Zhu Qinglan finally turned around, her light grey eyes staring straight at Zhi Xuan, radiating a cold shock. Her thin eyebrows rose slightly. Leaving the Thousand Skies Sect? It was a mad decision for a Black-Haired Devil who had just escaped the dangers of the Great Emperor's Tomb. Furthermore, Zhu Qinglan had assumed Zhi Xuan would only wander to specific nearby places, not across the vast plains.

  "Not returning?" Zhu Qinglan hissed, her voice carrying a note of disapproval. "The Dao in the wild is full of dangers that transcend the Tomb. Without the protection of the Thousand Skies Sect, every old enemy you have made—"

  "I do not need the protection of the Thousand Skies Sect," Zhi Xuan interrupted sharply, arrogance flowing through his tone. "The best protection is the Law and Fate that transcend the Heavens. I have already obtained it within myself. And did you not yourself command me to return with honor that shakes the Plains? That will not happen if I merely hide at the Heavenly Sword Peak."

  Zhu Qinglan fell silent. She processed that arrogance, but in his eyes, she saw a cold truth. Zhi Xuan was right. To challenge the heavens and return with commensurate honor, he had to step beyond the boundaries of the Plains he knew. However, she could not let Zhi Xuan go without a final reminder.

  "Take this," Zhu Qinglan commanded, her voice returning to being cold and absolute, devoid of emotion, yet her movement was gentle. That jade hair tie, carved with details resembling a slender Phoenix feather, radiated a soothing aura of pure water. "The Snow Phoenix Jade. It is a spiritual defense crafted from the essence of pure water, which can purify inner chaos. No battle can easily erode it."

  Zhu Qinglan suppressed her own sigh as she stepped forward, now standing directly in front of Zhi Xuan. Without waiting for consent, she reached out, taking Zhi Xuan's long black hair which was now clean and tidy from the three days of recovery. Her movements, though awkward and performed with slightly trembling hands, carried authority.

  She divided Zhi Xuan’s black hair into two sections at the front, then tied the back with the Snow Phoenix Jade. This act, which should have been performed by a Dao companion, violated all her elegance, yet Zhu Qinglan did it with cold focus, as if she were completing a difficult cultivation task.

  As the Snow Phoenix Jade was firmly attached, the cold aura of pure water immediately calmed Zhi Xuan’s turbulent Sea of Consciousness. It was an extraordinary spiritual defense artifact, sufficient to replace the jade hair tie that had previously crumbled.

  "The Ancient Zhu Clan will not hunt you," Zhu Qinglan said, her voice soft and barely audible, a whisper meant only for Zhi Xuan. She released his hair. The distance between them narrowed again, and her light grey eyes stared straight into Zhi Xuan’s sapphire eyes. "However, you will encounter the rats around the rebellious Ancient Clans. You, surely, can handle them."

  Zhi Xuan smirked coldly. That smile was not one of gratitude, but an acceptance of Fate. He allowed the Snow Phoenix Jade to purify the remaining Primordial fluctuations in his foundation. Zhu Qinglan did not give him a map or treasures, but she gave him an artifact that bound Fate and a vague political warning.

  "I have always known how to hunt rats, Holy Fairy," Zhi Xuan replied, his tone low and filled with hidden killing intent. "Thank you for the hair tie. I will keep it."

  Zhu Qinglan nodded once, a sharp and absolute nod. Her cold aura enveloped her again, forming an invisible shield of ice. She returned to being the untouched Holy Princess, erasing any trace of the weakness she had shown.

  She turned without another word, her graceful feet stepping away, vanishing into the morning mist that shrouded the valley. Within a few breaths, Zhu Qinglan’s aura disappeared completely. She had left to head toward the Eternal Jade Peak, to emerge from there as a Soul Transformation cultivator.

  Zhi Xuan stood still in the middle of the silent valley, letting the cold morning wind strike his clean black robe. He raised his hand, touching the Snow Phoenix Jade in his hair. Cold, pure, and full of demanding promises. It was an affirmation, not a gift.

  "Beautiful women may be dangerous or they may not," Zhi Xuan murmured, now altering the joke he often told about his fear of beautiful women who would secretly make him complacent and lead him into an abyss. "Fine then, let us move."

  Zhi Xuan turned to walk in the opposite direction, carving cosmic step runes and appearing several li away from his starting point. He looked around and exhaled softly, waving his hand to summon the Divine Cauldron which hummed threateningly.

  "Come out," Zhi Xuan hissed coldly, his eyes sharpening to scan his surroundings. "Holy Fairy Zhu is gone; you can kill me now."

  A gripping silence enveloped the mist-shrouded mountain forest. There was no sound, but the air around him felt thick and dense. The lurking aura did not come from a single direction but from many points, surrounding him with a lethal stillness. Zhi Xuan smiled cynically. Rats from the rebellious Ancient Clans.

  It seemed the Ancient Zhu Clan members he had encountered in the Ancient Wasteland had not left their problems behind but had instead made him an easy target for the rats who desired his Seven Lotus Yin Fruit. They assumed Zhu Qinglan would surely not give it to Zhi Xuan and would keep it for herself.

  The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron he held emitted a dull bronze light, the ancient runes on its surface vibrating with a thirst for chaos. That cauldron, which had just been used to seal the Kun Peng Fetus, felt more alive and powerful.

  Within breaths, the morning mist vibrated violently. Eight pitch-black figures leapt from their hiding places. They wore black robes without insignias, their faces covered by silver masks. The aura they radiated was very oppressive; six of them were at the late stage of the Organ Transformation realm, one was in the Consciousness realm, and the leader was an old man with a faint aura indicating a deep Consciousness Transformation, nearly approaching the Five Elements.

  "Black-Haired Devil, you truly are brave to leave the Thousand Skies Sect," the white-haired Elder's voice was hoarse and cold, echoing among the trees. "Hand over the Seven Lotus Yin Fruit you stole from the Ancient Wasteland, and we will allow you to die quickly. We know you have only just recovered. Do not resist fate."

  Zhi Xuan looked up, his sapphire blue eyes staring coldly at the eight assassins. He felt his spiritual essence fluctuate. The Snow Phoenix Jade in his hair emitted a pure aura, holding back his inner turmoil from the oppressive pressure.

  "The Seven Lotus Yin Fruit has already been given to its owner, Holy Fairy Zhu," Zhi Xuan replied, his tone cold and mocking. He intentionally let them believe he was still weak. "And I did not steal it. I obtained it as payment for a promise. You want a fruit that is already gone? Or do you seek death?"

  The white-haired Elder laughed hoarsely, a sound that pierced the ears. "Lying will not save you, Devil. Holy Princess Zhu Qinglan would never leave such an important treasure in the hands of a Devil like you. She must have hidden it in your storage bag, or perhaps you have already absorbed it! Enough talk. Attack!"

  In an instant, the six Organ Transformation realm cultivators rushed forward. They unleashed their spiritual weapons—poisonous chains, flying swords enveloped in cold fire, and spears radiating shadow auras. Their attacks were coordinated, aiming to cut off all of Zhi Xuan’s paths of retreat.

  "You underestimate me too much," Zhi Xuan hissed, not moving or showing any bodily reaction. "If the eight of you were of the Five Elements, then you would have the right to speak arrogantly. However, mere Organ Transformation rats are easy for me to turn into fertilizer for the Slaughter Seals."

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

  The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron in Zhi Xuan’s hand roared. No fire ignited, but the calm Law of Spring wrapped around the Cauldron. In a fraction of a second, the Cauldron expanded in the air, the ancient runes on its surface emitting a dark bronze light. Zhi Xuan, who had recovered more of his spiritual essence, rotated the Heavenly Samsara Wheel in his sea of consciousness.

  The Cauldron orbited Zhi Xuan’s body and swept across the six Organ Transformation cultivators. Zhi Xuan leapt into the air to avoid the surge of the six enemies, waving his hand to direct the Divine Cauldron toward the one whose Organ fluctuations were the weakest.

  The Divine Cauldron collided with the shield surrounding that cultivator. The remaining three cultivators, seeing the Divine Cauldron busy suppressing their comrade, rushed toward Zhi Xuan. One of them threw a poisonous black chain that slithered like a spiritual snake. The chain moved with a speed that challenged the heavens, aiming to bind Zhi Xuan’s hands and feet.

  Zhi Xuan snorted coldly. That speed was too slow for him. He twisted his wrist, controlling the air currents he brought from his movement, creating small spiritual vortices around the chain. He did not destroy it but redirected its path. The chain missed its target, yet he realized the cultivator who threw the chain was already very close.

  Zhi Xuan channeled essence into his right foot. The Slaughter Seals dormant in his body immediately crawled out, not black, but an invisible aura of destruction. The kick was simple, without complex Dao tricks, just pure physical strength forged with blood and killing.

  The kick struck the head of that careless cultivator. His silver mask shattered into pieces, and his head exploded in a spray of blood and bone. His body, which had been dense with Organ Transformation essence, collapsed silently onto the damp grass.

  Thick, hot blood sprayed out, staining Zhi Xuan’s clean black robe and the spiritual moss beneath him. Zhi Xuan landed softly, his right foot still emitting a faint aura of destruction. The two other Organ Transformation cultivators, witnessing their comrade being destroyed by an ordinary kick, recoiled, their eyes hidden behind silver masks filled with visible horror.

  Zhi Xuan punched the body of the fallen cultivator on the ground, making it explode into blood dust. He immediately absorbed the blood from the dead cultivator, feeling a sense of power that was intoxicating and familiar after so long without filling the Heavenly-Blood Body Law with the Slaughter Seals.

  Zhi Xuan absorbed greedily. The dense blood essence of the Organ Transformation realm cultivator, which should have been difficult to digest, was immediately pulled in by the Heavenly-Blood Body Law. It was not spiritual aura he absorbed, but the pure essence of the physical foundation that had reached the Organ Transformation realm.

  The essence flowed heavily into Zhi Xuan’s meridians, sating the Slaughter Seals that now felt hungrier. The aura of destruction around Zhi Xuan grew denser, as if he had just opened an ancient seal suppressing his killing intent. The two remaining Organ Transformation cultivators froze, witnessing the brutal sight before them.

  The Black-Haired Devil was not just destroying but also harvesting their comrade's Dao foundation. In the air, the Consciousness Transformation Elder and the Consciousness realm cultivator finally moved. The white-haired Elder’s face, which had been full of arrogance, was now covered in a frozen rage.

  "Devil! Accursed ancient Devil technique! You are dead!" the Elder roared, his voice overflowing with killing intent. He swung his wooden staff. The dense Law of Earth immediately shrouded the air, creating air pressure that struck Zhi Xuan, trying to press him into the ground.

  The two remaining Organ Transformation cultivators seized this opportunity. They released their ultimate techniques—balls of cold fire and sharp water essence blades that sped toward the Zhi Xuan who was under the pressure of the Earth Law. Zhi Xuan snorted coldly. The Law of Earth—one of the Five Elements. This was exactly what he was looking for!

  The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron, still busy suppressing the other three cultivators, roared louder. The Spring runes wrapped around it vibrated. Zhi Xuan focused the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, not to attack, but to purify the oppressive Earth Law above him.

  "Cycle of Four Seasons!"

  Zhi Xuan roared, making the Cauldron grow larger than before, with a sharp swing that made his muscle fibers ripple. He swung the Divine Cauldron to attack while simultaneously maintaining a connection with the Heavenly Samsara Wheel. The Law of Autumn and Decay radiated out, and Zhi Xuan swung the Divine Cauldron around his body, creating a whirlwind beneath the Earth Law’s pressure.

  The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron he wielded spun wildly, emitting the lethal Law of Autumn. It was not a fire attack, but a law of decay and destruction. Beneath the pressing Earth Law, the whirlwind created by the Cauldron collided with the cold fireballs and sharp water essence blades launched by the two Organ Transformation cultivators.

  Energy collided in a deafening explosion. The cold fireballs launched by the enemy immediately dimmed, and the lethal sharp water essence decayed into steam before the Law of Autumn. The Cauldron, shrouded in runes of decay, struck the two Organ Transformation cultivators who realized too late that this was no ordinary attack.

  Both their spiritual shields shattered instantly. The Law of Autumn crawled onto their bodies, turning flesh and bone into spiritual ash within seconds. Their screams were swallowed by the storm of chaos. The Cauldron, having completed its task, returned to Zhi Xuan’s grip. He leapt backward to avoid an attack from the Elder, who swung his staff, making it grow and nearly pressing him into the ground.

  Zhi Xuan grunted roughly, looking up to stare at the Elder who was now pressing the air around him to suppress him. Zhi Xuan gritted his teeth, and with a wave of his hand, he directed the absorption of blood and remnants from the two newly dead cultivators, turning them into Slaughter Seals.

  The blood essence from the two Organ Transformation realm cultivators flowed heavily into Zhi Xuan’s body, greedily filling the Slaughter Seals. Every drop of essence he absorbed felt like a new forging for his physical Dao. The power of the Heavenly-Blood Body Law roared, breaking through the Earth Law pressure released by the Elder. The aura of destruction around Zhi Xuan was no longer faint; it radiated with the madness of a bloodthirsty Devil.

  "You dare use accursed Devil techniques in my presence!" the Elder roared, his eyes behind the silver mask filled with the fires of rage. He was a deep Consciousness Transformation cultivator; he understood the essence of the horror of blood harvesting. Such techniques were taboos that could trigger wars between Sects. The Elder swung his wooden staff toward the ground.

  The ground beneath Zhi Xuan’s feet immediately vibrated and cracked. Sharp stone pillars shrouded in Earth Law pierced through the damp grass, shooting upward, aiming to impale Zhi Xuan from below. Pressure from above and attacks from below—a trap impossible for an Organ Transformation realm cultivator to avoid.

  "Hah," Zhi Xuan snorted softly in his Sea of Consciousness, slowly shaking his head and remaining still. "Xiao Die, absorb their essence and share the blood of those five living cultivators with me. We must leave quickly and have no time for these rats."

  Amidst the mist, a soft hum was heard. A fine and wondrous rainbow powder suddenly appeared around Zhi Xuan, enveloping his body. It was not defensive dust, but a soothing powder that disrupted spiritual vision. The powder, radiating the essence of the fortieth-ranked Heavenly Insect, immediately encircled Zhi Xuan.

  In the Sea of Consciousness, Xiao Die, the adolescent Thousand Feathered Moth, flapped her rainbow wings angrily. "Master! I am not your blood servant! But since we must be quick, fine!"

  In an instant, the little moth sped off. Xiao Die did not attack physically. The speed of the Heavenly Insect surpassed the abilities of a Consciousness realm cultivator. She darted through the battlefield, the rainbow powder from her wings touching every remaining cultivator.

  The five living cultivators—the three previously held back by the Divine Cauldron and the two in the Consciousness Transformation realm—immediately felt their Sea of Consciousness jolt. Xiao Die’s rainbow essence was purification and healing, yet it could also become a spiritual toxin that was not lethal but caused disorientation and stiffness.

  "What is happening?!" the Elder roared, his aura containing the Earth Law fluctuating. He felt his mind cloud for a moment, and the Earth Law pressure he released weakened. That was enough.

  With the pressure slightly eased, Zhi Xuan acted immediately. He no longer cared about the looming staff of the Elder. He focused the Heavenly-Blood Body Law. Black runes from the Slaughter Seals exploded in his hands, clearly visible this time, radiating a Primordial madness aura.

  "Heavenly Harvest!"

  He leapt. Not upward, but horizontally. He spun, punching the Consciousness realm cultivator who was disoriented by the rainbow powder. That punch was not to kill; it was to open.

  The spiritual wall of the Consciousness realm cultivator shattered. Black runes from the Slaughter Seals immediately wrapped around his body. Zhi Xuan pulled his hand back. There was no blood explosion; only a silent theft of the foundation.

  The pure spiritual essence from the Consciousness realm cultivator, which surpassed the Organ Transformation realm, flowed heavily into Zhi Xuan, passing through Xiao Die who had prepared the blood path. It was a Great Fertilizer that sated the hunger of the Slaughter Seals.

  "No! Release me!" the Consciousness realm cultivator roared. The white-haired Elder, seeing his strongest comrade harvested like ripe fruit, screamed in horror. He channeled all his Earth Law essence. His staff struck the grass near Zhi Xuan, creating a spiritual earthquake.

  Sharp stone pillars shot out, cutting the grass where Zhi Xuan stood. But it was too late. Zhi Xuan completed the harvest, his body shrouded in an unmatched aura of destruction. His Slaughter Seals, which had previously numbered twenty, now felt dense and alive; he had reached a shocking level of recovery and empowerment.