*Boom!*

A shockwave shot out from Yuki as her cultivation suddenly jumped a level. Seconds later….

*Boom!*

Another one shot out. This was followed by one more settling Yuki at the fourth astral star realm. Yuki had refined most of the black lightning that had invaded her body. It was not an easy thing to do, and she almost felt as if she was going to be burned from the inside out. But as she watched the flow of the black lightning that she had refined and made her own, she noticed that it was sending sparks throughout her body and around her organs. She did not feel any pain, but she felt as if the black lightning was refining her body from the inside out. 

“Hmmm?” Yuki noticed the black sparks around her heart, and the imprint that was placed on her seemed to be fighting against each other. This was the imprint that Kuro had placed on her when they had first met. Her eyes lit up as she saw the imprint slowly starting to fade away before hearing a breaking sound coming from within her and red balls of light floating up from her heart and disappearing. The mark was now completely gone. She realized all her efforts just now were not for nothing! She not only gained this black lightning that mixed with her heavenly lighting, but she also gained three cultivation levels and even got rid of the mark she had long wanted to get rid of.

- - -
In another area far from the Dragon Festival, Kuro was looking at the man in front of him with a mocking smile. “It seems you failed once again. How many times now have you tried to kill me?”

“Kuro, do you think you can kill me just because you caught me!?” The man under Kuro’s foot showed a crazed smile as his entire body began to swell up. 

“You would rather blow yourself up!?” Kuro quickly went to retreat, but as soon as he lifted his foot, a sharp pain stabbed him in the heart as he coughed up, mouth full after mouth full of blood. Before he could even figure out what was wrong, the man under his foot exploded, sending him flying through the air.

Kuro flew for hundreds of miles before slamming head-first into a mountaintop, which exploded upon impact. His body lay limp in the rubble. It was clear as day that he was gravely injured. But the shocked expression on his face did not show any pain but disbelief. “How… How did she break my technique?” His little fox had really gotten rid of the mark he had placed on her. He did not understand how she did it. It was linked to his own blood. Only by killing him could it be removed!

He wanted to go to her now and find out what had happened, but his current state did not allow for that. He knew he would not be able to heal within the next few years. He had too many enemies, and he could not allow them to know about his weakened state. “Little Fox….. Five years…. In five years, I will find you.”

- - -

Yuki slowly opened her eyes. Visible black static arched around her body as she sat there gripping her fists. “I feel bad since I out leveled Nana, but she will quickly catch up once we cultivate. But this lightning….” 

Yuki frowned when she saw that the lightning was causing her to discharge small jolts of electricity around her. But before she could figure out how to control it, the most important thing was to reach the top of the mountain. “I must hurry.” What she did not notice at this time was that her token was now glowing with a golden light.

At the top of the mountain, Nana and Silvia both sat there looking down the path with worried expressions. “She only has five minutes left. Can she make it?”

“She will make it,” Nana said without hesitation. If there was one person she would always believe in, it was her Yuki.

“I hope so.” Silvia couldn’t help but worry. She loved Yuki, but she also owed her a lot as well. Yuki had given her the life she was leading now. She had gotten an inheritance that would make her unstoppable. She had learned what real love was. She learned to love and to be loved. Silvia tightened her girl on Nana’s hand. She wanted to feel the same as Nana, but she was still worried. Those dark clouds just now and the black lightning. She knew it had something to do with Yuki.

Nana was not worried. She knew if anyone was able to deal with what had just happened, it would be her. The heavens wanted her Yuki dead, but her Yuki was someone who would not give in to the heavens. She would break the binds the heavens placed on the mortal world and push forward. She has done it before, and she has done it now.

“Time is….” As the old man’s voice filled the mystic realm, a black flash suddenly appeared at the top of the mountain. A figure that looked as if it had been roasted over a fire appeared and fell towards the ground. Silvia and Nana both flashed and caught the figure before she hit the ground. At the same time, all three of their bodies vanished from the mystic realm….

“Time is up!”