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Standing before the gray building, Shawn Young noticed a peculiar sheen reflecting back at him. Looking closer, he realized it was a metal wall. To the left of the wall was a grove of trees. Colonel Hank Han turned to Shawn and said, "This is the Command Center's security gate. You need a whole series of identification systems to get in. Uh, I’ll go in first to report, and change out of these clothes. Comrade Shawn, please wait outside for a moment!"
"Okay, got it!" Shawn replied.
Colonel Han strode up to the metal wall and shouted at it, "Your mom, your sister, your grandma! Open up! Let me in!"
Beep—beep— As the electronic sound rang out, a cold mechanical voice came from behind the metal wall: "Voice match correct—Access granted!"
Colonel Han turned to the stunned Shawn Young and explained, "This is the first voice recognition system. As long as your voice is on the approved list, you can say anything and still get in! I say something different every time, hehe—"
"Oh, so that's how it works! I thought the password to get through this door would be super weird! Haha—" Shawn laughed in understanding.
Next, a door slowly opened in the metal wall. Colonel Han stepped inside, only to find another metal wall. This one had a device next to the door shaped like a pair of glasses. Colonel Han took off his 'straw hat,' leaned in, and the device emitted a thin red beam that scanned his pupils.
Beep—beep— Eye pattern and sclera matched. Identity confirmed: Colonel Hank Han. Welcome to the Command Center! A synthesized computer voice sounded from the door as the metal door slowly closed, separating Han from Shawn Young outside.
Shawn Young was secretly amazed. Today, he finally got to see the 'eye pattern and sclera' recognition system that only appeared in sci-fi movies. He waited calmly outside the metal wall.
But Shawn Young quickly noticed that everything around him suddenly went silent. Even the distant shouts from the training field faded away. The air felt heavy, making him a little tense—at least, that’s how Shawn felt. He even sensed someone secretly watching his every move. Instinctively, he turned to look at the grove on his left.
Just then, he heard a strange 'whoosh' sound by his ear. Shawn spun around, only to find the metal wall a few meters ahead had vanished without a trace. In its place, a thick mist enveloped him. Shawn looked around—the metal wall and gray building had disappeared, and he felt as if he’d fallen into a boundless sea of fog.
Shawn’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately realized—he’d been drawn into a Veil Domain set by a cultivator. He had no idea why something so bizarre would happen in such a heavily guarded place, but he knew that to escape the Veil Domain, he had to find the person who cast it.
But with mist everywhere, he had no idea where he was, let alone how to find the person who set the domain. Shawn quietly activated his Celestial Essence, keeping his hands raised defensively around himself.
Suddenly, the mist trembled and swirled. Not far in front of Shawn, a stunning beauty appeared—her hair tied at a slant, her face sweet but fierce. She wore a tight black leather outfit with short leather shorts, her long, toned legs exposed, and black knee-high boots. A black leather glove covered her right hand, accentuating her curvaceous, sexy figure and dangerous allure. Her skin glowed with a healthy, reddish tan.
"Uh—you—you're Jade Swann!" Shawn immediately recognized the feisty little sorceress. He hadn’t expected her to show up here, let alone set a Veil Domain to trap him!
Jade Swann just stared coldly at Shawn, saying nothing. Suddenly, Shawn noticed a sharp dagger flick into her hand. In her grip, it moved like a living viper, darting and flashing, as quick and dazzling as a serpent flicking its tongue. The cold glint made Shawn’s eyes blur.
Suddenly, Jade Swann froze, standing there with her eyes half-closed, staring intently at Shawn. What made Shawn most uneasy was the burning desire to fight in her eyes—a fierce, overwhelming battle spirit! Shawn could feel the intensity radiating from her.
"Thunder Flash—!" Jade Swann cried out. Her clear, melodious voice rang out as Shawn’s vision blurred. A black figure tore through the mist, a flash of icy light sweeping toward him at terrifying speed!
Shawn was shocked. He instinctively activated his Celestial Essence and leapt back, but couldn’t make out Jade Swann’s form as she charged. In a blink, she was right at his side, her dagger raised.
Shawn was shocked. He quickly formed a Diamond Seal with his hands and chanted a spell, "Divine arms ignite, true spirit appear, wind, cloud, thunder, lightning, shield my soul—by the law, grant!" A red glow exploded around him in the illusionary sea, enveloping his body. In this dire moment, Shawn unleashed the emergency Guardian's Armament Spell!
"Thunder Break—!" Jade Swann's expression didn’t change, but her dagger shifted, transforming into a flickering arc of light that attacked Shawn from multiple angles, even as he was shielded by the Guardian's Armament Spell.
Swish! Swish! Swish!—Crack! Crack! Crack!
A dazzling flash of cold light mixed with the roar of thunder swept by. Shawn was stunned to find that the Guardian's Armament Spell, which he thought was impenetrable, was actually at risk of being pierced by Jade Swann’s dagger! The protective energy faded quickly with every flash, and soon Shawn felt a bone-chilling cold—what terrifying killing intent!
In a split second, Shawn retreated several steps, quickly forming the Supreme Clarity Seal with his hands and chanting, "Ascend to Supreme Clarity, swirl and birth the Purple Star, cross the Three Pure Shores, true energy flow—by the law, open!"
With a twist of the Supreme Clarity Seal, Shawn’s Celestial Essence burst forth, instantly forming a ring of protective red light around him. Jade Swann’s savage dagger attack stalled, unable to penetrate the red shield of energy.
But she didn’t give up. Instead, she leapt back several steps, forming a strange gesture with her left hand, tracing a graceful arc in the air, and shouted, "Thunderfire—!" Then she slapped her left hand forcefully onto her right.
In the blink of an eye, a dazzling blue electric light burst from the dagger in her right hand. Even several meters away, Shawn could feel the overwhelming killing intent radiating from the blade! Jade Swann herself was now brimming with murderous energy, her hair loose and her cold eyes flashing with a sinister red glow.
She moved. Her dagger, crackling with blue lightning, slashed toward Shawn again. This time, Shawn truly felt his life hanging by a thread! If he didn’t react, he’d end up dying for no reason under Jade Swann’s bizarre attack, no matter how gorgeous she was! But Shawn wasn’t about to let himself die so senselessly at her hands.
Terrified, Shawn’s mind suddenly went blank. At this critical moment, a domineering incantation surfaced in the illusionary sea. Without hesitation, Shawn summoned all his Celestial Essence and chanted a spell he’d never used before—the Heavenfire Dragon Spell: "Divine might from eight directions, empower me by nature, tenfold celestial guardians, protect my domain, Fire God unleashed—by the law, grant!"
A roaring, blinding fire shot straight up to the heavens. Around Shawn, a mighty red fire dragon appeared, radiating an overwhelming aura. The dragon seemed alive, baring its claws and teeth as it swept toward Jade Swann, whose dagger was poised to strike at Shawn’s throat. In an instant, the fire dragon engulfed her!
For the first time, fear flickered in Jade Swann’s icy eyes. She quickly clasped her hands together in a protective gesture and shouted, "Thunder Mountain—!" A blue glow surged around her, covering her body just as the fire dragon swallowed her whole!
Whoosh—BOOM!
The fire dragon completely enveloped her, swirling and roaring with a domineering force! Jade Swann was trapped inside. Dust billowed as the red fire dragon and blue glow collided, erupting in a thunderous explosion before dispersing. In moments, the red shadow faded and shot back into Shawn’s body.