"WE ARE RICH!" Vahn exclaimed aloud.

His face was split by an ecstatic, hungry grin.

​Inside the Dragon Pearl were not just seven small chambers, but seven complete, vast pocket dimensions, each the size of a small country and filled with unimaginable wealth.

​• The First Chamber was a sea of glowing Spirit Stones, piled so high they formed mountains, easily enough to supply a major faction for a century.

​• The Second Chamber contained forests of Ancient Spirit Herbs and materials—immortal medicines and refining agents long thought extinct.

​• The Third Chamber held thousands of complete, self-sustaining cultivation Arrays, each optimized for a different element or Dao.

​• The Fourth Chamber was a massive armory filled with Saint and Heavenly Artifacts, including hundreds of thousands of specialized Flying Swords and protective armor.

​• The Fifth Chamber contained a library of Imperial-Grade Cultivation Manuals and Forbidden Arts.

​• The Sixth Chamber held the raw, crystallized essence of the five elements—enough to instantly propel a cultivator to the peak of the Golden Core Realm.

​• The Seventh Chamber, the largest of all, contained the Pact of the Guardians and the Temporal Void Gate, The true key to leaving the Secret Realm and even the continent.

​Vahn felt a rush of adrenaline so potent it eclipsed his dual core's power. He had everything he needed to start his own legacy.

--

Outside the cave, the battle between titans raged on.

Aria Stormsong, panting and furious, finally defeated Espirit. The Monarch-Level Spirit, having depleted Vahn's massive energy reserve in a spectacular, consuming effort, dissolved back into Vahn's core, leaving Aria victorious but visibly drained.

​Aria's victory was short-lived. Stepping into the canyon entrance, she found her path immediately blocked by a figure wreathed in absolute shadow: Lilith, the Darkness Saintess.

​The old rivalry immediately resurfaced.

​"Lilith, why are you always cleaning up after that insolent boy?" Aria asked, electricity crackling along her armor.

​"Some of us prioritize family over blind factional loyalty," Lilith retorted coldly. "You won't pass, Aria. Not today."

​A brief, cold exchange of old grievances and reminiscences passed between them—a moment of respect before the inevitable violence. Then, the fight began.

​Lilith was Darkness Incarnate; Aria was Lightning Manifestation.

​The elemental clash was immediate and devastating. Aria unleashed torrents of Chaos Lightning, bolts that moved with supersonic speed, tearing through the canyon walls. Lilith countered with Shadow Binding and Void Pockets, sucking the lightning attacks into ephemeral holes of nothingness or solidifying the shadows into razor-sharp projectiles.

​The fight, using their individual Elemental Arts, was sometimes silent but always devastating, bringing ruin to the canyon where they passed. The clash of pure energy caused rock to vaporize and the very air to distort. The two Saintesses were so evenly matched, and their energy consumption was so immense, that neither could gain a lasting advantage. They were locked in a stalemate of terrifying power, buying Vahn the precious time he needed to process his incredible fortune.

Vahn had finished his integration, reaching the peak of the Golden Core Realm and absorbing the escape plans just as the external battle intensified.

Outside the cave, the fierce deadlock between Lilith (Darkness) and Aria Stormsong (Lightning) was suddenly broken. A confluence of powerful auras descended upon the canyon.

The other four Saintesses arrived.

Flama, Celestine, Valeria and Evelina.

As they belonged entirely to the Righteous Faction, their loyalty was immediate and visible. They moved to Aria's aid, surrounding Lilith and instantly turning the duel into a desperate siege. The combined elemental pressure was crushing.

However, two of then hesitated. Celestine (Stars) and Flama (Fire) paused. Their ex-husband Vahn's words caused this.

They sensed the truth was far deeper than their Patriarchs had claimed.

Lilith, however, didn't flinch. She fought the collective with cold, ruthless precision. She wasn't ranked 1st among the Saintesses for years for nothing. Her Darkness Dao allowed her to efficiently absorb the light and energy attacks, turning the environment against her foes.

Just as the fight was getting its most intense—Lilith facing the combined might of six Saintesses—she received a clear, urgent mental message from Vahn:

"Instructor! I have opened the Portal, Come Quick!"

Vahn had found the Temporal Void gate through the Dragon Pearl and activated it using a massive amount of his spirit energy.

Lilith immediately deployed her most profound technique. She sneakily used a sophisticated Illusion Art that produced a shroud of perfectly materialized shadow clones and abandoned the battlefield. The clones maintained the appearance of a fierce defense, drawing the attention of the Righteous Saintesses.

When the Illusion Trick finally dissolved, Aria let out a frustrated, furious roar. She had been betrayed and delayed. Evelina Frostheart (Ice), though silent, radiated a palpable cold anger, realizing the truth of the escape attempt.

The three Saintesses abandoned the canyon wreckage and tracked Vahn with all their speed.

Aria and the others arrived just a few seconds later, reaching a flat, desolate clearing near the canyon mouth.

What they saw was not Vahn ready for battle, but a shimmering, unstable vortex of multi-colored light—a Temporal Void Portal. Vahn stood on the edge, holding Eterna, with Seraphina right beside him.

"You lose, Aria," Vahn shouted across the dying seconds of the portal's stability.

Before Aria could even channel her lightning to intercept, Vahn, Seraphina, and Eterna vanished into the Temporal Void.

The shimmering gateway disappeared completely a second later, leaving behind no trace, only confused, infuriated, and utterly defeated Saintesses.

Vahn Necrotis had escaped the Secret Realm, taking the Divine Treasury and his two Saintess wives, leaving behind only ruin and the start of an imperial war.

Aria immediately shifted her fierce frustration onto her comrades.

​"Celestine! Flama!" Aria roared, spinning around to face the two who had shown obvious hesitation. "Why didn't you stop them? Celestine, you could have predicted their escape and inform us! You had the chance!"

​Celestine and Flama exchanged a cool, annoyed glance at Aria's forceful accusation. The unspoken truth was that they were questioning the legitimacy of their elders' claims.

​Celestine simply straightened her robes, her features serene but cold. "The will of the Heavens is chaotic, Aria. It is unwise to interfere with the flow of fate when it involves a Divine Pact. Our Patriarchs may be mistaken."

​Flama crossed her arms and snorted like a firecracker, "Hmph. We came for the treasure and the mission, not to become executioners for the private vendettas of the elders. Our cooperation ends here."

​Without another word, Celestine and Flama turned and departed in separate directions, their steps swift and their minds focused on surviving the collapsing Secret Realm, not on chasing Vahn.

​The co-operative relationship between the Seven Saintesses was breaking, just like the Secret Realm violently tearing itself apart under the strain of the Imperial battle.

"I will get you for this, Vahn Necrotis. I will."

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