Despair

"Ash, it's a thousand-year poison ivy. Do not allow it to touch your body," Ember's voice sounded in his ear.

After Ember fused with the chaos sword, he felt the firepower within it had doubled.

Nodding his head, he moved towards the vine. He didn't want Elara to get hurt, so he avoided directly using his fire skills.

When he reached a blind spot away from the poison ivy, he quickly attacked it with his sword.

He controlled his fire attribute power to ensure Elara's safety. However, the poison ivy easily evaded his attacks.

Looking at Elara, she had already changed back to her small form and was unconscious his eyes darkened.

This was the first time he had felt so helpless in his life. Even in his previous life, he had never been this angry.

Thinking about that, his eyes shone with a green light, and time around him seemed to freeze.

"Asher..." Ember felt her connection with Asher disappear. She panicked a little, but before returning to her human form, the space behind Asher cracked open.

Through the rift, a graceful woman arrived, her face blurred at the moment. Her presence made the entire portal tremble, and not only the Qi world, but the entire continent felt an extremely horrifying pressure.

Almost all the strong people in closed-door cultivation stopped their cultivation and looked in her direction. The entire continent entered a state of suspended animation.

"You dared to hurt my daughter," an angry voice resounded from the mouth of the mysterious woman.

The next second, the thousand-year poison ivy shredded into pieces.

Looking at the unconscious Elara, the woman moved her hands. In the next second, Elara was in her arms. She merely glanced sideways at Asher and scoffed. Without waiting, she tried to open a spatial rift and leave.

"Wait!" Asher shouted at her. She paused for a moment, then looked back at him coldly.

He felt his skin withering slowly, but he gritted his teeth and endured the pain.

"Where are you taking her?" he asked in a muffled voice, then coughed up a mouthful of blood. Under the pressure of this mysterious woman, his internal organs suffered heavy injuries.

Seeing this, Ember panicked a little and returned to her original form. "Ash, are you okay?" she asked in concern.

"I am okay." Wiping blood from his lips, he smiled at her, straightening his back and standing up again. Looking at the mysterious woman, he walked toward her.

"She is my partner. I will never allow anyone to take her away from me," his eyes flashed with cold determination. Looking at the mysterious woman, he summoned the chaos sword again.

The mysterious woman looked at him and Ember in surprise. "I never imagined that in this lower continent, there would be a sword master with a sword slave," she said, her lips parted in surprise.

"But you are still not qualified to form a contract with my daughter," her voice turned icy cold. She raised her hand toward him, and a green light emitted from her hand, rushing into his head.

He felt his soul being burned by fire, but he never showed a pained expression. He continued to look at her coldly.

Then he felt his connection with Elara cut off. His eyes widened in horror and anger.

"What did you do?" he asked through gritted teeth. He stood upright only through sheer willpower, but he couldn't even move now.

The mysterious woman looked at him with disdain. "Human, you can't even see my appearance. What qualifications do you have to become the master of the dragon princess?" she asked in a mocking tone.

Asher clenched his fists. He had always thought that with his strength, he could at least protect himself and his family. But now it seemed that he couldn't even keep hold of his soul pet.

She casually moved her fingers, and Ember stood beside him, clutching her neck in pain. "You see, you can't even protect your sword slave. So how could I leave my daughter with you? Kid, remember that you are too weak to even speak to me. For the sake of my daughter, I will let you live," she said and then disappeared from the place.

He hurriedly picked up the unconscious Ember. His eyes flashed with anger, helplessness, and despair. "I can't even protect my partners. What right do I have to live?" his mind was confused by these thoughts.

The energy in his body became chaotic, and his veins started to crack.

If someone were here at this moment, they would realize that he was currently out of control emotionally. If he couldn't regain control, he would die from an explosion.

"Baby, you must remember your name is Asher, Asher Blazeburn,"

"Asher, you've grown up now…"

"This world isn't meant for heroes; it's a realm filled with selfishness and cruelty…"

"I am your sword spirit…"

Memories of his past days flashed through his mind. Somewhere in his heart, he felt a voice calling him, scolding him. He felt a burst of hot energy like magma in his body.

"No, I can't die yet. I haven't found my birth mother. I need to discover the reason for my rebirth. I still have to kill that god who cursed me. Elara is waiting for me, and Ember is waiting for me, Mother, Uncle…" His eyes widened. His despair was replaced with extreme determination.

He felt the shackles binding his body break into pieces. He knew they were his negative emotions.

From today onwards, he would never succumb to negative emotions. His future cultivation would become easier than that of all the youths on this continent.

He took a deep breath. "Elara, wait for me," he muttered softly. Picking up Ember, he quickly ran toward the center of the Qi world.

He wanted to increase his strength. For that, he needs to find a better cave.

After searching, he found a cave in the mountains and began closed-door cultivation. His mind was filled with determination to become strong.

Six years passed.

In the cave, a handsome young man sat in a cross-legged position. His long silver hair cascaded over his shoulders, and his skin shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the openings. His body greedily absorbed the aura around him.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. His light green eyes flashed with a cold light. However, when he saw the girl preparing food, a smile appeared on his face.

"Ember, it's been six years. How about we leave this portal?" A majestic yet gentle voice emanated from his mouth.

Ember turned her head to look at him. Over the past six years, she had transformed from a teenage girl into a slender and beautiful young woman.

Her hourglass figure was perfectly aligned with graceful curves. When she smiled, everything around her seemed to lose its color.

"Okay," a smile spread across her lips.