Two years pass, and the Sakar Mountain Range no longer resembles the barren wilderness it once was.

Where jagged peaks once stood untouched, terraces now ripple down their slopes, carved into farmland that feeds countless settlements.

Stone cities rise in the valleys, their walls etched with glowing runes, while towns and villages cling to ridges and plateaus, smoke curling from chimneys that pierce the mist.

Roads snake across the mountains, some cut directly through the rock, others bending around cliffs, and in places, iron rails gleam as trains thunder through tunnels, linking distant strongholds in hours instead of weeks.

The sound of industry hums beneath the cries of hawks, markets buzz with merchants trading resources from deep within the range, and spiritual herbs cultivated on terraces shimmer faintly under the sun.

Life is everywhere, vibrant and unyielding.

From the wrinkled elders seated on porches to the children chasing each other along rune-lit streets, every soul knows spellcraft.

A farmer mends soil with earth incantations, a child sparks fire to light a lantern, and an old woman calls wind to dry her clothes.

Magic is no longer rare within the Sakar mountains.

It is the language of daily life.

Lin Yu sits within an ocean of shadows, his eyes opening as ripples spread outward.

The darkness trembles, converging until a great heart takes form, its surface pulsing with perfection, each beat echoing like a drum of creation.

The heart dissolves into pure shadow and sinks into his chest, fusing seamlessly with his body.

Power surges through him, vast and unrestrained—even without his original strength, he now stands equal to Tier Nine.

He has stepped into Tier Nine on the shadow path, his comprehension of the Shadow Law within this world complete.

To reach the Demigod Realm, Tier Ten, he must go further—forge from the existing principles a new one, to evolve the Law of Shadow itself.

This should be difficult, yet for Lin Yu, it is not.

Through his lust clone, the one bound to the shadow thunder serpent, he has already touched a Shadow Law unknown to this world, a power that lies beyond its natural limits.

But he does not advance.

If he ascends now through the Law of Shadow, the path to forming the Nether Law will twist into near impossibility.

Instead, he chooses patience.

He must comprehend the Law of Life and the Law of Death, bring them to the same height as his Shadow Law, and only then weave them together to break through into Demigod.

For two years, he has remained in seclusion, shaping himself in silence.

Only in the first month did he emerge, when Nora returned with their families, and under the gaze of both bloodlines, they married.

Since then, his father has managed the vast territory of Sakar, while Lin Yu stayed behind closed doors.

Now, at last, he veils his aura until he seems no more than an ordinary man.

With quiet steps, he leaves the retreat chamber.

The corridor is dim, silent except for the whisper of the wind brushing past the paper lanterns.

When he opens the door to their room, the first sight that greets him is Nora seated on the floor, legs crossed, her breath steady, her body surrounded by gentle darkness.

Faint green lines of life energy weave through the shadow mist around her, flickering like vines under moonlight.

Lin Yu sits quietly on the bed, his gaze resting on her.

The pulse of energy around her tells him everything—she has abandoned the true way of Life and Nature.

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Her new path flows in harmony with his own—shadow merging with life, forming the foundation of the extraordinary path: Shadow Wood Mage.

He leans back against the wooden headboard, eyes half-lidded, feeling the faint rhythm of her aura brushing the air.

The room fills with stillness, the mingled scent of wood and spirit energy, and Lin Yu simply waits for her to awaken.

Nora slowly opens her eyes, her breathing uneven, the weariness of cultivation weighing on her spirit.

She exhales softly. She cannot continue today.

In the two years since she began cultivating the Shadow Wood path, she has reached Tier Four—an impressive pace made possible by her position as Lin Yu’s wife and the near-limitless resources under her control.

Her extraordinary heart pulses faintly within her, whispering to her senses that in a couple of years, she can advance to Tier Five.

After a few more, Tier Six—the peak of the Shadow Wood Mage path.

And beyond that point, if Lin Yu still remains in retreat, she will have no choice but to return to the true way of Life and Nature, the path she once abandoned.

She rises, brushing off her robe, thinking absently if—when she reaches Tier Six—she should call him out of seclusion.

Then she turns.

Her breath catches.

Someone sits on her bed.

Her heart leaps to her throat, and a small scream escapes before she recognises the calm, familiar face watching her with faint amusement.

“Oh—! It’s you!” she says, pressing a hand to her chest, half relief, half disbelief.

A knock sounds on the door.

“Mistress, are you all right?” her maid’s worried voice filters in.

“I’m fine,” Nora calls out quickly.

A hesitant pause. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. And, Ashley, inform the kitchen to prepare a feast. Your master has come out.”

“Yes, Mistress!” the maid answers, voice bright with excitement, then the sound of hurried footsteps fades down the hall.

Nora’s gaze returns to Lin Yu, her beautiful eyes softening. “Is your practice finished?”

Lin Yu shakes his head slowly. “It never will be finished. But I don’t need to enter a deep retreat for a few years.”

Nora nods, sits beside his leg, and starts talking—her words a blend of laughter and exasperation—as she recounts everything that happened during his absence.

Hours pass unnoticed until the family gathers at the breakfast table.

The scent of roasted meat and spiced broth fills the air, and the table nearly bends under the weight of dishes—most of them Lin Yu’s favourites.

Carolina, his half-sister, teases with a grin, “Ashley, what’s the occasion for this feast?”

Before Ashley can answer, a calm voice speaks from the doorway.

“It’s because of me.”

Every head turns.

Then chairs scrape back, and voices rise together—“Brother!” “Son!” “Lin Yu!”

He smiles faintly, takes his seat at the head of the table, and begins to eat beside Nora, the chatter of family warmth surrounding him.

After breakfast, he and his father retreat to the study, where his father speaks of the territory’s growth—new cities, trade routes, and the rising power of the Sakar domain.

By late afternoon, as sunlight spills through the tall windows, Nora enters the office once more, her expression bright.

“There’s a competition in the arena,” she says. “Come with me.”

Lin Yu, with nothing particular to occupy his time, decides to follow her.

They leave the central tower together.

The mountain air feels clean and crisp after two years of stillness, carrying faint echoes of cheering from afar.

As they walk through the stone paths carved into the slopes, Nora explains that the event being held is a grand tournament between the extraordinary academies.

After Lin Yu’s battle with the knight two years ago, the existence of the extraordinary world could no longer be hidden.

The veil that separated the mundane and the mystical had shattered, forcing the academies that once concealed themselves in remote dimensions and secret valleys to reveal their presence.

Now, their banners fly openly under the sky.

The number of extraordinary students has multiplied—driven by curiosity, ambition, and fear—but resources are never infinite.

The competition was created to determine which academy would earn the kingdom’s support, the best lands, and the richest supply of cultivation materials.

Lin Yu listens without comment.

When they reach the vast coliseum carved into the mountainside, its terraces packed with spectators, he conceals his presence and remains unseen.

He sits high above, within the ocean of shadows that move at his will, watching the students battle below.

Their techniques are refined, their hearts fierce—but to Lin Yu, each movement already tells its ending.

He knows the victor before a single spell is cast.

By dusk, the final bout concludes, cheers echoing across the mountains.

Lin Yu and Nora leave the arena, descending into the lively streets of the city.

Vendors call out to passersby, lights flicker along the stone walls, and the air carries a faint hum of energy from countless cultivators.

They walk without aim, simply observing the life that has flourished in these two years.

Then Lin Yu stops.

Ahead, a teenage boy is hurled out from a small building bearing the emblem of the Extraordinary Testing Office—a place Lin Yu himself established four years ago to awaken and measure the affinities of his citizens.

The boy crashes into the dirt, coughs once, then slowly pushes himself up.

From inside, a man’s angry voice bellows, “Get lost! Even if you test daily, you’ll never be talented!”

The door slams.

The boy stands there for a moment, silent. Then, without a word, he turns and walks away.

Lin Yu glances toward the murmuring crowd nearby.

He hears their whispers—how the boy comes every single day, begging to be tested again, and every day the result is the same: no affinity.

That draws Lin Yu’s attention.

In all his years, across the countless souls he’s observed, he has never once encountered a human being completely without elemental affinity.

His mind stills.

Could it be that this boy… is the world’s chosen?

A will born in response to the threat of the void monster?

Intrigued, Lin Yu extends his spirit.

A silent ripple moves through the air. His perception envelops the child.

And there, buried deep beneath the boy’s mortal shell, Lin Yu sees it—

Not absence.