Embersteel: Legend Of A Warrior Blacksmith- Severance Veil Arc

Chapter 199: Spirit Of The Human Race

Ten days had bled into thirty-five since the rift to the Demon Realm tore open, leaving behind a scarred world and a fragile peace within the hidden cavern of the Evergreen Forest.

Jiang Feng's body, once a crucible of agony and shattered bones, now hummed with renewed vitality. Ji Moran's gentle lunar qi and Lin Xue's hearty cooking had worked wonders, knitting flesh and sinew back into perfect form. He stood at the sealed entrance of their sanctuary, a profound stillness about him that belied the tempest brewing in the cosmos.

Within his inner world, Aevium continued his silent dance—galaxies swirling into being and dissipating in an eternal cycle, he had slowed down on his refining of the Darkness Dao pulsing steadily through Jiang Feng's veins as so to focus on other Dao laws. Even from inside the inner space, he felt the subtle pull of Space and Time, a viscous resistance in the air around Jiang Feng, hinting at a mastery he was only beginning to grasp. The Dragon Body Ritual with Senior Aetherion dragon lay three months ahead, a distant beacon in the stormy future, but for now, their focus remained outward.

Behind him, the cavern thrummed with a new kind of energy. The hundred survivors, now formally known as the Embersteel Wardens, had begun their arduous journey of cultivation anew.

In one section, the rhythmic clang of steel rang out as Chen Yutian guided his twenty Sword Dao disciples. Their sword intent was sharp enough to prickle the skin, though many were unfamiliar with the Dao and had to begin from the very foundation. It was rare—and often taboo—to share family secrets so openly, yet these were desperate times. With Silver Sword City consumed by its own troubles, and Chen Yutian walking a path divergent from his father's, he withheld nothing. He even placed the runic boulder etched with natural sword markings—an artifact passed to him by Jiang Feng—in an open space for all to study and use.

Further along, shimmering veils of frost met crackling embers as Ji Moran's twenty disciples wrestled with the twin Daos of Ice and Flame under the watchful gaze of Lunara Glacies, the ethereal Ice Phoenix who was constantly channeling ice spiritual energy in their bodies. In another corner, the ground trembled with suppressed thunder as storm flames students, were being blessed with the Storm Flame's Essence, began to harness the raw power of lightning and fire under the guidance of the Storm Flame's White Tiger who had even thrown Lin Xue into training as well.

The remaining forty Wardens were scattered among two distinct groups. Twenty blazed with fervent intensity, practicing rudimentary fire arts beneath the silent, majestic presence of the Golden Crow, who had begun imparting the wisdom and might of the sun. The final twenty—Jiang Feng's personal shield—had already embarked on foundational training with the Eternal Flame Codex.

The ancient tome radiated an aura of severe dignity, tolerating no weakness. It subjected them to rigorous exercises in energy manipulation, basic formation theory, and defensive techniques that seemed to defy the limits of their current body. Their path, the Codex declared, was one of multifaceted combat, demanding mastery across diverse disciplines.

"I'm going out," Jiang Feng announced, his voice a low rumble cutting through the disciplined hum of training. He turned, his grey eyes—now free from the chaotic flicker of black and white—sweeping over Ji Moran, Lin Xue, and Chen Yutian. "My recovery is complete. It's time to assess the situation."

Ji Moran nodded, serene but tinged with concern. "Be careful, Feng. Those demons are grow stronger each day and we've only begun practicing." She stated before pausing her training. "And the news from above suggests a far greater conflict looming. That scout we captured a few days ago knew more than expected—perhaps too much. This knowledge seems to be spreading freely among the human race... Could this be intentional?"

"Indeed," Chen Yutian added, resting a hand on the hilt of his Dao sword—a blade Jiang Feng had spent a day and a half forging. "General Lin Rou's forces still hold the Eastern Wall in your Northern Moon Village, deep in the Obsidian Woodlands, but the pressure is immense. And the Shadow Church... they're still searching for you."