Isaac's muscles creaked as he finally let his body fall back into the chair, exhausted. It was amazing how just one meeting with the other slayers could accomplish more than the monsters had done in centuries.

"I am not surprised that they did not want to take the initiative. That's the problem with 'experience'. It leads those old men to always act based on caution, and does not encourage them to do what is right," Amelia said. Isaac knew she was one of the people Zay was interested in, and it was time they had a good talk.

"Don't take this the wrong way. It's the sensible choice. If we were to attack them now, the real masterminds behind it all would probably escape. Besides, it's a fair concern that we have some really big fish in our hands. You know very well that we have to proceed with caution."

Amelia was the type of person Isaac respected. She was powerful, but still cared about the good of her disciples. A cultivator who didn't care only about his own cultivation was rare.

Isaac didn't know if he truly believed what he was saying. Although he understood the reaction of the Sapphire sect leaders, he felt it was risky to leave those children at the mercy of an unknown power. Not only those children, but his disciples would also be involved.

"Oh, please. You know very well that it is much more than that. You don't think I know the sect is going through a of war right now? If they can put off what is happening here for just a few weeks, they will do it in the blink of an eye. Besides, I have the feeling that some big changes are coming," said Amelia.

Isaac took another sip of his drink. Amelia had a shrewd mind, and he had to be careful not to talk too much. Her justifications were true, but a part of Isaac feared his superiors would actually want an attack like this every year. For the Slayers' kind of culture, a test by fire was the best way to shape a diamond.

Deep down, they were not wrong. Every cultivator who did not ascend and bring renown to the sect was just another parasite on the resources. It made sense to eliminate a good deal of the disciples, if those who remained were only the best. In theory, of course.

"In any case, I also ask you not to get involved. If the worst happens, I am perfectly capable of handling everything. This is a request not only from me, but also from your heavenly sponsor," Isaac said, exerting a light pressure with his Qi.

Family was family. With Zay, it was no different. Even in the face of Amelia's rebellion, he kept trying to always put her welfare first. In this case, instructing Isaac to take care of her.

"And what right do you have to say something like that?" retorted Amelia, as she clutched the wooden table in front of her. "For years I have been here, helping and caring about the disciples. For years I have controlled myself to help these children, even if that is not a hundredth of what I owe the universe, if any kind of such balance exists. Do you think I lost control because I wanted to? Do you think I don't dread what happened every day? "

Isaac had no answer to that question. He knew very well what had happened, and even now it was painful to think about it all. He had also failed those he loved. Who was he, anyway, to judge the pain of someone in a similar position?

"I'm sorry. I'm just following orders here."

"Congratulations, orders carried out. Please leave," she blurted. Isaac stood up and walked to the door, not knowing what to say.

Before leaving the room, he looked back one last time. He could see the Qi stirring in the room, moving in and out of the healer. Unfortunately, there were many things to be done. Isaac closed the door and walked through the dark corridors, hoping that it wouldn't take long for the pain he felt to settle in his chest.

When she heard the door close, Amelia took a deep breath, looking at the wall. Their photo was still there after all these years. She could remember the smallest details. The smell of spring that permeated the air, the feel of the burning sun on her skin.

To her, that picture was a shelter. A moment of peace in that chaotic and cruel world. As she saw the scene, she forced herself to remember that life didn't have to be cruel. That life could be good, with the right company.

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Wiping the tears that still ran down her cheeks, she activated the spiritual treasures in the room and meditated. She didn't trust Isaac's words. If something huge was coming, maybe even chaos was necessary.

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Dante took a deep breath, trying to regain focus. All the Qi his body absorbed was being used to heal his injuries. The excruciating pain was causing him to consider cutting off his own limbs to grow from scratch.

Of course, that would certainly use a lot more Qi. However, anything was better than trying to regenerate a flaming limb with even more fire. To Dante's misfortune, though, there was no other way.

Even after months of training, Dante's biggest obstacle had still not been overcome.

Two months had passed since Sabrina and Rim's warning. Dante had cultivated diligently during this period.

He felt like the pinnacle of the food chain. Killing monsters, absorbing attacks and essences, and evolving. In that part of the cave, Dante was king.

Dante had gone after all the artifacts except the one guarded by the Lion. His physique had undergone a complete transformation. Dante now possessed an innate resistance to most of the basic elements.

His core was at its limit. Soon, he would have to come up with another strategy to advance to Gold.

Dante relaxed his shoulders as he felt his Qi calm down. The regeneration process was fast, but it was still not enough. Even outside the Lion's alcove, he could feel the heat emanating from the monster's flames.

The other alphas were no simple task. In the end, the Sunfire was enough to handle the job.

The Lion's problem, however, was more difficult to get around. Dante could now hurt the monster if he gave it his all. The problem was that his all-out effort left no room for regeneration.

He squinted and looked at the monster. The lion wore its fur like obsidian armor. Its mane was made of living fire, which crackled incessantly.

Curiously, the monster's appearance had changed since Dante had arrived in the cave. It was as if the monsters were evolving, getting stronger with time. Dante needed to act.

Dante deepened his senses, aiming for his core. The orb now blazed like a miniature sun, and communication with the monster was cleaner than ever.

"Dawn awakens again. Say it, child, and it shall be done. Who can sway the supreme fire that lights planets? No one."

Despite the ease of making contact, it did not mean that the monster was any more normal. The monster was getting increasingly comfortable.

"Can you help me with a new technique I'm developing? I feel like I'm almost there, but not quite yet," said Dante. Ever since he had first fought the lion, with each alpha monster, he thought about how to get more offensive power.

Dante still relied heavily on his claws and his Qi-enhanced physique. He would need something special to overcome the monster.

"After all I've been through, the technique I envision is a way to use my physique to the limit All the stages of the trial that I have been through so far, I have been through because of my ability to adapt to the different Qi. Now it's time to try something else. So, what I'm thinking is this…"

Dante passed his idea on to Phoenix, hoping to receive some insight.

"I must bless you with a wisdom unfit for mortals, child."

Dante sighed in relief. He thought he would encounter reluctance from the monster to help him, but it seems he would have assistance in his attempt. His one and only attempt.

To prepare himself, he went into a lotus position and cultivated. He scattered around spiritual treasures that he carried with him, to speed up the Qi absorption process a bit. Not that this was strictly necessary, for the territory he was in was fire territory, after all.

The invigorating feeling of Qi circulating through his meridians was more latent than ever. As he meditated, he surveyed every part of his body. There was not a single splinter that had remained untouched by his adventures.

If he concentrated, he could still feel the wounds from his recent fights with the alpha monsters. Each one was an odd challenge in itself.

The nature one made Dante more resistant to piercing. The thunder wolf made him learn to react better to fast attacks. The wind hawk made him more resistant to cuts, and finally, the water lizard strengthened his breathing than ever.

Now, only the last step was missing. After facing the ebony lion, he would finally find out what surprise Zay was hiding, and hopefully he could become strong enough to help his friends when the time came.

There was no time to lose. So, when he reached the maximum of his Qi, he concentrated on irrigating every part of his being with energy, causing his muscles to dilate, full of sunfire energy.

As a last step in his preparation, he checked Ikarus. The bird was calm, like a stale river. Compared to everything the monster had been through in life, something like this was just another simple step.

To make sure once more and to scare away any possibility of failure, he summoned his phoenix razors, causing his hands to burst into flames.

He stood up, stretching the muscles of his neck to their extremes. It was time to prove himself. Who he was. Who he had become. If there was one thing Dante would not do, it was waste the opportunity he was given.

He could hear the echoes of victory in every step. Just another monster. Then he could finally discover Zay's secrets.

It was time to teach the lion the roar of a Phoenix.