Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 78: Chapter 78 — Victor Awakens

Chapter 78 — Victor Awakens

It had been nearly a month since Victor closed his eyes before Samal’s statue.

And in all that time—

He had not moved.

Moonlight sat outside the entrance to the cave, quietly staring down at her hands.

At first, she had expected Victor to wake within a few hours.

Eventually, days became weeks.

Moonlight continued checking on him throughout that time. Whenever she could, she entered the cave and sat nearby, keeping him company.

Sometimes she spoke to him.

Sometimes she simply sat in silence.

Eventually, the entire village became aware of what was happening.

Oheema personally ordered the cave closed.

Only Oheema and Moonlight were allowed inside.

A guard remained stationed outside the entrance, ensuring that no curious tribesmen wandered into the cave and disturbed Victor.

But as the days passed without Victor waking, even the tribe’s curiosity slowly faded.

Moonlight’s did not.

She found herself sitting outside the cave more often than she realized.

And now, nearly a month later, she was doing the same thing.

Moonlight looked down at her hands.

When is he finally going to wake up?

Then—

She felt it.

Her head snapped upward.

A disturbance moved through the Spiritual Energy behind her.

Moonlight’s expression immediately changed.

She turned toward the cave.

For half a second, she remained still.

Then she disappeared.

Her body blurred forward.

The guard outside barely had time to react before Moonlight vanished into the darkness.

A moment later, she appeared beside Victor.

Her eyes widened.

Spiritual Energy was moving around him.

At first, it was only a faint current.

Then it grew stronger.

Energy began spiraling around Victor’s body.

Faster.

And faster.

Moonlight instinctively stepped back.

The Spiritual Energy continued gathering until it formed a swirling vortex around Victor’s unmoving body.

Loose currents twisted through the cave, circling him in chaotic streams.

Moonlight stared.

She could feel it.

Victor was breaking through.

Rank Seven—

To Rank Eight.

Her eyes narrowed.

Something felt strange.

Moonlight had witnessed cultivators advancing through the ranks of the Body Tempering Realm before.

This wasn’t supposed to feel like this.

The fluctuations surrounding Victor were far more powerful than she expected.

The amount of Spiritual Energy being drawn toward him.

The intensity of the disturbance.

It felt closer to something she would expect from a cultivator entering the Spirit Gathering Realm.

Moonlight watched carefully.

But she didn’t interfere.

Whatever was happening, Victor’s breakthrough was nearly complete.

The Spiritual Energy continued swirling around him.

Then—

It began to slow.

The violent currents gradually weakened.

The spiraling energy compressed inward, gathering closer and closer to Victor until it formed a dense sphere around him.

For a brief moment—

The cave became completely still.

Then the energy collapsed inward.

It vanished into Victor.

Silence returned.

Moonlight stared at him.

Victor slowly opened his eyes.

For several seconds, his expression remained distant.

As though part of him was still somewhere else.

Then his eyes focused.

And the first person he saw was Moonlight.

Victor blinked.

A small smile appeared on his face.

Moonlight stood silently before him.

Victor looked around the cave.

Then back at her.

”How long was I out?”

Moonlight’s expression immediately changed.

She crossed her arms.

A faint pout appeared on her face.

Victor raised an eyebrow.

Moonlight stared at him.

”How long do you think?”

Victor frowned.

”That’s usually not a good response.”

Moonlight continued staring.

Victor’s expression slowly changed.

”How long was I cultivating?”

”You’ve been cultivating for almost a month.”

Victor froze.

”What?”

Moonlight’s expression didn’t change.

”Almost a month.”

Victor stared at her.

Then his eyes widened.

”A month?”

Moonlight nodded.

Victor immediately looked down at himself.

His consciousness turned inward.

The changes were obvious.

His Spiritual Energy had become stronger.

More stable.

His control over it sharper than before.

And then he felt it.

Rank Eight.

Victor’s eyes widened.

A smile immediately appeared on his face.

He had broken through.

He had finally reached Rank Eight of the Body Tempering Realm.

Victor had remained at Rank Seven for nearly a month before entering his state of inspiration. After spending so long inside the Mana Lock Prison with his cultivation sealed, he had begun worrying about falling behind.

But now—

He had advanced.

Victor clenched his fist.

Excitement flickered in his eyes.

Then another thought entered his mind.

Victor immediately raised his hand.

Moonlight watched curiously.

Black fire appeared above his palm.

The flame flickered quietly.

Moonlight’s expression changed.

Her eyes drifted toward the ancient painting on the cave wall.

Samal.

A crimson flame burned in the painted man’s hand.

Then she looked back toward Victor.

Black fire danced above his palm.

Victor didn’t notice.

His attention was completely fixed on the flame.

Seconds passed.

Ten.

Twenty.

The flame remained stable.

Thirty seconds.

Forty.

Victor’s expression slowly brightened.

Moonlight watched silently.

Fifty seconds.

The flame flickered.

Victor immediately focused harder.

Then—

One minute.

The black flame finally disappeared.

Victor stared at his empty palm.

For half a second, nothing happened.

Then he clenched his fist and gave a small pump through the air.

”Finally.”

A wide smile spread across his face.

”I finally got it to a minute.”

Moonlight raised an eyebrow.

Victor looked down at his hand, his thoughts already racing.

Soul Power control.

One minute.

That was what he had been working toward.

If his calculations were correct, maintaining the flame for that long would finally allow him to complete the fusion stage of alchemy.

Excitement rose inside him.

I might finally be able to do it.

But he quickly pushed the thought aside.

That was something he could test later.

Right now—

Something far more important was on his mind.

Moonlight watched the excitement on his face.

Then she finally spoke.

”What happened?”

Victor’s smile faded.

His eyes moved toward the statue.

Samal stood silently at the end of the cave.

A flame rested in one hand.

The upside-down flask symbol in the other.

Victor stared at him.

For the first time, the statue felt completely different.

Before, Samal had been nothing more than an ancient mystery.

But now Victor knew.

Samal had been real.

Victor spoke slowly.

”I think...”

Moonlight waited.

Victor continued staring at the statue.

”I think I saw Samal.”

Moonlight’s eyes widened.

For several seconds, she simply stared at him.

”What?”

Victor didn’t immediately answer.

His mind returned to the vision.

Samal walking through the enormous garden.

The Guardian Spirit beside him.

The worry in his expression.

Then the words returned.

The beasts have finally won the war.

Victor’s expression became serious.

The other clans have all fallen.

We are the last remaining front.

And finally—

I’ll have to use the forbidden technique.

Victor remained silent.

What had Samal meant?

And what exactly was the forbidden technique Samal had been willing to use?

Victor didn’t have the answers.

And he wasn’t ready to tell Moonlight everything.

At least not until he understood more himself.

Victor slowly stood.

His legs felt strange after remaining in the same position for nearly a month.

He stretched slightly.

Then took one last look at Samal’s statue.

The man wasn’t a god.

He had walked these lands.

He had led people.

He had fought in a war.

Victor turned toward the entrance.

Moonlight followed.

Together, they walked out of the cave.

For the first time in nearly a month, Victor stepped outside.

Cool air touched his face.

The sounds of the forest reached his ears.

Victor took a deep breath.

Moonlight walked beside him.

For several moments, neither spoke.

Then Moonlight finally looked toward him.

”What do you mean you saw Samal?”

Victor glanced at her.

He was quiet for a moment.

Then shook his head.

”I don’t really know how to explain it.”

Moonlight waited.

Victor looked ahead.

”I saw him in a vision.”

Moonlight’s expression became more serious.

”And the Guardian Spirit was there too.”

Moonlight stopped walking.

Victor took another step before noticing.

He turned toward her.

Moonlight stared at him.

”You saw the Guardian Spirit?”

Victor nodded.

Moonlight remained silent for several seconds.

Then she spoke.

”We should tell Oheema.”

Victor considered it.

Maybe Oheema knew something.

Maybe she knew more about Samal than the cave paintings revealed.

After a moment, Victor nodded.

”Yeah.”

Moonlight began walking again.

Victor followed beside her.

Together, they made their way toward the village.