Chapter 1385: The Last Great Gift

Ethan didn’t pause.

A spear tore through the air behind him. He twisted aside, dodging the blade, and planted a foot on Valric’s back to drive him into the ground. At the same time, he hurled an energy sphere at Eldran.

The white sphere spread apart as it neared him.

Beams of light dropped from different directions and connected into a complete cage, trapping Eldran at its center. He swung his spear against the bars, bursting white arcs of electricity with every strike.

Valric thrashed beneath Ethan’s foot.

Bloodred threads coiled toward Ethan’s ankle while Valric repeatedly tried to push himself up. It didn’t take Ethan long to notice something strange.

Valric’s resistance wasn’t continuous.

Whenever the armor forced his body to exert strength, his movements would briefly stall. A few threads that remained golden also emerged from beneath the plates, slowing the bloodred threads’ attacks.

Valric was still fighting his own body.

He was still creating opportunities for Ethan.

Ethan wouldn’t waste the trust Valric had placed in him.

More energy gathered in his palm before splitting in two, one half flying toward Valric and the other toward Eldran inside the cage. White energy struck them again and again, blasting apart armor and flesh, but more threads immediately poured from their wounds and repaired their bodies.

Once.

Twice.

No matter how much damage Ethan inflicted, the mine’s power restored them.

He looked past Valric at the Bingling Mine below.

If their bodies couldn’t be killed, he would destroy the source that kept bringing them back.

Ethan raised a hand, drawing white energy from across his body into his palm.

"How about I give you one last big present?"

He slowly lifted the energy sphere.

At first, it was only the size of his fist. Then it rapidly swelled. White lightning raced across its surface as the surrounding air was forced away. The sphere rose higher and higher, soon becoming a massive orb that blotted out a large portion of the sky.

Crushing pressure descended over the entire Bingling Mine.

The mine’s edges began to collapse, and the crystals on the ground screeched beneath the force. Soldiers on both sides looked up from the battle. Even Seraphine’s shield rippled under the pressure.

Ethan raised his other hand toward his companions.

White energy spread outside the existing shield, forming a second layer of protection. The overlapping barriers enclosed both his companions and Emerald Castle’s entire army.

Only after confirming they were protected did Ethan lower the hand supporting the massive sphere.

The white orb left his palm and slowly descended toward the center of the mine. Each time it dropped a little farther, another blast of air erupted outward. Yellow sand flattened against the ground while the mine continued to collapse under the weight.

Valric and Eldran made no attempt to flee.

They stayed where they were as the wailing from their armor grew louder. Bloodred threads stretched outward, but none tried to stop the falling sphere.

The white light finally touched the mine.

For one brief moment, the world fell silent.

Then the compressed energy erupted.

Boom—!

The center of the mine collapsed, and a white shock wave surged outward from underground. Crystals, layers of rock, and mine shafts disintegrated one after another in the light. Every living creature outside the shields was swept up and erased along with them.

At last, they had found true death.

Perhaps it was the best gift Ethan could give them.

A colossal mushroom cloud rose from the mine, churning yellow sand at its base as its peak soared into the sky. White lightning flashed through the cloud, illuminating the leveled earth with every burst.

The shock wave slammed into the shields around the group.

The outer barrier shook violently while the inner layer endured the heat wave that followed. Seraphine spread her hands to stabilize the defenses, and the others released their power to reinforce the shields.

With the mine destroyed, the force sustaining the people of the Immortal Kingdom began to fade.

The armor within their bodies stopped writhing. The bloodred threads went still. The last traces of golden light rose from each fallen body and merged with the mushroom cloud, tinting the pure white explosion gold.

The smoke and dust gradually cleared.

The Bingling Mine had vanished from the earth, leaving behind a vast expanse scoured clean by energy. No one inside the shields had been directly harmed, but they were all searching for Ethan.

Then his voice came from the smoke.

"Here I am. What are you all so worried about?"

Ethan emerged from the thinning yellow haze with an easy smile.

Everyone stared at him helplessly.

But his steps were unsteady.

Creating that massive energy sphere had nearly drained him dry. The only thing keeping him on his feet was the last of his willpower.

He managed only a few more words before his body went limp and pitched forward.

Everyone rushed over and caught him.

Ethan had no idea how much time passed before he slowly opened his eyes.

The emptiness inside him was gone. Energy filled his body again, flowing through his limbs and leaving him refreshed the moment he woke.

Everyone was now sitting on Seraphina’s back in her dragon form.

The enormous dragon soared through the sky, each beat of her wings stirring up powerful winds. The others had been talking and laughing, but the moment they saw Ethan wake, they crowded around to ask how he felt.

Far behind them, a strange-looking little bird poked out from the clouds.

A bolt of white lightning fell from the sky and struck it with perfect accuracy. Its scream lasted only an instant before the bird vanished in the flash.

Near the edge of Seraphina’s back, four little girls were peering down.

Idra had transformed into a small dragon and was flying just behind and to the side of Seraphina. Her three companions held her hands to keep her smaller body from being blown away by the high-altitude winds.

Air roared past Idra.

She looked down and saw the landscape changing below.

A vast stretch of water covered the ground. It wasn’t particularly deep, but it rose over the roots of the trees. Their trunks grew straight out of the water, their branches and leaves casting broken reflections beneath the sunlight.

Idra’s eyes widened with curiosity.

"This place is amazing! The water covers all the tree roots. Where are we?"

Ethan was about to answer when a faint sense of unease stirred inside him.

He formed an energy sphere in one hand and watched the way ahead. They continued flying for a while, but no attack came, and he couldn’t sense any unusual creatures nearby.

Yet the longer the peace lasted, the more wrong it felt.

The energy sphere kept spinning in his palm as he scanned every patch of water ahead.

Then he noticed a subtle distortion in the air.

"Seraphina, stop!"

Seraphina immediately tucked in her wings, then beat them hard in the opposite direction. Her enormous body slowed, but momentum still carried her a short distance forward.

That short distance was enough.

A mirror appeared out of nowhere directly ahead.

It stood upright in midair with nothing supporting its edges. Seraphina had no time to turn. One of her front claws brushed the mirror’s surface.

Ripples spread from the point of contact.

A powerful suction force erupted from the mirror, dragging the surrounding air, clouds, and moisture toward it. Seraphina spread her wings and beat backward, her claws curling desperately in the air. Only then did she manage to stop in front of the mirror.

Idra wasn’t so fortunate.

She had been flying quickly to keep up with Seraphina. When the larger dragon suddenly slowed, momentum still carried Idra forward. The suction from the mirror caught her from the front, making her lose control completely.

"Aaah!"

Idra screamed as she shot past Seraphina and flew straight into the mirror.

The other three little girls were still holding her hands and were dragged toward it with her. Their bodies slid off the dragon’s back, their arms pulled straight by the suction.

In her panic, Auri released her Fairy energy.

A green branch grew from her palm and stretched backward along Seraphina’s spine. Ethan threw himself toward the edge and caught it before it could slide away.

He tightened both hands around the branch and used his energy to anchor his feet. At last, he pulled the three girls back from the mirror.

Idra had already vanished to the other side.

Ethan placed the three frightened girls behind him, then gently patted Seraphina’s back.

"Go through!"

There was no time to keep testing it.

They had no idea what lay beyond the mirror.

But Idra was already inside.

They couldn’t afford to wait.