"Good, Monkey," Ruo Xianxue said, his voice snorting sharply, echoing in Zhi Xuan's sea of consciousness. "With that divine black jade stone, you will be ready to temper your organs."

  Zhi Xuan sat cross-legged in the corner of the Continent Crossing Vessel, hugging his prize box, and outside, the joyful commotion of the successful disciples still echoed.

  "I know," Zhi Xuan said in his mind. To reach Organ Transformation, he indeed needed this Divine Black Jade Stone, especially to temper and purify his organs. "And do not push me like a child who has received a heavenly blessing. I will maximize them one by one, stepping through the five organs that must be tempered one by one."

  "If you truly wish to be stronger, you will use everything to temper all five organs at once," Ruo Xianxue hissed, his tone of contempt never fading. "Gradual purification is just a coward's tactic."

  "Not a coward, but where will I get Divine Black Jade Stones other than from the sect?" Zhi Xuan calmly replied. "You know, tempering the Heart organ requires ten Divine Black Jade Stones. If it were Feng Yi, she would definitely have them and would not be surprised when given a Divine Black Jade Stone. But me?"

  Zhi Xuan let out a cold internal sigh. He had peered into his prize box. The Thousand Heavens Sect had given one decent-sized Divine Black Jade Stone, enough to begin the purification of one organ with a perfect Blood Transformation foundation.

  But to temper all five organs at once, he would need at least a thousand Divine Black Jade Stones. A fortune easily obtained by cultivators from clans or sects, but not by a wandering cultivator.

  "Mortal idiocy," Ruo Xianxue scoffed. "You have the Divine Furnace, the Thunder Sword. Use them to steal, seize, or convert ordinary spiritual stones into divine jade! You are only bound by disgusting mortal laws."

  "Are you crazy? Red mist," Zhi Xuan replied, growing bolder in calling Ruo Xianxue after seeing his form made only of mist illusion. "Converting spiritual stones into divine jade? I am not a realm deity who snaps his fingers and an ordinary egg becomes a golden egg."

  Zhi Xuan opened his eyes, ending the sea of consciousness session filled with thoughts about his ascent to the Organ Transformation realm. He knew that, besides himself reaching Blood Transformation, other cultivators about to ascend to Organ Transformation must have a supply of Divine Black Jade Stones.

  "Hey look, Han Jue and Wang Mao are in first and second place."

  "Yes, they deserve it! They are each at a solid Consciousness Transformation stage."

  "You are absolutely right, junior brother. They deserve it, unlike the third-ranked one who cried just because of spiritual stones."

  Zhi Xuan ignored the sharp whispers around him. Those voices, filled with disgust and jealousy, were no more than the buzzing of mosquitoes on a frozen day to him. He stood on the deck of the Continent Crossing Vessel, a flying artifact so large that the Law of Space aura around it felt distorted.

  He glanced towards the ship's upper deck, where two men were staring intensely at each other. Zhi Xuan could immediately recognize them as the first and second ranks on the Star King's Stairs.

  "Brother Wang, you are indeed a worthy colleague," said one man in a white robe, with a dragon embroidery circling his waist. "However, you are always one step behind me."

  Han Jue, a Consciousness Transformation stage cultivator whose foundation was as deep as the ocean, slightly bowed to the man in front of him, a formality disguised with a faint smile.

  Wang Mao, the man being stared at, wore a dark gray robe with an emblem of a smoking volcano, indicating his powerful clan origins. He was at the Consciousness Transformation stage, his aura radiating turbulent waves, ready to erupt at any moment.

  "Han Jue," Wang Mao replied, his voice containing a sharp note of reluctance, like the friction of cold steel. "Your Law of the Golden Dragon is indeed fast, but in the Falling Star Secret Realm, you were only ahead by one Consciousness Transformation core. The difference is minimal, and you know I did not use all my strength."

  Wang Mao did not return the greeting, only letting his own majesty press down on Han Jue. To Wang Mao, Han Jue was a stumbling block, and he did not need to hide behind formalities.

  "Of course," Han Jue chuckled, a light and cultured laugh, but his dragon eyes emitted dangerous flashes of ice. "I know. You only obtained an Earth Elephant Core, while I obtained a Sky Dragon. The quality of the Great Beast Core must also be taken into account, Brother Wang."

  Their exchange of words, though polite, was filled with a thick undercurrent of Law. They were not just comparing acquisitions, but also measuring the weight of each other's Dao, utilizing aura pressure to suppress one another. The other disciples on the lower deck of the Continent Crossing Vessel quickly bowed their heads, not daring to approach.

  Zhi Xuan sighed, feeling the aura pressure of the two Consciousness Transformation cultivators from afar. They were true geniuses who had long been at the peak of their realm, their foundations solid, and they were truly above his Blood Transformation realm. If he did not have the absolute Law, he would be crushed just by the collision of their auras.

  "Look at them, Monkey. Pure ambition and arrogance," Ruo Xianxue hissed, his voice sounding satisfied. "Compare that to your shameful tears."

  "They have clans supporting them, Devil Ancestor," Zhi Xuan replied coldly. "They can allow their hearts to be filled with ambition. I must keep both my feet on the ground, before I fly too high and get burned by the storm."

  Zhi Xuan turned his face away, his black robe with red silk embroidery already repaired after some time. It radiated a pure protective spiritual aura. Xiao Die hummed softly in the fold of his robe. Zhi Xuan looked at the vastness of the sky and earth from above, staring toward the far south.

  "Aunt Lian, Grandpa Wu, Uncle Chen, and friends," Zhi Xuan mumbled with cold composure. "Zhi Xuan takes his leave. And one day, Zhi Xuan will return to protect you."

  Zhi Xuan allowed the cold wind of Pure Cloud Peak to strike his face. The Continent Crossing Vessel sped up at a speed that surpassed mortal imagination, powered by Ancient Rune Formations embedded in the celestial ironwood. Beneath him, the Southern Mountains and the wilderness he once called home began to shrink into a flat green map.

  "Behind you," Ruo Xianxue hissed. "Leave the mortal past. Now, look forward. The journey to the Central Continent will take at least two full months. And you, little monkey, must be ready to step into the Organ Transformation realm once we arrive. You have no time for sentimental emotions."

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  Zhi Xuan nodded in silence, accepting the Ancient Devil's cold command as the push he needed. Emotion had flowed, and now, there was only the Dao to be carved. The Continent Crossing Vessel was not merely a means of transport; it was an incubator, a vessel to temper his next foundation, away from the evil eyes of the Southern Continent.

  He turned around, ignoring the figures of Fei Sheng and Feng Yi who were now seeking a quiet meditation spot, and stepped into the inner disciple cabin allocated to him.

  The cabin was small, decorated only with a jade meditation mat that radiated pure spiritual essence. This was a luxury he had never experienced—an environment entirely dedicated to cultivation, without the need to worry about sudden threats or the need to hunt for Spiritual Stones.

  He carefully placed his prize box, especially the hundred High-Grade Spiritual Stones that now felt so precious, and the Divine Black Jade Stone. His eyes were fixed on the Divine Black Jade Stone—a piece of jade, which he first encountered at Death Cliff, now he possessed a pure one radiating pure jade essence.

  He sat cross-legged on the jade mat, allowing the pure essence from the mat and the air in the cabin to seep into him. Xiao Die, the thousand-feathered celestial moth, immediately settled on his right shoulder, her wings radiating a gentle rainbow dust, emitting a calm resonance.

  "Heart Tempering, integrating the energy of heaven and earth, transcending mortal limits and willing each Heart with the Wood element."

  Zhi Xuan mumbled softly, his voice as cold as the surface of a newly frozen lake. He no longer saw the Divine Black Jade Stone in front of him as mundane matter, but as pure Law that could support his ascent. He had chosen the Heart as the first organ to be tempered, the organ that represents Wood in the Five Element Cycle, the source of vitality, tenacity, and growth.

  The Heavenly Samsara Wheel spun slowly in his sea of consciousness, radiating harmonious Laws of the Four Seasons. Spring, the Law representing Wood and birth, was his current focus. He needed to implant pure Wood into his heart which had been tempered by rotten spiritual blood and the pressure from the Devil Seed.

  He took the Divine Black Jade Stone before him. Its touch was cold, but the essence flowing from it was warm and pure, like the sap of a celestial tree. Zhi Xuan closed his eyes, allowing the essence to spread from his foundation core, welcoming the pure Wood essence from the jade stone.

  BOOM!

  Not a loud sound, but a deep, deadly resonance, like the ancient heartbeat of the Earth. The Divine Black Jade Stone essence was immediately absorbed. All the pure energy from the jade stone—which should have been enough to begin the purification of one organ for a cultivator with an ordinary foundation—poured torrentially into his Divine Wheel.

  "Organ Purification, Unity of Resonance."

  The Organ Transformation stage is the stage where cultivators who have entered the peak of Blood Transformation begin to absorb the Divine Black Jade Stone. They are able to choose from the five organs, which one will be tempered first. The Heart is Wood, the Spleen is Earth, the Kidneys are Water, the Lungs are Metal, and the Liver is Fire.

  The Grand Path grants Heavenly Blessings to those with a Heavenly Foundation. When in the First Ember realm, cultivators obtain the Bloom Lotus Flame, or the legendary Soul Fire which is the Heavenly Lotus Flame. Those fortunate enough to build such a Soul Fire foundation are those who carry Heavenly Blessings and are able to create Grand Resonance.

  Grand Resonance is the state where one is considered to be in the late stage of Organ Transformation. Where all five of their organs have fully formed the Divine Organ Cycle. Where harmony emerges between the Divine Wheel and the five Organs.

  As the majestic pure Wood essence from the divine black jade stone flooded the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, Zhi Xuan's Law of the Four Seasons resonated wildly. Spring—the Law of birth and growth which was previously the gentlest part of his cycle—suddenly exploded with unmatched weight.

  The pure Wood essence did not flow to his meridians, but went directly to his heart. His heart, which had long pulsed with a mix of rotten spiritual blood and cold black jade essence, was now enveloped by a thick green aura, a profound color of life. His heart pulsed harder, not with a mortal rhythm, but with a THUMP-THUMP sound that sounded like a celestial tempering hammer.

  In the third week of the journey, Zhi Xuan opened his eyes. The tempered Heart Organ radiated a stable and calming aura. He could feel pure energy flowing non-stop to his Heart Organ. Before him, the Divine Black Jade Stone had dissolved into black dust. Marking his successful first step into Organ Transformation.

  Zhi Xuan took a long breath, the cold air of the Rune-shrouded Continent Crossing Vessel felt pure and purifying. The thick green essence of his Wood Heart pulsed, sustaining his vitality. He had succeeded. He had stepped into the feared realm, the Organ Transformation realm, with a foundation sanctified by the Divine Black Jade Stone, a luxury he had not expected.

  However, he felt no joy. Instead, what he felt was a greater hunger.

  "One organ is just the beginning, Monkey," Ruo Xianxue hissed, his tone now slightly more satisfied. "Your Wood Heart is now pure, but the other four organs are still contaminated and need to be purified. This Wood foundation will be useless if it is not immediately supported by the Earth Organ."

  Zhi Xuan nodded in silence. The Spleen, the organ representing the Earth element in the Five Element Cycle, was the next organ. Earth is the absolute foundation, the Law that provides stability, endurance, and most importantly, the ability to absorb and process energy. Without a strong Earth Spleen, the next organ tempering would falter and his foundation would collapse under the pressure of his own black jade essence.

  "I know," Zhi Xuan said calmly, standing up straight. "I will do that after my foundation is stable. Now let us see what I missed during these three weeks on the ship."

  Zhi Xuan opened his cabin door. The soft rumble of the Continent Crossing Vessel's Rune Formation greeted him, mixed with a heavier silence than three weeks ago. The bustling joy that had filled the deck had subsided, replaced by hidden tension. Most outer disciples had sunk into cultivation, but the competitive energy in the air never left.

  He stepped out onto the vast ship deck. The celestial ship was now gliding over an endless ocean of clouds, beneath a deep blue sky that radiated the pure aura of the Central Continent. The sight, though majestic, did not stir his emotions. His newly tempered Wood Heart, which now radiated stable vitality, kept him rooted, keeping sentimental feelings at bay.

  His presence on the deck immediately attracted attention. Passing new disciples quickly bowed their heads, but their glances at him were filled with a mixture of disgust and fear.

  More importantly, he felt the two strong auras he had predicted would be his focus on this ship. Han Jue and Wang Mao. The two Consciousness Transformation geniuses were on the ship's upper deck, sitting cross-legged near a luxurious viewing deck, surrounded by a simple isolation formation.

  Fei Sheng and Feng Yi were also nearby, but maintained a polite distance from the top two geniuses. Fei Sheng held his jade fan, his aura stable and calm, but there was a faint frown between his eyebrows. Feng Yi, on the other hand, looked tense. Her Phoenix Fire aura churned softly, like fire confined in a jade jar.

  Zhi Xuan walked with calm and efficient steps, every movement radiating the weight of his new Wood Heart. He realized that his aura had changed. He was no longer the stubborn Blood Transformation; he was now an early-stage Organ Transformation cultivator, a revered realm, with a foundation far more solid than the others.

  "Brother Zhi Xuan," Fei Sheng greeted him, immediately standing up with the elegance of a Daoist. His crystal eyes radiated hidden surprise. He could sense the faint essence fluctuation from Zhi Xuan—the fluctuation of one who had just broken through a realm. "We thought you would meditate until the end of the journey."

  Zhi Xuan nodded flatly, ignoring the curious tone in Fei Sheng's voice. "I have completed the Heart purification. Only one organ, no need to take two full months."

  The statement—uttered casually—struck Fei Sheng like a spiritual blow. Only three weeks had passed, and Zhi Xuan had managed to stabilize his Blood Transformation foundation, purify a vital organ, and step into the early Organ Transformation stage. This was a speed that defied Heavenly Law.

  Feng Yi, her arrogance fully returned, snorted sharply. "Only three weeks? What kind of luck do you have, Zhi Xuan? Did the Thousand Heavens Sect give you abundant Divine Black Jade Stones to calm your tears?"

  Zhi Xuan turned to Feng Yi, his eyes as cold as deadly ice. "I merely utilized the resources given. If Sister Feng Yi focuses too much on mundane shame, perhaps you will miss the chance to advance to Consciousness Transformation. Never ignore weakness, for it is the root of strength."

  The words were piercing, hitting the exact point where Feng Yi knew she had wasted time feeling embarrassed. Her Phoenix Fire aura flared for a moment, but she restrained herself, acknowledging the sharp truth in Zhi Xuan's words.

  "Very well," Feng Yi said, her tone slightly softened, replaced by a soldier's determination. "Congratulations, Zhi Xuan. You will soon catch up to our realm. Even now, I have already purified the three Organs and stepped into the middle stage of Organ Transformation."