Ten Years in the Blink of an Eye

Flowing Frost City.

Spring departed and autumn arrived; heat and cold traded places.

Time flowed by like worthless running water, rushing onward without pause.

Year 9960 of the Jade Tomb Calendar.

Over these ten years, Jade Tomb had witnessed many major events.

But in Flowing Frost City, the biggest piece of news had always been one thing—the Barte Lei family.

At this moment.

The Barte Lei family's martial arts arena.

Boom!

A thunderous roar shook the heavens and earth, like lightning striking flat ground.

A black afterimage crashed into the ground like a falling meteor.

The earth trembled violently as dust billowed in every direction.

Roar!!

Accompanied by a sorrowful dragon's cry.

A massive ice-frost dragon crawled out of the dust with great difficulty.

A large section of its icy scale armor had shattered, leaving it in a miserable state.

"I'm not fighting anymore!"

"Doge, you're cheating!"

"Who uses a weapon that huge to smash a dragon?"

"My bones are about to fall apart!"

Xiao Bai cursed as its enormous dragon tail slapped the ground weakly, sending rubble flying everywhere.

The smoke slowly dispersed.

A tall young man emerged.

Doge Bart.

The passage of time had not left too many traces on his face. Instead, it made him seem increasingly steady and imposing.

He carried an enormous black warhammer with a strange design over his shoulder.

The hammerhead was shaped like a slab of iron, completely pitch-black and without any shine.

Dark purple veins flowed faintly across its surface, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.

Heavy hammer—Mountain Breaker!

This was the masterpiece Doge had commissioned a master smith to forge, a weapon that had taken three whole years to create.

It was forged from deep-sea black iron, weighing seven thousand two hundred pounds!

It did not rely on sharpness to hurt people. It simply crushed them with its weight and hardness.

One hit could kill; one graze could cripple.

"Ahem."

"Xiao Bai."

"This is called disrespecting your elders."

"You were the one who insisted on sparring."

"Besides, I wasn't even using much strength."

Doge grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

He casually tossed the seven-thousand-pound hammer onto his shoulder as if he were carrying a straw.

"You call that not using strength?"

"If that hammer had hit me for real..."

"Even if this dragon is a Sacred Beast, I'd lose half my life!"

"You're only picking on me because I don't know how to use a weapon."

"Just wait until I..."

Xiao Bai rolled its eyes. Though it remained unconvinced, its voice grew softer and softer.

Deep down, it was actually somewhat uncertain.

Because over these ten years.

Doge's aura had suddenly risen to the late Saint Domain stage.

Yet Doge had likewise failed to grasp the mysteries of magic law and step into the first tier of the Saint Domain.

Even so.

Doge's strength was astonishing.

Combined with that unreasonable heavy hammer, fighting him felt like being crushed by a mountain.

This was what they called overwhelming strength over skill.

"Alright, Father."

"You're just bullying Xiao Bai."

A clear, pleasant voice drifted over.

Outside the martial arts arena.

Two figures walked over side by side.

On the left was a beautiful woman with a gentle, refined presence, dressed in a dark blue mage robe.

It was Xue.

She was now nearing sixty years old.

But three years ago, she had already broken through to become a ninth-rank mage.

A ninth-rank mage possessed a lifespan of five hundred years.

Thus, Xue, who was nearly sixty, still looked radiant and youthful.

Beside Xue was Lian Qiu.

Her long water-blue hair draped casually behind her. Her exquisite features seemed like works of art sculpted by the gods.

What was even more astonishing was Lian Qiu's aura.

Like Xue, she had also reached the ninth-rank mage level.

However.

Compared to Xue's deep, vast magical aura.

Lian Qiu had only broken through half a month ago, and her aura had yet to stabilize.

Even so.

Lian Qiu was a ninth-rank mage in her thirties.

If word got out, those magical geniuses throughout the Jade Rabbit Continent would be so ashamed they would find a hole to hide in.

"Heh."

Doge planted the giant hammer into the ground.

Crack!

The ground trembled again.

"I'm just being considerate of Xiao Bai."

"Don't talk nonsense."

"Lian Qiu, hasn't your cultivation been rising a little too fast?"

"Your old man nearly worked himself to death forging this hammer, just so I could spar with Xiao Bai."

"You spend all day sitting in your room meditating, and now you're already a ninth-rank mage?"

Doge's words were full of jealousy.

There was no helping it.

A Water-affinity Sacred Beast Smog Core.

This cultivation item was so luxurious it made people gnash their teeth.

And Lian Qiu herself was exceptionally talented.

It was like playing a game with cheats enabled. How could she not level up quickly?

"Hmph!"

"Of course."

"I'm a genius magical girl!"

Hearing Doge's praise.

Lian Qiu proudly lifted her chin.

After speaking.

She walked to Xiao Bai's side and reached out to stroke the giant dragon's scales.

The Xiao Bai that had just been fierce and aggressive instantly became as obedient as a large dog, squinting as it enjoyed the beauty's caress.

"By the way."

"Where's Brother Lei Wen?"

"Didn't he come out?"

Very quickly.

Lian Qiu looked around but did not see that familiar figure.

At the mention of Lei Wen.

The atmosphere in the arena suddenly became a little strange.

The smile on Doge's face faded somewhat as he turned to look toward a restricted area behind the castle.

That place had been shrouded in dense fog for years, without a single sound coming from within.

Even spiritual probing would be swallowed by an invisible force, vanishing without a trace.

"He's in seclusion."

"That brat has shut himself away for three years."

"Before, he would at least come out for meals."

"But this time, he has completely disappeared."

Doge sighed.

A trace of worry showed in his eyes, along with a hint of helplessness.

Ever since entering the Saint Domain.

He had learned just how arduous Saint Domain cultivation was.

Yet his son Lei Wen had already become a Saint Domain expert ten years ago.

One could only imagine.

Just how terrifying Lei Wen's talent was.

"Nothing will happen, right?"

"The elemental fluctuations in there... are very abnormal."

Xue also sighed, concern flashing in her eyes.

As a ninth-rank Water-affinity mage, her senses were exceptionally sharp.

Recently.

The elements surrounding that restricted area had not been active, but violent...

It was as though something terrifying was greedily devouring the energy of heaven and earth.

"Don't worry."

"My connection with Master is still there."

"Master's aura is extremely stable. He hasn't encountered any trouble."

"Besides."

"Master is an unparalleled existence."

"Even if the sky collapsed, he could swallow it whole."

Xiao Bai shook its massive head and exhaled a breath of cold air.

Compared to Doge's family.

It was the dragon that understood Lei Wen best...

Think about the Saint Domain beasts of Demon Flag Mountain.

Every one of them had once been a regional overlord, yet weren't they all now inside its master's stomach?

Think about the Saint Domain beasts of the sea.

The once enormous number of Water-affinity Saint Domain beasts—could any still be found now?

Its master, Lei Wen Patton, was the most terrifying existence on the Jade Rabbit Continent!

Even now, Xiao Bai could not understand how Lei Wen's incomprehensible cultivation speed was possible.