Chapter 81: Veil of Severance **

Elder Xu thought about his words carefully, It was common knowledge among the powerful cultivators that an Upper Realm existed beyond the Lower Realm. The spiritual energy in the Lower Realm was insufficient to support the breakthrough of Spirit Integration stage experts, creating a natural barrier for cultivation advancement. To ascend to the Upper Realm, one had to cross the Veil of Severance, a vast and perilous boundary that separated the two realms.

However, the Veil of Severance imposed restrictions of its own. Those beyond the Nascent Soul stage in the Upper Realm were unable to descend to the Lower Realm unless they employed special, forbidden methods to strip away their cultivation foundation. This process was fraught with risks. If their power remained too immense, their primary body would be severed, leaving it behind in the Upper Realm, while their soul would become trapped within the Veil of Severance itself. This entrapment was enforced by the laws of Heaven and Earth, which governed the balance between the two realms.

To bypass these restrictions, only with exhaustive preparations and unorthodox methods could cultivators breach the laws of Heaven and Earth, sending their souls into the Lower Realm. Even then, their souls required a suitable vessel to inhabit, one capable of sustaining their power.

The Varelith was a cautionary tale of this gamble. Being too strong for the crossing, his soul had been torn in half. One fragment managed to descend into the Lower Realm, but the other remained imprisoned within the Veil of Severance, bound by unyielding chains of divine law. To make matters worse, his chosen vessel—a Godchild Ancient Wood—was still undergoing its transformation into a human form. This incomplete vessel posed a significant limitation, further delaying his ability to regain full strength and heal the fractured remnants of his soul.

Elder Xu of the Celestial Shadow Church had been instrumental in aiding the Varelith's descent. Using a forbidden art—one transmitted through generations of worship of their High Lord—Elder Xu had performed a dangerous ritual. The knowledge of this art had been transmitted across the Veil of Severance itself, an act that required unimaginable sacrifices. Through this ritual, the Varelith was able to pierce the boundary and enter the Lower Realm, though at the cost of his damaged soul.

Now, the Elder approached the Varelith with yet another request, knowing full well the precarious state of the ancient being. "Varelith," Elder Xu began cautiously, his tone reverent, "We humbly ask my lord to force open the passage to the Obsidian Waterfall Realm. Our top three juniors must enter as soon as the gateway is revealed."

The Obsidian Waterfall Realm, a pocket dimension brimming with untold opportunities and dangers, was a rare occurrence. Such realms only opened at specific intervals, and the church was desperate to send their finest disciples to reap its treasures.

The Varelith opened his eyes, glowing faintly with a fractured yet unfathomable light. He considered the request, his ancient presence filling the chamber. After a long moment of silence, he nodded curtly, the movement deliberate and slow. Then, without another word, he closed his eyes, returning to his meditative state.

Though his focus appeared inward, the Varelith was still listening to their conversation. His damaged soul continued to pulse with effort as he sought to heal the piece left behind in the Veil of Severance. Each moment was a battle against the laws of Heaven and Earth.

-

As cleanup began, the battlefield became a sea of corpses. Thanks to the sheer manpower present, the demonic beasts never reached the wall, their bodies piled high on the blood-soaked ground. Among the younger generation, most were injured but alive. Yet, one figure stood out—Jiang Feng. Around him, the earth was scorched black, the aftermath of his fiery attacks.

Deep craters marred the ground, the residue of black lightning that had obliterated everything in its path. Jiang Feng stood at the center, blood dripping from his hands as he wrenched his broken and chipped dagger from the chest of a Direwolf, its lifeless body collapsing at his feet. Hundreds of corpses lay scattered in his vicinity, their charred remains testifying to the destructive power he had unleashed. The elders overseeing the battle could not help but look at him differently now, their gazes a mixture of awe and apprehension.

Such potential could inspire awe or fear depending on which side of the spectrum one stood.

"Good job, Feng," the Eternal Flame Codex chimed within his mind. "Your bloodline continues to transform. Soon, your body will harmonize with the fire element, making it easier to absorb fire spiritual energy. This will not only enhance the growth of your Skyforge Flame but also hasten the development of your blacksmithing skills. However, the Skyforge Flame requires nourishment—devouring other flames will become essential to sustain its power."

"Yes, senior," Jiang Feng replied inwardly. He could feel his body searing with heat, his blood boiling with each pull of his infernal breathing technique. His fighting spirit roared like an unyielding inferno, the desire to conquer and prove himself surging within him. His hands itched, not only to fight but to forge—to create weapons of unparalleled might. Was this the legacy of his ancestors?

"Do you feel it, kid?" the Aetherion Dragon growled. "That hunger to dominate, destroy, and create? That's your hypocritical bloodline talking. But don't get too comfortable. Once your body is strong enough, my bloodline will awaken and grant you the true power of dragons. For now, though, you need resources. Lots of them. Cultivating your body requires vast amounts of spiritual energy. In the meantime, I'll teach you the devouring art of the Aetherion Clan when we get back."

The Eternal Flame Codex interjected, its tone calm yet firm. "Feng, this technique is called the Abyssal Imperion Crucible. It encompasses all the forging techniques of your family. I will also assist you in comprehending the heavens, boosting your spiritual insight, and identifying rare materials. Additionally, to craft truly powerful weapons, mastery of spiritual formations is essential. I will guide you in this as well. Now, begin harvesting beast cores—your dragon will need sustenance."

Without hesitation, Jiang Feng knelt by the Direwolf's head and began cutting through its flesh. His hands moved with efficiency as he extracted the beast core, a pulsating sphere of spiritual energy. Though demonic energy rendered these cores unusable for most humans, the Aetherion Dragon could devour them without issue.

"Get out of here!" a voice interrupted. Jiang Feng glanced up to see Zhen Ming approaching, twin blades resting on his shoulders and fury burning in his eyes. "This was supposed to be training for us, but you hogged all the action and killed most of the beasts yourself!"

Lei Wenshan followed, his spear crackling with residual lightning. Though his wounds were healing thanks to a few pills, his pride was clearly still raw. "You were hired to repair the Eastern Wall, not to fight. Who told you to get involved?" he growled.

From a distance, Wu Lihua watched the scene unfold, her staff resting lightly in her hand. Unlike her companions, she seemed intrigued rather than angry. The petty rivalry did not concern her—what mattered was the immense potential she saw in Jiang Feng, which Zhen Ming and Lei Wenshan anger had clearly made them over look.

Jiang Feng ignored the two young men entirely, continuing to move from one demonic beast carcass to the next, extracting cores with ruthless efficiency. His bloodline surged within him, strengthening his body, blood, and mind with each passing moment. The fusion of his family's blacksmith bloodline and the Aetherion Dragon's essence heightened his hunger—his body screamed for spiritual energy, and his instincts demanded he devour everything in sight.

"I'm talking to you!" Zhen Ming roared, but Jiang Feng remained focused. There were resources to gather, techniques to master, and a legacy to fulfill. Let them shout—his path had only just begun.

'No one said I couldn't get involved. They mentioned a bonus, this must be apart of it. And those old foggy's haven't said a word or tried to stop me, so who are these jumping clowns' to stop me?" Jiang Feng glanced at Zhen Ming and Lei Wenshan.

Neither of the two knew that there was a Nascent Soul cultivator backing Jiang Feng, but the elders knew. They were all at the Golden Core realm, doing everything they could to step into Nascent Soul, but couldn't for hundreds of years already. They had even heard whispers of this child being hunted down by the shadow church but he was still alive to this day.