Final Battle (1)

Inside the dimly lit cave, Lin Xuanyu moved around like a maniac, his sword flashing as he dispatched the rabbit monsters one after another. Their cries echoed briefly before fading, leaving behind a pile of lifeless bodies.

He bent down and began collecting the monster cores, his grin growing wider with each core he pocketed.

Starting from a monster rabbit in this gate, it eventually ended in a cave filled with monster rabbits. Now, his backpack was almost full, he would have to get out of the gate and sell these cores before coming back here. 

"Not bad at all," he muttered, admiring the pile he had accumulated. "With these, I can buy a good stash of high-grade energy-gathering pills and some Magic Techniques."

As he was musing, the cave abruptly started shaking and a powerful aura started spreading out from within the cave.

Lin Xuanyu's spiritual perception immediately flared up and the next second, a larger rabbit monster, almost twice the size of the others, stepped into his spiritual perception.

Its crimson eyes glowed ominously, and the pressure it exuded made it clear—it was no ordinary rabbit. This one was at the 9th transition realm.

"Well, this is unexpected," Lin Xuanyu muttered, while a wry smile appeared on his face. "Guess I've got to put in some real effort now."

The massive rabbit let out a low growl and pounced toward him, its claws gleaming dangerously.

 Lin Xuanyu's expression grew sharp as he reached for his blade.

He drew his sword slowly, the metallic ring echoing softly in the cave.

As the blade left its sheath, the air around him grew dense, an unseen pressure spreading through the space. Faint ripples of glowing energy emerged from his body, swirling like mist before settling into a steady, radiant glow along the edge of his sword.

Lin Xuanyu's aura began to rise.

His longsword sword begun to grow brightly with a purple hue and at the edge of the sword a grey-like energy formed, additionally the instant that happened, Lin Xuanyu felt his entire body being lighter and at the same time, his sword was being enforced by a strange combination power of sword intent and cosmic energy.

Cosmic Edge Awakening!

He activated, Cosmic Edge Awakening at full force. 

"Let's see if you can handle this," he said with an excited look on his face. 

He felt extremely happy as he used Cosmic Edge Awakening for some reason.

As the rabbit monster lunged at him, Lin Xuanyu sidestepped with a fluid motion, raising his blade high. In one swift strike, he slashed downward, the sword cutting through the air with a force that left a faint trail of cosmic energy.

The cave was filled with the hum of energy as he brought the blade down in a decisive arc.

The strike wasn't just fast—it carried strength, a force amplified by the Fusion of Cosmic energy and sword intent flowing through the blade. The air around the sword seemed to ripple, the trail of cosmic energy glowing faintly.

The rabbit monster had no time to react.

The glowing edge connected, and for a single heartbeat, everything froze. The force of the strike cut through the creature with precision.

Then came the sound—a sharp, resonant shhhk—as the massive rabbit's body cleaved cleanly in several pieces. The energy lingering on the blade dispersed, leaving only a faint trace in the air.

Lin Xuanyu clapped his hand together happily as he looked at the rabbit lying lifeless on the floor.

The battle had ended before it even began.

His eyes then fell on the monster core of the rabbit monster. He casually walked up to the core and slipped it into his backpack.

"One core of a late-stage monster is equivalent to one high-grade Energy Gathering Pill," Lin Xuanyu commented, a grin spreading across his face.

For some reason, his entire demeanor seemed to have changed—he was livelier and more animated compared to his usual serious self. But he didn't complain, he liked the him right now more.

Satisfied with the results in the cave, Lin Xuanyu gave it one last glance to ensure he hadn't missed anything before stepping back outside.

Tapping his chin in thought, he muttered, "The nest is where the Seed monster is. My backpack is nearly full, and there's not much else to do here in this gate. Might as well check out the battle inside."

As he said this, his gaze turned northward, where powerful fluctuations in spiritual energy were emanating from.

He looked forward to seeing Alissa one-shot that monster.

****

Inside the massive lair of the seed monster, Alissa and her team moved cautiously.

The air was heavy with the smell of blood, and the ground was scattered with the bodies of dead monsters. Some were burnt to a crisp, others had been sliced cleanly in half, and a few looked as though they had been smashed by something incredibly strong.

The sight made it clear that a fierce battle had already taken place here. The further they walked, the more tense the atmosphere became.

Rachael glanced around nervously; her bow held tightly in her hands. "So many monsters... It's like someone wiped them all out," she said quietly, her usual cheerful tone replaced with unease.

Andrew's hand rested on his sword hilt; his posture guarded. "Whoever did this wasn't weak," he said, scanning their surroundings. His sharp eyes darted around, looking for any sign of lingering danger.

The deeper they went into the lair, the darker and more menacing it became. Suddenly, the air around them changed.

A strong surge of energy rippled through the monster lair, stopping them in their tracks.

It was so intense that even the ground beneath them seemed to shake slightly.

This wasn't ordinary spiritual energy—it was something far more powerful, more dangerous. The oppressive aura sent a chill down their spines, and it was coming from up ahead.

Alissa's eyes narrowed as she immediately recognized the source of the disturbance. Without hesitation, she turned to the others and said firmly, "Let's go."

The group nodded and hurried forward; their movements cautious yet quick. Every step they took brought them closer to the source of the energy, and the further they went, the stronger it became.

It wasn't long before they reached the source of the disturbance—and what they saw made them freeze in place.

Ahead of them, in the center of a wide-open space, a fierce battle was taking place. A young man stood in the middle of the chaos, his sword flashing as he fought against a massive creature.

There was no doubt on who he was—Young Master Shen, a name well-known among powerful cultivators.

But what truly drew their attention wasn't young master Shen. It was the creature he was fighting.

The monster towered over him, its form both large and terrifying. Its body shifted unnaturally, as though it wasn't bound by the same rules as ordinary creatures. The energy radiating from it was suffocating, filling the cavern with a dark and oppressive aura.

Andrew's face turned grim as he stared at the creature. "That's the seed monster," he said, his voice low.

 Then, his tone grew even darker as he added, "It's at the Core Formation Second Stage."

Rachael's eyes widened. "How is that possible, a Level 1 gate can never produce a Core-Formation Realm monster!" 

Alissa didn't respond immediately. Her gaze remained fixed on the battle; her expression unreadable. 

Rachael then exclaimed, "Look, there are two people on the floor over there!"

Their attention shifted towards two bodies which showed no sign of life. They were most likely the subordinates of the Shen clan's young master.

Without taking her eyes off the scene, Alissa spoke calmly, "Stay on guard."

Young Master Shen staggered back; his breathing ragged as blood dripped from a gash on his forehead. His clothes were torn and smeared with dirt and blood; his body battered from the prolonged battle.

His sword trembled in his hand as he struggled to stay upright, glaring at the Seed Monster before him.

The creature didn't seem fazed in the slightest. Its terrifying body which looked like a giant humanoid pulsated with dark energy, its movements unnaturally smooth yet terrifyingly fast. The air around it was thick with an oppressive aura, suffocating and heavy.

He clenched his teeth and lunged forward, gathering all the spiritual energy he had left. His sword gleamed faintly with a flicker of his Sword Intent as he struck out in a flurry of attacks.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

His blade clashed against the Seed Monster's body.

But no matter how many times his sword struck; it left no mark. The creature didn't even flinch. Young Master Shen gritted his teeth harder, pouring more energy into his strikes, his arms growing heavier with each swing.

"Damn it...!" Young Master Shen hissed through clenched teeth, his frustration growing with every failed attempt. "Why won't it—"

Before he could finish, the Seed Monster moved.

Its massive arm swung toward him with a speed that belied its size.

Young master Shen barely had time to register the movement before the creature's clawed hand slammed into him.

Boom!

The impact was thunderous, and young master Shen's body was sent hurtling through the air like a ragdoll.

He crashed into the jagged wall of the nest with a sickening thud, the force of the blow causing cracks to spread across the wall. His sword fell from his hand as his battered body slumped to the ground, unmoving.

Andrew's grip on his sword tightened as he stepped backward, his gaze locked onto the Seed Monster. "This thing's power... it's on another level."

"According to my AI, its Body Index is only inching toward the Core Formation level despite being at the second stage. The lack of energy in this gate prevents it from fully refining its body. But somehow, it has a shielding ability that surpasses the 3rd stage Core-Formation realm."

Racheal's eyes went wide, "You mean that shield covering its body is as strong as the shield of a full-fledged core-formation 3rd stage cultivator?!"

Andrew nodded grimly. "It's most likely an origin ability."

The Seed Monster abruptly turned its head, its glowing eyes locking onto the group.

 The oppressive aura around it grew stronger, and the dark energy emanating from its body seemed to intensify. Without warning, the monster let out a roar, and from its jaw, a swirling beam of pure dark energy erupted, heading straight for them.

It was incredibly fast, it split through the air as it went for the group of three.

Alissa wasn't caught off guard, her sharp eyes locked on the dark energy beam racing toward them. Just as she prepared to react, a shout came from behind.

"Watch out, you guys!"

Before the beam could strike, it vanished entirely, leaving no trace behind.

Almost as if it never existed.

Alissa's cold gaze shifted to the source of the voice.