"To know or not to know, it depends on whether you dare to step forward," Ruo Xianxue said, her voice filled with subtle mockery. "Sooner or later, you will rot along with those monkeys."

  Zhi Xuan opened his eyes. His dark Sea of Consciousness immediately disappeared, replaced by the damp cave scene. The rain outside had subsided to a gentle drizzle, and the herded livestock were now squatting calmly in the corner of the cave. He felt a gentle warmth from the essence emitted by his Heavenly Samsara Wheel, soothing the goats and buffaloes around him.

  "Mortal monkeys," Zhi Xuan muttered, repeating Ruo Xianxue's taunt. He rose from his cross-legged sitting position.

  The calmness he gained from the brief meditation in his Sea of Consciousness had solidified his doubt into cold determination. Ruo Xianxue was right; in the cultivation world, reluctance to step forward was equivalent to choosing the fate of a victim.

  "I will step forward," Zhi Xuan muttered, his voice low but filled with resolve.

  Zhi Xuan immediately led the livestock out of the cave. The rain had stopped, and the cool, damp air greeted him. He used his Heavenly Samsara Wheel to calm the livestock once more, guiding them onto the path he had previously taken.

  The sunset light illuminated the forest with a distinct glow, and puddles caused by rainwater splashed onto the animals' fur, giving a calming yet peaceful atmosphere.

  In front of the familiar hunter's camp, Uncle Ling's shed stood firmly, adorned with the hustle and bustle of the village hunters, their faces tense and full of anticipation. Zhi Xuan immediately set aside the livestock first, directing the herd to be temporarily suspended.

  Zhi Xuan waved his hand at Shi Zi who was sitting on a wooden bench. "Shi Zi, take this livestock first!"

  Shi Zi, whose face still showed fatigue and worry, immediately jumped from the bench. He shot toward the herd with the speed of a new Gold Foundation, his Divine Wheel spinning to emit a gentle aura, replacing Zhi Xuan in tending to the restless goats and buffaloes.

  "They are safe, Zhi Xuan!" Shi Zi exclaimed with sincere relief. "I have told Grandpa Wu and the other Gold Foundations. Uncle Chen and the veteran Gold Foundations have gone to the Southern Grassland, they said they will secure the area."

  He Xin, who had just finished feeding Uncle Xu's horse, approached Zhi Xuan. His voice lowered to a whisper. "Grandpa Wu said it was the North Village's doing."

  Zhi Xuan narrowed his eyes. North Village was another hunter village located on the forest border. Although they shared trade routes, their relationship was tense and tinged with suspicion.

  "North Village?" Zhi Xuan repeated, his tone cold and disbelieving. "They don't even have a Blood Transformation cultivator, let alone someone using a powerful Poison Talisman."

  "That is just Grandpa Wu's speculation," He Xin whispered, his eyes scanning the hunters around them. "Grandpa Wu wants you to return to the village immediately, he has something important for you."

  Zhi Xuan nodded. He felt the excitement and anxiety of the other gathered Gold Foundations—they all wanted to know the details of the incident at the pond. Zhi Xuan ignored them and immediately shot off to return to the village.

  Zhi Xuan sped through the forest, his Gold Foundation spinning rapidly. Within fifteen minutes, he was already in Star Village square. The atmosphere was tense, but there was a faint layer of happiness.

  He decided to visit Granny Mu first, to complete his mission of finding the Nine Dew Leaf to heal the foundation injuries of Deng and the eight other youths.

  Zhi Xuan quickly stepped toward Granny Mu's residence, which also served as the village herbal hospital. The wooden door was wide open, and Zhi Xuan saw Deng—the youth who was previously lying sick—now sitting upright on his bed.

  Around him, eight other youths with foundation injuries were also sitting, their faces, which had been pale, now radiated a great glimmer of hope upon seeing Zhi Xuan return.

  "I'm back, friends," Zhi Xuan said, his voice filled with momentary cheerful relief that made him forget his fear. "I managed to bring the Nine Dew Leaf!"

  All the youths jumped out of their beds, except Deng who was still too weak. Their faces shone, and they crowded around Zhi Xuan.

  "Zhi Xuan, you are truly amazing!" exclaimed one of the youths, his eyes filled with admiration. "We can't believe you returned this fast!"

  "Where is Elder Mu?" Zhi Xuan asked, scanning the room.

  "Granny Mu is in the kitchen, preparing the boiled water," Deng replied, his voice weak but filled with emotion. Deng tried to stand, but his legs trembled.

  "Don't move, Deng," Zhi Xuan commanded, his voice gentle. He walked toward Deng and touched his shoulder with the gentle warmth from his Heavenly Samsara Wheel essence.

  Zhi Xuan immediately moved to the kitchen, finding Granny Mu stirring a large pot of water, herbal smoke wafting up.

  "Granny Mu, I succeeded," Zhi Xuan said. He took out the Spiritual Pouch from his belt, and with a subtle movement, he projected essence. The Nine Dew Leaf appeared, radiating a calm and gentle aura.

  Granny Mu, who was usually composed, was surprised. Her old eyes widened at the clear Nine Dew Leaf. "Good, very good, Zhi Xuan! With this, Deng and the others will be completely cured!"

  Granny Mu immediately took the leaf carefully. "You rest first, Zhi Xuan. Let Granny prepare the concoction."

  Zhi Xuan nodded, pouring all the leaves onto the table. When finished, he stored the spiritual pouch back on his waist.

  "Granny Mu, I excuse myself to go meet Grandpa Wu first." Zhi Xuan clasped his hands in front of his chest.

  Granny Mu smiled warmly and nodded. "Be careful, Zhi Xuan."

  Zhi Xuan left Granny Mu's residence. The atmosphere in the village felt like a mixture of restrained celebration and deep fear. The happiness over the recovery of Deng and the others mixed with the anxiety over the cultivator fight in the Southern Grassland.

  Zhi Xuan immediately headed toward Grandpa Wu's wooden house located on a small hill. Grandpa Wu was sitting on his rocking chair, looking at the village square, his expression grim.

  "Grandpa Wu," Zhi Xuan called, bowing deeply.

  Grandpa Wu opened his eyes and gestured for Zhi Xuan to sit on the wooden bench beside him. "You have returned, my child. Uncle Chen and the veteran Gold Foundations have cleaned the area, but the spiritual stench still lingers. I am worried."

  "I saw the corpse, Grandpa," Zhi Xuan said, his voice low and cold. "It wasn't just death. It was spiritual corruption. A Poison Talisman."

  Grandpa Wu's eyes narrowed sharply. He nodded slowly. "I suspected as much. Poison Talisman... Only Evil Sects dare to use it openly. North Village is just an alibi, Zhi Xuan."

  Grandpa Wu let out a long sigh, his gaze shifting to the Shadow Cliff in the distance. "Deng and the others will recover thanks to you. You have saved the Gold Foundation of Star Village, Zhi Xuan."

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  Grandpa Wu then leaned forward, his tone lowering to a secret whisper. "Now, we must save ourselves from a greater danger. That Poison Talisman, or whoever possesses it, is attracted to one thing: the Five Elements Scroll."

  Zhi Xuan was shocked, he did not know what the Five Elements Scroll was, but hearing Grandpa Wu whispering so secretly, this must be a serious matter.

  "F-Five Elements Scroll?" Zhi Xuan asked skeptically.

  "Yes," Grandpa Wu rose from the rocking chair, grabbing his cane and looking up at the sky. "The Five Elements Scroll, is a scroll that shows the realm above Body Transformation."

  Zhi Xuan was silent. He had heard of Blood, Organ, and Consciousness Transformation—the stages of Body Transformation. But another realm? In Star Village, the Gold Foundation was considered the highest, Consciousness Transformation, which Grandpa Wu and Uncle Chen had reached. The realm above that was an impossible thing.

  "The realm above Body Transformation? What realm is that, Grandpa Wu?" Zhi Xuan asked, his eyes widening in shock. "I have only heard of First Ember, Blood, Organ, and Consciousness Transformation."

  Grandpa Wu smiled bitterly. "You are right, Zhi Xuan. For us, the Gold Foundations, those realms are the limits of our knowledge. First Ember is the perfection of the Divine Wheel, followed by Body Transformation. However, after Consciousness Transformation, there is another realm that is rarely discussed, even by the village Elders."

  Grandpa Wu walked to the wall of his house, pulling aside a worn cloth, revealing an ancient, cracked wall painting. The painting showed five shining figures, each surrounded by a different element: fire, water, earth, wind, and lightning.

  "This... is the Five Elements Realm," Grandpa Wu whispered, touching the painting with a trembling hand. "A realm where cultivators not only condense their bodies, but integrate the essence of nature into their Divine Wheel. They choose one element as the core and balance the other four. It is an unimaginable power—the power to borrow the essence of nature itself."

  "The Five Elements Realm is a legend," Grandpa Wu continued. "It is a promise, Zhi Xuan. A promise of power that allows us to fight against external forces. And this Five Elements Scroll is the map to that realm."

  Zhi Xuan stared at the painting in awe. His Heavenly Samsara Wheel trembled slightly, as if it resonated with the promise of that astonishing power.

  "The Five Elements Realm," Zhi Xuan muttered, repeating the words. The image of the five figures radiating different auras seemed so real, emitting an aura that surpassed Consciousness Transformation.

  Zhi Xuan took a deep breath, digesting the information that changed his worldview. Poison Talisman, Five Elements Realm, and Evil Sects—it all suddenly connected the dots of the horror he had witnessed.

  "Then what should we do, Grandpa Wu?" Zhi Xuan asked, his voice returning to cold determination.

  Grandpa Wu leaned forward and handed a small, old and worn leather scroll to Zhi Xuan.

  "We can no longer hide. We must know who our enemy is. I cannot leave the village, Uncle Chen is on duty. Only you can be relied on, Zhi Xuan."

  Zhi Xuan flinched, Grandpa Wu's words felt stinging and heavy to him. "M-me?" He clutched the small leather scroll Grandpa Wu gave him.

  Grandpa Wu nodded, his voice filled with deep coercion. "You have great potential, Zhi Xuan. Although I do not know what the secret inside you is. This village is only a shackle to your growing curiosity."

  Grandpa Wu placed his wrinkled hand on Zhi Xuan's shoulder, imparting a heavy burden of responsibility.

  "You must go. Go to Shoutuo City. Use your intelligence in the Exchange Market. Find out about which sect uses the Poison Talisman and who is hunting the Five Elements Scroll. The scroll I just gave you is a map you must follow to deceive them if they follow you."

  Grandpa Wu sighed. "Secondly, you must find out about the Flame of Sunrose Flower or other spiritual resources that can help the Gold Foundation reach First Ember. We need true power to protect ourselves."

  Grandpa Wu smiled again, this time his smile was sincere, bringing a sense of pride as well as farewell.

  "You have been devoted enough to the village all this time, go wander and find yourself." Grandpa Wu patted Zhi Xuan's shoulder gently, then turned and walked back to his rocking chair.

  Zhi Xuan stared at the scroll in his hand, this heavy and sudden task felt like liberation and a promise that would satisfy his curiosity. However, deep in his heart, a sense of injustice arose. Why was he the only one given such a task?

  He was only a Gold Foundation who had just stabilized his Divine Wheel—or, more accurately, his Heavenly Samsara Wheel. His friends, Tang, Bashan, and Zhuwei, were much more stable and purely founded Gold Foundations. They had undergone years of rigorous training under Grandpa Wu, he was the youngest among the veterans.

  "Why only me, Grandpa Wu?" Zhi Xuan asked, his voice slightly choked by sudden emotion. He clutched the leather scroll tightly. "We are the new Gold Foundations. Aren't Uncle Chen or Teacher Bao much stronger and more experienced?"

  Grandpa Wu, sitting back in his rocking chair, opened his eyes. His gaze was no longer that of a leader giving orders, but an Elder conveying destiny.

  "Chen, Bao, and the other veteran Gold Foundations are Gold Foundations bound to the Five-Star Formation," Grandpa Wu explained, his tone gentle but full of authority.

  "They are the Gold Foundations that guard and protect. They are the roots that must not be uprooted. If that Poison Talisman, or whatever sect is hunting it, smells the aura of an Organ Transformation Gold Foundation, the entire village will be attacked."

  Grandpa Wu smiled bitterly. "As for you, Zhi Xuan... Your Divine Wheel is the most special anomaly. Your Divine Wheel is not bound to the Five-Star Formation. Your aura is too strange. To outside cultivators, you are merely a novice Gold Foundation with a pure foundation, but whose aura they cannot define. You can hide in their sight. You are a fallen leaf that can be carried by the wind anywhere without suspicion."

  He patted the wooden bench beside him. "Sit down, son. I am not giving you this task because I do not care. I am giving it to you because I have no choice. And because I know, among all the youths I raised, you are the most thirsty for answers."

  Zhi Xuan fell silent. This bitter acknowledgment felt heavier than the threat of the Poison Talisman. He was the knife used to investigate the darkness, not because he was the strongest, but because he was the easiest to ignore.

  "I understand," Zhi Xuan said, nodding slowly. He sat next to Grandpa Wu, allowing the weight of that destiny to creep onto his shoulders. "I will go. But I will return. Star Village will remain safe."

  Grandpa Wu smiled, a smile that showed deep relief. "I know, son. I know. Now go. Go and find yourself."

  Zhi Xuan left Grandpa Wu's house, heading straight for his shack. The sun had completely set, and the faint moonlight enveloped the village. He had to prepare for a journey that would take him far from the boundaries of the mortal village.

  He sat cross-legged on the rough wooden bench in his lonely shack, closing his eyes and sinking into his Sea of Consciousness. There, he looked back at his dark, calm, and boundless Sea of Consciousness, only adorned by the spinning silver Heavenly Samsara Wheel and the Ancient Devil Monument residing at the bottom.

  "Red stone..." Zhi Xuan looked down, his eyes dimming with restlessness and sadness. "Why did Grandpa Wu's words feel like he was chasing me away?"

  The Ancient Devil Monument trembled briefly, emitting a red light that now felt colder, the aura of disgust that usually overflowed now growing larger accompanied by cruel laughter.

  "Pathetic mortal cruelty," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice filled with mockery. "He is not chasing you away, Gold Foundation boy. He is sending you. He is using you because you are the sharpest and easiest to hide knife he possesses."

  Ruo Xianxue laughed, a cold laugh that roared at the bottom of the Sea of Consciousness. "He acknowledged your specialty in the most painful way for mortal morality: he acknowledged that your Divine Wheel is an anomaly. The other Gold Foundations are roots bound to the Five-Star Formation. They are strong, but transparent to outside cultivators. You? You are a fallen leaf that can be carried by the wind anywhere without suspicion."

  "I know that," Zhi Xuan replied, his voice low but filled with bitterness. "I hate this feeling. The feeling of being ignored, then acknowledged because of obscurity..."

  "Foolishness!" Ruo Xianxue cut in sharply. "You are too weak and whining like a baby. I do not want the body I reside in to die from cheap sentimentality."

  Zhi Xuan lowered his head deeper, his body trembling. "I just want to have a family and live peacefully. Why must this world differentiate me just because I am like an anomaly?"

  Silence once again enveloped the Sea of Consciousness. Ruo Xianxue, who was usually fiery, was now silent. Her cold laughter subsided, replaced by a calm voice, like flowing ice.

  "Peace? Family?" Ruo Xianxue replied, her voice containing deep irony. "You saw the cultivator's remains in that pond, didn't you? That is the result of peace hunters. Your peace is only limited by the bamboo fence of your Star Village. Out there, peace must be fought for with blood and essence. If you want to protect the mortal 'family' you love, you must become the cruelest, the most cunning, the strongest."

  Zhi Xuan raised his head, his sapphire-blue eyes staring directly at the pulsing red Ancient Devil Monument. The bitterness on his face had been replaced by cold and calm determination.

  "Cruel?" Zhi Xuan gritted his teeth, he was sick of hearing Ruo always talking about being cruel. "What can you give me? If being cruel can protect my family, tell me the price."

  The Ancient Devil Monument trembled violently, but this time not from anger, but from cold satisfaction.

  "Cruel? No, Pragmatic," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice like the whisper of wind from the deepest abyss. "The price is blind trust and my full recovery. You must reach Consciousness Transformation as quickly as possible, growing the tree of life. You need me more than I need you."

  Zhi Xuan clenched his jaw. "I will not give you my trust, Ruo Xianxue. I will only do what I must for the village."

  Zhi Xuan growled low, his body trembling with anger. Achieving Consciousness Transformation quickly seemed like a daydream. How could he traverse that realm in a short time when Grandpa Wu and Uncle Chen needed decades or even hundreds of years.

  "You're crazy!" Zhi Xuan shouted angrily, pointing at the bottom of his sea of consciousness.