Zhu Qinglan walked back to the jade table, where Zhi Xuan’s teacup still lay. She touched the rim of the cup, as if touching the trace of the audacious Black-Haired Devil’s aura, the Black-Haired Devil who dared to defy and almost always annoy her.

  “If he wants to use his mission to carve a more ruthless Dao, then so be it,” Zhu Qinglan whispered, a thin, cold, and cunning smile twisting her lips. “If he dares to enter the hell of the Primordial Ancient Tomb and return in just six days, then he will be the strongest chess piece I have ever possessed.”

  Zhu Qinglan withdrew her hand, the pure water essence surrounding her slowly swirling, calming the turmoil caused by Zhi Xuan’s sudden visit. She looked at Mei and Ling’er, who were still standing bowed deeply at the pavilion threshold.

  “Do not worry,” Zhu Qinglan said, her tone now a cold decree. “Although he is an arrogant and mysterious man, I am not completely letting him go. If he is truly someone who can step onto the Path of the Great Emperors. I will step with him.”

  "The Path of the Great Emperors?" Mei asked with a careful tone, afraid to offend the Holy Maiden, that was a Path that could only be taken by the descendants of Ancient Clans, dazzling throughout the ages and unrivaled. "You… You are truly betting on him, Holy Maiden?"

  Zhu Qinglan turned towards Mei, her ocean-crystal eyes now radiating a sharp and cold analytical light. She walked slowly to the edge of the pavilion, ignoring the quiet tranquility of the night. The water aura around her pulsed, reflecting the deep thoughts crossing her mind.

  “Betting?” Zhu Qinglan snorted, a cold and subtle sound of derision. “No, Mei. I am not betting. I am carving a path. You must know, Zhi Xuan is something else. He is a Devil forged by the Heavenly Thunder Calamity, whose foundation resists suppression. He possesses mysterious Laws, but at the same time, he has an unwavering will. That kind of foundation… transcends the logic of any Ancient Clan.”

  She turned, her beautiful face now radiating terrifying intelligence, a side of the Holy Fairy she would only show to her most trusted attendants. “My Ancestral Great Emperor, Zhu Yan Tian, was a very demanding figure. The Forbidden Formation that rejects clan blood in his tomb is proof that he sought a higher Dao than his own heritage. He seeks someone capable of carving his own Dao under the suppression of Heaven, not an heir who merely follows in his footsteps.”

  Zhu Qinglan's hand stretched out, her graceful fingers touching the ripple of the Water Law that separated Jade Immortal Peak from the outside world. Her gaze penetrated the night, as if she was staring at Zhi Xuan, who was now shooting far into the darkness.

  “Since I first saw him decades ago, he was something capable of staring at me even on the verge of destruction, Mei. His Dao is even on the threshold of the Heavenly,” Zhu Qinglan whispered, her voice now containing a tone of absolute coldness. “And yes, I will step with him, even if that path is filled with blood and bones."

  Zhu Qinglan withdrew her hand from the Water Formation. Her eyes closed for a moment, a gesture to end the discussion. She had revealed too much, allowing Zhi Xuan and his ambitious will to disrupt her spiritual tranquility.

  “Go,” Zhu Qinglan commanded. “When that Devil returns in six days, whether he succeeds or fails, he will shake the Thousand Heavens Sect. One more thing, warn the Elders to keep the Jade Purification Pool incident a secret."

  Mei and Ling’er bowed deeper, understanding the meaning behind the command. Zhu Qinglan, the Holy Fairy, was now personally invested in the survival of the Black-Haired Devil. They turned and disappeared with silent steps, leaving Zhu Qinglan alone in the tranquility of the Jade Immortal Pavilion, accompanied only by the sound of crystal water flowing.

  In the middle of the night that enveloped the Thousand Heavens Sect, a streak of dark purple light shot across the sky. It was the Seven Star Boat, a flying artifact channeled essence to its maximum limit, carrying Zhi Xuan rushing towards the Primordial Ancient City, following the Dragon Decree Board's instructions and carrying the Thousand Heavens Sect's formation.

  His pure sky-blue robe, a gift from the sect, vibrated fiercely, contrasting with the deadly speed and the destination he was pursuing. He rode the essence storm, utilizing every second to move away from the suffocating realm of the Thousand Heavens Sect.

  “Primordial Ancient City,” Zhi Xuan muttered in his heart, his voice calm and measured, reflecting the newly forged sharpness. “Tomb of the Primordial Progeny. Supreme Law that demands the Dao will.”

  He had digested all the information he got from Zhu Qinglan. Strong fear was not in his dictionary when it came to something full of mystery, only calculation. Zhu Qinglan, without realizing it, had given him the key to prepare for his greatest danger: the clash of Will.

  On his shoulder, Xiao Die, the Thousand Feathered Moth, flapped its soft rainbow wings. Its chirp this time was no longer anxious, but full of spirit and deep resonance. It was a Heavenly Insect born near the trace of Taiyin; the presence of a purer Taiyin Holy Pool was a natural attraction for it.

  Aboard the Seven Star Boat that shot like an arrow, Zhi Xuan sat cross-legged. The cold and sharp night wind pierced, but he ignored it. His dizzying speed was perfect isolation—no spies, no disturbances, only him, the darkness, and the destination ahead.

  He waved his hand. The Third Heaven Thunder Slash scroll immediately appeared in his palm. The ancient bamboo scroll radiated a strong and pure Thunder aura, carrying the weight of the Thunder Law that resonated with his Thunder Sword. Zhi Xuan channeled his divine sense into it, and the Heaven-Grade Martial Law was immediately revealed in his Sea of Consciousness.

  The first Heaven, Storm of a Thousand Thunders. It was the first layer of the Third Heaven Thunder Slash technique, which triggered turbulent black clouds and thousands of thunders. The technique was not merely like raising a Sword and willing a thunder to come to the sword. Rather, when the sword was unsheathed, nature followed the unsheathing of that sword.

  This was not like the Heavenly Destroyer Palm which manifested a Palm from a manifestation channel, that was essence condensed to form a spiritual manifestation in the form of an attacking Palm. Whereas, Thunder was part of the Heaven Law. Those were two different things from Earth-Grade and Heaven-Grade Techniques.

  Zhi Xuan waved his hand again, and the Ocean-Shattering Thunder Sword shot out from his jade ring. Its cracked jet-black blade, made of Ancient Thunderwood, immediately trembled. The ancient Thunder aura buried within the half-damaged artifact resonated wildly with the Law emanating from the scroll.

  "Oh?" Zhi Xuan murmured, a thin smile that did not reach his eyes. "I guess, you are too excited for a damaged sword."

  The Ocean-Shattering Thunder Sword floated motionless in front of him, its black blade radiating sharp Thunder fluctuations. It absorbed the Law of the Third Heaven Thunder Slash at a dizzying speed. It was not merely borrowing the power of lightning, but forcing the Heaven Law to recognize that the user's will had the right to lead the storm. A very arrogant concept, a direct demand to the Universe.

  Zhi Xuan closed his eyes. He did not try to imitate the movements; he tried to touch the core Dao of the Law. In his Sea of Consciousness, he projected an image: himself, standing in the void, his hand swinging, and in every swing, the sky around him collapsed, replaced by turbulent black clouds, and a Thousand Thunders plunged down, obedient to the tip of his blade.

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  The Third Heaven Thunder Slash scroll—the ability to dominate the Heaven Law—was the highest form of arrogance, an arrogance that was food for the Devil seed within him. Although this was a small fraction of the understanding of the Thunder Law, that small fraction of understanding was enough to give him enlightenment on the use of this technique.

  For some time, Zhi Xuan only sat cross-legged on the Boat, delving into and internalizing every strand manifested by the Technique Scroll. Outside, the Divine Furnace rotated around his body to mask his aura and help with enlightenment through the understanding of the Four Seasons Law.

  "Thunder is the extension of Lightning as the Pillar of Heaven Law, a Law that demands Judgment, Purification, and Tribulation. If Will is the Container, then Thunder is the Form of the Will of Nature."

  The enlightenment felt like a sharp blade splitting the mist. The Third Heaven Thunder Slash was not about borrowing the power of Nature, but about stealing the authority of Nature to manifest Thunder. In his Sea of Consciousness, the Sky above the Tree of Life bowed and formed a black vortex.

  The sky, which was originally clear and had nebulae and orange clouds wandering, now condensed into a vortex that gave a spiritual wave in the middle of the Sea of Consciousness. The Heavenly Samsara Wheel, which stood majestically, rotated gently with the resonance of the Four Seasons Law. In that rumbling shake, the will of Thunder began to show itself.

  RUMBLE!

  Thunder is merely an extension of Lightning, the rumbling sound is proof that Thunder is capable of deafening rumbling. It is not the same as Lightning, Thunder is the sound of the rumbling of Lightning that carries the weight of the Lightning Law itself. Although Zhi Xuan did not have enough understanding of Lightning yet, the Thunder that was the extension of Lightning had made him understand the First Heaven Thunder Slash.

  Zhi Xuan opened his eyes. His sapphire pupils shone with a quick purple flash, an echo of the Thunder storm he had just created in his Sea of Consciousness. The First Heaven Thunder Slash; Storm of a Thousand Thunders. The essence was an authorization that forced Heaven to respond to the will of the sword holder. How should that rumbling manifest and strike in the form of will.

  In front of him, the Ocean-Shattering Thunder Sword trembled violently. The fine cracks on its jet-black blade now seemed to radiate a faint purple light, as if the half-damaged blade was forced to remember its original glory. The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron rotating around Zhi Xuan released a layer of soft Four Seasons Law mist, enveloping the Seven Star Boat.

  "Of course," Zhi Xuan muttered, his voice containing satisfied annoyance. "A Heaven-Grade technique, and in the hands of a Consciousness Transformation cultivator with a perfected foundation. If this is the First Heaven, then the Second and Third Heavens must demand the understanding of a Five Element realm."

  Zhi Xuan patted his waist and stored the Third Heaven Thunder Slash scroll. He did not try to understand the Second or Third Heaven; that understanding would demand long cultivation time and an understanding of the Thunder Law that surpassed his Consciousness Transformation realm. He was satisfied. In less than one night, he had understood the core of the First Heaven Thunder Slash.

  “Storm of a Thousand Thunders is enough,” Zhi Xuan muttered. He reached out, and the Ocean-Shattering Thunder Sword shot back into his palm. The cold and sharp sensation of the Ancient Thunderwood blade felt like a natural extension of his will. He looked ahead.

  On the sixth night before the Annual Disciple Celebration, Zhi Xuan had crossed hundreds of li from the Thousand Heavens Sect, the scene in front of him was starting to change. After crossing the Border Guard, Zhi Xuan, who was aboard the Boat, began to enter the gray disputed territory.

  The dense green forests and peaceful cultivating mountains of the Thousand Heavens Sect territory had been replaced by a vast and barren stone desert. On the horizon, he could see a thick, brownish-gray mist swirling, enveloping a vast area. The mist was not like ordinary spiritual mist; it radiated a rotten, cold, and stagnant aura, as if spiritual essence had died within it.

  Zhi Xuan flicked his finger and the Four Directional Blood Shield appeared, protecting himself with transparency. Camouflaging and providing a shield from the dead spiritual essence. His lungs felt tight, if he had not brought Xiao Die with him this time, he would only last for a few breaths and would instinctively experience a spiritual essence drain.

  “Dead Mist,” Zhi Xuan muttered. He had heard about this phenomenon on the borders of the Lower Realms, but experiencing it directly was different. The mist was not only absorbent, but also suppressive and poisonous to a mortal cultivator's essence. The pure spiritual essence of the Thousand Heavens Sect would immediately be contaminated with just a few breaths.

  On his shoulder, Xiao Die, the Thousand Feathered Moth, became the only source of pure life aura in the midst of that stagnant desert. Its soft rainbow wings radiated a faint golden dust, a heavenly essence that instinctively cleansed the air around Zhi Xuan, neutralizing the rotten mist before it could touch the Four Directional Blood Shield.

  "This is not ordinary Dead Mist, Monkey," Ruo Xianxue hissed in his Sea of Consciousness, his tone containing deep disgust. "This is the breath of the Forbidden Land. Land that refuses to be trodden by spiritual beings. This is the Gray Territory, a place where the Heaven Law and the Earth Law mutually decay."

  Zhi Xuan nodded inwardly. Zhu Qinglan's information was again proven correct: the Primordial Ancient City was in a gray area, a disputed territory that rejected purification. The Seven Star Boat, which usually shot with the speed of starlight, was now slowing down significantly, as if moving through a viscous liquid. After flying for several hours, passing the outermost layer of mist, Zhi Xuan finally saw it.

  In the middle of the vast stone desert, the silhouette of a city stood. The city did not look destroyed, but felt empty and ancient. Massive stone buildings, with architecture Zhi Xuan had never seen, towered in absolute silence. There was no glow of a protection formation, no signs of life. The city was enveloped by the thick, brownish-gray mist.

  In the center of that ancient city, the ice-blue light emanating was the undeniable manifestation of the Taiyin Holy Pool. Its pure and cold light felt like a black hole of purification, contrasting with the rotten aura of the Dead Mist around it. The Primordial Ancient City looked like a giant tombstone, silent, but radiating a deadly will pressure, a promise that the Ancient Supreme Law resided there.

  He channeled more essence into the Seven Star Boat, forcing it to speed towards the Primordial Ancient City. As it approached, Zhi Xuan felt a strange pressure. Not a realm pressure, but a Will pressure. A subtle yet massive pressure, as if the air around him was filled with an ancient will that rejected his existence.

  In the air, far above the Ancient City, Zhi Xuan could see several light spots floating carefully. Those were cultivators from various factions. They all used powerful flying artifacts or flying techniques that radiated a defensive aura, hovering at altitude, none daring to descend lower than the building roof line.

  "Look, Monkey," Ruo Xianxue hissed. "They all respect the Supreme Law. You must be careful. The Will of the Ancient Being does not choose; it only demands."

  Zhi Xuan closed his eyes for a moment. He channeled his divine sense, not to attack, but to observe the abundant Will below. It felt like touching layers of dead spiritual essence, filled with infinite bitterness and rejection. A Will so massive, so ancient, that his Consciousness Transformation Will felt like a single leaf in the middle of a cosmic storm.

  "This is the core of the horror," Zhi Xuan muttered in his heart, his voice containing cold acknowledgment. He was not afraid, but he respected the power that was outside his realm.

  He opened his eyes, his sapphire pupils surrounded by red rings now radiating an intensely sharp light, a reflection of the newly forged steel resolve. Zhi Xuan patted his shoulder, and Xiao Die, the Thousand Feathered Moth, immediately crawled into the folds of his sky-blue robe, disappearing into the warmth, while the soft rainbow dust still enveloped the air around Zhi Xuan, neutralizing the rotten mist.

  Zhi Xuan brought the Seven Star Boat to fly lower, infiltrating the layer of mist that enveloped the Primordial Ancient City. He did not fly directly towards the city center where the Taiyin Holy Pool shone; he chose to sneak between the gaps of the towering stone buildings, seeking the most hidden path, avoiding the attention of other cultivators hovering at altitude.

  His flying boat moved slowly and carefully. Below him, the ancient stone streets of the Primordial Ancient City looked like a river made of thick brownish-gray dust. The pressure of the Ancient Being's Will felt increasingly heavy. It was not a physical pressure that demanded essence; it was a mental pressure, an ancient whisper trying to tear and collapse his spiritual fortress.

  "How cruel," Zhi Xuan muttered. He felt every strand of essence in his Sea of Consciousness tremble. The Will of the Ancient Being demanded, not with violence, but with rejection. Rejection of mortal existence, rejection of anyone with spiritual breath.

  In his Sea of Consciousness, the firmly standing Devil Tree of Life began to release layers of strong vitality aura. The Tree, born from the cruelty of Heaven and implanted by the Devil Seed, was the main fortress of Zhi Xuan's Will. Its roots penetrated deeper into the foundation of the Sea of Consciousness, resisting the pressure of the Primordial Will by providing vitality that kept him alive.