Chapter Forty-Three: Satius

Within the shadowy depths of the mountain passage, a handsome young man and the Sanctuary Black Dragon, Oxus, moved forward as if gliding effortlessly through the air. At the end of the passage lay an enormous underground cavern, stretching several miles across and rising dozens of meters high.

Even before reaching the end of the corridor, the young man’s gaze fell upon a dark-armored beast measuring ten meters in length and nearly three meters tall. Its body was clad in dense, orderly black scales, each the size of a palm, clustered together in a way that evoked a strange sense of unease, sending chills up one’s spine.

Most striking were the thirty-centimeter-long sharp spines lining its back, extending from the tail’s tip all the way to its forehead. Though it lay still, it radiated an aura of danger.

Suddenly, sensing their presence, the creature opened its eyes. Its pupils gleamed dark gold, and the coldness in its gaze chilled the very soul.

“A Backspine Iron Armored Dragon… Truly the most terrifying of the ninth-tier dragon clan,” the young man mused, awed by the creature’s formidable presence.

The Backspine Iron Armored Dragon was a ninth-tier dark-element magical beast, the smallest in size among its kin, yet unmatched in defense and agility within its rank. Its claws were also devastatingly powerful. Among all dragons of its level, it was indisputably the strongest.

Once, when Oxus was still a ninth-tier dragon, he had been no match for Sadeus, the Backspine Iron Armored Dragon. Now, however, having reached the Sanctuary level and cultivated his strength for over two centuries, Oxus far surpassed Sadeus.

Sadeus’s fierce gaze swept over the young man, and upon seeing him floating effortlessly, his eyes narrowed with surprise.

“Sadeus, don’t be so tense! My master is simply curious about the Backspine Iron Armored Dragon and wanted to meet you,” Oxus grinned at the formidable beast.

Sadeus, however, only responded with a low, rumbling growl.

“What is he saying?” the young man asked, frowning slightly.

---

Oxus turned apologetically to his master. “He’s merely surprised that I have submitted to you, master. He doesn’t know how powerful you truly are, or he wouldn’t have said so.”

“The strength and pride of a peak ninth-tier Backspine Iron Armored Dragon—I understand them well,” the young man replied with a gentle smile, then addressed Sadeus directly. “Your name is Sadeus, correct? You have chosen well in claiming this treasure of a place. I wish to cultivate here for some time—would you permit it?”

Sadeus’s stare grew colder and more intense, accompanied by another low growl. Though the young man could not decipher his words, he sensed clear disagreement.

“Master, this is Sadeus’s lair. When I discovered it long ago, I fought him for it, but I was no match. I had to yield this wonderful place to him. Unfortunately, the Backspine Iron Armored Dragon is renowned as the hardest to advance among all dragon clans. Despite occupying this lair for so long, he has yet to reach the Sanctuary, while I managed it first,” Oxus sighed, shaking his head.

Sadeus growled again, and Oxus, surprised, turned to the young man with a helpless smile. “Master, Sadeus says if you can defeat him, he will allow you to cultivate here as you wish.”

“Oh? He wants me to defeat him? How fitting for the most powerful ninth-tier dragon—so proud,” the young man laughed softly, then floated out of the tunnel to stand before Sadeus, looking up at him with a smile. “Come, Sadeus. Let me see your strength.”

With a swish, Sadeus struck without hesitation. His tail, like a steel whip, lashed out, slicing through the air with a piercing shriek, aiming straight for the young man.

The young man raised his hand seemingly carelessly, but an earthy yellow light flashed across his palm. His hand, like a small mountain, met the dragon’s tail with a deep, resonant thud. His palm trembled slightly, and Sadeus withdrew his tail.

In a blur, the young man drew closer, his earth-shining palm reaching toward Sadeus’s head.

Sadeus didn’t dodge, but instead lowered his body, letting his row of sharp spines meet the attack.

With a muffled boom, the Backspine Iron Armored Dragon was knocked back, nearly half his massive body embedded in the stone floor, fracturing the ground for hundreds of meters around.

“Sadeus, you cannot match my master. Stand down!” Oxus called out.

---

Turning his cold gaze from Oxus to the young man, Sadeus growled lowly, then slowly retreated.

Seeing Sadeus withdraw, the young man relaxed slightly and looked up toward the stone ceiling. He could clearly sense various elemental energies constantly seeping from above, making the concentration of magic in the cavern nearly a hundred times greater than outside.

With a thunderous crash, the young man leapt upward and shattered the ceiling with a single punch. Stones rained down, revealing a black circular platform embedded at the summit. Complex magical runes covered its surface, forming an intricate magic array. At the center of the black platform, a purple longsword was thrust upside down.

“This magic array for sealing the spatial node is indeed complex,” the young man mused, gazing at the platform. “Though magical arrays differ from formation arrays, they share a common essence. I have little experience with magic arrays, so I can only grasp their superficial aspects.”

Both Sadeus and Oxus stared in awe at the black platform atop the stone ceiling, bewildered by the intricate magic array. What was its purpose, and why was it here?

“Master, what… what exactly is this?” Oxus flew to his master’s side, unable to contain his curiosity.

“It is a spatial seal array, created to lock a spatial node and ensure that the powerful beings from another plane connected to the Yulan Continent do not pass through the node into our world,” the young man replied calmly, his words leaving both Oxus and Sadeus even more astonished.

Oxus pressed, “Master, what kind of plane is it? Such a complicated array, and aided by a unique sword—do they fear the array isn’t strong enough?”

“That space is extraordinary, and terrifying. Even Sanctuary-level experts are as insignificant as ants there. If a deity is weak, he would struggle to survive,” the young man answered gravely. “That’s why the array cannot be broken. If powerful beings emerge, it could spell trouble.”

As he spoke, the young man willed the stones to rise, channeling the fire element to forge a blazing flame that melted the stones and sealed the black platform and the inverted divine sword beneath a new stone ceiling, concealing them from view.