The cavern had gone silent.

No flames crackled.

No molten rivers gurgled.

No wind moved.

Only two figures remained locked in a silent, burning stare—

Shaurya, standing atop a floating fragment of fractured stone,

and

Lorgann, circling high above with vast wings slicing the heated air.

The human smiled, calm yet fierce.

The dragon snarled, molten embers leaking from its jaws.

Their eyes did not blink.

Not once.

Lorgann's chest expanded.

Its wings tightened.

A low, volcanic growl vibrated through the cavern walls.

Then—

FWOOM—!!

A flamethrower burst downward like a river of molten wrath.

Shaurya vanished—

FWIP! FWIP!

Aerial Steps left golden streaks behind him as he leapt from floating rock to floating rock,

dodging the inferno with agile sweeps and flips.

The flame followed him,

chasing him like a crimson serpent.

Lorgann roared and dived—

a falling mountain of magma and fury.

Right before smashing into the stone floor,

it spread its wings—

BOOF—!!

A shockwave burst outward.

The dragon halted instantly, surged forward—

And appeared right in front of Shaurya.

Shaurya's eyes widened.

He grinned awkwardly.

"Oh… hi."

Lorgann's massive claw descended—

WHOOOOOM—!!

Shaurya rolled aside at the last breath.

A golden streak flashed as he dodged.

The claw slammed into the platform—

KRAAAASH!!

The floating rock shattered into hundreds of pieces, spiraling upward in molten dust.

Shaurya skid onto another nearby slab of stone.

It cracked beneath his boots.

Lorgann looked down at the cracked platform—

a cunning, predatory smile spreading across its molten jaws.

Shaurya narrowed his eyes.

He understood.

The dragon wanted him airborne—

defenseless.

Lorgann reared its head back.

A blazing spiral ignited inside its throat.

Then—

ROAAAAR!!!

A torrent of fire consumed the ground.

Shaurya raised his hand.

"Golden Barrier!"

A radiant sphere enveloped him.

Lorgann's flamethrower slammed into the rock—

BOOOOOOOM!!!

Stone vaporized.

Dust exploded.

The entire platform broke apart into dozens of smaller floating chunks.

Shaurya shielded his face from the scorching blast.

When the flames cleared,

he leapt—

landing on a small chunk of floating rock drifting in mid-air.

Lorgann flew upward, circling like a hawk eyeing its prey.

Shaurya's expression hardened.

Yet the smile never left his face.

Lorgann spread its wings wide, veins glowing like molten rivers.

Its roar shook the cavern.

"HUMAN! I WILL END THIS HERE!"

Shaurya laughed, gripping the hilt of his sword.

"Funny…

I also just got tired of you."

Golden aura erupted from him like radiant wildfire.

Crimson aura burst from Lorgann, painting the air in blazing red.

The entire cavern darkened.

Heat warped the world.

Lorgann's wings flared—

And dozens of crimson molten spheres materialized above it,

floating like burning celestial bodies.

Each sphere pulsed with volcanic energy.

The air screamed.

The cavern ceiling cracked.

Lorgann roared with ancient authority—

"MOLTEN STARFALL!!!"

The spheres fell—

WHOOOOSH—!!

Meteor-like impacts detonated across the cavern floor.

Stone melted instantly.

Floating rocks shattered.

Heat bent the air so intensely that space itself wavered.

The cave walls shook.

Lava-water gushed upward in violent fountains.

Then—

All remaining molten stars merged into one massive orb—

a miniature sun blazing with annihilating energy.

It fell toward Shaurya like a divine judgment.

Shaurya inhaled.

Slow.

Calm.

Focused.

His grip tightened on the Meteorite Sword.

Golden energy burst from every pore of his body.

He roared—

"DIVINE SWORD ART—

END OF DARKNESS!!!"

He unsheathed the sword in a single vertical arc—

a golden shockwave ripping upward like a celestial blade.

A massive spiritual slash burst forward—

bright as day,

pure as sunlight,

deadly as extinction.

Golden Slash vs Molten Sun.

Pure light vs Primordial fire.

The two attacks collided—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

A titanic explosion consumed half the cavern.

Shockwaves tore the rock apart.

Platforms vaporized.

Walls cracked and peeled away.

Lava-water erupted toward the ceiling like geysers.

Lorgann roared.

Shaurya roared.

Both pushed with everything they had.

The cavern broke.

The underground world trembled.

The castle above shook violently.

Dust fell like rain.

Flames spiraled in all directions.

Light swallowed everything.

Then—

B L I N D I N G W H I T E N E S S

A light so bright it devoured the world.

Lorgann's eyes widened in fear.

Shaurya smiled.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!

The explosion engulfed the entire cavern.

The entire castle shuddered—

every hallway, every chamber, every sect area.

Lin Shu & Group

A long hallway twisted under their feet.

The walls shook violently.

Lin Shu grabbed the wall.

Her eyes widened.

"S-Shaurya…?"

Wang Tian & Luo Chen

On the left side of the collapsing hall—

The wall exploded outward—

BOOM!!!

They crossed their arms to block debris.

"WHAT THE—?!"

"MASTER!?"

Girls' Group

Muo Qian, Su Quan, Jun Hua, Xu Ran, Xiao Lian—

All felt the tremor.

Dust snowed from the ceiling.

"What kind of battle… can shake the whole castle!?"

Moonlight Pavilion, Howling Abyss Sect, Jade Kingdom, Crimson Mist Kingdom

Every group froze as the castle roared like a beast.

Even the bravest cultivators felt a shiver.

"What… kind of power is this!?"

A grand hall deep inside the castle suddenly cracked—

CRRRRHHHH—!!

Then—

BOOOOM!!!

An explosion burst upward from beneath the floor.

Shockwaves shattered the walls.

The floor split open.

Lin Shu's group barely braced—

Elder Wan slammed his palm forward—

"PROTECTION FORMATION—!!"

A glowing barrier shielded them from collapsing debris.

Opposite of them—

Wang Tian and Luo Chen shielded their disciples.

Rubble flew.

Dust swirled wildly.

Lin Shu stepped forward, eyes trembling.

She stared into the rising dust cloud—

Heart pounding.

Voice barely above a whisper.

"Sha… Shaurya…?"

The dust slowly thinned.

Something…

someone…

a presence…

was coming.

The dust still lingered across the shattered cavern—

slow, swirling, glowing faintly from the last remnants of molten fire.

Silence pressed over the battlefield…

Until—

ROAAAAAAAAAR!!!!

A colossal shadow erupted from the dust cloud.

Lorgann burst upward in a violent spiral, wings tearing the air, molten embers scattering like shooting sparks.

Its scales were cracked.

Blue blood dripped down its chest.

Its right wing trembled from the earlier strike.

But its molten eyes burned with rage.

It circled above the crater—

a wounded star still burning violently.

Far on the cliffside passage—

Sanatan Flame Sect froze.

Their eyes widened—

jaws slackened—

breaths stopped.

Elder Wan whispered, voice trembling:

"W–What… is that…?

A… d–dragon?"

Lin Shu's heart hammered.

A dragon… A real one… and Shaurya is—

Her breath caught.

The dust below suddenly ignited.

A golden glow pulsed inside it

like a heart beating in the darkness.

Then—

FWOOOOOM!!!

A golden streak erupted upward from the ruin like a rocket—

splitting the dust apart.

SHAURYA

burst into the open sky.

Flipping.

Burning with golden aura.

Blood trailing behind him like shimmering ribbons.

Lorgann roared and banked sideways, eyes narrowing.

Shaurya twisted mid-air, preparing to land—

—but gravity took him.

He began to fall.

"SHAURYA!!"

Her scream cracked.

Elder Feng Yu stepped forward with his sword drawn.

Elder Wan gasped and rushed to the edge.

But Shaurya only raised one brow in confusion.

He turned his head—

And finally saw them.

His sect.

Standing together on the distant cliff.

Lin Shu.

Elder Wan.

The disciples.

Wang Tian.

Luo Chen.

Everyone.

All staring up at him in terror and awe.

Shaurya…

smiled.

Warm. Calm. Effortless.

Elder Wan reacted instantly.

He ripped a shining artifact from his pouch—

A silver rectangular platform embedded with spiritual circuits.

His eyes hardened.

"Master!! Take this—!!"

He pushed his palm forward—

A wave of spiritual energy shot out

and sent the platform flying beneath Shaurya.

Shaurya's eyes widened—

WOOSH—

His feet landed perfectly on the platform.

It caught him, held him—then hovered gently in the air.

Shaurya blinked, puzzled.

"…What the—?"

Elder Wan yelled:

"Master! While exploring the castle, I found this artifact!

A controllable platform! I modified it and took full control of the mechanism!"

Shaurya laughed and gave a thumbs up.

"Elder Wan, you are a REAL genius!"

The old man's face flushed red with pride.

High above,

Lorgann let out a violent, rumbling roar.

Crimson flames leaked from its maw—

its chest heaving like a volcanic furnace.

Shaurya lifted his head slowly.

Lin Shu shouted over the wind:

"Shaurya!! What is happening!?"

Shaurya cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled back:

"I'LL EXPLAIN LATER!"

Then he pointed forward.

"ELDER WAN—! Help me stabilize this platform!

I need full mobility!"

Elder Wan nodded sharply.

"Leave its movement to me, Master!"

Instantly, the platform tilted and glided out of the way as Lorgann spat a flamethrower.

Shaurya stood unmoving—

hair flowing,

blood dripping,

eyes sharp.

"I've tried everything…" he muttered.

"What technique…

What path…

How do I finish this beast…?"

He closed his eyes briefly.

Thinking.

Calculating.

Then—

Something clicked.

His eyes snapped open.

A wide grin spread across his face.

"How could I forget…

THAT?"

He laughed loudly.

Lorgann blinked, confused.

"What is that expression… human…?"

Elder Wan stabilized the platform mid-air, keeping it perfectly balanced.

Shaurya raised his left hand toward the heavens.

Golden sparks burst from his fingertips—

like stars forming in the void.

His aura stirred.

Winds swirled.

Light rippled.

Then—

KA-THOOM—

A wave of divine pressure exploded outward.

Lin Shu stumbled.

Elder Wan gasped.

Wang Tian froze mid-breath.

The golden sparks stretched and bent—

Forming lines.

Curves.

Shapes.

Until—

FWOOOOOOOSH!!!

A shining GOLDEN BOW materialized in Shaurya's hand.

Elegant.

Majestic.

Terrifying.

Ancient symbols glowed along its limbs.

Divine energy spiraled off it like molten sunlight.

Even Lorgann recoiled.

"What is this… weapon…?"

The dragon's voice trembled.

"Why… why do I sense… death from it?"

Its wings beat reflexively.

Its molten eyes widened in fear.

A Primordial Dragon experiencing fear.

That alone shook everyone watching.

Shaurya lifted the bow casually—

as if holding destiny itself.

DING—!!

A frantic golden window popped up.

[System: HOST!!!]

[Your SKYFIRE BOW! Currently, With your power + Divine Form activation…]

[…A single arrow can INSTANTLY KILL a Spirit Lord Level 2 Cultivator!!]

Shaurya grinned.

"So THAT'S it.

Perfect."

He pointed at Lorgann.

The dragon growled, pupils narrowing.

Shaurya's golden aura erupted violently—

not chaotic,

but controlled,

divine,

purposeful.

Lorgann felt his scales quiver.

This human…

this human is dangerous.

Too dangerous.

The dragon ascended, circling above—

trying to regain vantage.

Trying to avoid the inevitable.

It stopped mid-air, wings suspended.

Then roared:

"YOU CANNOT KILL ME, HUMAN!"

Shaurya laughed.

"Oh really?

Let's test that."

Elder Wan halted the platform at a perfect distance.

Close enough for battle.

Far enough for a clean shot.

The entire cavern shook from combined pressure.

Cracks spread across stone.

Air warped.

Everything trembled.

Wang Tian and Luo Chen burst through collapsing debris on the left side—

And froze.

They stared, eyes wide:

Shaurya…

standing on a floating platform…

aiming a golden divine bow…

at a wounded Primordial Dragon…

Luo Chen whispered:

"…He's insane."

Wang Tian whispered back:

"…He's our Master."

Lin Shu clenched her fists till her knuckles turned white.

Her heart pounded violently.

Shaurya… please win.

Below them, disciples from all directions emerged from hallways—

drawn by the explosion—

by the roar—

and by the impossible sight unfolding in front of them.

All of them stared—

At Shaurya.

At Lorgann.

At the final moment of a godlike battle.

Shaurya slid his right foot backward.

Lorgann's wings flared crimson.

Their eyes locked one last time.

The cavern itself held its breath.

Everything…

EVERYTHING…

would be decided in the next heartbeat.

TO BE CONTINUED…