"Be quiet, Old Fox and Little Moth," Zhi Xuan replied within his sea of consciousness, his tone amused and unable to hide a thin smile. "You are just jealous of a Devil being cared for by a Goddess of the Heavens, are you not? Just admit it. And if you want a child, just consider that Kun Peng Fetus as your own. Ha, it is fortunate the Holy Fairy did not suspect more about those Slaughter Seals."

  Ruo Xianxue, who was currently restoring the Primordial Devil runes upon the Ancient Devil Monument, snorted coldly. The sound of that snort felt like an ice storm passing through the sea of consciousness. "Jealous of a filthy monkey wrapped in a clean robe? Such ridiculous arrogance. That Kun Peng Fetus is a catastrophe that will give birth to a Holy Beast that defies the heavens. You are the one who must find a way to tame that Fate, not I, you foolish Devil."

  Xiao Die buzzed in agreement. "That is right, Master! You look like a beggar who was just bathed by a Beautiful Lady. But the Beautiful Lady is not bad; her essence is very cold and feels delicious."

  "Good enough," Zhi Xuan murmured softly as he stared at the chaos pearl submerged beneath the roots of the Tree of Life. "The grudge with Xu Sheng has been settled by the Ancient Zhu Clan; they know how to bind a thicker karma to me. However, I must also keep moving forward. The Five Elements are my next goal."

  Zhi Xuan closed his eyes, ignoring the cynical whispers and amused chatter in his sea of consciousness. He took a deep breath, focusing his entire will. His body, wrapped in the black robe with red silk accents, felt warm and soft, contrasting with the cold valley air. Around him, the runes of the Hiding Formation he had painstakingly carved vibrated faintly, shielding them from the outside world.

  He began his meditation. The Devil Tree of Life in his sea of consciousness roared quietly, absorbing the remnants of pure Yin essence from the Seven Lotus Yin Fruit that was still fluctuating in his meridians. The essence flowed gently, washing every weary spiritual knot. The chaos aura from the Kun Peng Fetus sealed at the bottom of the sea of consciousness was now suppressed, leaving only a muffled Primordial rumble.

  Zhi Xuan used the Purification Law of the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, rotating his energy. The pure Yin essence did not merely restore; it purified the Slaughter Seals at his physical foundation, forcing them to reach a higher level of density. Every rotation of the Law felt like a celestial hammer forging his bones and blood.

  A quarter of an hour passed in deep silence. Zhi Xuan was fully immersed in recovery, forgetting the outside world, forgetting the Holy Princess nearby. He let the Law work; he let time heal.

  As he reached the peak of his spiritual recovery, where the Sea of Consciousness began to calm and the Kun Peng's turmoil subsided, he felt a subtle fluctuation nearby. Something moved. Zhi Xuan, instinctively alert, was about to open his eyes, but he restrained himself. It was Zhu Qinglan.

  He could feel Zhu Qinglan walking back from the spring, her footsteps graceful and flawless upon the spiritual moss. Zhu Qinglan did not sit down immediately. She stepped closer, and Zhi Xuan felt a pair of cold hands moving near him. Not to attack, but to tidy the grass.

  The Holy Princess took a clean silk scroll from her storage bag, silk infused with subtle warming runes, and spread it beside the cross-legged Zhi Xuan. The silk mat radiated a soothing aura of spiritual essence, a luxurious cushion upon the damp grass.

  Zhu Qinglan then moved. She did not sit cross-legged beside him like an ordinary cultivator. She stepped very close; the intimacy she had forced upon the boat returned, even more brutal. Zhi Xuan, whose eyes were closed, felt Zhu Qinglan’s cold body pressing against him from the side.

  The majesty of the Holy Princess had vanished completely. Zhu Qinglan, without saying a word, positioned herself. She did not lie down straight but instead placed her head on Zhi Xuan’s chest, letting her slender body slump into the lap of the Black-Haired Devil.

  Zhi Xuan’s body stiffened. He felt the weight of Zhu Qinglan’s head on his chest, her cold black hair touching the skin of his neck. He almost opened his eyes in surprise, but he held his breath. He let Zhu Qinglan do as she wished.

  Zhu Qinglan, with her face now hidden in Zhi Xuan’s clean robe, channeled a bit of pure water essence, creating a thin spiritual shield around them both—a shield that did not protect from attacks but shielded them from the night's cold.

  Zhi Xuan felt his heartbeat slowly calm down, resonating with the cold body now leaning against him. It was a strange collision of Laws—Cold and Heat, Serenity and Chaos—that now found a contradictory balance.

  He could not move; he could not meditate. He was completely dragged out of his recovery. Zhi Xuan opened his eyes slowly. The night sky shrouded in moon mist stared back at him. He looked down. Zhu Qinglan’s head rested on his chest, her silk-like hair spread across his robe.

  Zhu Qinglan’s face, which usually radiated the majesty of an iceberg, was now hidden, leaving only her graceful back which emitted a deep aura of tranquility. Zhi Xuan knew the Holy Princess had fallen asleep. The spiritual fatigue she had endured for three months, the fear of her Dao foundation's destruction, and the pressure of caring for Zhi Xuan were all now released in an honest sleep.

  Zhi Xuan let out a cold sigh. He allowed his arrogance to crumble. He glanced into his sea of consciousness. Ruo Xianxue and Xiao Die were silent. The Ancient Devil Monument, the Devil Tree of Life, and even the sealed Kun Peng Fetus were all now shrouded in a haunting silence.

  They watched, knowing that this moment was an anomaly to be respected. Zhi Xuan slowly and carefully raised his hand, then touched Zhu Qinglan’s hair. His movement was gentle, full of caution. He did not want to disturb that fragile sleep.

  "Holy Fairy..." Zhi Xuan murmured, his voice barely audible. He did not know what to say. All his arrogance, all the words he had prepared, vanished in the face of this sincere vulnerability.

  He merely let his hand rest on Zhu Qinglan’s hair. He did not return the embrace, but he became a sturdy support. He focused the Divine Cauldron, not to attack, but to radiate a calm Spring resonance, providing the warmth desperately needed by Zhu Qinglan’s cold body.

  The valley was silent. There was only the sound of the night wind and the soft rustle of the spiritual water essence in the spring. Zhi Xuan, who was supposed to be restoring his nearly destroyed foundation, had instead become a shield and a pillow for the cold Holy Princess.

  He stared at the star-studded night sky, his blue eyes radiating a deep and contemplative light. He smiled thinly—a smile devoid of arrogance, only an acknowledgment of a ridiculous destiny for someone who had originally cultivated just for a mission to protect a village.

  Fate—he thought of that word. The fate that sent him to the Ancient Wasteland to retrieve the Heavenly Fruit, the fate that bound him to the Primordial Devil Fox, and the fate that now made him a sleeping pillow for the coldest Holy Princess in the entire Plains.

  During those three days of silence and intermittent meditation, Zhi Xuan’s recovery proceeded at a heaven-defying speed. During the day, Zhu Qinglan would wake up, meditate briefly near the spring, and without saying a single word, they would swap positions. She would care for Zhi Xuan, letting him absorb the remnants of pure Yin essence, and then Zhi Xuan would return to meditation.

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  During that time as well, Zhi Xuan received Dao guidance from Zhu Qinglan. Although it was merely the understanding that Zhi Xuan must seek places with dense Laws of Wind, Lightning, Fire, Water, and Earth. It required him to fully comprehend the Laws of Nature, stepping into the Five Element Realm which possessed no initial or middle phases. It was purely based on the mastery of Nature's Laws.

  However, every night, that brutal intimacy returned. Zhu Qinglan, without asking permission, would return to that position—her head on Zhi Xuan’s chest, her body leaning against the lap of the Black-Haired Devil—as if only there she could find peace from her hidden worries.

  On the third night, Zhi Xuan finally completed his rough recovery. The Divine Cauldron roared softly, the Spring resonance condensing into a powerful spiritual essence, refilling his Sea of Consciousness. The twenty Slaughter Seals that had been tempered by the Primordial and perfected by the pure Yin now felt as solid as black jade. He was only one step away from the Five Element realm.

  Zhi Xuan opened his eyes slowly. The night had reached its peak. Zhu Qinglan’s head still rested peacefully on his chest. He could not hide a faint smile, a smile that felt strange on his face usually filled with cold calculation and arrogance.

  "Sleep well, Holy Fairy," Zhi Xuan murmured, his voice filled with a tranquility long lost. He knew it was time to leave. The recovery was complete, and Zhu Qinglan needed that Seven Lotus Yin Fruit to begin her own Soul Transformation cultivation.

  Zhi Xuan slowly and very carefully raised his hand, touching Zhu Qinglan’s shoulder. He channeled a bit of his spiritual essence, not to harm, but to wake the Holy Princess gently.

  Zhu Qinglan started. Her light grey eyes opened, radiating a sharp and alert light. The realization of their position immediately enveloped her. She quickly lifted her head from Zhi Xuan’s chest and rose—a graceful and swift motion, as if wanting to erase the vulnerability she had just shown.

  Zhu Qinglan’s face was expressionless, but a faint flush crossed her cheeks, a clear betrayal of her iceberg nature. She did not look at Zhi Xuan but instead focused her gaze on the spring, ignoring the intimacy they had shared for three nights.

  "Time to go," Zhu Qinglan said, her voice back to being cold and absolute, covering the creeping awkwardness. She returned to the role of the untouched Holy Princess. She turned and began walking toward the valley crevice.

  Zhi Xuan responded with a nod; he rose and stood tall. Waving his hand, the formation runes that had confined them for three days vanished from the valley crevice. Zhi Xuan stepped behind Zhu Qinglan, the cold yet fresh air of the starry night greeting them. The moon shone brightly, and the night wind carried flying leaves.

  Outside the valley crevice, they returned to the vast mountain expanse. Zhi Xuan, with his clean black robe and a denser aura, brought out the Seven Star Boat. The boat grew large, its soft light welcoming the night. Zhu Qinglan stepped without hesitation onto the boat; this time she did not stand behind. She stood on the left side of the bow, maintaining a polite but not too distant gap, as if she had set a new boundary for their intimacy.

  Zhi Xuan channeled his essence, and the Seven Star Boat immediately sped away through the Horizon. This time, their goal, as agreed, was that Zhu Qinglan, after reaching Soul Transformation, would return to the Ancient Zhu Clan. As for Zhi Xuan, after being pressured by Zhu Qinglan regarding the removal of unnecessary grudges, he decided to leave the Thousand Skies Sect and seek deeper enlightenment by wandering.

  The Seven Star Boat sped like an arrow forged by moonlight, cleaving through the mountain mist. Zhi Xuan’s speed was much higher than before; his newly restored and enhanced spiritual essence allowed him to force the flying artifact to its limits. At the bow, two figures stood in a haunting silence—a silence that felt noisier than a roaring storm.

  Zhu Qinglan, who now held the Seven Lotus Yin Fruit inside her storage bag, let the night wind strike her face. She focused on the view ahead, but Zhi Xuan could feel the subtle tension in her shoulders. The distance she created at the bow was a sign of the return of her dignity and regret for the weakness she had shown.

  "May the Dao bless you in your Soul Transformation," Zhi Xuan began the conversation, breaking the silence amidst the striking night wind. "I will be leaving, and I will return when I have the ability to knock on the doors of the Ancient Zhu Clan."

  Zhu Qinglan turned her face slightly, her light grey eyes radiating an unexpected cold light under the moonlight. She did not look at Zhi Xuan, but her gaze remained fixed on the rushing horizon.

  "Do not return empty-handed," Zhu Qinglan replied, her voice cold, but within it was a demanding tone—a command that transcended majesty. "If you return, it must be with honor commensurate with the promise you carved at the Eternal Jade Peak. Do not come merely as the Black-Haired Devil. Come as someone who has shaken all the Plains."

  Those were the last words she allowed to be spoken. After that, Zhu Qinglan was once again shrouded in silence. She closed her eyes, focusing her pure water essence, seemingly already beginning to prepare her foundation for Soul Transformation even before reaching her Eternal Jade Peak to cultivate.

  Zhi Xuan, now left in that demanding silence, gave a small nod. He understood. Zhu Qinglan did not need a soft relationship; she needed a Destiny commensurate with Immortality. He focused his mind into the Sea of Consciousness.

  The Kun Peng Fetus sealed at the bottom of the Sea of Consciousness became a symbol of the Primordial burden and the promise he had to fulfill. The denser aura around the Slaughter Seals and the Dao hints about the Law of Five Elements from Zhu Qinglan during meditation were now his roadmap.

  The Five Element Realm—a step that knew no phases, only total mastery over the Laws of Nature. Zhi Xuan realized that the Thousand Skies Sect, with its thousands of years of foundation and righteousness, would not be able to give him the enlightenment he needed. He had to wander.

  "We will wander, Great Saint," Zhi Xuan murmured, breaking his internal silence. "Seeking places where Wind, Lightning, Fire, Water, and Earth dance in chaos. Purifying the Devil Seed, seeking my origins, and seeing the vastness of Heaven and Earth."

  "Suit yourself, you foolish monkey," Ruo Xianxue replied, her voice now sounding stronger after her brief recovery, but her cynical tone remained. "As long as you do not die, I do not care. And remember, if you want to understand the Laws of Nature, you will need years for that. If you fail in your stupidity, your mortality, and your soft feelings... then when the Kun Peng Fetus is born, you will be the cause of the Nine Plains' disaster."

  Xiao Die buzzed with excitement. "Wander! Wander! That will be fun, Master! We can look for many more Artifacts and experiences!"

  Zhi Xuan ignored the chatter, smirking faintly. He glanced to the side, toward Zhu Qinglan who was now completely immersed in cultivation, as if she had severed all spiritual connections with the outside world, including himself. The journey continued in disciplined silence.

  Zhu Qinglan did not open her eyes until dawn broke on the horizon, painting the sky with golden orange. As the sun rose, Zhu Qinglan opened her eyes. She did not turn toward Zhi Xuan; the territory of the Thousand Skies Sect was near, and Zhu Qinglan did not want to return there together with Zhi Xuan, but rather would part ways exactly some distance from the Sect's border.

  "We must part here," Zhu Qinglan said, her voice once again flat and emotionless—a layer of ice she wore again after the weakness of the three nights. She pointed down toward a hidden valley shrouded in morning mist, several hundred miles away from the outer gates of the Thousand Skies Sect.

  Zhi Xuan nodded faintly; he understood. Zhu Qinglan, as the Holy Princess of the Ancient Zhu Clan, must not be seen returning together with the Black-Haired Devil, especially after the incident at the Great Emperor's Tomb which would surely soon be the talk of the entire Plains.

  He channeled his essence and the Seven Star Boat dove sharply, landing smoothly in the mist-shrouded valley. As soon as the boat landed, Zhu Qinglan stepped down, her movements graceful and swift, as if wanting to immediately distance herself from Zhi Xuan and the intimacy she had forced. She stood tall on the damp morning moss, her cold aura immediately spreading through the valley.

  Zhi Xuan followed. He waved his hand, and the Seven Star Boat shrank, returning to a small artifact in his palm. He returned it to his storage bag. He and Zhu Qinglan now stood in a cold silence in the mist-shrouded valley.

  "I will return to the Thousand Skies Sect, entering closed-door cultivation at the Eternal Jade Peak. When I emerge, I will be in the Soul Transformation realm, and then I will return to the Ancient Zhu Clan," Zhu Qinglan continued, her tone flat, as if she were merely informing him of a schedule. "You must do the same."

  Zhi Xuan smirked coldly; he was not surprised by her speed and decisiveness. "I am not returning to the Thousand Skies Sect, Holy Fairy," Zhi Xuan replied, his voice cold and absolute, breaking the morning mist. "Xu Sheng has received his payment, and I have no more grudges in that place. I will wander. Seeking a higher Dao, seeking the Five Element realm that cannot be taught by any sect in these Plains."