Zhi Xuan leaped onto the Blue Wind Sword. He channeled the pure Taiyin Essence he had just recovered from the pool. This time, he did not fly crudely. He shot into the air with a speed that exceeded the limits of the low-level artifact, flying straight towards the Ancient Seal Formation.

  THWIP!

  Zhi Xuan darted out of the Formation Dome, the Blue Wind Sword flying vertically, piercing through the thick devil mist layer. He did not look back, but the heartbreaking roars of anger from the Giant Moss Dragon and the other guardians felt like a hammer striking his back. He knew they had realized his cunning sacrifice: the Pure Spring Pool was drained, and the Nine Lotus Blood Flower had become a sacrificial offering for the birth of an insect.

  ROOOOOARRR!

  A soul-shattering roar of fury came from the Formation Dome, splitting the devil mist below. It was the roar of the Giant Moss Dragon realizing its prey had escaped, and its treasure was gone.

  However, what was more threatening than the Azure Kings' wrath was the sky above.

  As soon as he broke through the mist, gazing at the heavens, Zhi Xuan's view was immediately filled with cosmic horror.

  Storm clouds swirled with terrifying speed, their color changing from gray to pitch black, emitting a suffocating spiritual pressure. Reacting to the birth of a creature that should not have been born.

  The clouds turned dark gray, swirling, and emitting a suffocating spiritual pressure—the Heavenly Calamity, aimed at the Celestial Insect.

  This was not a Calamity for a cultivator, but a Calamity tailored for the Celestial Insect realm, which, though weaker, still carried the wrath of Heaven. The pressure was so immense that the surrounding air felt frozen.

  'The Heavenly Calamity is coming!' Ruo Xianxue shouted, her voice tense but also filled with mad ecstasy. 'Even a fortieth-ranked Celestial Insect must pass the trial of Heaven! And this is in the middle of the Demon Mist Swamp! Run, Monkey! You do not want to be caught in the Insect Calamity!'

  Zhi Xuan looked down. The Demon Mist Swamp had become a whirlpool of energy. The Heavenly Calamity would destroy everything beneath it—including the Azure King guardians. Zhi Xuan forced the remaining pure essence he had absorbed from the pool into the Blue Wind Sword. The low-level artifact could not withstand the celestial pressure. Its blade trembled violently, and in a fraction of a second, fine cracks appeared, quickly spreading along the blade.

  KRASHHH!

  The first strike of purplish-black lightning, the sign of the Insect Calamity, hit the atmosphere, creating a powerful shockwave. The shockwave hit the Blue Wind Sword. The Blue Wind Sword, the artifact that had saved his life twice, was unable to withstand the pressure. It shattered instantly, its blade fragmenting into glowing metal dust.

  Zhi Xuan was thrown. He was thrown from a height, his body tumbling uncontrollably downward, back into the deadly environment of the Demon Mist Swamp. Brutal dizziness immediately seized him—not only because of the fall, but because of the spiritual shockwave from the too-close Heavenly Calamity.

  He fell hitting the deep wet mud with an embarrassing SPLASH!, sinking up to his waist. The pain throughout his body was muffled by the spiritual shock. He struggled to lift his head, his one good eye focused on the source of the disaster.

  Below him, the Formation Dome had completely collapsed, and the roars of the Giant Moss Dragon and the other guardians had turned into choked screams of panic. The Pure Spring Pool had evaporated, replaced by a jade-gold cocoon that emitted a dazzling light. The cocoon, although only the size of a fist, now hung in the air, becoming the center of the energy vortex.

  Purplish-black lightning struck the cocoon with a terrifying frequency. Every lightning strike hit, but the cocoon did not break; instead, it absorbed the energy of the Heavenly Calamity, making it even brighter. However, the transformation process was not complete. The cocoon needed abundant life essence—and it was all around it.

  SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

  From the surface of the jade-gold cocoon, thousands of thin, shimmering silver silk threads suddenly shot out. The threads darted with the speed of light, piercing the bodies of the panicking Giant Moss Dragon, Giant Moss Scorpion King, and Swamp Ape Sage.

  ROOOOOARRR! GRRRR! KREE!

  The screams of the three Azure Kings reached a heartbreaking level. They were entangled, their mighty, armored bodies suddenly becoming withered. The silver silk threads were not just ensnaring; they were greedy conduits. The Life Essence, generated by the Tree of Life that was vital to their Consciousness Transformation Cultivation, was ruthlessly drawn out.

  Zhi Xuan, sinking in the mud, raised his hand upwards, pointing at the terrifying sight. He saw the Giant Moss Dragon, its body the size of an ancient tree trunk, now deflated, its scales becoming dry ash. Their Tree of Life, which should have been eternal, was extinguished. Xiao Die’s cocoon had not only survived the Heavenly Calamity; it used the Calamity for purification, and used the three Azure Kings as extreme nutritional sacrifices.

  His vision began to blur. The spiritual shockwave from the continuous Heavenly Calamity pounding the atmosphere was too close. The wave hit his already exhausted Sea of Consciousness.

  "Xiao Die..." Zhi Xuan hissed, his voice barely audible, yet filled with satisfaction that his karmic promise had been fulfilled.

  As his hand fell back into the mud, Zhi Xuan, having settled his debt, passed out.

  His body sank deeper into the putrid mud of the Demon Mist Swamp, right beneath the sky that was now unleashing the most terrifying Heavenly Calamity. Above him, Xiao Die's Jade-Gold Cocoon shone brightly, absorbing the cosmic storm and the life essence of the Azure Kings.

  Inside the jade-gold cocoon, thousands of light filaments spun, forming a pulsating life core.

  Every strike of Heavenly Lightning that hit from the black clouds above did not destroy the cocoon, but was absorbed, transforming its energy into cosmic pollen surrounding the core. This pollen was pure nourishment, the most fundamental elements of the Heavenly Dao, refining the life form about to be born.

  The silver silk threads, which had drained the vitality of the Azure Kings bone-dry, were now slowly withdrawn back into the cocoon, bringing concentrated life essence with them.

  The bodies of the Giant Moss Dragon, Scorpion King, and Swamp Ape Sage, previously mighty, now only left dried and deflated husks in the mud, becoming silent monuments to the greedy Celestial Insect's power.

  As time passed, the cocoon began to emit an increasingly strong and rapid pulse of light. Its color shifted from brilliant jade-gold to a soft, yet intense, spectrum of rainbow colors, as if all the colors in the universe were contained within it. The Heavenly Lightning, initially brutal and relentless, now softened, becoming a gentle touch that refined, not destroyed.

  Then, with a subtle hiss, the first crack appeared on the cocoon's surface. The crack spread rapidly, revealing a flash of light from within. More cracks appeared, and the cocoon trembled, as if the creature inside was struggling to get out.

  The storm clouds in the sky began to subside, the last lightning strike hitting with strange gentleness, as if giving a blessing. A sweet and pure aroma, never smelled before in the Demon Mist Swamp, spread through the air, cleansing the foul and sulfurous smell. With a soft burst of light, the cocoon shattered into pieces.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  From within emerged a moth. No longer a small, fragile moth, but a magnificent and stunning creature. Its body, the size of a pigeon, was smaller than when Zhi Xuan first found it, covered in a shimmering jade-colored chitin shell. Its long, slender antennae trembled, emitting an aura of ancient wisdom. Its compound eyes, reflecting the light of the rainbow, radiated deep intelligence.

  Its wings—ah, its wings! Thousands of delicate feathers that shone like silver and gold threads, forming an intricate and breathtaking pattern. Every flap of its wings released glittering cosmic pollen, spreading into the air, and healing the swamp environment damaged by the Heavenly Calamity.

  This was the perfectly reincarnated Thousand Feathered Moth. Not just a fortieth-ranked Celestial Insect, but an entity that had undergone extreme purification from the Heavenly Calamity and the vital nourishment of the Azure Kings.

  It flew in circles above the site of the now-dry Pure Spring Pool, emitting a strong, pure spiritual Aura—far surpassing the Azure King realm, perhaps even surpassing the Consciousness Transformation realm.

  The moth circled once more, as if searching for something. Its compound eyes scanned the ruins below, passing over the dried skeletons of the Azure Kings, until finally stopping at the figure of Zhi Xuan lying unconscious in the mud.

  With a gentle flap of its wings, the Thousand Feathered Moth glided down. It landed gracefully beside the unconscious Zhi Xuan, its glittering wing feathers touching the mud without being soiled. Its antennae trembled, scanning Zhi Xuan's body.

  The moth then moved closer. Gently, it flapped its wings, releasing shining cosmic pollen onto Zhi Xuan's body. The pollen, which had absorbed the energy of the Heavenly Calamity and pure life essence, slowly seeped into Zhi Xuan's skin.

  Immediately, Zhi Xuan's body began to react. The small injuries from the fall and the spiritual pressure of the Heavenly Calamity began to heal. His meridians, which had been completely drained, began to pulse with pure energy—energy far purer than the pure Taiyin Essence he had absorbed earlier. His Sea of Consciousness, previously chaotic and exhausted, now felt like a calm lake, its Essence recovering rapidly.

  It was a sign of gratitude. The Thousand Feathered Moth did not forget Zhi Xuan's promise and sacrifice. It gave a portion of the Heavenly Calamity nourishment and the newly acquired life Essence, healing its savior, and preparing him for the next step of cultivation.

  After confirming Zhi Xuan was stable, the Thousand Feathered Moth flapped its wings once more. It flew in circles above Zhi Xuan, emitting a gentle protective aura. The sky had calmed, but the Demon Mist Swamp had now changed. It was the new ruler, the new king in an environment once governed by greedy Azure Kings.

  It swooped low and dipped above Zhi Xuan, its antennae tapping Zhi Xuan's face. The gentle tap from Xiao Die's antenna on Zhi Xuan's face felt like a touch of cold jade, accompanied by a pure aroma that cleared his nose of the foul smell of mud. Although still unconscious, the arrival of the pure cosmic pollen had stabilized Zhi Xuan's condition.

  Inside Zhi Xuan's Sea of Consciousness, the usually scoffing Ancient Devil Monument now trembled with respectful silence.

  'She... she succeeded,' Ruo Xianxue whispered, her voice containing a mixture of awe and surprise. 'She did not just reincarnate; she used the Heavenly Calamity to refine her form! The nourishment of three Azure Kings, plus the Calamity's purification, has made her an almost perfect Celestial Insect at birth. The karma you planted, Monkey, has yielded golden fruit.'

  Xiao Die, the moth now bathed in rainbow light, flapped its wings once more, emitting a calm spiritual vibration, as if sending a message. It landed on Zhi Xuan's shoulder, right next to his mud-covered neck, and carefully used its slender legs to clean the mud from Zhi Xuan's face.

  The moth then looked towards the pocket of Zhi Xuan's tattered robe, where the withered Three Petals of the Nine Lotus Blood Flower were stored. With a gesture full of caution, Xiao Die used its antennae to pull the remaining petals out.

  Seeing the remaining withered petals, Xiao Die let out a sad hum. Its life essence had been almost completely drained for its birth nourishment, leaving Zhi Xuan with a less-than-perfect remnant to achieve the First Ember.

  The moth flapped its wings over the three petals, shrouding them in cosmic pollen. The pollen, which had absorbed the energy of the Heavenly Calamity, now seeped into the petals, restoring their vitality.

  The petals, originally pale and withered, slowly regained their brilliant blood-red color, although their size remained small—only the remainder of the nine petals that should have been there. Xiao Die could not completely restore the original Nine Lotus Blood Flower, but it had cleansed and condensed the remaining essence, making them into Three Pure Blood Petals that were much more concentrated and easier for Zhi Xuan to absorb.

  Time passed, Zhi Xuan had been unconscious for two full days, a time that would actually have been longer due to the surprising Heavenly Calamity wave that shook his foundation. Fortunately, Xiao Die guarded Zhi Xuan for two full days.

  Verdant Titan! This was a Verdant Titan, although imperfect, a beast already categorized as the King of a large forest or swamp area. Equivalent to an imperfect Five Elements cultivator, beasts and cultivators differ in how they cultivate.

  When cultivators understand the five elements by utilizing the energy of heaven and earth and enlightenment on each element, beasts do it only by absorbing the elemental essence! This was an amazing thing where a Verdant Titan-level beast, a full third class, appeared in the Demon Mist Swamp.

  Zhi Xuan groaned softly. The coldness of the putrid mud around him felt like a hard cushion, but the pain in his head had subsided. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was not the cave ceiling or the devil mist, but a fading rainbow light. On his shoulder, there was a light, warm weight—Xiao Die.

  "What the," Zhi Xuan mumbled, his eyes staring blankly upwards.

  He quickly became aware, although a deep exhaustion still shackled him. His last memory was a shameful fall, the explosion of the Heavenly Calamity, and the horrifying sight of the three Azure Kings being sucked dry.

  Zhi Xuan tried to sit up, but immediately realized his body felt light and clean, even though he was still submerged in the mud up to his waist. His lost spiritual power was miraculously restored, and his meridians felt wider and more elastic. He turned his head to his shoulder.

  The Thousand Feathered Moth, now shining with brilliant jade-gold beauty, flapped its wings gracefully. Its antennae trembled, and it emitted a hum that felt like a gentle song in Zhi Xuan's mind.

  "Xiao Die," Zhi Xuan said, his hand shaking as he reached out to her with emotion. "You did it..."

  Xiao Die slid from his shoulder and flew in circles in front of Zhi Xuan's face, as if nodding in affirmation. Its body radiated a majestic light and an undeniable aura of power—a power that had surpassed the Azure King realm, entering the realm Ruo Xianxue referred to as Verdant Titan.

  "Five Elements..." Zhi Xuan choked, his breath seemingly stopped. His eyes widened as he felt the familiar pressure, this was the same fear he felt when facing Zhu Qinglan directly. "T-this..."

  Zhi Xuan no longer needed to ask. The Aura emitted by Xiao Die was not the aura of merely a high-level Spiritual Beast; it was the aura of an entity that had comprehended and absorbed the foundations of the Celestial Five Elements. Verdant Titan. Only monsters at this level—equivalent to cultivators above the Consciousness Transformation realm undergoing elemental refinement, or even higher—could emit such a pure pressure.

  He had seen the horror of it on Zhu Qinglan. Now, he felt the same horror, but purer, from a moth on his shoulder.

  'Exactly, Monkey,' Ruo Xianxue interjected, her voice in the Sea of Consciousness sounding heavy with acknowledgment. 'Xiao Die has leapfrogged the Azure King realm and reached the Verdant Titan realm in one go, thanks to the Heavenly Calamity and the nourishment of the three swamp Kings. She is now a truly awakened fortieth-ranked Celestial Insect. She is a far stronger ally than you can imagine.'

  Zhi Xuan, although his body was recovered, felt his knees trembling. He tried to crawl out of the mud. As he did, his attention shifted to the small object lying beside him. The originally withered Three Petals of the Nine Lotus Blood Flower now shone with a dense blood-red color and emitted a concentrated Yang Essence.

  Xiao Die slid down, using its antennae to nudge the Three Pure Blood Petals towards Zhi Xuan's chest, as if urging him to eat or absorb them.

  "You... healed this?" Zhi Xuan asked hoarsely.

  Xiao Die flapped its wings gently, as if nodding. The spiritual Aura surrounding the Three Pure Blood Petals felt much denser and purer than the original Nine Lotus Blood Flower. Xiao Die had condensed the remaining Essence of the flower, refining it with cosmic pollen.

  'She repaid your debt with a much better flower, Monkey,' Ruo Xianxue sneered. 'Those petals are now at least three times stronger than what was left. This is your main key. But be quick, we must leave the Demon Mist Swamp immediately. Her Verdant Titan Aura could attract the attention of even older creatures.'

  Zhi Xuan clenched his jaw. He understood. Such a rapid birth of a Celestial Insect, coupled with the sudden death of three Azure Kings, would send shockwaves throughout the entire Demon Mist Swamp, perhaps even to a small portion of the nearest major city.

  He quickly grabbed the Three Pure Blood Petals and tucked them into his robe pocket. A warmth from the petals immediately flooded his meridians. He leaped out of the mud, his clothes ragged. But as always, he channeled a little essence into the robe and it immediately returned to being spiritually clean.

  Xiao Die, sitting gracefully on his shoulder, flapped her glittering wings gently. The wings emitted a soothing Aura, but her immense power felt like a deadly burden.

  "Alright, Xiao Die," Zhi Xuan said, his voice now returning to its cold tone of resolve. "We must go. You have given me a gift, now I must use it. The First Ember awaits."

  Zhi Xuan scanned his surroundings. The Demon Mist Swamp had fallen silent. No more hissing, no more growls. Only a thick silence, as if all living creatures in the area had ducked down in fear or had been swept away by the Heavenly Calamity.

  "Fortunately, this Demon Mist Swamp is far from any nearest city, other cultivators will not have time to realize."

  Zhi Xuan took a step, running with quick strides and accelerating to glide among the wet ground around the swamp. He remained cautious, with Xiao Die on his shoulder, he had to quickly find a hiding place first during his closed-door cultivation period towards the First Ember.