"Don't just stand there, you fool!" Ruo Xianxue's voice thundered within his Sea of Consciousness. The Sacred Devil figure stood with a grave expression, her hands moving rapidly to form ancient seals to suppress the overflowing energy fluctuations. "The essence of this Heavenly Dragon Pool will help you recover. Absorb it quickly; do not become soft just because of that bell's toll. Faster! Have you forgotten how to restore yourself? Spin your Divine Wheel!"

  Hearing Ruo Xianxue’s harsh rebuke, which echoed like thunder in the vacuum of his inner space, Zhi Xuan’s scattered consciousness began to solidify. The dull pain sharpened once more, piercing every inch of his meridians as if thousands of essence needles were being forced into his bloodstream.

  Zhi Xuan gnashed his inner teeth. He forced his nearly extinguished will to regain control. At the center of his being, the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, which had been moving sluggishly as if dimming, began to vibrate softly and spin in a ravenous absorption of essence. The Law of the Four Seasons accelerated the process.

  The Heavenly Samsara Wheel spun with a roaring sound audible only within the recesses of his soul. Every rotation pulled silver essence from the Heavenly Dragon Pool, forcing it into the fractured network of meridians and mending them with crystallized pure energy. However, it was not merely physical recovery; it was the forced assimilation of the Heavenly Dao fragments he had plundered.

  "Hnnngh!"

  Zhi Xuan’s body atop the jade altar arched stiffly. His pores began to excrete a murky black fluid—impurity, old blood, and the remnants of slaughter karma forced out by the pool's purity. Ruo Xianxue watched with narrowed eyes.

  She saw the Devil Seed within Zhi Xuan’s Dao Heart pulse wildly, feeling threatened by the massive influx of Heavenly essence. The two poles of energy clashed in Zhi Xuan’s chest, creating sparks of gray energy that slowly pulverized the jade altar beneath him.

  "Two paths devouring each other," Ruo Xianxue whispered, her fingers dancing across the sea of consciousness, strengthening the soul's protective net. "Just calm your essence and recover; I will handle the rest here."

  Ruo Xianxue exhaled a long breath, one that carried an ancient scent and the cold essence of death. Her pale fingers moved like a shadow dance, weaving threads of dark purple energy to stitch the cracks in Zhi Xuan’s inner walls. Amidst the chaos, she stood tall like a pillar supporting a falling sky.

  In the outside world, the surface of the Heavenly Dragon Pool, once calm, now roiled violently. The silver spiritual fluid began to boil, releasing steam that formed silhouettes of small dragons twisting in the air before seeping into Zhi Xuan’s seven orifices.

  The atmosphere within the underground chamber became incredibly heavy. The spiritual pressure generated by Zhi Xuan’s assimilation process caused the jade walls surrounding the pool to emit warning lights.

  The Yao Gu guards stationed outside the meteorite iron gates could only look at each other with pale faces, feeling the vibrations travel up to the soles of their feet. Zhi Xuan, trapped in a painful recovery, began to feel the change in his essence's structure.

  Under Ruo Xianxue’s faint guidance, his Heavenly Samsara Wheel now spun in the opposite direction—a reversal technique guided by the glowing Law of the Seasons. Every drop of essence from the Heavenly Dragon Pool entering his body was filtered through the Devilish darkness that crushed impurities and the Heavenly light that rebuilt the foundation.

  Slowly but surely, the cracks in his meridians began to close with transparent crystals far stronger than before—meridians now capable of holding a heavier burden of Law. The process took three full days, submerged in meditation.

  On the fourth day, as dawn broke over the Yao Gu horizon, the vortex of spiritual fluid around Zhi Xuan’s body slowly subsided. The once shattered frame was now covered in a new layer of skin as smooth as alabaster, yet with a hardness surpassing meteorite steel.

  The black runes on his left arm no longer pulsed wildly; they appeared permanently etched beneath his skin, radiating a controlled and dignified aura of darkness. Zhi Xuan slowly opened his eyes.

  Instantly, a sharp beam of sapphire light pierced the dimness of the room, as if he had just awakened from a sleep of thousands of years. He took a long breath, feeling the air entering his lungs now carrying a much denser weight of essence.

  Within his mind, Ruo Xianxue leaned her back against the Devil Tree of Life, which was now lush again with purple-red leaves. The Sacred Devil’s face looked slightly tired, but her eyes radiated a cold satisfaction.

  "You are lucky your mortal frame has the foundation of the Ancient Sky bloodline," Ruo Xianxue’s voice echoed in the Sea of Consciousness, which was now as calm as a silver mirror. "Otherwise, those Heavenly Dao fragments you swallowed would have blown you into a mist of blood on the first day."

  Zhi Xuan rose from the jade altar, which was now fractured a thousand times. His movements were extremely smooth, no longer plagued by agonizing pain. He stared at his own palm, feeling a strange flow of energy—a blend of bloodthirsty Devilish destruction and heartless Heavenly serenity.

  "I can feel it..." Zhi Xuan murmured, his voice possessing a depth capable of vibrating the surrounding air. "That boundary... the Soul Transformation gate is no longer an impenetrable wall. It is now like a sheet of paper waiting to be torn."

  Zhi Xuan exhaled softly. He looked at himself; the red-silked black robes that had accompanied him since the start of his cultivation—proof of his journey—had crumbled at the torso, unable to repair themselves after the shocks of a few days ago. Only the tattered remnants at his waist remained, revealing his half-darkened body.

  "What now? I have no robes left," Zhi Xuan muttered, glancing around the Heavenly Dragon Pool, hoping to find a robe possibly left by the Yao Gu guards. "Luckily, this star-embroidered cloth remains tied to my arm."

  However, in the silent and sacred room, no silk robes or rough cloths were left behind. There was only the scent of thinning spiritual steam and the remnants of energy still crackling in the corners of the jade walls. Zhi Xuan stood calmly, allowing his sturdy upper body, half-etched with dark runes, to be exposed to the cold air of the underground palace.

  "You destroyed their symbol of majesty, and now you expect them to clothe you?" Ruo Xianxue chuckled within his mind, her laugh sounding like the mocking chime of silver bells. "You have taken their dignity, Zhi Xuan. Do not expect them to cover your shame willingly."

  Zhi Xuan did not respond to the mockery. He stepped out of the Heavenly Dragon Pool, each footfall on the jade floor no longer producing a sound, but rather a ripple of transparent energy that absorbed gravity. He felt a more intimate connection with the earth and sky, as if he could hear the heartbeat of the Yao Gu mountains pulsing beneath his feet.

  Just as he approached the Meteorite Iron gate, the heavy mechanism creaked open. Sharp morning sunlight pierced through, illuminating Zhi Xuan’s half-naked body and mysterious aura. At the threshold stood two Yao Gu guards who immediately froze, the spears in their hands trembling involuntarily at the sight of the figure emerging from the crater of death.

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  "Envoy... Envoy Zhi Xuan," one of the guards stuttered, his eyes not daring to look directly at the black runes crawling up Zhi Xuan’s left arm. "Sage Qing Xuan and the Holy Woman are waiting in the Main Hall. They... they have prepared your rewards, including an honorary robe for the winner."

  A maidservant stepped forward with her head bowed low, carrying a jade tray upon which lay a new robe. The robe was snow-white with silver-thread embroidery in the shape of a coiling dragon, but its inner lining was pitch-black—a contrast seemingly made to honor the duality of power Zhi Xuan had displayed.

  Zhi Xuan took the robe without a word. With one efficient movement, he draped the silk over his shoulders. The robe felt cold and heavy, but it instantly adjusted to his energy fluctuations. He re-wrapped the cloth around his left arm. As he fastened the jade belt at his waist, the cruel aura that had just overflowed seemed neatly wrapped behind the elegance of a heavenly scholar.

  "Lead the way," Zhi Xuan said briefly. He walked down the long corridor of the underground palace, followed by the guards who kept a distance of several paces behind him, as if they were escorting a wild beast that could snap at any moment.

  Along the way to the Main Hall, Zhi Xuan saw the remnants of the destruction he had caused—cracks in the walls, tilted pillars, and the somber atmosphere surrounding the Yao Gu disciples he passed. They bowed, but Zhi Xuan could feel the gazes of hatred, fear, and envy piercing his back.

  When he stepped into the Main Hall of the Square of Holy Light, the room was already filled with important figures. Sage Qing Xuan sat on the central throne, while the Holy Woman of Yao Gu stood beside him. On the left side, the Xing Luo Empire Elder, Ye Ming, and Ling Huo stood with faces that brightened instantly upon seeing Zhi Xuan.

  On the other side, he saw Liu Feng, still with a hollow gaze, and the Eighth Prince of the Empire, who stared weakly at Zhi Xuan. Both looked truly withered, though they would soon be saved by this victory.

  "Zhi Xuan!" Ling Huo exclaimed softly, but immediately restrained herself under the sharp gazes of the Yao Gu elders.

  Zhi Xuan walked to the center of the hall and gave a slight bow—a minimalist yet authoritative formal greeting. "Zhi Xuan of the Xing Luo Plains, answering the call."

  Sage Qing Xuan stared at him for a long time, trying to peer into the vortex of energy within Zhi Xuan’s body, but he found only a wall of cold emptiness. "You have recovered faster than we anticipated. The essence of the Heavenly Dragon Pool seems to suit your... unique bloodline perfectly."

  "Thank you for Yao Gu’s generosity," Zhi Xuan replied flatly.

  "The competition has ended, and the prizes have been determined," Sage Qing Xuan continued, his voice heavy. "However, before you depart for the three sacred lands to prepare for Soul Transformation, we have selected the Immortal Treasures that will belong to you."

  Sage Qing Xuan waved his hand, and instantly five treasure boxes made of ancient sandalwood floated in the air, emitting auras capable of shaking the hall's foundation. Each box bore a different protective seal, signifying that its contents were high-level artifacts tempered over thousands of years.

  "These gifts are a form of recognition for your persistence," Sage Qing Xuan said, his gaze shifting to Ling Huo, who stood tall despite her bandages.

  The first box opened, exploding with a golden light hot as the earth's core fire. A long spear with a blade patterned like licking flames appeared before Ling Huo. "For you, Ling Huo. The Sun-Swallowing Spear. This weapon was forged from a meteorite that fell exactly in the center of the eternal fire crater. It will swallow the fire essence of your opponents and turn it into fuel for your own attacks."

  Ling Huo accepted the spear with trembling hands; she could feel the fire within her bloodline resonating wildly with the weapon. Then, the second box opened with a sound as soft as the rustling of wind in a bamboo forest.

  An emerald-green flute floated toward Liu Feng, who still sat with a hollow gaze. "The Holy Heart Bamboo Flute. This item is not meant for killing, but to realign the melody of a fractured soul. Let its sound guide your Dao Heart back from the darkness, Liu Feng."

  Liu Feng’s hand instinctively touched the flute, and a hint of life began to return to his pale face.

  "Ye Ming," Sage Qing Xuan called. The third box revealed an ancient landscape scroll emitting the scent of fresh earth and water. "The Painting of Mountains and Rivers. Within it lies a dimension containing pure laws. For one such as you, this painting is the embodiment of endless protection and traps."

  Ye Ming bowed deeply, receiving the scroll with full respect. He knew that with this artifact, his understanding of nature would leap to a new level.

  For the fallen prince, the Eighth Prince of the Empire, Sage Qing Xuan gave a heavy seal radiating a very thick regal authority. "The Nine-Dragon Imperial Seal. This seal carries the remnants of fortune from an ancient dynasty that has vanished. It will protect your soul from mental attacks and strengthen your leadership aura under the pressure of death."

  The Prince nodded weakly, clutching the seal tightly, as if regaining a piece of his shattered dignity.

  The hall was momentarily filled with the light of these grand artifacts, but the atmosphere suddenly turned silent and heavy as the final box—the fifth box—floated directly before Zhi Xuan. Unlike the other boxes that emitted grand elemental energy, this jade box appeared very calm, cold, and even felt somewhat mysterious.

  Sage Qing Xuan looked at Zhi Xuan with a gaze difficult to interpret—a mixture of caution and a hint of cruel curiosity. "Zhi Xuan, you are the absolute winner. However, we feel that an Immortal Artifact in the form of a weapon or shield would not suffice to hold the path you have chosen. Instead, Yao Gu grants you something far more ancient, something we found in the ruins of the tomb of a cultivator who tried to peer into Heaven's secrets before his time."

  Click—

  The jade box opened slowly. There was no explosion of light, only a subtle vibration that made the surrounding space seem to freeze. Inside the black silk padding lay a single, fresh eyeball, translucent with a pupil possessing an incredibly complex pattern of gold mesh. It was not merely a Heavenly Eye technique like the one Yan Fenghuang possessed. It was a physical organ preserved through sacred alchemy—a genuine Heavenly Eye.

  "This..." Ruo Xianxue spoke within Zhi Xuan’s mind, her voice filled with a tension never heard before. "Brat... be careful. That is the Eye of the Ancient Clans. Though it seems to have changed hands several times, it remains a piece of an actual Heavenly Eye."

  Zhi Xuan stared at the eyeball. He felt his right eye, which had ruptured from the bell’s toll earlier, begin to throb, as if there were a terrifying pull between his empty eye socket and the organ in the box.

  "Zhi Xuan," the Holy Woman of Yao Gu interrupted the silence, her voice soft yet containing a warning. "Are you brave enough to fit it into your face, or will you let it remain in that box forever?"

  Zhi Xuan reached out, his fingertip touching the cold surface of the heavenly eyeball. "Truth is what I have sought from the beginning," Zhi Xuan whispered, his voice cold yet full of conviction. "If Heaven grants me this, then I will not turn my face away."

  "However, I would be too hasty if I used this Heavenly Eye immediately," Zhi Xuan continued. He waved his hand and the box closed, floating into his storage bag and being stowed neatly. "I prefer to leave myself as I am for now."

  Zhi Xuan’s decision to store the Heavenly Eye triggered a faint ripple of disappointment on the faces of the Yao Gu Elders. They had hoped the youth would immediately fall into a painful assimilation—a gamble that, if failed, would have snuffed out his consciousness instantly. However, Zhi Xuan’s composure proved his inner mind was far more alert than his calm exterior suggested.

  Sage Qing Xuan nodded slowly, though his eyes betrayed displeasure. "Wisdom is the key for those who wish to step higher. You know when to grasp and when to restrain yourself; that is the trait of a master hunter."

  "Sage," the Holy Woman of Yao Gu spoke again, cutting through the silence, "the time has come. The seals to the Three Sacred Lands have aligned with the position of the stars. If they wish to depart, then now is the time."

  Sage Qing Xuan stood, his grand robes billowing like clouds in a storm. He raised his right hand, and instantly, the center of the Main Hall vibrated. The marble floor, carved with thousand-year formations, began to shift, revealing a spatial rift emitting three different colors: the silver light of the constellation, the roaring red of fire, and the pure gold of the sun.

  "Each of you is free to choose your own path," Sage Qing Xuan said in a calm tone. "For Liu Feng, you will be taken to the Immortal Garden of the Seven Suns under the guidance of Yao Gu's sacred healers. Eighth Prince, you are free to choose the path you desire."

  The Sage's gaze fell upon Zhi Xuan, Ye Ming, and Ling Huo. "You, too, are free to choose. One hundred years is the set time for you to reach Soul Transformation. Once one hundred years have passed, you will return via the Eternal Star Formation to the Xing Luo Plains."

  Ling Huo stepped forward with an unrestrained spirit, her hand gripping the Sun-Swallowing Spear she had just obtained. The fire in her eyes ignited, as if she had found the purpose she had long sought beneath the piles of the ashes of failure.

  "Sage, I have decided," Ling Huo said with a voice that thundered through the hall. "The Valley of the Eternal Phoenix Fire is where my flame will be tempered into a true law. I will go there to prove that the fire of Xing Luo will not be extinguished under the shadow of the Phoenix!"