"This formation is beginning to destabilize," Zhi Xuan remarked, his voice cutting through the post-battle silence.

  Li Chen wiped his hands with a silk handkerchief, then looked toward the fleet, which was now cheering at the collapse of the tyranny. "Do not worry, Brother Gu. My people are already at the pillar points. With Hun Sheng’s fall, the key to control is now in my hands."

  He then looked at Zhi Xuan with a genuine glint of respect. "Your power... those Six Paths truly gave me chills. If you don't mind, once we reach Xing Luo, remain a brother to the Blue Ocean Sect. We would much rather have you as a friend than as a resident of your banner."

  Zhi Xuan stored the Soul Purification Sutra into his spatial ring and gazed at the expanse of the sky-sea, which was now opening wide, revealing a silver path leading into the immeasurable distance. "This Gu will not betray a friend who has been of service to him."

  The rumble from the black stone pillar transformed into a harmonious high-frequency hum. Li Chen immediately shot toward the control center at the peak of the pillar, his fingers dancing nimbly over rows of ancient runes that began to emit a pure silver light—a sign that the authority of the Soul Devouring Demon Sect had been completely erased and replaced by the seals of the Blue Ocean Sect.

  "Open the Gate!" Li Chen roared, his voice amplified by spiritual essence until it shook the purple horizon. Instantly, the space in front of the merchant fleet warped violently.

  The black stone pillar emitted a gargantuan pillar of light that pierced the dome of the sky, creating a wormhole whose edges were adorned with flashes of spatial lightning and fragments of dimensional crystals. This was the shortcut to the Xing Luo Continent, a forbidden path now laid wide open for them.

  Zhi Xuan floated back to the deck of the main ship. His figure, which had previously radiated destructive majesty, appeared calm once more. However, every practitioner on the ship—including the previously arrogant captain—immediately prostrated, not daring to look directly at the hem of his black-and-white robes.

  "Brother Gu, the path is set!" Li Chen shouted from the peak of the pillar as he leaped back down to the ship’s bridge. "The Black Stone Formation will catapult this ship through the void-storm. Within three days of spatial travel, you will see the skies of the Xing Luo Continent!"

  Zhi Xuan gave a small nod. The massive ship began to vibrate as its bow entered the wormhole. The view around them turned into streaks of light racing past, erasing the sight of Cloud Port City and the Western Region from view.

  "Brother Li," Zhi Xuan said as he reappeared beside Li Chen, staring at the unfolding astral expanse. "Who exactly is the 'Master' Hun Sheng referred to? Does the Soul Devouring Demon Sect possess a Divine Transformation cultivator?"

  "The Soul Devouring Demon Sect does not stand alone in the Northern Territory, Brother Gu," Li Chen whispered, his voice nearly drowned out by the roar of spatial friction outside the ship. "The figure Hun Sheng called 'Master' is the Great Ancestor Mo Sha. He is a monster who reached the late-stage Divine Transformation realm four hundred years ago. Rumor has it he is in seclusion to touch the gates of the Sacred Passage."

  "Mo Sha..." Zhi Xuan murmured, the name etched into his mind as a future target. "If he learns that Hun Sheng has fallen, will he pursue me all the way to Xing Luo?"

  Li Chen shook his head slowly. "The distance between continents is protected by very thick spatial laws. Even a Divine Transformation expert would think twice about crossing the void-storm without thorough preparation. Besides, the Blue Ocean Sect also has two Divine Transformation experts. And now, thanks to your help, the Blue Ocean Sect has full control over the Black Stone Formation."

  "Mo Sha won't know today," Li Chen whispered once more, opening his palm to reveal a formation. "The Locking Formation I used earlier, as we mentioned, will provide a vision of Hun Sheng failing to stabilize space and ultimately dying in the void-storm."

  Zhi Xuan frowned slightly, looking at the formation in Li Chen’s hand. "You mean, if Mo Sha traces Hun Sheng’s spiritual trail, he will see that vision?"

  "Exactly," Li Chen closed his palm, extinguishing the formation’s glow with a graceful motion. "Forging karma is no easy feat, but with the total destruction of Hun Sheng’s Domain at your hands, the void-storm is the most plausible scapegoat. The universe itself will bear false witness for him."

  Zhi Xuan fell silent for a moment, reflecting on how slickly an organization as large as the Blue Ocean Sect operated. However, he knew that no secret remained eternal under the heavens. Someday, if he reached a higher peak, Mo Sha might become an inevitable trial.

  "Very well, I trust you, Brother Li," Zhi Xuan replied calmly, straightening his posture to face the astral expanse again. "This merchant ship is going to the Chi Di Continent, correct? However, I assume you aren't escorting me all the way to Xing Luo."

  Li Chen smiled thinly. "Indeed, we are not going to Xing Luo, Brother Gu. However, there will be a moment where the space between Xing Luo and Yao Gu opens here. That is where you can return to Xing Luo on your own."

  "I understand," Zhi Xuan replied briefly. He felt no objection. To him, solitude was the cloak he had worn most often during his hundreds of years of seeking the Dao.

  "Oh, by the way," Li Chen spoke suddenly, his face turning into a mischievous glint. "I heard that a hundred years ago, the name Gu Fengyan became the talk of the Heavenly Leaf Sacred Pavilion."

  Li Chen suddenly bowed his body, clasping his hands in a subtly mocking manner. "Greetings to the Dao Protector of the Holy Fairy Ye."

  Zhi Xuan gave no exaggerated reaction to Li Chen’s teasing. His clear eyes remained fixed on the silver currents outside the ship’s deck, as if the name of Holy Fairy Ye was but a small ripple in the now exceedingly deep lake of his mind. However, that silence made the atmosphere on the bridge feel even heavier.

  "Dao Protector is merely a title given by those who enjoy telling stories," Zhi Xuan stated flatly, his voice as cold as ice crystals. "Holy Fairy Ye has her own path, and I have mine."

  Li Chen laughed heartily, leaning his body against the ship’s railing made of black dragon-scale wood. "Ah, Brother Gu, you are always so stiff. In this cruel world of cultivation, having a connection with someone from a faction like the Heavenly Leaf Sacred Pavilion is a protective charm stronger than any heaven-rank artifact."

  Zhi Xuan shifted his gaze, looking at Li Chen with a stare that seemed capable of piercing the youth's mental membrane. "The protective charm you speak of often turns into a binding chain. I prefer to rely on my own strength rather than taking shelter under the shadow of a great sect."

  "I know, I know," Li Chen raised both hands in a sign of surrender. "That is why you could reach Weaver Transformation with such pure enlightenment. You truly are a mad loner."

  Li Chen flicked his robes gently, then turned and exhaled softly. "Brother Gu, I’m heading back to my cabin. You helped me find the Spring of Life once; consider the dozens of flasks of fragrant wine I gave you a small payment for that."

  Zhi Xuan watched Li Chen's retreating back until the youth's figure was swallowed by the sound-sealed cabin door. Silence reclaimed the bridge, leaving only the soft hum of the ship's shield rubbing against the silver-glowing dimensional walls. He turned around, walking slowly toward the stern.

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  He sat cross-legged there, where the rushing astral light created long shadows on his robes. With a wave of his hand, he produced the ancient scroll he had seized from Hun Sheng—the Soul Purification Sutra. The scroll was made from the hide of an ancient beast tanned with soul essence, feeling cold and pulsing faintly against his skin.

  "Soul Purification Sutra," Zhi Xuan murmured. "Great Saint, do you think this is good?"

  Ruo Xianxue appeared at Zhi Xuan’s side, this time not in full form within his sea of consciousness, but as a spiritual body visible only to Zhi Xuan’s mental eye. Her figure leaned lazily against the ship’s mast, looking at the scroll with her characteristic dismissive gaze.

  "Good? Perhaps yes and also no," Ruo Xianxue replied, her voice whispering directly into Zhi Xuan’s mental eardrum. "With this, you can purify the wandering souls within that Soul Lantern and move them into the Ruthless Heavenly Banner. However, never use it on the demon warrior souls within that Banner."

  "The Soul Purification Sutra does not just purify; it harmonizes," Ruo Xianxue said, floating around Zhi Xuan. "The Northern Yama you created is a Puppet King; you use demon warriors as the will within that puppet body. If you purify those thousands of demon soul fragments, you will no longer be able to draw the essence of will from them to form Nirvana Puppets."

  Zhi Xuan fell silent, his long fingers tracing the rough surface of the Soul Purification Sutra scroll. He understood Ruo Xianxue’s warning; purity was often inversely proportional to ferocity. The wild demon souls within the Ruthless Heavenly Banner were the fuel for the Northern Yama’s wrath. If they were sanctified until they lost every drop of their hatred, they would merely become empty, calm entities.

  "So, purifying isn't always a good thing," Zhi Xuan muttered, waving his hand as the Soul Purification Sutra returned to his storage bag. "If I purify them, I am indeed free to use them without backlash. But what can a puppet that is too obedient do? Killing intent cannot be purified."

  Zhi Xuan closed his eyes, letting the vibration of the merchant ship become the rhythm for his meditation. He focused his consciousness on the fragments of memories regarding the Xing Luo Continent. The place where it all began—and this time, with power capable of shaking territories, he felt he could show his face without needing to hide as he once did.

  Images of the Xing Luo Continent danced behind his closed eyelids. He remembered the smell of damp earth and the faces that had once filled his every path. Hundreds of years had passed, and now he was returning not as an ordinary sapphire-eyed youth, but as a figure who had woven his own laws.

  "Xing Luo," Zhi Xuan whispered, his voice barely audible, swallowed by the rustle of the astral wind. "The place where it all began."

  He recalled the Soul Lantern from his sea of consciousness. The object floated low in front of him, emitting a somber gray glow. Zhi Xuan did not open the Soul Purification Sutra; instead, he began to use his own understanding of the Six Paths of Reincarnation to sort through every wandering soul within the lantern.

  He found thousands of fragments of wandering souls—those who died in despair, those lost on the battlefield, and wild souls he had once absorbed indiscriminately. For a long time, they were merely hissing clumps of energy filled with hatred.

  "If purity removes ferocity, then I will not purify their essence, but direct their will," Zhi Xuan murmured.

  His fingers began to form intricate mudras. White light from the Human Path seeped out from his pores, entering the Soul Lantern. He did not wash away their memories, but he provided a speck of tranquility amidst the storm of the souls' emotions. Instantly, the roaring within the lantern subsided, turning into obedient whispers.

  Ruo Xianxue, still leaning against the mast, narrowed her beautiful eyes. "You're using the Human Path to tame them? How cunning, Zhi Xuan. You give them a false hope so they will serve your will. You truly deserve the title of a Devil."

  Zhi Xuan opened his eyes slightly, looking at Ruo Xianxue with an unreadable gaze. "Hope is not a falsehood if it gives purpose to those who have lost everything. I am the master of their wheel now. If they serve me, they have a chance to return to the cycle. Isn't that a fair deal?"

  The Sacred Ancient Devil laughed lowly, her laughter seemingly splitting the coldness of the astral space. "Fair according to your version. But keep doing it. The more you master these souls, the more powerful your tools of war become."

  Entering the second day, the ship’s vibrations began to subside. Li Chen emerged from his cabin with a slightly pale face, showing that maintaining the ship's stability on this forbidden route took a toll on his mental essence. He walked toward Zhi Xuan, who was still sitting cross-legged at the stern.

  "We are almost at the junction point, Brother Gu," Li Chen said, pointing ahead, where the silver stream began to split into several branches. "One path leads to Chi Di, one to Cang Hai, and there... the dimmest path filled with black lightning, that is the path to Xing Luo."

  Zhi Xuan stood up. He stared at the path filled with black lightning. The aura radiating from there felt very familiar—cold, sharp, and laden with a thin but potent falling star energy.

  "That black lightning is a natural barrier protecting the Xing Luo Continent from external invasion," Li Chen explained seriously. "Only ships with special protection can pass through. However, since you are a Weaver Transformation expert, you can use your spatial laws to wrap yourself. I can only take you to the mouth of that path."

  The merchant ship began to slow, dropping its essence anchor at the edge of the astral vortex. Before them, a gate of light crackling with black lightning stood arrogantly.

  Zhi Xuan looked at Li Chen, then clasped his hands in front of his chest as a final sign of respect. "Thank you for everything, Brother Li. If fate permits, we shall drink wine again under the same sky."

  Li Chen smiled broadly, patting Zhi Xuan’s shoulder familiarly. "Be careful. Xing Luo may be your home, but after hundreds of years, it may have become a foreign place."

  Zhi Xuan only snorted softly, a reaction that almost resembled a smile. With a firm step, he leaped off the ship's deck, floating in the astral void. His black-and-white robes billowed wildly as he activated his Six Paths Domain. A giant wheel appeared behind him, emitting a six-colored glow that formed a spherical shield around his body. Zhi Xuan shot into the black lightning gate.

  BLARR!

  A soul-crushing thunder welcomed his arrival. Thousands of black bolts struck his Domain shield, but the reincarnation laws he had woven so strongly neutralized every hit. He slid like a sapphire arrow through the long tunnel of darkness.

  Suddenly, the spatial pressure vanished. The blinding astral light was replaced by a vast, slightly gray-blue sky, with a scent of air he recognized perfectly—a mix of ancient pine and sharp yet pure spiritual energy. He stepped into the air, gazing at the expanse below which appeared more advanced and now densely packed with the aura of life.

  Zhi Xuan froze above the clouds, letting the wind of the Xing Luo Continent caress his face. His lungs inhaled air that felt far heavier with memories than spiritual essence. Below, the landscape he once remembered as silent mountains and isolated valleys had transformed. Large cities with brightly glowing protective formations appeared scattered like chess pieces across the green and brown earth of Xing Luo.

  "I have returned," he murmured lowly. His voice was swallowed by the rumble of thunder still lingering from the spatial gate behind him.

  His sapphire eyes swept the horizon, trying to find a recognizable anchor point. "Direct hit. Central Continent."

  Zhi Xuan floated statically at an altitude of thousands of feet, letting his robes dance in the embrace of the pure Central Continent wind. He did not immediately descend; instead, he closed his eyes, releasing his Divine Sense, which was now as sharp as nine heavenly swords. His consciousness crept like an invisible spider web, touching the pulsing spiritual veins of the earth below.

  "The spiritual energy in this land has increased significantly," Zhi Xuan thought. "It seems that during my hundreds of years of wandering in Yao Gu, Xing Luo did not remain a sleeping land."

  His Divine Sense, reinforced by the Heavenly Eye, captured thousands of practitioners—from the Divine Wheel to the Soul Transformation realm—scattered in majestic cities and even small towns. This surprised Zhi Xuan slightly; in the past, Soul Transformation was only achieved by those who were sect elders. But now, even many youths were treading the Soul Transformation realm.

  He remembered a time when a Soul Transformation practitioner was a god walking the earth, a figure capable of shaking the foundations of a city with a mere wave of a hand. But now, he felt their presence so densely, as if the threshold of the heavens had been pulled lower for the people of Xing Luo.

  "Xing Luo," Zhi Xuan murmured, his tone heavy with homesickness. "Truly changed. It seems the victory of the Three-Plains Competition long ago truly provided something beneficial."

  He sharpened his Divine Sense again, finding several formation altars that had been built by order of the Hongmeng Empire. "Formation Altars? Even continental travel no longer uses flying ships, but formation altars."

  Zhi Xuan withdrew his expanding Divine Sense, feeling the weight of the information entering his mind. This change was so drastic that he felt as if he were standing on a new land that only borrowed the name Xing Luo. The formation altars he sensed at various strategic points indicated that the spatial laws in this continent had been fully utilized by the authorities, most likely by the iron hand of the Hongmeng Empire.

  "Hongmeng Empire... you truly have swallowed this entire land into your embrace," Zhi Xuan whispered. He looked toward the south. "First things first, to the Southern Continent. The Star Wilderness, I’m home."

  Zhi Xuan spun his body in the air, creating a small whirlwind that immediately erased the remnants of astral energy from his journey. With a single mental touch, his body glowed as if merging with the shadows, then in the blink of an eye, he vanished, leaving a subtle ripple in the air of the Central Continent.