The fiery woman fought with unmatched grace, her beauty burning even brighter amidst the chaos. Yet her opponent had no interest in admiration.0

In the clash between the dark claws of the shadowed figure and Vermillion Bird’s blazing talons, both forces recoiled, each retreating several steps. The tiles beneath them shattered violently, and the scene stood at a tense stalemate.0

This apparent balance was deceptive. He, like Desolate Calamity and Hidden Wind, was far from his peak. His desiccated appearance alone betrayed the fact that he had not fully recovered. Worse, the wound to his soul caused by Zhao Changhe’s arrow still lingered.0

Yet the fact that Vermillion Bird could stand toe-to-toe with him was not a sign of his weakness. Rather, it was proof of her strength.0

“You… you’re on the verge of the Profound Control Realm?” he said, stepping out of the shadows, his tone laced with disbelief. “No, you’ve already got one foot across the threshold! How can this be? During your battle with Xia Longyuan, you were barely at the early stages of the third layer of the Profound Mysteries.”1

“Ah, the mysteries of the world,” Vermillion Bird replied, her delicate wrist turning as flames coiled upward from her hand. The light illuminated her mask, revealing eyes...0