Ashes of the star forge

The fight dragged on under the blood-colored sky.

The black-plated monster no longer overwhelmed them as completely as it had at the start, but it was still a brutal opponent. Every clash sent shockwaves through the broken terrain. Lian’s black liquid blade met heavy claws again and again, the matte-black edge holding under impacts that would have shattered ordinary weapons. Elara moved around the creature’s flanks, her thunder blade leaving glowing scorches across the stone-like plates. Dark fluid leaked steadily from the wounds they had carved, and the monster’s movements had grown heavier, more labored.

Yet it refused to fall.

Lian’s body was reaching its limit. The planet’s crushing pressure, the earlier chase, and the accumulated damage from the invisible predator and this new fight all stacked on top of one another. His breathing was ragged. Blood ran from a deep cut along his side and from the earlier wound on his arm. The black liquid inside him continued to reinforce his body, but even that resource was not endless.

Elara was in no better condition. Her alloy limbs sparked occasionally under the strain. A long gash ran across her shoulder where a claw had slipped past her guard. Lightning still crackled along her blade, but the arcs were less stable than before.

The monster reared back for another powerful sweep.

Lian moved to intercept, but his damaged ribs slowed him by a fraction of a second. The claw clipped his shoulder and spun him sideways. In that opening, Elara lunged.

She drove her thunder blade forward with everything she had left, aiming for the deep groove they had already carved into the creature’s chest plating. The blade sank in farther than any previous strike. For a moment it seemed to lodge against denser material beneath. Elara’s eyes narrowed. Instead of pulling back, she pushed more power into the weapon.

Lightning exploded outward from the embedded blade.

A violent surge of blue-white energy ripped through the monster’s interior. The creature convulsed, its crimson eye-slit flaring brightly as electricity arced across its body and grounded into the black stone beneath them. The sound was enormous — a cracking, roaring detonation of thunder that rolled across the plateau and echoed off the surrounding mountain ranges. Chunks of shattered plating and dark fluid sprayed outward. The monster staggered, then collapsed heavily onto its side, the thunder blade still buried deep in its chest.

Silence followed for half a heartbeat.

Then the consequences arrived.

The noise of the killing blow had been far too loud.

Lian forced himself upright, blood dripping from his fingertips. Elara braced one foot against the dead creature and wrenched her blade free with a sharp pull. Both of them were breathing hard. Both of them were badly injured. The brief moment of victory lasted only long enough for them to exchange a single glance of shared understanding.

They had made too much noise.

Low, resonant calls began to rise from the surrounding terrain — first one, then several more answering from different directions. The ground carried the vibration of heavy bodies shifting in the distance. From the maze of rock spires and fissures, new signatures began to close in. Some felt similar to the beast they had just killed. Others felt different... and larger.

Elara wiped a streak of blood from her cheek with the back of her hand, lightning still faintly sparking along her blade.

“We need to move,” she said.

Lian nodded once, already turning toward the narrowest gap in the surrounding terrain. The black liquid along his arm reshaped into a shorter, more economical edge. Every step sent fresh pain through his body. The planet’s pressure never eased. Behind them, the first of the responding predators let out a hunting cry that was quickly joined by others.

They had won the fight.

More monsters were coming.

And they were in no condition to face another prolonged battle.

Power Scale / Cultivation Realms (Quick Reminder)

Foundation Realm (Layers 1–9): Body forging, no external Qi.

Circuit Awakening Realm (Early–Peak): First Qi loop, internal bursts.

Core Condensation Realm (Early–Peak): External Qi release, short flight.

Stellar Circuit Realm (1–9 Stars): True flight, Qi armor, energy projection.

Nebula Dominion Realm and higher: Domain control, galaxy-level power, etc

Power Scale Reminder

Lian Yu: Stellar Circuit Star 1.

Elara Voss: Core Condensation Middle

Keep it as reminders

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!