Li Chen leaned forward, allowing the crystalline light to highlight his eyes, which now appeared darker. "The Black Stone Formation is also controlled by the Soul Devouring Demon Sect. For the hundreds of years the formation has existed, the Blue Ocean Sect has always been disadvantaged by the smuggling and trade taxes that are consumed entirely by them."

  Zhi Xuan was stunned. The Soul Devouring Demon Sect—the same organization that had targeted his Heavenly Sword. After he had killed three of their elders, he realized they were not merely a small sect he could ignore, as he had previously thought. Instead, they were a major power that held significant influence within the Merchant Alliance.

  "The Soul Devouring Demon Sect," Zhi Xuan murmured, tapping his finger on the arm of the chair. "Isn't that located in the northern region? I'm quite surprised to hear that the sect also wields power within the Merchant Alliance."

  "The Merchant Alliance is a multi-headed hydra, Brother Gu," Li Chen replied while pouring more wine into Zhi Xuan’s jade cup. "The Northern Territory is indeed their nest, but their claws creep far through the golden routes that cross this sky-sea. In Cloud Port City, they control the Black Stone Formation, which means they hold the throat of every merchant who wishes to cross the plains without the supervision of the Holy City."

  Zhi Xuan went still, his mind churning slowly. He recalled the bloody battle against the three Elders of the Soul Devouring Demon Sect who had intended to kill him. At the time, he had viewed them as nothing more than hungry wolves passing by, but now he realized he had cut off the finger of a much larger giant.

  "Karma truly never sleeps," Zhi Xuan thought to himself. His sapphire eyes were now as deep as an unfathomable ocean. "I sowed the seeds of enmity with them long ago. It seems the road to Xing Luo must indeed be paid for in blood."

  Li Chen noticed the shift in Zhi Xuan’s aura but remained calm. "The issue isn't just trade competition. The Soul Devouring Demon Sect has stationed an Ancestor at the mid-stage Weaver Transformation realm to guard the center of that formation. Ancestor Hun Sheng..."

  Li Chen moved his hand, and the silver web projection from the North River Spider displayed the image of an old man in gray robes surrounded by screaming soul vapors. "If you want to use the Black Stone Formation, you don't just pay with essence stones; you have to pass Ancestor Hun Sheng. And I know the Soul Devouring Demon Sect possesses the Soul-Tracking Technique. If it’s true you’ve dealt with them before, they will recognize you the moment you approach the formation."

  Zhi Xuan looked up, gazing at the sky now adorned with the cold Yao Gu stars. "You’re telling me this because you want me to clear this obstacle for you, aren't you?"

  Li Chen chuckled softly, the sound breaking the silence of the balcony. "Brother Gu, let’s be honest with each other. I want the Blue Ocean Sect to take full control of the Black Stone Formation. And you—you need that gate to go home. We both have aligned goals, yet we are blocked by the same stumbling block."

  Li Chen stood up, walking toward the window that offered a vast view of the floating city. "And, don't you possess the Heavenly Demon Calamity Banner? I know you have it. If Brother Gu heard that the Soul Devouring Demon Sect possesses a technique capable of purifying souls, surely you would be interested."

  Zhi Xuan remained silent, but a faint vibration within his sea of consciousness indicated that Li Chen’s words had struck the right chord. The Heavenly Demon Calamity Banner, which had now evolved into the Ruthless Heavenly Banner he obtained from the southern region, was an artifact containing the souls of thousands of demon warriors—even more so now that he possessed dozens of Nirvana puppets and the Northern Yama.

  "Purifying souls?" Zhi Xuan raised his gaze, staring at Li Chen's back. "Are you implying that the Soul Devouring Demon Sect doesn't just devour souls to strengthen their cultivation base, but they have a method to purify every soul so they are no longer wild?"

  "Exactly," Li Chen turned around, his smile now containing the cunning glint of a merchant and the sharpness of a high-level cultivator. "That method is called the Soul Purification Sutra. With that sutra, they wash every soul—even wandering souls will not be wild—turning them into obedient entities. Imagine, Brother Gu... if the tens of thousands of souls within your banner were not just submissive, but could be used without causing backlash. What kind of power would you hold?"

  Zhi Xuan was momentarily stunned. He remembered the screams of hatred that often echoed from within his Ruthless Heavenly Banner and the Soul Lantern. If what Li Chen said was true, then that technique was the missing piece he needed to perfect his army.

  "An offer that is hard to refuse," Zhi Xuan said, his voice returning to its original deep and heavy tone. "However, facing a mid-stage Weaver Transformation expert in his own lair is no simple matter. Ancestor Hun Sheng... he must have woven the laws of space around that formation into his own domain."

  "Rest assured," Li Chen replied with a wave of his hand, as several fragrant wine flasks floated toward Zhi Xuan. "Ancestor Hun Sheng only possesses a False Domain. He entered the Weaver Transformation by imitating the hereditary insights of the Soul Devouring Demon Sect. A False Domain is weaker than a True Domain. And Brother Gu, I am certain you are not someone who entered this realm with such false enlightenment."

  Zhi Xuan accepted the wine flasks with a calm motion, but his sapphire eyes flashed with understanding. The term False Domain was not foreign to him. It was a shortcut taken by those whose minds were too dull to weave original laws, leading them to borrow authority from ancestors or force spiritual essence to form a fragile imitation of the law.

  "Weaving laws by imitating the shadows of others will only produce a flawed fabric," Zhi Xuan said, his voice carrying a resonance that made the crystals on the balcony vibrate faintly. "Hun Sheng may be at the mid-stage, but his foundation is merely a sham."

  Li Chen smiled with satisfaction; he knew that the pride of a True Domain practitioner like Zhi Xuan would not let him back down just because of a small difference in stages. "True. However, Hun Sheng is not alone. There is a banner reinforced by thousands of collected souls, strengthening his Domain even if it is false. Brother Gu, you must still be cautious."

  Zhi Xuan swirled the jade cup in his fingers, letting the wine reflect the cold moonlight. "A thousand souls in a False Banner cannot stem the flow of a river heading for the ocean, Brother Li. However, I will not underestimate a rat that has the fangs of a wolf."

  Zhi Xuan stood up, his black-and-white robes fluttering even though no wind blew on the crystal balcony. His pure Weaver aura began to seep out, creating a pressure that made the wine inside the flasks on the table begin to boil without fire.

  "When does this plan begin?" Zhi Xuan asked in a tone that left no room for doubt.

  Li Chen narrowed his eyes, pleased to see the fire of adventure reignited in Zhi Xuan’s sapphire eyes. "In three days. The Merchant Alliance will send the largest fleet of merchant ships this season toward the Chi Di Plains. As usual, Hun Sheng will appear at the center of the Black Stone Formation to perform the 'Path Purification' ritual—a cover to extract soul tributes from slaves and low-level practitioners joining the journey."

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Li Chen stepped closer, his voice dropping to a sharp whisper. "While that ritual is underway, their sect’s entire attention will be focused on the accumulation of soul energy. That is your opening. I will arrange for you to board the merchant ship as a guard. Once the formation is activated and space begins to warp, Hun Sheng will be in his most vulnerable state because he must split his focus between stabilizing the formation and absorbing souls."

  "And at that moment, I will take his head," Zhi Xuan added, his eyes staring straight at the horizon. "And take what I want."

  "Not just that," Li Chen added slyly. "I will prepare a Space-Locking Formation outside your combat zone. Once Hun Sheng falls, the Blue Ocean Sect will immediately take control of the formation pillars. Not a single message will get out. To the outside world, Hun Sheng will be considered dead due to a spatial accident while guiding the formation."

  Zhi Xuan nodded faintly. This plan carried high risks, but the reward far exceeded a mere ticket to Xing Luo. The Soul Purification Sutra was the key to turning his army of corpses and souls into an unstoppable force—a tool he would desperately need upon his return to his homeland.

  "Three days," Zhi Xuan murmured. He turned his body, leaving the luxury of the crystal balcony and staring into the darkness of the vast sky-sea. "Use that time to prepare your path, Brother Li. I don't want any rats escaping when I start cutting."

  Li Chen bowed slightly, a gesture that combined the respect of fellow Weaver practitioners and the satisfaction of a business partner. "Everything will be arranged. Brother Gu only needs to rest in the residence I have provided."

  Zhi Xuan did not answer with words. He stepped out of the balcony, letting his figure be swallowed by the silent crystal corridor. For the next three days, Zhi Xuan isolated himself in a floating pavilion far from the bustle of Cloud Port City. There, he sat cross-legged on a carpet of spiritual beast fur, letting his consciousness enter the Ruthless Heavenly Banner.

  Inside the dark space of the artifact, the screams of thousands of demon souls still sounded like an endless storm. Although they had been subdued, and some were controlled under the Northern Yama, many remained wild, full of hatred, and could only be managed through the forced pressure of Zhi Xuan’s mental strength.

  "The Soul Purification Sutra," Zhi Xuan thought as he stared at the swirling, turbulent souls. "If I can tame this storm into a calm yet deadly army, then the journey back to Xing Luo will no longer be a lonely one."

  He withdrew from the artifact’s dark space and let it be stored away. He then appeared above his sea of consciousness, looking at Ruo Xianxue, who was staring at her elegant fingernails. "Great Saint, what do you think of Hun Sheng?"

  Ruo Xianxue paused her activity. She raised her head slowly, letting her dual Sun and Moon pupils gaze at Zhi Xuan with a look that seemed capable of stripping away every inch of his soul. A deadly, faint smile played on her ruby-red lips.

  "Hun Sheng?" Ruo Xianxue laughed softly, the sound echoing in the sea of consciousness like the chime of a cracked bronze bell. "He is merely a caterpillar dreaming of becoming a dragon by eating the rotting remains of his ancestors. Entering Weaver Transformation with a False Domain is an insult to the natural laws. He doesn't weave, Zhi Xuan... he just patches together scraps of rotten cloth to cover his spiritual nakedness."

  Ruo Xianxue stood up, her regal pitch-black robes brushing the surface of the calm waters of consciousness. She stepped toward Zhi Xuan, her ancient and suffocating aura causing the shadow of the Demon Tree of Life behind them to sway violently.

  "However, a caterpillar hiding inside a poisonous cocoon is still dangerous," she continued, her voice lowering. "The Soul Devouring Demon Sect has connections to those who cultivate the demonic path—wild and uncontrollable. Hun Sheng may be weak in terms of enlightenment, but he possesses thousands of years of hatred stored in his banner. If you aren't careful, those thousands of souls will try to drag your Domain into the mud of their suffering."

  Zhi Xuan remained unmoved, his eyes fixed on Ruo Xianxue. "Mud cannot stop the currents of the ocean, Great Saint. If he uses souls as a weapon, then he has handed his neck to me."

  He turned toward the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, where the patterns of the Law of Four Seasons had completely shifted into the six patterns of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. "When I meditated, I had memories of what lies behind the Law of Four Seasons."

  Zhi Xuan sighed; he had felt changes or memories that were intentionally erased returning as fragments from when he was still a shepherd. How he met a figure who called himself the Astral Transcendence, a crazy old man who said the Great Dao was laughing, and how one step of that crazy old man seemed immeasurable.

  "I remember that crazy old man from hundreds of years ago," Zhi Xuan thought, dropping down to sit cross-legged on the sea of consciousness. "He was the one who enabled you to rebuild my Divine Wheel when it shattered, granting this Heavenly Samsara Wheel with the help of the Law of Four Seasons. I’m starting to wonder, is he the same man as the white-robed man at Mount Tianluo back then?"

  He recalled the night he slaughtered the blood corpses, absorbing and strengthening the Heavenly Blood-Body Law, and how that man appeared just as he was approaching the Xuan-Huang energy. However, the question he had asked was about doubts regarding Reincarnation—which now, after mastering the Six Paths of Reincarnation, made him feel that the crazy old man did not originate from this lower realm.

  "He said he was looking for his friends who had vanished into nothingness," Zhi Xuan thought, looking at his own reflection in the Sea of Consciousness. "He said that Reincarnation never arrives, never exists. The Heavenly Dao is so full of mysteries."

  The atmosphere within the sea of consciousness fell into a dead silence, with only the gentle lapping of essence waves touching Zhi Xuan’s mental feet. Ruo Xianxue, who usually possessed a tongue as sharp as nine demon swords, was silent this time. She froze, the shadow of darkness behind her trembling slightly, as if the name just evoked by Zhi Xuan’s memory carried the weight of a Sacred Ancient Devil's own soul-memory.

  "Astral Transcendence..." Ruo Xianxue whispered the name with a hint of recognition. "Yes, that's right. Long ago, I delved into and observed your memories that were intentionally erased. The Heavenly Samsara Wheel—although I was the one who gave it to you—the vessel of the Law of Four Seasons was indeed provided by that crazy old man."

  Ruo Xianxue approached, her enchanting face radiating boredom as she clicked her tongue. "If the white-clothed man at Mount Tianluo is the same figure, then he comes from the upper realm. Astral Transcendents are those who have begun the God Path, and from my hazy memories, the 'Astral' that old man referred to is the first stage of the God Path."

  Zhi Xuan remained silent, letting the information from Ruo Xianxue soak into his soul. The God Path. He had never heard of that path; all he knew was that the highest peak of the lower realm was the Sacred Passage. From Ruo Xianxue’s memories and the legacy of the Ancient Heavens, he realized the path of cultivation was incredibly long and far.

  "The first stage of the God Path..." Zhi Xuan murmured. He looked at his own palm. There, his internal lines were no longer just flowing with spiritual essence, but were woven with the laws of the Six Paths. "Actually, how many paths of cultivation are there, Great Saint?"

  Ruo Xianxue snorted, crossing her arms over her gracefully swelling chest. "You’re asking now? Ckckck. You haven't even touched a speck of all the paths that exist in these Nine Heavens and Nine Heresies. You always ask for things beyond your understanding, Zhi Xuan. Like when you asked for a sliver of understanding of the Ultimate Darkness Law."

  Ruo Xianxue snorted loudly, turning her head sharply away as she swung her long sleeves, creating ripples of darkness that swallowed the surrounding light. "Cultivation is a climb without a peak. You climb a mountain only to find another, higher mountain behind it. Focus on Hun Sheng and your Weaver Transformation. If you cannot even manage your own law threads, talking about the God Path is just the rambling of a dreamer."

  Zhi Xuan nodded slowly; he did not argue. His consciousness was gradually pulled out of the inner sea, returning to his physical body sitting cross-legged in the floating pavilion. The scent of the salty sky-sea mixed with the fragrance of spiritual tea hit his senses. Three days had passed in a flash of meditation.

  The sun of Cloud Port City, which never set, was now at its zenith, emitting a golden glow that reflected off the tower crystals. From a distance, the heavy and ancient sound of conch trumpets began to echo—a sign that the Merchant Alliance fleet was ready to sail.

  Zhi Xuan stood up, and with a wave of his hand, covered his body with an illusion. He no longer radiated the oppressive pressure of a Weaver. Instead, he absorbed his entire aura until he looked like a calm, traveling scholar.