The heavens trembled violently above the Azure Root Forest.
Dark storm clouds churned endlessly across the sky while lightning roared between them like furious dragons.
Below—
entire sections of the forest had already collapsed beneath the pressure of the battle.
Mountains cracked apart.
Ancient trees exploded into dust.
Even the air itself felt unstable, distorted by the overwhelming spiritual force flooding the battlefield.
And within that chaos—
silence briefly spread among the remaining Golden Core elders.
Because Elder Tan's death had happened far too quickly.
Far too violently.
One moment—
he had still been maintaining the hidden formation anchors.
The next—
he no longer existed.
Only a burning hole through the heavens remained where the condensed lightning beam had pierced through him.
Thin steam escaped slowly from Lizarius's maw.
The massive white beast floated silently beneath the storm clouds while arcs of dark-blue lightning crawled endlessly across his scales.
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
*As expected.*
*The tracking talisman does not reveal my position instantly.*
The moment he concealed himself—
there was a delay.
Tiny.
Brief.
But enough.
Enough to kill.
Across the battlefield—
Sect Leader Yuan's expression darkened heavily.
Then his voice rang sharply through spiritual transmission toward the remaining elders.
> "Elder Tan has fallen."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
> "Proceed with the second plan."
> "No more restraint."
> "Kill the beast immediately."
The remaining elders' expressions hardened instantly.
Fear still lingered within their hearts.
But now—
so did killing intent.
BOOM!!
Spiritual pressure erupted across the heavens one after another.
The remaining five Golden Core elders unleashed their manifestations completely.
A gigantic crimson sword phantom rose behind one elder, stretching hundreds of meters across the storm-filled sky.
Another summoned an enormous golden tortoise covered in glowing runes.
One elder became surrounded by countless rotating golden mirrors reflecting distorted spiritual light in every direction.
And finally—
Sect Leader Yuan himself stepped forward beneath the storm.
Behind him—
a colossal golden dragon manifestation emerged into the heavens.
Its massive body coiled through the clouds like an ancient celestial serpent.
Majestic.
Ancient.
Overwhelming.
The pressure alone caused the surrounding storm clouds to split apart.
The forest below trembled violently.
Lizarius watched everything calmly.
Golden eyes reflecting the enormous manifestations surrounding him from every direction.
Then—
his tail swayed slowly behind him once.
*Interesting.*
Human cultivators truly loved gathering strength through external forms.
Manifestations.
Weapons.
Formations.
Artifacts.
Techniques.
Compared to spirit beasts—
their methods were far more complicated.
But—
effective.
Sect Leader Yuan slowly raised the Starfall Dragon Halberd once more.
This time—
the weapon began absorbing spiritual energy directly from the surrounding elders.
The sky darkened further.
Even the storm clouds began distorting unnaturally beneath the concentration of power.
One elder shouted sharply,
"Restrict his movement!"
BOOM!!
The golden tortoise manifestation slammed both massive front limbs downward.
The space surrounding Lizarius immediately became unbearably heavy.
The very air solidified like invisible mountains pressing against his body.
At the same moment—
the golden mirrors rotated rapidly.
Brilliant beams of distorted light shot outward instantly.
Not attacks.
Locks.
Each beam reflected through space itself, sealing every possible escape route.
The crimson sword elder moved next.
His gigantic sword manifestation descended slowly from above.
Not quickly.
But inevitably.
Like divine judgment falling from the heavens.
The sky split apart beneath its edge.
An all-sided assault.
Perfect coordination.
No hesitation.
Because now—
every elder understood clearly.
If they held back—
they would die.
Yet at the center of that overwhelming pressure—
Lizarius remained motionless.
Watching calmly.
Thinking.
Then—
slowly—
his golden eyes narrowed.
The heavens shook violently.
Dark storm clouds churned across the sky while endless lightning illuminated the battlefield in blinding flashes.
Below—
the Azure Root Forest had already become unrecognizable.
Entire mountain ridges had collapsed beneath the spiritual pressure.
Forests shattered apart.
Rivers exploded upward from the broken earth.
And at the center of that destruction—
Lizarius floated silently beneath the storm.
Golden eyes cold.
Calm.
Watching the five remaining Golden Core cultivators surrounding him from every direction.
The sealing pressure crushing the surrounding space intensified further.
The gigantic crimson sword manifestation descended from above.
Golden mirror seals locked the surrounding heavens.
The enormous tortoise manifestation distorted gravity itself.
A perfect coordinated kill.
Yet—
Lizarius merely narrowed his eyes.
Then—
his Golden Core energy erupted completely.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The sky detonated.
An overwhelming wave of spiritual pressure exploded outward from the white lizard's body with enough force to scatter clouds for dozens of kilometers.
The surrounding space cracked violently.
Lightning surged across the heavens like enraged dragons.
The elders' expressions changed instantly.
Because this pressure—
was no longer merely comparable to the Golden Core realm.
It felt ancient.
Violent.
Predatory.
Then—
behind Lizarius—
a colossal phantom slowly rose into existence.
A manifestation.
The massive figure resembled Lizarius himself—
but far larger.
Far more terrifying.
A gigantic white draconic beast formed entirely from condensed spiritual power towered behind him within the storm clouds.
Golden eyes opened slowly within the manifestation.
The heavens darkened even further.
Several elders visibly froze for half a breath.
"…A spirit manifestation?!"
"How can a beast possess such refined control?!"
The giant phantom slowly spread its wings.
BOOOOOOM!!
The surrounding restraints shattered instantly.
At the same moment—
the crimson sword manifestation slammed downward.
But suddenly—
one of the storm serpents descended from the heavens roaring.
CRAAAASH!!
The gigantic serpent collided directly against the descending sword manifestation, forcing it sideways through the sky in a violent explosion of lightning and spiritual force.
Another elder shouted sharply,
"Don't let him break formation!"
The elder with the ape manifestation charged forward immediately.
A colossal golden ape formed behind him while his fist expanded with mountain-crushing force.
He punched directly toward Lizarius.
BOOM!!
Space itself caved inward beneath the strike.
Yet before the attack could land—
Lizarius's gaze shifted toward him.
Then—
blue flames erupted across his body.
The nearby elders froze instinctively.
Because the flames did not feel hot.
They felt wrong.
Ancient.
Heavy.
Almost spiritual in nature.
The flames spread rapidly across the gigantic white manifestation behind him as well.
Then—
the fire and manifestation fused together instantly.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The colossal phantom transformed.
Its enormous body became engulfed in roaring blue fire while lightning crawled endlessly through the inferno itself.
The sky turned blue.
Storm clouds ignited.
Even the rain evaporated before touching the battlefield.
Sect Leader Yuan's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…What is this…"
Lizarius slowly opened his maw.
Blue flames leaked outward between his teeth while lightning crackled through the inferno.
This—
was the true ability of his manifestation.
Fusion.
The merging of manifestation and natural affinity.
The storm domain reacted instantly.
Countless lightning serpents within the heavens roared simultaneously as blue fire spread across their bodies as well.
A flaming storm descended upon the battlefield.
The heavens shook violently.
Blue flames erupted across Lizarius's body like the birth of some ancient catastrophe.
Not ordinary fire.
The flames burned with dense spiritual lightning fused directly into them—crackling dark-blue destruction intertwined with blazing azure infernos.
For a single moment—
the entire battlefield illuminated beneath that terrifying radiance.
The remaining Golden Core elders froze slightly.
Because the pressure radiating from the white beast had changed again.
Risen.
The gigantic golden-white manifestation behind Lizarius slowly opened its eyes completely.
Then—
blue flames exploded across it as well.
BOOOOM!!!
The manifestation ignited in full.
Its enormous body became wrapped in roaring blue fire while endless lightning coiled around it like divine punishment descending from the heavens.
Sect Leader Yuan's expression finally shifted visibly.
"…Its manifestation merged with its innate abilities?"
One elder's face paled.
"That's impossible…"
Manifestations were normally projections.
Externalized spiritual forms.
Yet the creature's manifestation was no longer separate.
It had fused directly with its elemental affinity.
The storm clouds above churned violently as though responding to the transformation itself.
Then—
Lizarius moved.
BOOM!!
The sky exploded apart behind him.
His massive body vanished instantly.
Too fast.
Even Golden Core divine sense struggled to follow his movements.
The elder controlling the crimson sword manifestation reacted immediately.
"Behind—!"
Too late.
A gigantic flaming claw tore through the clouds.
The elder barely raised his sword in time.
CLANG!!!!
The collision detonated like a falling star.
Shockwaves erupted outward across the heavens while the crimson sword manifestation cracked violently from the impact.
The elder coughed blood instantly as his entire body was blasted backward through the storm.
Before he could stabilize—
a storm serpent descended from above.
ROOOOAR!!
Lightning exploded across the heavens.
The elder screamed while raising defensive talismans desperately.
BOOOOM!!!
The talismans shattered instantly.
His sword manifestation collapsed apart.
Then the serpent swallowed him whole in an explosion of dark-blue lightning.
The sky flashed white.
When the light faded—
nothing remained.
Another elder had fallen.
The remaining four Golden Core elders' expressions changed completely.
Not caution anymore.
Fear.
Real fear.
Sect Leader Yuan roared sharply,
"Do not separate!"
The golden dragon manifestation behind him erupted outward instantly.
At the same moment—
the sky exploded behind him.
The elder with the ape manifestation barely widened his eyes before Lizarius appeared directly in front of him.
Too fast.
Far too fast.
The ape elder roared and swung downward desperately.
But Lizarius's flaming claw met the attack head-on.
CRAAAAACK!!
The giant ape manifestation shattered apart instantly.
The elder's expression turned to horror.
Then—
the blue flames exploded outward from Lizarius's claw.
The elder screamed.
Only for a moment.
Because both his body and manifestation were engulfed completely.
The fire did not merely burn flesh.
It consumed spiritual energy itself.
The elder's Golden Core aura collapsed violently as his body blackened beneath the flames.
Then—
he fell from the sky.
Dead.
Silence spread briefly across the battlefield.
Even the storm itself seemed to pause.
The remaining elders stared in shock.
Another Golden Core cultivator…
gone.
And this time—
they had all watched it happen directly.
Sect Leader Yuan's grip around the Starfall Dragon Halberd tightened slightly.
For the first time since arriving—
true danger settled heavily within his heart.
Because now he finally understood.
The creature before them…
was not merely a powerful spirit beast.
It was something far worse.