everyone else had suffered a temporary blackout—a feat requiring a staggering volume of internal aura to execute across an entire army.

"What do you believe happened, Gayatri?" Aji asked, turning to face her as she leaned back against the tree trunk.

"I felt a multi-colored, radiant aura spreading across the entire field just before everything went blank," Gayatri replied softly. "I cannot recall the details, but I know that aura belonged to you, Aji."

Aji marveled at her extraordinary perception. Even while under the influence of a high-tier paralyzing technique that temporarily suppressed conscious thought, Gayatri had picked up the subtle aura signature expanding across the terrain.

Aji offered a quiet smile. Her exceptional sensory talents would prove invaluable to the future of the martial world, safeguarding the peace long after he was gone. He felt a deep sense of reassurance knowing that the new generation possessed such sharp, unyielding resolve.

Looking at Gayatri as the gentle wind rustled her hair, Aji smiled warmly. A faint blush dusted Gayatri's cheeks, and she shifted uncomfortably under his earnest gaze.

"You are going to become a great leader in the future, Gayatri," Aji said softly. "Remember to protect the righteous sects and guide them well. You have a grand role to play in the days ahead—use your strength to shield those who cannot defend themselves."

The wind whispered through the leaves once more. To Gayatri, Aji's words sounded like the gentle counsel of an elder grandmaster instructing his cherished successor. He spoke with a profound wisdom that imparted an unshakeable sense of calm and hope to those around him.

"Why speak as if it's all on me, Aji?" Gayatri countered, searching his eyes. "You are here with us. In the future, you should be the one leading that charge."

Aji turned his gaze back toward the flowing stream. "Hmm... none of us can predict what the future holds, Gayatri. Our duty is simply to protect the weak and oppressed in the present. The world ought to be a place where people can smile with genuine peace and happiness."

Gayatri's admiration for him grew deeper. "Then answer my question, Aji... What truly happened to the Moon Flower while everyone was unconscious?"

Her question struck straight to the heart of the matter. Gayatri recalled the third initiation trial at Dompai, where everyone had been trapped inside a high-tier illusion while Aji quietly purified the Heart Dragon artifact entirely on his own. She suspected he had performed a similar miracle today with the Moon Flower.

Realizing he could no longer deflect, Aji offered a wry, subtle smile. "If I told you I destroyed the Moon Flower, you wouldn't believe me, would you? Come now, let us not dwell on irrelevant matters. Look—the vanguard is preparing to march."