The air on the battlefield was thick with the metallic stench of blood. Countless beasts lay dead, yet hundreds remained locked in brutal combat. From between the clouds, starlight poured down, illuminating one corner of the fray.
Soft footsteps echoed faintly.
Ahead, a white fox staggered. Her once snowy fur was now soaked in blood, deep wounds marring her face. Crying out in pain, she stumbled forward before collapsing a short distance away. She lay there for a moment, utterly exhausted, struggling to rise. Even such a brief fight had drained her to the limit.
Then, something approached.
The creature was slightly larger than a normal wolf. Its eyes were jade-white, with faint golden pupils glowing within. Its physique was flawless—powerful muscles outlined beneath fur that shimmered in shades of brown and gold. A golden, flame-like aura wreathed its body, and with every step, its form glowed like golden jade. Heat radiated from it, warming the surrounding air.
In this corner of the battlefield, the injured fox lay helpless as the beast advanced with impossibly light footsteps, as if floating. Though the steps were gentle, its speed was terrifying—not slow at all, but overwhelmingly fast.
This was a Heavenly Golden Wolf, a rare existence found only in Star Heaven Valley. Among thousands of wolves, only one could be born like this. These wolves were forged after absorbing massive amounts of starlight. Even at a normal rank, their power far surpassed that of ordinary beasts. They were not only immensely strong but possessed intelligence on an entirely different level.
As the golden wolf advanced, releasing a divine light, the Illusionary Fox's eyes widened. Rage exploded within her. With a furious roar, she forced herself upright. Lightning crackled faintly around her body, coursing from her face down to her tail. Yet her form looked like snow stained red with blood.
In the very next second, she charged.
The golden wolf responded instantly, rushing straight toward her. Its power was overwhelming—it crossed an enormous distance in mere seconds, its light footsteps belying its terrifying speed.
On the other side of the battlefield, the Asura Wolf had entered a full rage. At his full power, he had already knocked away two wolves. Now, a Dark Illusionary Fox had wrapped its grip around his tail, pulling with all its strength. Blood poured relentlessly from the wound.
The Asura Wolf tried to heal himself using his regeneration, but it felt as if three Dark Illusionary Foxes were holding his tail at once. It was an illusory technique that attacked the senses constantly—everywhere, at all times. That was why they were called Illusionary Foxes.
Losing control, the Asura Wolf leaped with his hind legs and attacked wildly in a frenzy. He spun his massive body, trying to grab his own tail with his jaws, but failed. Instead, he lunged and bit down hard on the fox's left leg, tearing through it with his chainsaw-like fangs.
The Asura Wolf's body was gigantic, and because of its size, his movements lacked speed. In contrast, the fox had a medium-small frame. Using her illusory powers and agility, she dominated the fight completely.
Meanwhile, hidden between two rocks, inside a narrow crack untouched by light, Ji Hoon sat in complete darkness. His legs were crossed, and around his body flowed faint auras of dark, gold, and silver, moving at an ultra-slow pace beneath his skin.
Surrounded by countless energies, his body emitted a gentle glow.
His mind was empty—except for a single thought.
I will absorb it.
A short while earlier, after Ji Hoon silenced his One Mind and brought it under control, he spoke internally:
'Everything sounds fine, but tell me one thing… how exactly am I supposed to do this? How do I absorb this aura you're talking about?'
Layla replied calmly, almost teasingly.
'Relax. I'll explain. You need to create your own breathing technique. Through your breath, slowly draw the aura inside your body. Use your mind to guide it between your body and your consciousness. At first, you'll feel something like an energy core forming—try to sense where that energy exists.'
'The energy in your natural core comes from starlight—the power you gained when you were reborn by starlight or naturally became a ranker. To feel and control your core, you must slowly pull the power inward through your breathing and keep it under control.'
'When you fully understand your core and gain about thirty percent control over it, tell me.'