Eternal Tower: Atreia Era

The battle on the western city wall gradually subsided, and the Dragon-Demon Alliance temporarily retreated, leaving behind corpses and black mist. The stench of blood and foul ether in the air was still strong, but much weaker than before. The Celestial Guardians collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, each face showing exhaustion, yet also a sense of relief at surviving a catastrophe.

Lynn walked to the breach in the city wall, carefully examining the damage, his brow furrowed deeply. The crack in the wall was already quite large. Although the defense had been temporarily held, if the Dragon-Demon Alliance launched another large-scale attack, the breach could very well be completely breached. He circulated the light ether within his body, condensing a massive barrier of light to temporarily seal the breach. At the same time, he said to the guardians around him, "Everyone, replenish your ether and treat your injuries as quickly as possible. The Dragon-Demon Alliance will attack again soon, and we must be prepared."

"Yes!" the guardians responded one after another, immediately taking out pills and quickly circulating the ether within their bodies to treat their injuries.

Lynn turned back to Lina's side. By this time, Lina had regained some strength, and the ether within her body was slowly recovering. Seeing Lynn approach, Lina quickly stood up and said with concern, "Lynn, are you alright? You used up too much ether when you broke through just now."

Lynn gently shook her head, her tone gentle: "I'm fine, just a little tired. I'll be alright after a rest. But how are you? Are you feeling any discomfort?"

"I'm much better now, thanks to the healing pills my mentor gave me. My injuries have eased considerably, and my ether is slowly recovering." Lina smiled, her eyes full of relief. "Lynn, you're amazing! You actually broke through to the mid-level guardian level in the middle of the battle and even killed a mid-level late-stage dragonman general."

Lynn smiled humbly, "It was just luck. If you hadn't bought me time, I wouldn't have been able to break through so smoothly. Moreover, we can't let our guard down now. The Dragon Demon Alliance still has high-level combatants stationed there, and they will launch another attack soon. We must recover our strength as soon as possible and be prepared."

Just then, a figure strode quickly towards the western wall of the city. It was Raymond, the commander of Blackrock Fortress. Seeing Lynn and Lina, his eyes filled with approval. He quickly stepped forward and said with satisfaction, "Lyn, Lina, you did a great job! If it weren't for your timely support, the western wall would probably have already fallen. Lynn, you actually broke through to the mid-level Guardian level during the battle! Truly a young talent, living up to Grand Instructor Gavin's expectations."

"You flatter me, Commander. It's all we should do," Lynn said, bowing. "Commander, although I have temporarily sealed the breach in the western wall with the Light Barrier, the wall is severely damaged. If the Dragon-Demon Alliance launches another large-scale attack, I'm afraid we won't be able to withstand it. Moreover, I just sensed an extremely powerful aura approaching from outside the fortress, which is most likely a high-ranking general of the Dragon-Demon Alliance."

Raymond's expression instantly turned serious, and he nodded: "You're right, I sensed that aura too. That was a high-ranking general of the dragon race, and one of the commanders of the Dragon-Demon Alliance's attack on Blackrock Fortress—Karon. His strength is comparable to mine, and he's extremely powerful, skilled in manipulating corrupted ether and dragonfire. The Dragon-Demon Alliance's retreat just now was to allow Karon to prepare. Next, he will definitely personally launch a strong attack on Blackrock Fortress."

He paused, then continued, "The guardians within the fortress have suffered heavy casualties, and the ether is severely depleted, making it extremely difficult to withstand Charon's attack. Lynn, you have just broken through to the mid-level guardian, greatly increasing your strength, and you are skilled in light combat techniques, which are effective against Charon's corrupted ether; Lina, you excel in support and defense, and can protect the guardians around you, providing us with support. From now on, the two of you will join me in guarding the main gate of the fortress and dealing with Charon's attack."

"Your subordinates obey!" Lynn and Lina bowed and accepted the order, their hearts filled with determination. They knew that the battle to come would be even more brutal, but they were not afraid in the slightest. They only wanted to fight with all their might to defend Blackrock Fortress and protect the territory of the Celestials.

The three quickly arrived at the fortress's main gate. The guardians there were already prepared for battle, each gripping their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed resolutely on the outside of the fortress. In the distance, the massive dragon-demon alliance had regrouped, led by a dragon general clad in dark dragon-scale armor. He was a burly man, his body covered in hard, black dragon scales, swirling with dense, murky ethereal energy. His eyes were as cold as millennia-old ice, and the dragon's might emanating from him was an invisible, overwhelming pressure that swept across the entire battlefield—this was none other than the high-ranking dragon general, Karon.

Charon's gaze swept across the fortress walls, his eyes filled with savagery and disdain. He waved his hand, and the warriors of the Dragon-Demon Alliance immediately ceased their agitation and fell silent. Then, Charon's voice, imbued with powerful dragon might, resounded across the battlefield like thunder: "Raymond, open the gates and surrender Blackrock Fortress at once, and I may spare your lives! Otherwise, once I breach the fortress, I will slaughter you all and reduce Blackrock Fortress to scorched earth!"

Raymond sneered, his body erupting with a burst of luminous ether, his aura surging to meet Karon's dragon might head-on: "Karon, don't even dream of it! Blackrock Fortress is Celestial territory. We Celestial Guardians would rather die in battle than surrender! Today, I will show you that the dignity of the Celestial Guardians is inviolable!"

"You'll regret it if you don't listen to reason!" A murderous glint flashed in Kalon's eyes. The filthy ether around him erupted instantly, and his figure blurred, transforming into a streak of black light as he pounced towards the main gate of the fortress. A huge black dragon claw condensed in his palm, surrounded by dense filthy ether and dragon flames, its power strong enough to easily destroy the city wall.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves to defend against the enemy's attack!" Raymond roared, conjuring a massive golden battle sword in his hand. His surroundings surged with luminous ether as he charged towards Karon. "Lynn, Lina, you two are responsible for holding back the surrounding dragon demon warriors and protecting the guardians around you. Do not approach the battlefield between Karon and me, lest you be caught in the crossfire!"

"Yes!" Lynn and Lina responded simultaneously, turning around and throwing themselves into the battle.

Bang! Raymond's golden battle sword clashed violently with Charon's black dragon claws. The golden light and the black, murky ether erupted violently, creating a destructive shockwave that swept outwards. The fortress walls trembled violently, debris flew everywhere, and the guardians on the walls were forced back by the shockwave, forced to form a barrier of light to withstand the impact.

The two instantly clashed, golden light and black mist intertwining and colliding in the center of the battlefield. The clanging of weapons and the booming of ether eruptions echoed throughout the entire battlefield. Raymond's golden battle sword was sharp and holy, each strike carrying the power to purify all impurities, firmly suppressing Charon's corrupted ether; Charon's dragon claws were powerful and violent, each strike carrying earth-shattering power, the dragon flames distorting the surrounding air as he engaged in a life-or-death duel with Raymond.

Wielding the Judgment of Light, Lynn moved nimbly across the battlefield, displaying the full strength of a mid-level guardian. His Judgment of Light had reached the peak of the mid-level, and with the application of Light Purification, each blade of light cleansed the filth and shadow power from his enemies, slaying dragon warriors as easily as cutting vegetables. At the same time, he kept an eye on Raymond and Karon's battle, ready to rush to their aid should Raymond find himself in danger.

Lina had also recovered most of her strength. While unleashing Light Slash to restrain the surrounding dragon warriors, she also released Light Aether to heal the wounded guardians and reinforce the Light Barrier. Her control over the Aether was extremely precise, and the power of light was gentle and pure, able to quickly alleviate the guardians' injuries and enhance their combat power, becoming the most solid support on the battlefield.

The battle intensified, with waves of Dragon-Demon allied warriors charging forward. Although the Celestial Guardians fought valiantly, the disparity in numbers remained overwhelming, and casualties steadily increased. The battle between Raymond and Charon reached a stalemate; both were expending energy and sustaining wounds. While Raymond's light power could suppress Charon's corrupted aether, Charon's dragonfire was extremely powerful, each eruption causing significant damage to Raymond.

"Raymond, you can't outlast me!" Kalon sneered, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes. "My dragonfire can continuously absorb the impure ether of heaven and earth to replenish its power, while the luminous ether within you will eventually be exhausted! At that time, Blackrock Fortress will still fall to me!"

Raymond's expression was grave; he knew Charon's words were true. Charon's dragonfire talent was extremely powerful, allowing him to sustain himself using the corrupted ether, while his light power relied entirely on the accumulation within his own etheric sea. If the fight dragged on for too long, he would inevitably be put on the defensive. But he could not back down—he was the commander of Blackrock Fortress, the guardian of the Celestials; he had to defend the fortress and protect the creatures on the border.

Just then, Charon seized an opening, suddenly channeling all the tainted ether within his body, and spewed out a massive black dragon flame. The flame, wreathed in dense tainted ether, possessed immense power, and hurtled towards Raymond. Raymond's expression changed drastically; he tried to dodge but it was too late. He could only focus all his strength on building a barrier of light to shield himself.

Bang! The black dragon flames slammed into the Barrier of Light, causing golden light to flash violently. The Barrier of Light was covered with countless cracks and shattered instantly. Raymond was struck hard by the dragon flames and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the city wall. Blood gushed from the corner of his mouth, and the aether within his body instantly became chaotic. His life force rapidly weakened, and he could no longer stand up.

"Commander!" Lynn and Lina were filled with anxiety when they saw this and wanted to rush over to support Raymond immediately.

"Hahaha, Raymond, you've finally met your match!" Charon let out a wild, arrogant laugh, his eyes filled with smugness. "Now, no one can stop me! Blackrock Fortress will fall today!"

At this critical moment, Lynn flashed and instantly rushed in front of Raymond. His ether surged wildly within him, and he unleashed the full power of the Judgment of Light. The golden lightsaber, carrying the strongest power of judgment and purification, slashed fiercely at Karon's dragon claw.

Caron flashed forward, lunging at Raymond. A massive dragon claw materialized in his palm, intent on annihilating Raymond. "A mere mid-level guardian dares to block my way?" Caron's eyes flashed with disdain. With a slight flick of his wrist, the dragon claw changed direction, viciously grabbing at Lynn's Judgment of Light.

Bang! The golden lightsaber and the black dragon claw collided violently. Lynn was blasted back several steps by the shockwave, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His ethereal energy instantly became chaotic, and the light of the Judgment of Light in his hand gradually dimmed. Karon, however, remained unmoved, only slightly frowning, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "I didn't expect that a guardian who just broke through to the mid-level could actually withstand my attack. It seems that old bastard Gavin has indeed raised a decent disciple."

"You won't even think about harming the Commander!" Lynn gritted his teeth, forcibly stabilizing himself. The ether within his body circulated once more, unleashing the full power of Light Purification. A pure golden ball of light condensed in his palm, which he slammed down fiercely towards Karon. This ball of light was purer than any before, containing a rich purifying power, enough to cleanse some of the impure ether on Karon's body.

Kalon's expression changed slightly. He dared not be careless in the slightest. He raised his hand and waved a black energy blast towards the golden ball of light. Bang! The golden ball of light collided with the black energy blast. The power of light and the turbid ether erupted violently. Kalon was forced back a step by the shockwave. The turbid ether on his body became slightly disordered, and his aura weakened slightly.

"Interesting." A murderous glint flashed in Caron's eyes. "Since you're so eager to die, I'll kill you first, then Raymond, and breach Blackrock Fortress!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Karon flashed forward, lunging at Lynn. His dragon claws unleashed a barrage of black, dragon-flame-infused winds, relentlessly attacking Lynn. Lynn, enduring his injuries and exhaustion, used his full power in his Instant Step technique to nimbly evade the attacks, while simultaneously wielding the Light Judgment in his hand, barely managing to withstand Karon's onslaught. He knew that his strength was far inferior to Karon's; a direct confrontation was no match for him. He could only rely on his agility and the restraining effect of the Light Purification to keep Karon occupied while awaiting reinforcements from Lina and the other guardians.

Lina rushed to Raymond's side, quickly took out healing pills, fed them to him, and used her light power to alleviate his injuries. "Commander, how are you? Are you alright?" Lina asked anxiously.

Raymond slowly opened his eyes, his face pale, his voice weak but still grave: "I'm fine, just a bit overexerted by the ether, I'm seriously injured, I'll be alright after a rest. Lina, go quickly and support Lynn, Caron is incredibly strong, Lynn alone is no match for him, if we don't go support him soon, Lynn will be in danger!"

Lina nodded, her heart filled with anxiety. She quickly circulated the ether within her body and turned to rush towards the battlefield between Lynn and Caron. "Lynn, I'm here to support you!" Lina shouted, unleashing the full power of her Light Slash, several golden blades slashing fiercely towards Caron's back, attempting to restrain his attack.

Caron sensed the attack from behind, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes. He dodged the light blade to the side, and with a flick of his wrist, a jet of dark energy shot towards Lina. Seeing this, Lynn was filled with anxiety. Disregarding his own safety, he flashed forward, shielding Lina and taking the brunt of the black energy.

"Lynn!" Lina cried out, her eyes filled with tears, and quickly helped Lynn up.

Lynn shuddered, blood gushing from the corner of his mouth. His ether was instantly depleted, and he staggered, but he still gripped the Judgment of Light tightly, his eyes filled with unyielding fighting spirit: "Lina, I'm so glad you're alright... We can't give up, we must defend the fortress, we must..."

Just then, Karon's figure closed in again, his eyes filled with killing intent. His dragon claws gathered their strongest power, stabbing fiercely towards Lynn and Lina, intending to kill them both. Lynn and Lina were filled with despair. They had fought with all their might, yet they still couldn't withstand Karon's attack. Was Blackrock Fortress truly about to fall?

At this critical moment, a golden light streaked from afar, instantly blocking Lynn and Lina's path. With a wave of its hand, a massive golden blade of light slashed fiercely towards Karon. Karon's expression changed drastically. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. He was struck hard by the golden blade, instantly flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground. Black blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, the turbid ether within his body became chaotic, and his aura weakened significantly.

Lynn and Lina looked up, their eyes filled with surprise—the person who had come was none other than their head tutor, Gavin!

"Mentor!" Lynn and Lina exclaimed in unison, their eyes filled with excitement.

Gavin nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Lynn and Lina, his eyes filled with worry. He raised his hand and waved, two gentle rays of light ether flowing into their bodies to alleviate their injuries and fatigue: "Lynn, Lina, you've worked hard. It's good that you're alright."

Gavin then turned his gaze to Karon, his eyes filled with a sharp killing intent: "Karon, you dared to lead the Dragon-Demon Alliance to attack my Celestial Clan's border fortress and slaughter my Celestial Clan's guardians! Today, I will ensure you never return!"

Kalon slowly stood up, his face deathly pale, his eyes filled with fear and rage: "Gavin, you've actually come! It seems that breaching Blackrock Fortress today is impossible. But don't be smug. Our Dragon-Demon Alliance has found a fragment of the Tower of Eternity. Before long, we will find all the fragments, rebuild the Tower of Eternity, and control Atreia. At that time, your Celestial race will finally be enslaved by us!"

"Fragments of the Tower of Eternity?" Gavin, Lynn, and Lina were shocked, their eyes filled with astonishment. They hadn't expected that the Dragon Demon Alliance had actually found the fragments of the Tower of Eternity. This was undoubtedly devastating news—once the Dragon Demon Alliance gathered all the fragments and rebuilt the Tower of Eternity, Atreia would be plunged into an unprecedented crisis.

Seeing the three men's shocked expressions, Kalon's lips curled into a sinister grin: "That's right, it's a fragment of the Tower of Eternity! This fragment is located in Blackrock Valley near Blackrock Fortress. You're too late to stop us!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kalon abruptly raised his hand and threw out a black teleportation crystal. The crystal shattered instantly, and a black light enveloped his body. His figure gradually blurred as he sped away into the distance, quickly disappearing from the battlefield. He knew he was no match for Gavin, and staying would only lead to his death. He had no choice but to retreat, leaving behind clues about the fragments of the Tower of Eternity to disrupt the Celestials' plans.

Gavin watched the direction Karon fled, his eyes filled with seriousness, but he did not give chase. He had already consumed a considerable amount of ether on his way to the border, and the clues about the fragments of the Tower of Eternity left behind by Karon were even more important—if the Dragon Alliance were to seize the fragments, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Mentor, what should we do now? The Dragon Demon Alliance has found the fragments of the Tower of Eternity. We must find the fragments as soon as possible and stop them!" Lynn said solemnly, his injuries had eased considerably, and his eyes were full of determination.

Gavin nodded slightly, his tone grave. "You're right. The fragments of the Tower of Eternity are of paramount importance and must not fall into the hands of the Dragon-Demon Alliance. Commander Raymond is seriously injured and needs to rest. The task of guarding Blackrock Fortress will be entrusted to the remaining Guardians. Lynn, Lina, you will come with me to Blackrock Valley to find the fragments of the Tower of Eternity. We must find the fragments and bring them back to the Guardian Academy before the Dragon-Demon Alliance sends anyone to retrieve them."

"Your subordinates obey!" Lynn and Lina bowed and replied, their eyes filled with determination. They knew that the mission to find the fragments of the Tower of Eternity would be even more dangerous, but they were not afraid in the slightest—to protect the peace of Atreia and to stop the conspiracy of the Dragon Demon Alliance, they had to go all out and never back down no matter what dangers they encountered.

After arranging the defenses of Blackrock Fortress, Gavin, along with Lynn and Lina, sped off towards Blackrock Valley. A new adventure was about to begin—they would not only search for the fragments of the Tower of Eternity but also fend off the pursuit of the Dragon Alliance. A battle concerning the fate of Atreia had only just begun.

Blackrock Valley lies a hundred miles west of Blackrock Fortress. Legend has it that it was once the ruins of an ancient battlefield, perpetually shrouded in dense fog. This fog is mixed with residual impure ether and the malevolent energy of the ancient battlefield. Ordinary guardians who rashly enter will suffer at best etheric disorder, and at worst, their minds will be corrupted by the malevolent energy, turning them into mindless monsters. Gavin, leading Lynn and Lina, sped along, still seeing scattered corpses of dragon scouts along the way. Clearly, the Dragon Alliance had sent people to Blackrock Valley ahead of time, attempting to retrieve the fragments of the Tower of Eternity. The impure ether in the air grew increasingly dense, foreshadowing the danger that lay ever closer.