At the center of the valley stood a massive tree with branches forged from translucent crystal, reaching high into the sky. Beneath its crystalline roots, crystal-clear water bubbled from the crevices of white stones, forming a small pool draped in a thin, fragrant mist.

  "The Spring of Eternal Life," Li Chen hissed, his voice trembling with overflowing emotion. "Master did not lie to me..."

  However, Zhi Xuan was not entranced by the beauty. His gaze remained fixed on the shadow beneath the crystal tree. There sat a figure clad in ancient, ruined war armor. The figure was motionless, hands clutching a shattered sword, yet it radiated no aura of death—instead, it emitted a profoundly calm Sword Intent, as if sleeping in an endless meditation.

  "Be careful," Zhi Xuan whispered, his hand barring Li Chen’s path. "This spring is not without a guardian. That figure... he must have been a formidable being before his physical form fell."

  Zhi Xuan narrowed his eyes, his Heavenly Eye glowing faintly as he attempted to pierce the layers of aura surrounding the armored figure. The silence in this valley felt unnatural; if the Grave of Rusted Swords above was the scream of thousands of tortured souls, then this place was the stillness of a tomb far too grand.

  "Brother Gu, look at the roots," Li Chen whispered, holding his breath.

  The roots of the crystal tree spread like transparent veins, yet strangely, some pierced the body of the guardian, as if the warrior and the tree had become a single existence. The clear liquid from the Spring of Life flowed through those roots into the broken frame, providing an illusion of life to a form that should have turned to dust millennia ago.

  "He is a Sword-Slave from ancient times," Zhi Xuan muttered, his voice heavy with caution. "One who surrendered his body to become a vessel for this tree to guard the spring's purity. If we take one more step into the circle of his roots, that dormant Sword Intent will awaken and sever the threads of our destiny."

  Li Chen clenched his fists, eyes fixed on the storage bag where the Northern River Spider whimpered in silence. "But time is not on my side, Brother Gu. If I do not dip my vessel into that pool now, all will be in vain."

  Zhi Xuan fell silent for a moment. He felt a resonance from the Heavenly Sword within his mind, which suddenly vibrated—not out of bloodlust, but out of respect for an equal foe. He knew that facing such a guardian with raw power would only trigger the destruction of the entire valley.

  "Stay behind me," Zhi Xuan commanded. He stepped forward, but this time he did not release his slaughter essence. Instead, he turned the Heavenly Samsara Wheel toward 'Life,' letting his twilight-gray aura shift into a soft, clear radiance, harmonizing with the frequency of the crystal tree.

  The moment Zhi Xuan’s foot stepped onto the silver grass surrounding the pool, the armored figure’s eyelids twitched. KLING—

  A subtle sword-chime, soft yet capable of tearing eardrums, echoed through the valley. The figure did not stand, but the Sword Intent radiating from his shattered blade formed a colossal sword projection in the air, stabbing right in front of Zhi Xuan’s feet as a final warning.

  "A lingering soul in a decayed frame," Zhi Xuan spoke with a voice calm yet authoritative. "We come not to desecrate the sanctity of this place, but to seek a drop of mercy for a life nearly extinguished."

  The figure slowly raised his head. Behind the cracked visor, no eyes were visible, only two voids of darkness emitting a cold blue light. "This place... is the end of the journey," a heavy, dignified voice echoed directly in their minds, as if the sound originated from the grinding of ancient stones. "Only those with an unblemished Dao Heart may touch these Tears of Heaven."

  Zhi Xuan smiled thinly, a smile laced with irony. "In this Ancient Demon Land, is there any heart truly unblemished? Even gods fall to become demons here. I bring no purity; I bring balance."

  Zhi Xuan raised his left hand, revealing the Slaughter Seal which now glowed softly. "I have eradicated the Calamity Banner that acted as a parasite upon this land. If you are the guardian of balance, you must know that I have performed the duty that should have been carried out by those who claim to be holy."

  The guardian fell silent, as if weighing the truth in Zhi Xuan’s words through the radiating energy. The giant sword in the air slowly faded, but the atmospheric pressure did not fully dissipate.

  "A devil walking the heavenly path... and one who embraces an insect," the guardian murmured, gazing at the trembling Li Chen behind Zhi Xuan. "A cultivator willing to risk his life for his spiritual beast... that is a rare seed of sincerity in this cruel world."

  The guardian slowly lowered his shattered sword. "Approach. But remember, the Spring of Life gives only what is needed, not what is desired. If your heart is filled with greed, this water will turn into a poison that rots your soul instantly."

  Zhi Xuan signaled to Li Chen. With trembling hands, Li Chen stepped forward, passing Zhi Xuan and approaching the clear pool beneath the crystal tree. He drew out a pure jade bottle, but before dipping it, he released the Northern River Spider from its cage.

  "Go, old friend. Drink directly from the source," Li Chen whispered softly.

  The tiny spider crawled with the last of its strength toward the pool's edge. As its small legs touched the water's surface, an incredibly bright explosion of blue-green light erupted. Pollen from the crystal tree fell like snow, wrapping the spider in a cocoon of light.

  Zhi Xuan observed the process with his Heavenly Eye. He saw the primordial life essence enter the spider's body, washing away every rotting wound and resurrecting the seed of life that had nearly withered. Yet, he saw something else; the Spring of Life began to respond to his own divine body.

  "Zhi Xuan," Ruo Xianxue’s voice echoed in his mind, this time with a more serious tone. "Seize this opportunity. The wound on your left arm from the Banner's karma will not heal fully with ordinary meditation. This water contains the essence of Primordial Wood."

  Zhi Xuan stared at his left palm, which still bore the scorched patterns of demonic burns. Without hesitation, he stepped to the other side of the pool and sat cross-legged. "Xiao Die, drink as well. This water is exceptionally pure and will benefit you."

  Xiao Die, who had been hiding behind Zhi Xuan’s collar, revealed her small form with eyes sparkling. She felt a powerful natural pull from the aroma of the crystal tree. With a nimble flutter of her wings, she hovered toward the pool, landing lightly on a floating, translucent lotus leaf.

  "Thank you, Senior," Xiao Die whispered before dipping her head, sipping the holy water drop by drop. Instantly, her tiny body glowed with an intense emerald-green light.

  Zhi Xuan himself slowly submerged his left hand into the pool. The moment his skin touched the Tears of Heaven, he jolted. The pain that had pulsed like thousands of hot needles was suddenly replaced by a cold sensation that seeped into his very marrow. Black smoke—the remnants of the Calamity Banner’s karmic poison—plumed out from his wounds, evaporating instantly upon contact with the water's purity.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  The Heavenly Samsara Wheel within Zhi Xuan’s mind spun in perfect harmony. He felt the Primordial Wood essence climb from his left hand, through the meridians of his arm, and gather at the center of his chest. This energy was not destructive like his twilight-gray essence—it patched every tiny crack in his divine body formed by previous battles.

  The radiance from the crystal tree grew brighter, as if responding to the cleansing of Zhi Xuan’s frame. The silver patterns on his left arm, which had previously appeared unstable and dim, began to solidify and glow with a more stable authority. His half-Devil, pitch-black body absorbed the life essence greedily, yet remained under strict mental control.

  "Truly beautiful," the ancient guardian's voice returned, now softened. He watched Zhi Xuan during his healing. "A practitioner of the Devil Path washing his sins in the purest of springs."

  Li Chen, standing nearby, watched the cocoon of light wrapping the Northern River Spider with teary eyes. He saw the spider's shell—once rusted black—peel away, revealing a new surface that glowed as white as snow and emitted a sharp cold aura, signaling the return of life essence.

  The purification of mind and body continued in solemn silence until suddenly, a cracking sound emerged from the Northern River Spider's cocoon. KRAK! The blue-green light shattered into shards, releasing a wave of frost essence that briefly froze the silver grass around the pool.

  A new creature crawled out. The spider was now slightly larger, its body transparent like ice crystal, and its eight legs sharp as jade sword-blades. On its back appeared a pulsing dark blue circular mark, synchronized with the heartbeat of the Spring of Life.

  "You're healed... you're truly healed," Li Chen whispered with a choked voice. He knelt and let the crystal spider crawl into his palm. The cold seeping into his skin was not a lethal cold, but one that brought clarity to the soul. "My friend, you are truly healed!"

  The crystal spider rubbed its tiny head against Li Chen’s thumb, a gesture of loyalty crossing thousands of years of pain. Li Chen laughed softly through his tears, feeling the heavy burden that had long weighed upon his shoulders lift instantly.

  For Zhi Xuan, these Tears of Heaven were the antidote to the mental exhaustion he had accumulated since entering the Ancient Demon Land. He felt his skin open, inhaling the scent of Primordial Wood that calmed the turmoil of anger within his divine blood. The burn wounds on his arm vanished completely, replaced by skin that was once again firm and pitch-black, as if the battle against the Calamity Banner was merely a nightmare washed clean.

  Xiao Die, having finished drinking the holy water, now fluttered about joyfully. Her wings, which were originally emerald-green, now possessed veins of clear white light that made her look even more sacred. Her aura felt fresher, as if her lifespan had been extended by thousands of years, distancing her from the threat of spirit-withering that often haunts the insect race.

  "The purification is complete," the ancient guardian's voice broke the silence, sounding more like the rustle of wind through crystal branches.

  Zhi Xuan opened his eyes. He stood slowly, feeling his body much lighter and his mind far clearer. He bowed slightly toward the armored figure as a sign of respect from a junior cultivator to an ancestor guarding the truth.

  "Thank you for your generosity, Senior," Zhi Xuan said sincerely.

  The guardian did not respond with words but began to slowly fade. As his task of healing the newcomers concluded, the figure seemed to merge back into the trunk of the crystal tree. "These tears will continue to flow as long as the world holds balance... Go now, before the darkness above realizes you have washed away their filth."

  Li Chen quickly and carefully stored his crystal spider. He turned to Zhi Xuan, his face radiating boundless gratitude. Without the help of the youth before him, he would have surely become a corpse in the Forest of Bones or a sacrifice at Taixuan’s altar.

  "Brother Gu, this debt of life... is truly too heavy for me to repay," Li Chen bowed deeply, his head nearly touching the ground. "If ever you need the help of the Blue Ocean faction, or even my life, simply speak my name to the horizon."

  Zhi Xuan looked at Li Chen for a moment, then turned his gaze toward the exit as it began to be shrouded in mist. "Keep your life for your spiritual beast, Brother Li. This world will remain a very bloody place, and I would rather have a living ally than a promise from a dead man."

  Li Chen smiled thinly, understanding his companion's cold yet honest nature. He picked up his jade fan, flicking it once to remove the remaining rust dust. "Then, where to now? The Grave of Rusted Swords has fallen, and the path back to the Southern Gate should be open."

  Zhi Xuan stared up at the dim sky of the abyss. The Calamity Banner in his storage bag pulsed faintly, reminding him of the new power he held. "This Ancient Demon Land still hides many secrets, but for now, my business here is done. I must return before the other great factions begin to catch the scent of Taixuan’s downfall."

  The two walked away from the hidden valley. As they crossed the boundary of the white jade sword-wall, the screech of metal echoed once more, sealing the sacred corridor as if it had never existed. The valley became a buried secret once again, guarded from the greed of the outside world.

  As they climbed back to the surface, the atmosphere of the Grave of Rusted Swords felt entirely different. Without the presence of the Calamity Banner and Taixuan’s consciousness, the demonic aura felt dull and lifeless. The swords thrust into the ground no longer vibrated with rage; they stood like silent tombstones in a field of stillness.

  "Brother Gu," Li Chen said suddenly, his face filled with gratitude as he stepped ahead and turned to clasp his hands. "I will return to the sect and report to my master. Do not worry; the matter of the Ancient Devil Monument and the Banner will be kept to myself as a promise of this karma."

  Zhi Xuan stared intently into Li Chen’s eyes, searching for any ripple of deceit behind his sincerity. In the cruel world of cultivation, a secret is often sharper than a blade.

  "Trust is a very expensive currency in this world, Brother Li. I will hold you to your word," Zhi Xuan replied flatly, yet with a hint of acknowledgement.

  "And we shall meet again soon. I bid you farewell. Take care of yourself, Gu Fengyan." Li Chen smiled thinly, then flicked his blue robe.

  With a burst of inner energy, his body shot into the air, leaving a trail of blue ocean light that gradually faded between the steep cliffs of the Sword Grave. After Li Chen’s departure, silence swallowed the underground hall once more, leaving Zhi Xuan standing alone beneath the shadows of the collapsed black metal pillars.

  "He is strong enough to be a companion," Zhi Xuan murmured. "In fact, he was hiding his true strength earlier. If he can navigate the Ancient Demon Land safely, then he is an ally worth meeting again. Farewell, Brother Li."

  Zhi Xuan stood still, watching the point where Li Chen’s blue radiance disappeared into the mist. The encroaching silence no longer felt threatening, but hollow, as if the Ancient Demon Land had lost its soul after the Calamity Banner was uprooted. A cold wind blew softly, scattering rust dust that no longer contained a sharp sword intent.

  "Only the ruins of a flawed ambition remain," Zhi Xuan hissed softly. "The Heavenly Dao is cruel; human ambition never fades."

  He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again. "Great Saint, I have reached Soul Transformation. So, when will you grant me a sliver of understanding regarding the Supreme Law of the Darkness of the Nine Heavens—the Law possessed by the Great Saints?"

  "You are truly greedy, Zhi Xuan," Ruo Xianxue’s voice rang out, this time not just in his mind, but manifesting as a subtle whisper that caused the surrounding temperature to drop several degrees. "Your feet have barely left the grave pit and your left arm has just washed its wounds, yet you already crave secrets that even the rulers of the heavens tremble to speak of."

  A spiritual shadow of Ruo Xianxue reappeared, floating low with a grace that transcended all mortality. Her nine pitch-black tails seemed to absorb the remaining dim light in the Sword Grave, creating a void of darkness amidst reality.

  "The Law of the Darkness of the Nine Heavens is not merely a Law for you to study," she continued, bringing her spiritual face close to Zhi Xuan’s ear. "It is the will to negate existence. It is the beginning before light was created, and the end when all stars are extinguished. You as you are now, though you have reached Soul Transformation, are but a grain of dust trying to swallow the night."

  Zhi Xuan did not flinch. He stared straight into the darkness created by Ruo Xianxue’s presence. "A grain of dust that has swallowed the Calamity Banner and stepped upon the Samsara Wheel. If I must swallow the night to reach the peak, then let that night become part of my body."

  Ruo Xianxue laughed, her laughter sounding like the cracking of ice at the bottom of hell. "Mad determination. Very well. Since you have provided a satisfying meal for my Ancient Devil Monument, I shall open one door for you."