The moment the touch occurred, a bone-chilling sensation shot into Zhi Xuan's arm. It was pure Cold Essence from the Pole, as if his entire Sea of Consciousness was assaulted by a cosmic winter.

  "Pull! Now!" Ruo Xianxue commanded. The Ancient Devil Monument pulsed violently. The Silent Mantle runes, which originally only disguised the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, now spun outward, siphoning the Cold Essence. The deadly Cold Essence was absorbed, not for strength, but to be absorbed and converted into a false vibration on Zhi Xuan's skin surface.

  "You smell like a corpse, Gold Foundation," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her tone containing dark humor. "I have disguised your aura to resonate with that sack. Now, to the Seal of this Valley, you are merely spiritual trash that has just been thrown into the canyon."

  Zhi Xuan felt a thin, cold layer envelop his body. It was not ice, but a suppressed Cold Essence, radiating a rotten and insignificant aura. The Heart-Nourishing Jade in his hair vibrated violently, working overtime to protect his Heavenly Samsara Wheel from the cold corruption.

  "It works," Zhi Xuan muttered, suppressing his nausea. He closed the sack again, pushing it further into the abyss. The sack disappeared into the bottomless darkness.

  However, as if that was not enough, Zhi Xuan heard a soft thud below. Indicating that the sack had hit another sack, one of countless that had already fallen into the abyss.

  Zhi Xuan choked, his voice showing a cold fear he could not avoid. "You... You are truly killing me, Red Stone!"

  Zhi Xuan could no longer hold back the urge to vomit. The horror of finding countless other sacks thrown into the abyss flooded his consciousness. That disgust and horror, wrapped in the putrid layer of Cold Essence, almost made his Heavenly Samsara Wheel tremble uncontrollably.

  "Silence! Now you must escape!" Ruo Xianxue hissed, her tone now genuinely angry. "Death is a fact of this Jade Valley! If you do not move, you will join them!"

  Zhi Xuan took a deep breath, ignoring Ruo's shout and the pain in his stomach. He closed his eyes, focusing his mind on the red cloth on his arm and the jade tie on his head. Promise, not horror.

  "Ruo Xianxue," Zhi Xuan said, his voice now calm, cold, and filled with terrifying resolve. "Death Cliff. Now."

  He turned his body and began to climb the opposite cliff face. He no longer moved like a drop of water, but like a shadow draped in the smell of death.

  Zhi Xuan crawled through the cracks of the cliff, the rugged rocks forcing him to focus and not make the slightest misstep. The thin layer of Cold Essence from the Pole absorbed by the Silent Mantle enveloped him, making every movement feel slow and frozen. He was like a ghost draped in the smell of death.

  "Ruo, there is a very large gap ahead. I cannot cross it unless we climb higher," Zhi Xuan whispered, his voice hoarse from drained essence.

  In the Sea of Consciousness, the Ancient Devil Monument pulsed with a slow and calculated rhythm. Ruo Xianxue no longer laughed or mocked; the Jade Valley had become too serious an arena.

  "Climb," Ruo Xianxue hissed. "Bypass that area of the jade valley by staying on this cliff."

  Zhi Xuan clenched his jaw. Climbing the vertical cliff face whose surface was covered with a thin layer of ice crystals would force him to use more essence. However, he had no choice.

  He glanced down. The abyss still hid bottomless darkness. In front of him, the jade wall towered, adorned with green veins that reflected the moonlight like dragon scales.

  "Heart-Nourishing Jade," Zhi Xuan murmured. He channeled a little warmth from the jade hair tie to his palm, neutralizing the frozen feeling at his fingertips.

  Then, he began to climb.

  His movements were slow, controlled, and almost silent. He relied on his physical strength, using the Heavenly Samsara Wheel essence only as a thin, controlled adhesive. Every curve, every small protrusion, became a vital foothold. The smell of death he had obtained from the Poison Talisman now clung tightly, making him feel like a putrefied Jade-Wolf.

  It took almost thirty minutes to reach the crest of the cliff without crossing the sealed area, where the night wind blew hard, carrying the scent of pine and minerals from the north. Zhi Xuan collapsed onto the rocky ground in the steep gap, his breath ragged, his whole body aching, not from injury, but from extreme essence exhaustion due to holding back his Divine Wheel from exploding.

  "I... I cannot continue..." His breath was labored, the pain in his chest surging. Zhi Xuan reached into his robe and pulled out the piece of jade Zhuwei had given him. He held it in his palm.

  "You saved me, Zhuwei." A bitter smile pulled at the corner of his lips, he placed the jade on the ground. Zhi Xuan immediately sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. The bluish light from the jade was immediately absorbed into his body, flowing like a river that quenched a thirst.

  For ten precious minutes, Zhi Xuan absorbed the Pure Jade essence, allowing the energy of purity to seep into his Heavenly Samsara Wheel. The essence did not just fill the void, but also dampened the internal shock caused by the Silent Mantle and the remaining Cold Essence from the Pole. He felt refreshed, although Zhuwei's Jade now looked slightly dull.

  "Do not waste time," Ruo Xianxue hissed. "Death Cliff is near. And I can smell other rats lurking."

  Zhi Xuan immediately stored the rest of the Jade and jumped to his feet. He took the cliff crest route, cutting through small gaps. He held his breath every time he leaped across a steep cliff gap. Zhi Xuan walked sideways after stepping onto a small path that required him to cling to the rocks.

  "Damn... This path is indeed difficult." Zhi Xuan gave a soft snort, his eyes glancing toward the East where Shadow Cliff and Death Cliff intersected like darkness and death. He knew, the further he moved north, the darker the mountain ceiling above him became.

  When Zhi Xuan was about to step onto the gap just a few steps ahead of him, he tried to jump, but the footing crumbled downward instead. Instantly, he plunged into the steep canyon.

  Whizzz!

  Zhi Xuan's Divine Wheel spun wildly. This was the first failure he had made outside of Grandpa Wu's supervision, and the consequences felt fatal. The cliff footing covered with ice crystals was unstable. He fell, his falling speed immediately breaking the Silent Mantle's disguise limit.

  "No, no, NO!" Zhi Xuan screamed and slid down uncontrollably. His hair fluttered behind him, his robe unable to provide enough pressure for him to control his fall.

  "Idiot! Now we are going to fall into the pile of corpses!" Ruo Xianxue shouted, a rare anger and panic audible in her voice.

  Zhi Xuan spun in the air, with a hard impact, he fell onto a pile of corpse sacks that dampened the shock of his fall.

  Thud!

  Zhi Xuan immediately realized he was not dead. The countless corpse sacks had become a deadly soft pillow. He was submerged up to his waist among the rotten cloths and the pungent smell of the Poison Talisman, which now felt familiar. His body was submerged up to his waist, the pain in his body stung even though it was muffled by the corpse sacks.

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  'I fell into a grave,' Zhi Xuan thought, cold disgust taking over him.

  Zhi Xuan forced his aching body to climb out of the pile of corpses. He pulled himself out of the sacks, and as he did, a small piece of cloth tore and stuck to his arm. He had no time to look at it, fear attacking him.

  Zhi Xuan, staggering, walked among the corpse sacks. "I must hurry, I will be poisoned by so many talismans!"

  Zhi Xuan began to move, walking quickly over the pile of corpse sacks. Every step sank into the cloth and bone, but he ignored it. He only focused on the Heart-Nourishing Jade that soothed his Heavenly Samsara Wheel and the smell of death that enveloped him.

  After walking about a hundred meters, the pile of corpse sacks began to thin, replaced by a rocky path covered with moss. The air here felt colder, but there was a strange essence pulse—strong, pure, and ancient.

  In front of him, two branches remained, leading east and north. They were separated by a large pile of rocks that split the two branch paths. Zhi Xuan looked up and was stunned, this path was like a stone that had been struck and split to create two paths.

  "This... This is like a sword striking the rocks and splitting them into two parts!" Zhi Xuan was fascinated, ignoring the piercing pain in his body.

  The scratches on the path, unmistakably were scratches that indicated a sword technique, signifying a fierce battle in the past that took place here.

  "Who is capable of splitting the earth like this?" Zhi Xuan stepped closer to touch the rocks in the middle of the two paths, rubbing his hand and seeing the rough marks that confirmed his perception.

  "Stop your mortal fascination." Ruo Xianxue's voice sounded heavier than usual, as if the memories buried within the Ancient Devil Monument were surging. "This is merely a trace of an ancient sword technique, a scratch from the battle of powerful cultivators in the Xing Luo Plains."

  Zhi Xuan touched the scratch on the rock, feeling the faint, cold, and sharp remnants of sword essence, even after thousands of years. His Heavenly Samsara Wheel trembled, resonating with that primal power, as if trying to comprehend the inexpressible trace of grandeur.

  "Overlords..." Zhi Xuan muttered, his eyes wide. Every time Ruo Xianxue mentioned a higher realm, his world felt more expansive, and at the same time, he felt smaller.

  "Do not be captivated too quickly, you have a devil who is even capable of collapsing stars." Ruo Xianxue whispered, her voice filled with deep-seated pride.

  Zhi Xuan sighed, with a staggering step, he chose the main path without hesitation. The north path was certainly clear, he would end up at Shadow Cliff. But the main path, he did not know where it would lead.

  He began to walk, his feet feeling heavy, his breath ragged. The smell of the Poison Talisman and the corpse smell clinging to him now felt like a second skin, disgusting but effective.

  As he passed the intersection that split the cliff, right where the ancient sword scratch was deepest, he felt a gaze. A sharp, focused gaze, unaffected by the Cold Essence Seal of the Jade Valley.

  "Who is there?"

  The voice was soft, feminine, and very clear. Zhi Xuan froze. He did not move, relying on his Silent Mantle and his disgusting corpse aura.

  In front of the path leading to Death Cliff, behind the shadows projected by the cliff gap, a young woman's figure appeared. She wore a sky-blue silk robe that contrasted with the gray and dark surroundings. In her hair, a silver hairpin shone faintly, not jade, but pure spiritual metal. On her wrist, she held a small spiritual compass that spun restlessly.

  She looked to be in her late teens, not much different from Zhi Xuan. Her beautiful and alert eyes swept the cliff gap, radiating a sharp, cold intelligence. She was a cultivator far more advanced than anyone Zhi Xuan had ever encountered; her essence was pure, vast, and steady, clearly marking her as one who had already stepped into the Consciousness Transformation realm.

  The compass in her hand spun, pointing toward Zhi Xuan. A fine frown appeared on the woman's forehead.

  "I know there is someone there," the woman repeated, her tone now firm and demanding. "I do not sense the essence of a Gold Foundation, or even a mortal hunter. You... smell like a grave. Come out!"

  Zhi Xuan felt his Heavenly Samsara Wheel tremble. This woman was a sophisticated cultivator, his Heart-Nourishing Jade and Silent Mantle were working hard under the pressure of that gaze.

  'Damn, she smelled the Poison Talisman!' Zhi Xuan thought. 'The Corpse Smell disguise worked too well!'

  "Come out!" the woman commanded, her voice slightly raised. She raised her hand, and sky-blue essence began to condense, forming a thin, glowing essence sword. "I do not wish to fight you. I am merely looking for the path to Death Cliff. Tell me, who are you and why do you smell like the remnants of a Poison Talisman? Are you a subordinate of the Poison Sect?"

  The path Zhi Xuan was taking was the path the woman was looking for. If Zhi Xuan moved, his disguise would be exposed. If he remained silent, the woman would attack.

  "Answer, or I will purify the stench from you!" the woman hissed, her essence sword ready to strike.

  Zhi Xuan took a deep breath, stepping stiffly, mimicking the horror and sluggishness inherent in death.

  "You..." Zhi Xuan whispered, his voice hoarse and raspy, as if he had not spoken for a long time. He forced a low intonation, dominated by exhaustion.

  "I am... a lost person..."

  Zhi Xuan stepped forward, his hand clutching his robe tightly, walking with a staggering and unstable gait. He allowed his figure to look weak and pathetic, a mortal barely alive due to exposure to the Poison Talisman aura.

  "I... I am only looking for... the way back south. I got lost... in this valley. I am just... a corroded hunter..."

  Zhi Xuan let the corpse smell surge strongly, he even forced a vacant look in his eyes. He did not look at the woman, but stared into the distance, in the opposite direction from Death Cliff. He had to convince the woman that he was merely residue, unworthy of attention.

  The spiritual compass in the woman's hand stopped spinning, but her essence sword did not diminish. She narrowed her eyes, observing Zhi Xuan's helpless smell and movement.

  "You are lying," the woman said. "But you truly do not possess the power of a Divine Wheel. I can sense your near-dead mortal essence."

  "I... I am only... a fortunate person," Zhi Xuan replied, his voice trembling. He turned slightly, allowing his tired-looking blue eyes to be briefly seen. "Please... let me pass. I just want to leave."

  The woman lowered her essence sword slightly, hesitation visible in her eyes. She clearly did not want to expend energy to kill a half-dead, disgusting-smelling mortal.

  "Go," the woman hissed, her face showing restrained disgust. "And never return to this canyon. You are lucky I am in a hurry. Do not follow me!"

  Zhi Xuan nodded weakly, turned his body, and began to walk north, in the opposite direction of his main destination. He walked slowly and staggeringly until he disappeared behind the cliff gap.

  As soon as he disappeared from view, the woman sighed, flicked her essence sword until it vanished, pulled out her flying sword and immediately moved east, toward Death Cliff.

  Zhi Xuan, hiding behind the gap, felt the woman's aura move away, his eyes slightly twinkling at the sight of the flying sword the woman used.

  "That... That is a good artifact." Zhi Xuan came out of his hiding place, his mind spinning with possibilities. If only he had an artifact like that too, his journey would be very easy.

  Ruo Xianxue gave a soft snort. "You cannot use that now, boy, even if you wanted to have it. Now, stop daydreaming and continue your steps."

  Zhi Xuan nodded, stepping back onto the eastern path. Heading toward Death Cliff. He no longer walked staggered, but with controlled steps, refocusing his Silent Mantle and his corpse aura.

  'That woman... she is heading to Death Cliff, and she is definitely not an ally of Young Master Gu,' Zhi Xuan thought, analyzing. 'The pure essence sword and that spiritual compass indicate she comes from a righteous sect. This means the Poison Sect is not only hunting for Black Jade, but also competing with another party for the ancient legacy.' The situation became much more complicated, but also offered opportunities.

  "That woman is too naive," Ruo Xianxue hissed. "A cultivator of her level would not let a 'mortal' who smells of Poison Talisman go just like that. She is just in a hurry."

  "She trusts her compass too much," Zhi Xuan replied, his heart still hammering against his ribs. "Her compass detects spiritual fluctuations, but it cannot see through a Devil’s trickery. I am lucky; if she had investigated more closely with her Divine Sense, even this corpse stench wouldn't have saved me from a Consciousness Transformation expert."

  Zhi Xuan touched the torn cloth caught on his arm when he fell. A small piece of dull white cloth from one of the corpse sacks. His jaw clenched, clutching his hand on the white cloth.

  "Many cultivators were killed here," Zhi Xuan muttered. "They were strong Gold Foundations... But ended up as sacks in the abyss."

  His resolve hardened. His disgust and horror had evaporated, replaced by a cold realization: this was the price of peace in the outside world and the true state of the cruel world. If he wanted to protect Star Village, he had to become crueler than the Poison Sect, or at least more cunning than Ruo Xianxue.

  "Oh? It seems your eyes, which have been blind to the outside world, are now open." Ruo Xianxue hissed, her tone again filled with cold satisfaction. "You have tasted the trash of the cultivators down there. Remember that smell, Gold Foundation. It is the smell of failure. The smell of those who crawled toward power but lacked the cruelty needed to maintain it."

  Zhi Xuan ignored the Sacred Devil's cruel philosophy. His focus was now forward, toward Death Cliff, where the rock wall began to change, no longer faint Green Jade, but much darker stone, almost black. Vegetation did not grow here, reinforcing the unpleasant feeling.

  'Death Cliff,' Zhi Xuan thought. The name itself already contained a familiar threat.