With a swift motion, Zhi Xuan pressed his palms against the bronze shell of the Divine Cauldron, exerting the full strength of his physical foundation, which now rivaled the Blood Transformation stage.

  GRRUUUM!

  The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron rose, and the sound of metal grinding against the vibrating desert earth immediately revealed the sight within. The bottom of the crater was now filled with a layer of fine, brownish-black dust—the remnants of the Giant Earth Scorpion's shell and flesh. And in the center of that dust, floating gracefully in the air, was the newly born adolescent Thousand Feather Moth.

  She was no longer a cocoon, but a fully matured spiritual entity. Her body, now larger than the cocoon, was draped in golden silk that shimmered like threads woven from the sun. Two delicate wings, unfolding slowly, radiated a breathtaking spectrum of colors—red, blue, green, and gold, all swirling in a calm circle.

  Every line on her wings was a complex spiritual rune, a manifestation of the Verdant Titan Laws that had now reached perfection. Most striking was the aura she radiated. It was so soft and pure, as if all the poison and vileness of the Giant Earth Scorpion had been absorbed and filtered into the purest essence of life. The Thousand Feather Moth, with compound eyes as black as star-filled obsidian, immediately took flight.

  SSHHHIII!

  A hum clearer and sweeter than ever before immediately filled Zhi Xuan's Sea of Consciousness; it was no longer a plea, but a song of joy and recognition. What used to be a rainbow-like hum was now much clearer in its delivery of intent.

  "Master," the subtle and soft voice echoed, far clearer and possessing a cold clarity. "Xiao Die succeeded. The Giant Earth Scorpion essence was the perfect nourishment."

  The Thousand Feather Moth did not hesitate. With a movement full of elegance and incredible speed, she flew directly toward Zhi Xuan, gently brushing his cheek with her delicate wing. The remaining golden silk on her body immediately wrapped around Zhi Xuan's wrist, transforming into a faint golden bracelet—a bond that was now far stronger than an ordinary Soul Contract.

  "Thousand Feather Silk Bracelet," Zhi Xuan murmured, feeling a massive spiritual connection being forged. He could feel every thought, every desire, and above all, every power possessed by the adolescent Thousand Feather Moth.

  "Welcome back, Xiao Die," Zhi Xuan replied, a sincere smile blooming on his lips behind the Tattered Hood—a rare and precious smile. He stroked Xiao Die's wing with his thumb, a simple gesture of affection.

  The birth of the Thousand Feather Moth had reached its zenith. The great spiritual phenomenon had concluded. Zhi Xuan immediately funneled his divine sense, scanning the surroundings. There were no suspicious fluctuations. The depth of the canyon, the power of the Divine Cauldron, and the desert sandstorms had successfully hidden this birth from distant sight and detection.

  Zhi Xuan quickly placed Xiao Die behind the fold of his robe collar; he could waste no more time in the desert now gripped by night. With a sharp grunt, Zhi Xuan carved a rune beneath his feet and dashed away from the crater, retracing the path toward the side road, following the trail of the caravan that had gained a significant distance from him.

  THUMP! CRACK!

  Every leap of his step caused slight cracks on the rocks and ground, carrying the weight forged by the Slaughter Seals. After the consolidation of the eleventh Rune, every burden of his body seemed more than the Earth he stepped on could bear. A trail of shadows darted like a night wind that was both subtle and threatening.

  Inside the fold of his tattered grey robe collar, Xiao Die rested peacefully, radiating a subtle warmth that felt pleasant. The Thousand Feather Silk Bracelet on Zhi Xuan's wrist felt like a new link of life, a spiritual resource now fully connected to his Sea of Consciousness.

  The spiritual Zhi Xuan wasted no time reviewing the details. He felt Xiao Die's foundation: condensed ancient life energy, far beyond the Consciousness Transformation phase, yet still on the threshold of the Five Element realm. The power of the Thousand Feather Moth, though not yet reaching the peak of her first reincarnation, had now become a hidden, invisible sword, ready to pierce even the thickest defensive Laws.

  "Your physique has stabilized, Monkey. Your little insect has received its nourishment," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice returning to its flat and cold tone, though there was a hidden satisfaction within. "Now, focus on your task. The Divine Stone Mine."

  "I cannot let that caravan get too far," the spiritual Zhi Xuan replied. "Tu Yan is cunning. If I disappear for too long, he will return to investigate, and the traces of the Giant Earth Scorpion's ruins will be too suspicious."

  Zhi Xuan accelerated his pace. The desert environment at night felt far more cruel. The temperature dropped drastically, and the wind carried a cold that pierced the bone, but Zhi Xuan's physical foundation, strengthened by eleven Slaughter Seals, allowed him to ignore the chill. He darted between rock formations and sand dunes, his subtle Cosmic Steps turning into shadows that left almost no trace.

  After about an hour of intense pursuit, Zhi Xuan felt faint traces of spiritual essence in the air. It was the smell of sweat, earth, and corrupt essence—the trail of Tu Yan's slow-moving caravan. They did not dare move too quickly in the desert night, especially after encountering a Verdant Titan.

  Zhi Xuan slowed down, stepping out from the shadows behind a sand dune. Before him, an emergency camp was visible. Tu Yan's caravan had stopped for the night. Tattered tents were erected, and a bonfire was lit. The guards gathered around the fire, their faces looking tense, still haunted by the horror of the Giant Earth Scorpion.

  The remaining spiritual slaves, whose numbers were now much reduced, were tied to stakes in the open area, huddled in their chains under the cold of the night. The silence enveloping the camp was not a peaceful one; it was a silence full of fear and suppressed suffering.

  Zhi Xuan funneled his divine sense and immediately tracked Tu Yan. The bald man sat slightly away from the bonfire, observing the dark sky. He was not sleeping; he was alert, like a predator who knows that danger always lurks behind the shadows. Zhi Xuan stepped forward, letting the desert sand rub softly beneath his boots. That small sound was enough. Tu Yan immediately turned his head. His sharp black eyes narrowed as he saw the hooded shadow stepping out of the darkness.

  "Ghost Zhang," Tu Yan hissed, his voice hoarse and full of vigilance. He showed no surprise, but the whip in his hand immediately twirled, ready to strike. "I knew you would return. What happened to the Desert Emperor? And why does your aura feel... more dense?"

  Zhi Xuan walked closer. The Tattered Hood covered most of his expression, but his sapphire eyes radiated a cold tranquility. He ignored the question about his aura.

  "I have only finished resting and recovering myself," Zhi Xuan replied in a hoarse voice. "As for that Desert Emperor, I succeeded in luring it away from this path, toward a more hidden canyon. Your caravan is safe to proceed."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Tu Yan did not entirely believe him. He was a cruel slave trader and bandit who lived by instinct and suspicion. Luring a Verdant Titan was not a task an ordinary Consciousness Transformation cultivator could perform, even with mad arrogance. However, the sight of the annihilated Wind Bandit corpses was still fresh in his memory, and he knew the aura hidden behind this Tattered Hood was something brutal.

  "Luring," Tu Yan repeated, a sly grin appearing on his lips. "A bloody rest, Master Zhang Gui. I saw the rock ruins and dust on that path. You did not just lure it; you fought, and you came out without obvious injury. Tell me, what did you take from that Desert Emperor? We negotiated for the path, not for treasures."

  Zhi Xuan shrugged his shoulders wrapped in the tattered grey robe. That simple movement radiated a cold arrogance, ignoring Tu Yan's implied accusation. On his wrist, the faint Thousand Feather Silk Bracelet radiated a hidden, subtle warmth.

  "I took a lesson from the battle," Zhi Xuan hissed, his voice containing a shallow philosophical tone. "And some fragments of the shattered shell. If you want them, feel free to go back and dig. To me, they are worthless."

  He was not lying; the fragments of the Giant Earth Scorpion's shell were indeed at the bottom of the crater, but the precious Verdant Titan essence had completely become Xiao Die's nourishment. Truth mixed with lies is the most convincing lie.

  Tu Yan narrowed his eyes, weighing Zhi Xuan's words. He could feel a strange aura of cleansing around Zhang Gui. He could not detect the presence of a small spiritual beast, let alone a newly born high-level spiritual entity like Xiao Die. However, he knew Zhi Xuan must have obtained something significant.

  "Very well, Zhang Gui," Tu Yan said, his tone cold and full of vigilance. He decided not to provoke the anger of an entity that could kill a Verdant Titan and clear the Wind Bandits in an instant. "Let's say I believe your words. We will continue the journey before dawn. You know the rules—clear the path, leave no trace."

  Zhi Xuan nodded once, a cold and absolute gesture. He was not interested in lingering. He turned, stepping back into the darkness. He chose a shelter behind a group of steep rock formations, far from the camp, where he could meditate without interruption. Behind the rock formation, Zhi Xuan immediately sat cross-legged. He took out Earth Spirit Grass and swallowed it, using the calming effect to settle his spiritual essence that still vibrated faintly from the excitement of battle.

  "Monkey, that Tu Yan is no fool," Ruo Xianxue hissed in his Sea of Consciousness. "He will send someone to investigate that canyon at sunrise. Your battle was too large to be left without a trace."

  "Let it be," the spiritual Zhi Xuan replied with a satisfied tone. "The dust and the scent of that Scorpion's poison will cover everything. And even if he finds the destroyed crater, he will never understand. He will only assume the Verdant Titan perished due to an internal battle with another beast. I gave him a path; my business is not his."

  He closed his sapphire eyes. The tattered hood fell forward, hiding his face which now displayed perfect tranquility. Inside the fold of his collar, Xiao Die rested peacefully, her subtle warmth a constant reminder of the new power he now possessed. Zhi Xuan did not continue spiritual recovery. His focus shifted entirely to the eleven Slaughter Seals now glowing faintly beneath his skin.

  "I will wait," Zhi Xuan murmured calmly, his determination hardening to obtain what he sought at the Divine Stone Mine. "At midnight, I will clear the way and resume moving toward the Divine Stone Mine."

  Zhi Xuan completely shifted his focus, diving into his vast and silent Sea of Consciousness. The Devil Tree of Life loomed high above him, and beside the dark Ancient Devil Monument, eleven Slaughter Seals shone like stars of darkness within his physical foundation. He did not let the spiritual essence from the Earth Spirit Grass go to waste. Instead of using it only for recovery, he channeled it, purified it, and pushed it into his Seals.

  His goal was to consolidate the total of eleven Slaughter Seals forged in such a short time. Zhi Xuan knew that such cultivation—fast, brutal, and driven by vileness—required constant purification. If the Seals were not forged strongly, the Heavenly-Blood Body Law could turn into poison, destroying his Dao foundation.

  Under the influence of the Earth Spirit Grass, the boiling heat sensation from the Seals subsided, replaced by a stable and strong warmth. The runes composed of blood and vileness now felt integrated with his bones and muscles, fundamentally changing his physical structure. Zhi Xuan felt that each consolidated Seal added a new layer of hardness to his flesh, a Body Law that was now a far more solid fortress than his vulnerable spiritual essence.

  Zhi Xuan felt his previously fragile physical foundation gaining layer upon layer of eternal hardness. He was not just recovering; he was transforming. The sharp and intoxicating pain of the slaughter had been transformed into a solid foundation. Within the darkness of the Sea of Consciousness, the eleven Slaughter Seals pulsed with a steady rhythm, promising strength that surpassed his Consciousness Transformation realm.

  Half the night passed in absolute silence. Tu Yan's camp slept in the darkness, adorned by the sound of desert wolves howling in the distance. Zhi Xuan opened his eyes. His sapphire eyes were now clear and sharp, without any trace of fatigue. The recovery and consolidation of the Slaughter Seals were perfectly complete.

  He glanced down his robe collar. Xiao Die slept quietly, her warmth feeling pleasant against his skin. Zhi Xuan felt that with the birth of the adolescent Thousand Feather Moth, his spiritual senses felt more sensitive, as if a third eye had opened, allowing him to scan for danger with sharper accuracy.

  He rose, his movements silent, as if a shadow carved from the night. He stepped out from behind the rock formation, passing through Tu Yan's camp like a ghost. The guards sleeping around the bonfire did not even feel his essence fluctuations. Zhi Xuan's silence and speed were a hidden sword. He did not stop. The smugglers' rat path had to be cleared before dawn.

  Zhi Xuan darted forward, retracing the route prepared by Tu Yan. Although the path was mostly safe, he knew the desert was a cruel place; the missing Wind Bandits would trigger the movement of other, bolder raider groups. About two hours before dawn, Zhi Xuan arrived at a canyon gap shrouded in thin mist. His divine sense caught rough essence fluctuations—twelve Blood Transformation cultivators hiding within a low-level illusion formation.

  "Second Generation Wind Bandits?" Zhi Xuan hissed, a cold smile again pulling at the corner of his lips.

  He did not stop; he did not look for a gap; he simply stepped forward with lethal speed. This time, he did not use the Thunder Sword. He relied on his physical foundation and the newly consolidated Heavenly-Blood Body Law.

  Zhi Xuan appeared in the middle of that illusion formation like a sudden god of death. The twelve bandits, who thought they were safe in their ambush, were shocked. Before they could react, Zhi Xuan's hands were already moving in the cruel mist.

  BLARR! BLARR!

  A fist reinforced by eleven Slaughter Seals was a far more brutal weapon than any spiritual weapon. The fist struck the first bandit's face with devastating force. Not only were the flesh and bones destroyed; his spiritual essence foundation crumbled under the force of the Body Law and churned into blood dust.

  Zhi Xuan moved quickly. He gave them no chance to form a formation or respond. He moved like black lightning, his hands and feet becoming invisible blades. Every punch, every kick, was a manifestation of the violence forged in blood.

  In less than ten breaths, the twelve bandits lay lifeless. There were no screams. Only the sound of cracking bones and the coughing of blood. Zhi Xuan took a long breath, satisfied. He immediately touched the remains of the twelve bandits, channeling his cold spiritual essence.

  SSSHHH! SSSHHH!

  Twelve strands of thick blood were drawn out, absorbing their life essence. The pain of the engraving was now almost non-existent; only a warm and intoxicating sensation spread through his entire body, channeling pure strength into his physical foundation.

  Countless runes spun rapidly beneath his skin, and in the time it had taken to carve the first three Seals, twelve new Slaughter Seals merged with the previous eleven. A total of twenty-three Slaughter Seals now resided in his physical foundation. The pain was now only a burning whir of excitement, a sign that his Heavenly-Blood Body Law had pierced a new threshold.

  He felt his foundation, which was previously only on par with Blood Transformation, now surge drastically. The strength absorbed from these twelve Blood Transformation stage cultivators, though weak individually, when combined and purified by the Heavenly Wheel of Samsara, provided a shocking physical enhancement. Zhi Xuan moved his fingers. The air around him vibrated subtly. He was certain that if he wished, he could tear spiritual steel with his bare hands.

  "Great Saint," Zhi Xuan murmured, a thin smile filled with satisfaction flowing on his lips. "Holy Fairy Zhu would surely be more fascinated by me if I looked like this, wouldn't she?"

  "I think she would slap you harder, Monkey," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice containing a rare and bitter note of admiration. "The Heavenly-Blood Body Law is indeed the fastest path. But remember, every Seal demands a greater evil. Do not let this power take over your mind."

  "I have never let this body hinder progress or take away my reason," the spiritual Zhi Xuan replied with cold arrogance. He felt himself now far stronger, not just spiritually, but physically. This was a grounded, solid, and eternal strength, something that could not be stolen by the Righteous Sects or melted by poison.