Death Cliff, which he had only seen from afar before, was now a pure threat right before his eyes. He could see no vegetation or even a single blade of grass growing on the cliff. The cliff walls themselves were dark, almost black, filled with shimmering veins that reflected a somber light—Pure Black Jade veins.

  "This cliff... It is very terrifying when seen up close," Zhi Xuan muttered, his voice filled with hidden awe. "That woman earlier must have protection to pass through this cliff."

  The cliff was just a few steps ahead. Zhi Xuan paused for a moment because of the pungent aura of death. He had no protective talismans, nor was he even capable of creating a spiritual shield.

  Zhi Xuan looked around, searching for a gap he could use as a shortcut. But everything was empty, he dropped onto the ground, taking a long breath.

  "In my current condition, I will slowly run out of essence." Zhi Xuan leaned his back against the edge of the cliff. His eyes stared straight ahead. "What is your plan, red stone?"

  Ruo Xianxue laughed coldly, her voice dripping with the poison of mockery. "Why? Giving up now?"

  "Of course not," Zhi Xuan retorted, his tone sharp. "But being the target of a Blood Transformation Gold Foundation, and now facing two Evil Sect Elders, as well as competing with a pure cultivator with a great artifact—I need to know the most efficient way to die or win."

  Ruo Xianxue snorted, the laugh disappearing, replaced by a calm and calculating voice. "You are clever. This Death Cliff is indeed designed to destroy the soul. The Pure Black Jade in its walls attracts any spiritual energy that is not pure. That is why this place is nicknamed 'Death'."

  "Pure Black Jade... Is that what is used to purify the Poison Talisman's venom?" Zhi Xuan asked, repeating the conversation he had heard earlier.

  "Exactly," Ruo Xianxue replied. "And that is also why the Evil Sect must be here. The jade does not only purify poison, but also draws pure spiritual energy. It is the main fuel for the Formless Immortal Realm Formation they are trying to break."

  Zhi Xuan raised his chin. He could feel a cold and ancient aura floating in the air, an aura different from the Cold Essence from the Pole scattered in the Jade Valley. This aura felt heavy and confining, as if it bound all living things.

  "You are still foolish," Ruo Xianxue sighed softly, her voice dripping with grand astonishment. "Remember the Law of Four Seasons I once told you was inside your body?"

  Zhi Xuan furrowed his brow, recalling the Law of Four Seasons Ruo Xianxue had mentioned. Zhi Xuan snorted roughly, to him it was just nonsense when Ruo Xianxue said there were Four Seasons Dao runes inside him.

  "Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter," Zhi Xuan answered quickly, repeating the lesson he received reluctantly. "Spiritual energy circulates. Summer is purification, Winter is death and soul freezing."

  "And Pure Black Jade represents Winter," Ruo Xianxue cut in. "Tell me, what is the opposite of Winter?"

  "Summer," Zhi Xuan said. "Are you still playing guessing games? You are truly 'Sacred'."

  Zhi Xuan rose from his seat, standing and staring at Death Cliff which was only a few steps away from him to enter the area.

  "You said that my Divine Wheel was once patched with Four Seasons Dao runes by someone, now what can be done with that?" Zhi Xuan asked, although he did not fully believe Ruo, his instinct told him that there might be a way out of this problem.

  Ruo Xianxue laughed again, the laugh now sounding full of calculation. "Of course! If Winter is the suppression and death emitted by the Black Jade, then Summer is the purifying and fiery energy. Summer is the righteous path."

  "What do you mean?" Zhi Xuan asked, his tone sharpening and sounding skeptical. "I cannot hold back the essence any longer, I must release the cold essence from the pole and this talisman poison."

  "Think about this," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice challenging. "The Silent Mantle suppresses the Divine Wheel, making it spin in a suffocating silence, but it still spins. The Cold Essence from the Pole disguises your aura, but burdens your soul. What happens if you reverse that pressure?"

  Zhi Xuan fell silent. He looked at the cold, black cliff wall. To reverse the pressure, he had to clear the cold pole essence and talisman poison clinging to his skin surface.

  "I will try it." Zhi Xuan closed his eyes, sinking into his sea of consciousness. There, he saw his Divine Wheel spinning, enveloped in the Silent Mantle's rune strings.

  Zhi Xuan channeled his essence slowly, calming the runes and allowing them to dim as the supporting essence shifted to his Divine Wheel.

  "Law of Four Seasons... Summer purifies everything, creating unmatched artifacts, sinking fire into the body, supporting the heavens and the earth."

  Zhi Xuan imagined a summer capable of melting snow on the mountain peaks, how Uncle Xu's horseshoes shrunk due to the scorching sun, how Master Bao forged weapons using a fiery furnace. This was the law of summer, capable of creating and purifying.

  The Law of Four Seasons runes began to flow out of his Divine Wheel, creating a reddish light like a bright ember. It surrounded his Divine Wheel and created a reddish light that enveloped his Divine Wheel.

  "This... The Law of Summer." Zhi Xuan murmured, feeling a subtle heat wave spread from his Sea of Consciousness.

  The heat wave slowly spread to his limbs. The Cold Essence from the Pole that enveloped his skin, which gave him the repulsive 'corpse' smell, began to tremble. Zhi Xuan's Law of Summer did not destroy it, but rather purified it.

  The cold, dirty layer that disguised him melted, the absorbed Cold Essence from the Pole reverted to impure spiritual essence. The Poison Talisman clinging to his body evaporated into a thin smoke, leaving a clean scent of earth and pine. The Silent Mantle, which previously had to be suppressed by Zhi Xuan's will so it would not explode, now spun peacefully, supported by the new balance.

  Zhi Xuan opened his eyes. He no longer smelled like a grave. He smelled like damp earth, a hidden Gold Foundation.

  "Very good," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her tone sounding as if she was not surprised at all. "That crazy old man left you something this good, do not waste it."

  Zhi Xuan ignored Ruo Xianxue's remark, holding his breath for a moment. Then he focused spiritual essence on his feet and dashed through the path that passed through Death Cliff.

  'I cannot rely on this for too long,' Zhi Xuan muttered, his sea of consciousness feeling hot and painful. 'I can hold it for ten breaths."

  Zhi Xuan charged into the blackish mist that filled the path, every breath he took felt heavy and suffocating.

  'This is too heavy... Even the summer breath cannot fully sustain it' he muttered, his head felt heavy due to the sharp dizziness.

  Zhi Xuan kept running, relying on the Law of Summer to protect himself from the oppressive aura of Death Cliff. He counted, he had already taken eight breaths. His head pulsed, and the pressure of the Pure Black Jade around him felt like a spiritual hammer.

  On the ninth breath, Zhi Xuan broke through the thick fog, and the sight in front of him suddenly opened up.

  He saw a small crescent-shaped valley embraced by Death Cliff. In the middle of the valley, stood a gigantic Black Jade Gate that looked ancient, covered in dark moss and faded rune carvings. The gate was illuminated by the Formless Immortal Realm Formation which pulsed with a faint golden light. However, that golden formation was now being fiercely attacked.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Five gray-robed Evil Sect figures—the three he saw in Jade Valley, and two older figures who must be Elder Chu and Elder Su—stood in front of the gate. One of the elders was holding a Rare Artifact, a bronze dagger that emitted a terrifying blackish-green essence. Every time the dagger stabbed the Golden Formation, the Formation trembled and cracked.

  The Tenth Breath—Zhi Xuan took his last breath supported by the Law of Summer, and he immediately hid behind the largest Black Jade boulder, his body merging with the shadow cast by the steep cliff. The heat wave in his Sea of Consciousness subsided.

  'I almost died.' his breath was ragged and his body was very weak, he closed his eyes for a moment and regulated his breathing. 'I must stabilize my essence, I will die of exhaustion if I continue like this.'

  Zhi Xuan decided to pull out Zhuwei's pure jade again, the jade light was already dim and dull, at least this was the only thing he could rely on.

  Zhi Xuan tightly gripped the jade stone, and a weak blue light immediately spread to his palm, giving a much-needed injection of spiritual energy to calm his turbulent Heavenly Samsara Wheel.

  He had to be quick. In front of him, the tension in the crescent valley was suffocating.

  Elder Chu, the tallest and oldest gray-robed figure, now shouted with a sickening, hoarse voice. "One more attack, Elder Su! This Formless Immortal Realm Formation will collapse! The legacy of the Ancient Immortal Jade School will belong to Young Master Gu!"

  Elder Su, who looked thinner and crueler, nodded. In his hand, the blackish-bronze dagger let out an inaudible ghostly roar, channeling a terrifying poisonous essence energy. The Rare Artifact shone with malevolent intent.

  WHUUM!

  Elder Su stabbed the dagger for the last time. The gigantic Golden Formation on the Black Jade Gate trembled violently. Cracks spread like a spider's web, and with a soul-shattering roar, the Formation shattered into pieces, releasing an ancient essence shockwave that swept the valley.

  The Black Jade Gate was now clearly visible, radiating an ancient and mysterious aura. Its jade surface was carved with coiling dragons and towering phoenixes, but their eyes were all closed, as if sleeping.

  "Success!" Elder Chu laughed hoarsely, a laugh full of evil delight. "Now, we enter before other Gold Foundations smell this chaos—"

  CLANG!

  Suddenly, a sharp and pure metallic clang interrupted Elder Chu's celebration. From the opposite cliff face, three figures descended quickly. They were Lin Yuan, the young cultivator in the sky-blue robe, who now held a thin, pure sword. Behind her, stood two middle-aged men in dark brown robes, their Consciousness Transformation aura far more stable and stronger than the Evil Sect Elders. They were her guards.

  "Evil Sect!" Lin Yuan shouted, her voice filled with pure anger. "You contaminate the Jade Valley and dare to destroy the Ancient Legacy Formation. The Ancient Immortal Jade School belongs to the cultivation world, not a hiding place for poisonous rats like you!"

  Elder Chu shifted his gaze from the Black Jade Gate, his eyes narrowed into slits. "Oh, apparently the pure flower from the Sky Cloud Sect. Lin Yuan, I know your grandfather dotes on you, but here, at Death Cliff, there are no rules. Retreat, or you will join the 'trash' in the canyon."

  Lin Yuan's face flushed with anger, she realized Elder Chu's threat. "You will be the one joining them!"

  Without waiting any longer, Lin Yuan leaped. Her essence sword radiated a bright blue light, creating a swift and deadly string of attacks, targeting Elder Su who held the Rare Artifact.

  "Fool!" Elder Su hissed. He raised the bronze dagger as a shield, but Lin Yuan's pure essence was a deadly opponent to his poison energy.

  CRASH!

  The clash of essences shook the valley. Lin Yuan's sword hit the dagger, triggering a spiritual shockwave that sent Elder Su stumbling backward. Meanwhile, Lin Yuan's two guards attacked Elder Chu and the three gray-robed disciples, forcing them into an intense battle.

  Thud! Crash! Boom!

  The crescent valley exploded in an essence chaos. Lin Yuan's guards, whose Consciousness Transformation aura felt dense and unshakeable, were far tougher opponents. One of the guards, with a single palm strike, sent two gray-robed disciples backward, their bodies thrown against the Black Jade wall with a painful thud.

  Elder Chu, realizing the real threat, pulled the Rare Artifact from Elder Su. "Elder Su, do not waste Lin Yuan's pure energy. Use the Poison Sealing Talismans!"

  Elder Su nodded, and from his robe sleeve, he threw three small, pitch-black Poison Talismans. The talismans flew into the air and exploded, releasing a thick, corrosive spiritual poison mist.

  "Protect yourselves!" one of Lin Yuan's guards shouted.

  Lin Yuan and her two guards immediately formed sky-blue pure essence shields. The Poison Talismans corroded their shields with a chilling hissing sound, but were unable to penetrate them completely. Even so, their movements became slow, their focus diverted to self-defense.

  Zhi Xuan, hiding behind the largest Black Jade boulder, felt the essence shockwaves from the battle hit his hiding spot. He tightly gripped Zhuwei's Pure Jade stone, allowing its dim energy to seep into him, calming his turbulent Heavenly Samsara Wheel. He realized, this was the crucial moment.

  'Two sides, Ruo. This is no longer a fishing net, this is a battlefield,' Zhi Xuan muttered internally, his sharp eyes observing every movement.

  "Oh! This is getting interesting," Ruo Xianxue hissed, a horrible joy audible in her voice. "Elder Chu and Elder Su are at Consciousness Transformation, but Lin Yuan's guards are at the peak of Consciousness Transformation. They are evenly matched. But look North!"

  Whizz! Whirr!

  The sound of flying swords arrived from the north, a dominant cultivator aura at the Transformation realm surged. Not just one, but two other groups of Cultivators arrived almost simultaneously, drawn by the explosion of the Formless Immortal Realm Formation and the intense clash of essences.

  From the northern cliff, came four figures wearing the moss-green robes of the River Dragon Sect. Their leader, a large middle-aged man with a greedy expression, pulled out a booming golden flying sword.

  "The legacy has opened! Evil Sect and Sky Cloud Sect, begone! Death Cliff is in our territory!" the River Dragon Sect Leader shouted, his voice echoing in the valley.

  From the east, five figures in maroon robes appeared, their faces covered by half-face iron masks. They were the Shadow Hunters, a notoriously bloodthirsty mercenary group looking to profit from chaos. Their essence felt chaotic and unstable, but their numbers were greater.

  "Hah! River Dragon Sect. The legacy belongs to those who dare to take it!" the Shadow Hunters leader hissed, his voice muffled by the mask. The five Shadow Hunters immediately spread out, positioning themselves to surround the Evil Sect Elders and Lin Yuan's group.

  'Now four sides,' Zhi Xuan thought, his heart pounding, but his resolve remained cold. This was no longer a hunt, but an open war for the Ancient Immortal Jade Legacy.

  "Do not be rash, let them fight and enter the black gate one by one in an exhausted state," Ruo Xianxue hissed, precise calculation will yield results without needing to expend energy.

  Zhi Xuan nodded in his hiding spot. Ruo Xianxue's cold logic was the only guide he had right now. Being in the middle of a storm of four Consciousness Transformation forces was suicide. He had to be an observer, not a fighter.

  In the valley, the chaos reached its peak.

  The River Dragon Sect Leader, the large man, wasted no time. He leaped from the cliff, swinging his golden sword toward the Black Jade Gate, ignoring the Evil Sect and Lin Yuan's group. His goal was the Legacy, not the battle.

  "They want to enter immediately!" Elder Chu from the Evil Sect shouted. "Stop him!"

  Elder Su immediately released another Poison Sealing Talisman toward the River Dragon Sect Leader. At the same time, Lin Yuan and her guards, whose pure essence shields were beginning to weaken, saw an opportunity.

  "Attack the Evil Sect!" Lin Yuan shouted. "They are the ones who destroyed the Formation!"

  The Evil Sect's attention was divided, busy defending themselves from the Sky Cloud Sect while shooting Talismans at the River Dragon Sect. Meanwhile, the Shadow Hunters group moved quickly. They did not attack anyone, but instead moved in a circle around the Black Jade Gate, ready to ambush whoever managed to enter.

  Zhi Xuan waited patiently. In the middle of the storm of clashing essences, every side was too focused on the immediate opponent and the threat from the Black Jade Gate entrance. Stepping out now was the same as making himself wide open.

  The River Dragon Sect, led by the large man with greed in his eyes, moved the fastest and most rashly. His booming golden sword sliced through the blackish air, his only goal: the Black Jade Gate.

  "Quick! Stop them!" Elder Chu shouted, channeling the Poison Sealing Talisman energy into the Rare Artifact now in his hand.

  The poison talismans spun like black insects, trying to intercept the River Dragon Sect Leader once more. However, Lin Yuan and her guards did not stand still.

  "You are contaminating the formation!" Lin Yuan, surrounded by a sky-blue essence shield that was now beginning to fade due to poison corrosion, fired a series of pure essence swords toward Elder Su. The swords, sharp and focused, forced Elder Su to redirect his Poison Talisman from the River Dragon Sect to defend himself.

  CLANG! BOOM!

  Pure essence and poison essence clashed, creating a spiritual shockwave that hit the Black Jade wall. Dust and spiritual gravel flew everywhere, adding to the chaos.

  The Shadow Hunters, whose maroon robes merged with the shadows, did not target the Gate. Instead, they spread out, creating a siege circle around all parties.

  They were predators, waiting for the weak to fall. Five Poison Talismans were thrown by Elder Su, but the Talismans were immediately destroyed by a powerful slash from the River Dragon Sect Leader.

  "You are all greedy! This legacy belongs to the River Dragon Sect!" the Leader shouted, his sword now only five meters from the Black Jade Gate.

  "He will enter!" Elder Chu shouted hoarsely. He pulled the Rare Artifact from Elder Su. "Elder Su, protect the Poison Sealing Talismans! I will hold this fool back!"

  Elder Chu, with the Rare Artifact emitting corrosive blackish energy, leaped into the air, colliding directly with the River Dragon Sect Leader.

  BOOM!

  The impact of the clash was louder than anything before. The Formless Immortal Realm Formation had collapsed, but the Black Jade Gate trembled as if it were a new Formation itself.

  "Damn! We cannot let the Evil Sect win!" Lin Yuan's Consciousness Transformation guard, whose essence shield was trembling severely, realized that the main objective had to be shifted. They immediately attacked Elder Chu to distract him, creating a chaotic and unfocused battlefield.