WHIRL! DING! WHUMP!

  Zhi Xuan waved his hand, and the Three Ages Divine Furnace appeared, whirring and creating a spiritual shockwave that spread around the Dao Testing Arena. The outer disciples who saw this radiated both admiration and a subtle tremor that made their hearts beat fast.

  It was an arrogant demonstration; without saying more, Zhi Xuan directly issued a challenge, brandishing a Soul Artifact without holding back his aura. His palm held the massive weight of the Furnace, which contained Xiao Die’s cocoon. His Dao was the one inscribed on the Divine Furnace, the Law of Four Seasons dominating the Law of Five Elements.

  Elder Yan Shen, who had finished securing Feng Yi to be stabilized, now watched from the Sect Elders' podium. He wore a slight smile upon seeing Zhi Xuan feel heavier, more solid, and as if something incomprehensible had happened to him. The Primordial Ancient City had truly tempered Zhi Xuan, even if briefly.

  “I see it, Zhi Xuan,” Yan Shen murmured softly, his voice only audible to the wind. “You have won a precious prize, even if it came with a slap mark. Let the Heavens witness this battle.”

  In the middle of the arena, Xu Sheng was stunned. He had anticipated verbal arrogance or perhaps even a sudden attack, but not an open demonstration of such a fierce Soul Artifact. The Three Ages Divine Furnace radiated an aura of ancient weight, a Heaven-Grade Artifact veiled by the intricate Law of Four Seasons. The aura felt unnatural, beyond his Five Element comprehension.

  “You accept my challenge, Devil?” Xu Sheng hissed, trying to control his shock. His eyes narrowed at the Artifact Zhi Xuan held, then shifted to the youth’s face, where the slap mark was blazing red, as if it were laughing at Xu Sheng.

  Zhi Xuan arrived atop the arena in a single step, creating a subtle tremor on the path where he walked. He ignored the question, giving an answer much sharper than simple words about challenging or being challenged.

  “You ask about the Path I walk, Senior Brother Xu?” Zhi Xuan countered, his voice hoarse yet filled with restored arrogance. A faint black mist swirled beneath his robe, remnants of the newly calmed Devil essence stirring because they were forced awake. “My Path does not care for your Righteousness. My Path is Will, which subordinates all Laws. And this Artifact is the embodiment of my Will.”

  Zhi Xuan lifted the Three Ages Divine Furnace with one hand, allowing the ancient and heavy aura of the Heaven-Grade Artifact to envelop the entire arena. In his hand, the Furnace looked like a miniature mountain peak shrouded in spiritual mist. Instead of the ordered Five Element essence, the Furnace radiated a swirling Four Seasons Resonance—the eternal Cycle of Life, Death, Decay, and Rebirth, a Supreme Law that naturally surpassed and swallowed the Five Element concept.

  "Law of Nature, what is the difference from the Law of Four Seasons?" Zhi Xuan said calmly, his tone carrying the weight of understanding the Law of Four Seasons inscribed on the Heavenly Wheel of Samsara. "Summer. Winter. Spring. Autumn. Within them, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Thunder have manifested."

  Zhi Xuan’s jet-black robe subtly fluttered, contrasting with the ancient bronze Furnace he held. Xu Sheng's Five Element essence was balance, but Zhi Xuan’s Law of Four Seasons was an inevitable cycle, an older and more deadly will. A Cycle that would always exist in every Age, influencing Life and Death.

  "The Five Elements complement each other," Zhi Xuan continued calmly, the Divine Furnace spinning above his palm. "The Law of Four Seasons is the embodiment of the will to Live, the will to Die."

  He stepped forward, his cold feet not touching the arena jade, but seemingly floating above it. The slap mark on his face was blazing red, as if Zhu Qinglan’s anger had transformed into a humiliating yet effective seal of power. Beside the arena, Feng Yi, who was being treated by a sect disciple, stared with wide eyes. Zhi Xuan, whom she had considered weak, now radiated pressure that even exceeded Xu Sheng.

  Xu Sheng clenched his jaw, furious. The humiliation he felt was much deeper than Feng Yi's challenge. This youth not only insulted him personally but also belittled the Five Element Path as a cultivation foundation, which he believed could only be pursued by those with the foundation of the Law of the Lower Realms.

  “Arrogant talk! The Cycle of Seasons is a majestic Law, not something a Consciousness Transformation like you can control!” Xu Sheng shouted.

  His Five Element aura exploded in suppressed rage, surpassing the pressure he used when fighting Feng Yi. Earth and Water essence surged, creating a harmonious and powerful vortex, manifesting as a Five Element Pagoda above his palm. The Pagoda, although small, radiated a solid Law of Nature, ready to suppress any form of chaos.

  “The Five Elements are the foundation of heaven and earth, Junior Brother,” Xu Sheng hissed, his tone full of conviction and judgment. “You may possess a Heaven-Grade Artifact, but if your own Dao is fragile, you merely carry a burden of stone. You have been humiliated, and you dare to challenge righteousness!”

  "I do not worship Heaven, Gods, and Devils," Zhi Xuan countered by raising the Divine Furnace, absorbing pure spiritual energy from the Thousand Heavens Sect. "I walk only upon my own will, because when the universe crumbles. Only I, myself, and my will are capable of supporting my Path."

  Zhi Xuan halted his calm stride, the Divine Furnace in his hand spinning faster. Amidst the suffocating silence, where everyone awaited the first strike, Zhi Xuan did the most unexpected thing. He smiled widely, a cold and wild smile, pointing to the reddened slap mark on his cheek.

  “You speak of being humiliated?” Zhi Xuan hissed, his voice low and piercing. He aimed the Divine Furnace at Xu Sheng, but his words were directed at the hidden Zhu Qinglan. “I have been humiliated, attacked, force-fed, and thrown back like a sack of trash by someone bound by a promise to me. I have swum in Devil blood, faced the Supreme Law, faced Life-Death situations. My Dao, only the Great Emperors are capable of walking it."

  “You think this humiliation will break my Devil Path, Senior Brother Xu?” Zhi Xuan asked, his tone now filled with sharp mockery. “On the contrary! It becomes fertilizer for my will! I not only survived; I returned with a Soul Artifact and precious treasure. What did you do for six days on your peaceful Sky Cloud Peak? You merely gathered the courage to insult a youth who almost died! That is a Small Path, Xu Sheng! A fragile Path of Righteousness!”

  Those words, spoken with cold arrogance and accompanied by the tangible proof of the whirring Heaven-Grade Artifact in his hand, hit Xu Sheng like a giant hammer. Xu Sheng’s face flushed, not just from anger, but from the stabbing realization that Zhi Xuan was right. While he reveled in victory over Feng Yi and planned humiliation, Zhi Xuan had been between life and death, obtaining a powerful Soul Artifact and Celestial Medicine treasure.

  In the Main Peak row, Zhu Qinglan felt Zhi Xuan’s cold aura aimed directly at her. She knew those words—force-fed, thrown back like a sack of trash—were a direct retort to her actions on Immortal Jade Peak. Although she showed no emotion behind the pearl veil, her aura rippled. Zhi Xuan had retaliated against her in front of the entire Thousand Heavens Sect, accusing her of breaking etiquette and a promise.

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  "She, the Holy Fairy Zhu Qinglan," Zhi Xuan said without turning, raising his hand and pointing toward Zhu Qinglan who sat in the Main Peak row; in front of hundreds of people, he was sick of always getting different looks just because of his position and relationship with Zhu Qinglan, especially with the last incident where two of Xu Sheng's lackeys blocked him when he first arrived at Heaven Sword Peak. "Is my Karma, a karma forged with blood and vengeance that only I will become her Dao Protector. You are not worthy to bear that by continually seeking trouble with me."

  Zhi Xuan lowered his hand, his arrogance and cruel aura peaking under the gaze of a hundred pairs of eyes in the Great Hall. He did not mention Zhu Qinglan’s realm, nor the Ancient Clan, but the words Karma and Dao Protector spoken so coldly, in front of hundreds of people, carried a weight far heavier than any title. It was an affirmation of ownership and a most challenging destiny.

  Zhu Qinglan, hidden behind the pearl veil, felt a cold shock pierce her soul. Her Five Element aura, which had always been stable like a calm mountain lake, suddenly rippled violently. She had never expected Zhi Xuan to use their karmic bond—an unfulfilled private promise—as a public weapon. Zhi Xuan’s words were not only an insult to her but also a blatant challenge to Xu Sheng in the Five Element realm, who had long been viewed as the unofficial Dao Protector by many.

  Xu Sheng’s face, which had just been red with anger, now turned pale with shock. Suddenly, this challenge was no longer about testing the Path, but about a fight for dignity and a claim over the Holy Fairy.

  “Mad! That Black-Haired Devil is mad!” whispered a disciple from Star Dragon Peak. "He just claimed Holy Fairy Zhu! In front of Xu Sheng!"

  "Yes! Isn't that too blatant?" said a disciple from Shining Star Peak. "It's like a hard slap in his face!"

  Xu Sheng’s rage exploded, surpassing the limits of his elegance. He could not accept this humiliation, let alone the claim over Zhu Qinglan. He was the legitimate Dao Protector, the successor to the Path of Righteousness.

  “You dare to mention that ridiculous karma and promise in front of everyone, Devil!” Xu Sheng roared. His eyes were red, and the Five Element Pagoda in his hand spun at a deadly speed, releasing the Laws of Earth and Fire. “I will destroy your Soul Artifact and pluck out your arrogant claim!”

  WHUSH!

  Xu Sheng gave Zhi Xuan no more time to speak. He shot forward with explosive speed, driven by burning anger. The Five Element Pagoda in his hand grew larger, spinning rapidly, and the Pagoda immediately released the Five Element Seal: a thick mixture of Earth and burning Fire, aimed directly at Zhi Xuan’s head. This was a killing strike, without mercy, driven by jealousy and humiliation.

  "Although your conviction is strong, the Dao is a vast Path," Zhi Xuan said calmly; he did not move at all. Only the Divine Furnace whirled in his hand. "You excel in realm and battle. But this time's Dao Testing. You. Have no chance."

  WHUMP! DING! DING! DING!

  With a wave of his hand, Zhi Xuan focused all his thickened and newly recovered essence; the Divine Furnace did not enlarge indefinitely but remained at the same size as the Pagoda and followed it. This was Dao Testing, not a test of strength about how strongly a cultivator could kill, attack, and injure an opponent. Rather, how deep and strong their conviction was in their own Dao.

  WHIRL! WHIRL! CLANG! DING! DING! CLANG!

  The Three Ages Divine Furnace and the Five Element Pagoda met in a spiritual vibration that swept over each other; a sky phenomenon also appeared because of the meeting that triggered the surroundings; red clouds formed a vortex that seemed to acknowledge both Daos simultaneously. The spiritual shockwave felt sweeping and made the disciples' robes flutter. Meanwhile, in the Arena, the two men held their respective Daos to meet in a clash of wills.

  The Five Elements are the forms of all Laws of Nature that intersect. Fire provides a way to purify, giving rise to Volcanic Mountains, a form of the Law of Nature. Likewise with Water, it becomes rivers that can fill Oceans and Ice, Earth becomes all forms of life manifested and the foothold of humans from various ages.

  Thunder is the form of the Law of Nature that brings down the roar of Thunder, punishing and judging every person who defies the will of the heavens. Then there is Wind, capable of sweeping everything, forming storms that intersect with lightning. This is Dao, a Cultivation Path after Transformation. Those who possess the Five Element Dao uphold purity and balance.

  However, different from the Law of Nature about the Five Elements, the Law of Four Seasons is something that shows that Nature is not just a Law about Elements. That Life is Spring that gives birth, Summer that purifies and brings life, Winter that freezes and brings death, Autumn that decays and returns everything back to Nature.

  This is a Cycle, not an ordinary Law. A Cycle forged and bestowed by the Will of Heaven, that no Age will ever fail to cross the Four Seasons Cycle. All forms of life are born from the Cycle, and all forms of death also originate from the Cycle. Every Path, every Age passed, every Reincarnation, it is impossible to erase the Cycle of Four Seasons.

  In the middle of the Dao Testing Arena, the two miniature Soul Artifacts—the Pagoda radiating eternal stability and the Furnace radiating inevitable cycle—spun fiercely. The distance between them was only a few inches, but the clash of wills produced felt like colliding galaxies. Spiritual energy in the Great Hall was sucked into the mini vortex.

  Zhi Xuan and Xu Sheng stood firm, motionless. Zhi Xuan's face, although adorned with the humiliating slap mark, now radiated cold composure, as if he were the center of the Cycle of Death. His newly recovered Consciousness Transformation essence, purified by the Seven Spirit Purifying Jade, surged into the Divine Furnace, strengthening the Four Seasons resonance. He did not fight with aggression; he fought with time.

  On the other hand, Xu Sheng’s face was tense, his white robe fluttering wildly. He forced all his Five Element essence into the Pagoda, demanding stability and balance. The Five Element Pagoda trembled violently. Xu Sheng was in the Five Element realm; his realm should have instantly destroyed Zhi Xuan's Consciousness Transformation, but his Dao, which upheld balance, was instead suppressed by the concept of the Cycle of Destiny symbolized by the Divine Furnace.

  Xu Sheng felt his foundation tremble. His Five Element Dao was about the existing Laws, the balance that must be maintained. However, Zhi Xuan’s Law of Four Seasons spoke of what would happen—death, decay, and rebirth. This Cycle philosophically surpassed and swallowed the concept of static balance that he firmly held.

  “Impossible!” Xu Sheng roared, his teeth gritting. “The Path of Righteousness cannot be surpassed by chaos!”

  In the disciple rows, the collective whispers had vanished, replaced by a suffocating silence, as if the entire Great Hall had been sucked into a vacuum around the arena. Every disciple witnessing, from the Blood Change realm to stable Consciousness Transformation, felt the deadly pressure. This was not a fight of techniques; it was a fundamental clash of wills.

  "Look! The clouds above!" a disciple shouted with wide eyes.

  The red clouds forming a vortex in the sky now radiated purple and green light, colors reflecting the clash of Daos. Balance with Cycle. This sky phenomenon was so strong that it disrupted the sect’s protection formation.

  “It’s not just a Heaven-Grade Artifact…” whispered a female disciple from the Outer Peak, her eyes filled with fear. “But his Dao… his Dao is a bottomless abyss. How can a Consciousness Transformation possess such an oppressive Dao foundation?”

  “His Dao… that Black-Haired Devil’s Dao… surpasses the Consciousness Transformation realm!” whispered a disciple from Star Dragon Peak, his eyes fixed on the calmly spinning Divine Furnace.

  “It’s not the realm,” countered the disciple next to him, his voice hoarse. “It's the concept. Senior Xu’s Five Element Pagoda is the balance of nature. But that Furnace radiates Time. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter—that is the cycle that the Five Elements itself must follow!”

  In the Main Peak row, Zhu Qinglan had now slightly lifted her pearl veil. Her beautiful, light-grey eyes radiated intense focus. She no longer showed anger, but deep surprise. Her Five Element aura instinctively resonated with Xu Sheng's Pagoda, trying to offer spiritual support without physical movement, but the resonance was immediately pulled back.

  She saw the Pagoda trembling. Xu Sheng’s Dao was the calm Path of Righteousness, upholding natural order. However, Zhi Xuan’s Dao, embedded in the Three Ages Divine Furnace, was an older and more brutal philosophy. If the Five Elements were a building, then the Four Seasons were the age that the building would pass through, including destruction and rebirth. Zhu Qinglan, as a high-level Five Element cultivator, understood that philosophically, Zhi Xuan’s Path swallowed the concept of Xu Sheng’s Dao.

  "He is using his shame and anger as fuel," Zhu Qinglan murmured, her voice barely audible. She saw the slap mark on Zhi Xuan's cheek now shining under the pressure, as if it were no longer a wound, but a humiliating yet deadly Seal of Will.

  "He... he is not just claiming a promise, he is claiming Heaven," Zhu Qinglan thought, her voice trembling inwardly.

  She felt arrogance in Zhi Xuan's Dao, a will that declared itself equal to Reincarnation. This was a level of madness that could only be born from a will that defied the heavens. A strange mix of anger and fear swirled simultaneously within her soul, validating her decision to slap and suppress this youth’s madness.