The insult, spoken calmly and coldly, was not aimed at Wang Mao's wealth, but directly pierced the core of his Dao. Wang Mao, who was accustomed to obedience from lower realms, flinched momentarily. His volcano eyes, filled with orange fire, narrowed.

  "Life-Death experience?" Wang Mao burst out laughing, a brutal and contemptuous laugh. "The experience of an earthworm scavenging mud and trash! You call that the Dao? My Dao is built upon the Law of the Dragon, the majesty of the clan, and thousands of years of pure heritage! How dare you, a mortal insect who cried over a hundred spiritual stones, judge my path?!"

  Wang Mao's roar, channeling the pressure of the top-level Consciousness Transformation, shook the ship's deck. The ancient wind crossing the Continent Crossing Vessel felt like knife blades sliced by the majesty of his realm. The other new disciples immediately bowed their heads deeper, fearful of the second-ranked genius's wrath.

  Zhi Xuan remained rigid, his eyes as cold as light-unreflecting ice. He allowed Wang Mao to vent the arrogance supported by clan Law and heritage. Wang Mao was right; in the eyes of large sect cultivators, his struggle was merely mortal mud. However, that mud was what tempered his foundation into unbreakable steel.

  "A Dao tempered by legal heritage and clan majesty will only revolve in an endless circle, Brother Wang," Zhi Xuan said with grinding teeth, his voice sharpening against Wang Mao's heavy aura. "Only those who temper the Dao with experience and understanding of the Universe are capable of competing with the shackling Sky."

  The words, spoken with absolute cold weight, transcended logic; it was a statement of Will. Zhi Xuan was no longer debating; he was merely stating the brutal truth of his rotten Devil Law. How his Path was a Path destined by himself, not by Heritage or the Dao of others.

  "Brother Wang," Zhi Xuan called out, his tone now shifting to a voice full of cold composure, wrapped in the weight of the Sky-Level Artifact. "If your Dao is so majestic and my foundation is so shameful, why waste time oppressing me? Are you afraid that the Dao of this earthworm will, one day, surpass your Dragon majesty?"

  The insult, wrapped in logic, struck Wang Mao like thunder in a clear sky. Wang Mao, who usually easily crushed his opponents with realm pressure, now found himself attacked with words that radiated deep philosophical weight. Fear? Wang Mao was afraid of an early-stage Organ Transformation cultivator who cried over a hundred spiritual stones? It was an absolute humiliation.

  Wang Mao's face turned purple, not from pressure, but from mounting rage. The volcano aura around him exploded, emitting a wave of heat that made the ironwood of the Continent Crossing Vessel tremble.

  "Nonsense! You dare accuse me of fear?!" Wang Mao roared. He raised the Bloom Lotus Flame in his hand. The orange fire swelled, radiating a boiling heatwave, as if it could burn the entire ship deck to ashes. "You, who use the trashy Azure Holy Flame, dare speak of surpassing my Dragon Dao?! Insult! I will pluck out your arrogant tongue, boy!"

  Wang Mao stepped forward, his hand manifesting a large, churning fire seal. The seal, made of pure Bloom Lotus Flame, radiated the weight of top-level Consciousness Transformation. It was an attack aimed at crippling and destroying the foundation, not merely injuring.

  "Brother Wang! Stop!" shouted Fei Sheng, his face pale. He activated his Law of Wind, trying to dissipate the fire seal, but the pressure was too great. Fei Sheng was only able to create a thin vortex at the seal's periphery.

  Feng Yi, who had risen and stood straight, tore her robe, revealing the angry Phoenix Fire emblem behind her crimson robe. She was ready to jump, risking her middle-stage Organ Transformation realm to face Consciousness Transformation. However, she knew it would be suicide.

  Zhi Xuan, The Blood Transformation Banner Bearer, did not move backward. His sapphire eyes remained fixed on the incoming fire seal. In a blink of an eye, he realized Wang Mao was not attacking to kill, but to destroy his foundation and seize his Soul Artifact.

  The instant Zhi Xuan was about to manifest the Devil Blood Sword from his arm to defend, the Heavenly Moth hiding behind Zhi Xuan's robe could no longer endure it. It flew out with a hum that was no longer rainbow, but a faint dark hum like the shriek of a scorpion's tail. The hum it released was not a joyful sound, but an ancient, piercing resonance.

  Its size expanded and its wings, now no longer decorated with shimmering colors, but seemingly like endless night, flapped. Dark clouds immediately gathered over the Continent Crossing Vessel, causing a spiritual tremor felt even by the three Grand Elders, including Yan Shen, who was in the Elder's cabin.

  Wang Mao's aura, which had been like boiling lava, suddenly froze. The Bloom Lotus Flame in his hand flickered in terror. He was not afraid of the Sky-Level Artifact that Zhi Xuan had just sheathed, but he was afraid of a Law he did not comprehend. The moth, which had been merely a mortal insect, now radiated the pure weight of a Verdant Titan—a Beast level equivalent to the Five Element realm.

  Wang Mao, despite being a top-level Consciousness Transformation, knew the limits of his realm. Facing a Verdant Titan Beast was an unnecessary risk, especially on a sect's ship.

  "Verdant... Titan?!" Wang Mao stammered, his face, which had been red with rage, now turned deathly pale. He tried to retract his fire seal, which was halfway through, but the Heavenly Moth was faster.

  Xiao Die, the Thousand Feathered Moth, flapped its wings once. The Endless Night Wings released a storm of Ancient Dust Powder that was no longer gentle, but dark and sharp, resonating with the Law of Wind and the Law of Space. The dust, with a speed beyond Wang Mao's ability to react, struck the Consciousness Transformation fire seal.

  CRACK!

  The majestic Bloom Lotus Flame fire seal, which should have been able to shatter Zhi Xuan's foundation, shattered into pieces as if made of fragile glass. The Ancient Dust Powder did not stop; it shot straight, slicing through the air, and hit Wang Mao's face.

  Wang Mao screamed in inhumane pain. He was not physically injured, but he felt his divine sense—the Sky in his Sea of Consciousness—being stabbed by millions of ice needles. He staggered backward, his volcano-fire eyes filled with pure horror. He was unable to comprehend. A mortal Organ Transformation insect possessed an Ancient Beast at the Verdant Titan level.

  The dark clouds above the ship spun wildly, and the spiritual pressure released by Xiao Die forced everyone on the deck to kneel—this time including Wang Mao. Zhi Xuan, The Blood Transformation Banner Bearer, did not move.

  He stood in the middle of the Law storm, his aura as cold as undisturbed ice, allowing the Verdant Titan's wrath to oppress Wang Mao. He felt the proud resonance from Xiao Die, the loyal Heavenly Moth, who had just defended its master from the arrogance of a higher realm.

  "Brother Wang," Zhi Xuan called out, his voice returning to a flat, cold, and almost emotionless tone. The contrast between his composure and the chaos around him was striking. "I have told you, my Dao is a Dao tempered by tenacity. And my Dao does not revolve in a circle of heritage."

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Wang Mao could not respond. He was kneeling, his face smeared with spiritual blood flowing from his nose and ears. His Sea of Consciousness foundation had been shaken by the Ancient Dust Powder. He had been utterly humiliated.

  Suddenly, a calm and weighty voice spread from the upper deck. It was the voice of Han Jue, the First Ranked Genius of the Star King's Stairs.

  "Enough, Junior Wang," Han Jue said, his voice as soft as silk, but containing authority that could not be refused. "You have violated the Law of the Thousand Heavens Sect on the Continent Crossing Vessel. Battle intent is forbidden on this ship."

  Han Jue stepped down from the upper deck, his movement graceful and slow, as if every step was a Law of Heaven. He did not use realm pressure, but his aura—radiating the Golden Dragon Law—naturally quelled the chaos created by Xiao Die and Wang Mao.

  When Han Jue approached, Xiao Die snorted darkly once more, its Verdant Titan-like aura slightly subsiding, but it remained floating in the air, ready to attack again. The Heavenly Moth knew that Han Jue was far more dangerous than Wang Mao.

  Han Jue ignored the Verdant Titan Beast. His eyes, radiating a flash of ice, were fixed on Zhi Xuan. He saw the new early-stage Organ Transformation robe, and he saw the cold composure in Zhi Xuan's eyes.

  "Junior Zhi Xuan," Han Jue said, his tone formal and full of hidden respect. "Congratulations on your new realm. However, allowing your Spiritual Beast to attack a fellow disciple on the Continent Crossing Vessel is unnecessary provocation. We are fellow travelers to the Central Continent."

  "Senior Brother Han," Zhi Xuan replied, without bowing. His gaze was straight and cold. "I was merely responding to aggression supported by a higher realm. My Spiritual Beast acted to protect its master from an attempt to cripple the foundation."

  Han Jue smiled faintly, a smile that showed appreciation for Zhi Xuan's cold logic. "Of course. But the rules of the Thousand Heavens Sect must be upheld."

  He flicked his hand, and his Golden Dragon Law radiated. The pressure was not oppressive, but calming, extinguishing the remnants of Wang Mao's anger and the chaos in the air.

  Han Jue glanced at Wang Mao, who was still kneeling and trembling. "Junior Wang, return to cultivation. You will be lucky if the Grand Elders do not punish you for disrupting the journey."

  Wang Mao gnashed his teeth, but he knew he had no choice. In front of Han Jue and the Verdant Titan, he could only swallow this humiliation. He immediately rose, his face flushed with shame, and shot back to the upper deck without uttering a word.

  Han Jue turned back to Zhi Xuan. This time, he bowed slightly, a formal acknowledgment. "You possess an extraordinary Soul Artifact, and a Spiritual Beast worthy of respect, Junior Zhi Xuan. Until we meet again at the Three Heavens Jade Refinement Pond."

  "Until we meet again, Senior Brother Han," Zhi Xuan replied, nodding flatly, accepting the challenge and the respect in silence.

  Han Jue returned to the upper deck, back to his cultivation formation. After he left, Xiao Die snorted again, and the dark clouds above the ship vanished as quickly as they appeared. The Heavenly Moth shrunk back to its original size and obediently settled in the folds of Zhi Xuan's robe.

  Fei Sheng and Feng Yi, who had witnessed the entire drama, let out a long breath. They saw Zhi Xuan, who had just been humiliated for tears, now use an Ancient Beast to crush the second-ranked genius.

  "Thousand Feathered Moth... Verdant Titan," Fei Sheng whispered, his eyes filled with a combination of horror and awe. "I knew it was an Ancient Beast, but I did not expect it to have reached such a high realm. That is equivalent to a Five Element cultivator."

  Feng Yi stared at Zhi Xuan, her arrogance now replaced by cold respect. "You hide your strength very well, Zhi Xuan. A Verdant Titan... that will place you in an untouchable position in the Southern Continent."

  "Just an association with a small creature, Sister Feng Yi," Zhi Xuan replied coldly. He sheathed the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron into his sea of consciousness. "I am merely utilizing what I have acquired."

  In the exclusive cultivation cabin on the upper deck, Wang Mao's aura churned like a volcano about to erupt. He did not dare to sit cross-legged. He stood rigid, allowing the deep anger and shame to shatter his cultivation composure. Dried spiritual blood stained his dark gray robe.

  For a Consciousness Transformation genius, being humiliated by an early-stage Organ Transformation cultivator and his spiritual beast was a shame worse than death. Even worse, he had been insulted by piercing words about the Dao of heritage.

  His cabin door slid open, and Han Jue stepped in. His Golden Dragon Law aura radiated, naturally calming the wave of emotion in the room, but that tranquility felt like an even greater insult to Wang Mao.

  "Did you come to mock me, Han Jue?" Wang Mao hissed, his voice containing poison and bitterness. "Mock my defeat and humiliation at the hands of a mortal insect and his beast?"

  Han Jue flicked his hand, and the cabin door closed silently, isolating their conversation from the divine sense of other disciples. He did not sit. He stood, elegant and dangerous, like a long sword just drawn from its scabbard.

  "Mockery? That was an unnecessary loss, Junior Wang," Han Jue replied, his tone calm and cultured, but his eyes radiated sharp calculation. "Junior Zhi Xuan is no insect. He is a serpent hiding in the wild grass. And he is the winner of this clash."

  Wang Mao gnashed his teeth. "Winner? That was cheating! He used an Ancient Beast at the Verdant Titan level! If he had faced me without that creature, I would have shattered his rotten foundation in one attack!"

  "You are right," Han Jue conceded, his nod very slight. "However, that is a false assumption, Junior Wang. In cultivation, resources are part of the Law. The Thousand Feathered Moth, the fortieth ranked Heavenly Insect in the list of One Hundred Ancient Insects. That insect is known for its ability to manipulate the Law of Space and Silk that can drain life."

  Han Jue stepped closer, his aura radiating cold curiosity. "What you must realize is not its Verdant Titan realm, but Zhi Xuan's own foundation. A beast like that will not submit to a cultivator without a Dao Will that surpasses the Law. The moth radiates ancient will, yet it submits to him."

  Wang Mao flinched. He knew what Han Jue meant. Ancient Beasts, especially Verdant Titans, possessed intelligence and arrogance equivalent to Five Element cultivators. For such a beast to submit to an early-stage Organ Transformation cultivator, a Spiritual Blood Bond alone was not enough. It required a Law of Karma or Absolute Will that convinced the beast.

  "A Sky-level Soul Artifact," Wang Mao muttered, his eyes again shrouded in greed. "A Verdant Titan Heavenly Moth. And the intent that dares to challenge the Sky. He holds too many secrets for such a low realm."

  "And those secrets are what make him so interesting," Han Jue chuckled softly, a laugh that held no warmth. "You want his Soul Artifact, Junior Wang. I want his Dao."

  Wang Mao turned with a surprised look. "His Dao? His Dao is just mud and suffering!"

  Han Jue smiled faintly, a smile that reached his dragon eyes. "Precisely. A Dao built from limitations and suffering is the most difficult Dao to destroy. It is a Dao that seeks freedom from everything. Have not both of us, born in majesty, reached a certain limit within the circle of our heritage?"

  Han Jue walked to the cabin window, staring at the starry sky. "The Will to step on the Sky that you felt was not empty arrogance. It was a will supported by pure cruelty. A cultivator who cries for a hundred spiritual stones, yet dares to challenge Consciousness Transformation, is someone without limits. He will do anything to gain power."

  Wang Mao now felt a chill. He realized that he had just attacked not just a disciple, but a phenomenon created by destiny and suffering.

  "Then what should we do, Han Jue?" Wang Mao asked, shame replaced by strategic calculation. Their rivalry momentarily subsided in the face of a shared threat. "He will be our strongest rival in the Three Heavens Jade Refinement Pond. With his new foundation and the potential of that Verdant Titan Beast, he will absorb the Three Heavens Spiritual Jade at a terrifying speed."

  "Easy," Han Jue replied. He turned his face, his ice-like eyes radiating a ruthless plan. "You, Junior Wang, focus on consolidating your Azure King Core. Waste no more time. Let this humiliation be your whetstone."

  "As for Junior Zhi Xuan," Han Jue continued, his voice sounding as if he was planning someone's fate. "In the Three Heavens Jade Refinement Pond, we do not just cultivate. We compete for Pure Jade and Law. After he showcases his Dao, there will be other Grand Elders watching him, not just Yan Shen."

  Han Jue sneered, his faint smile so cold it made Wang Mao shudder. "Let him advance. The stronger he is, the more valuable he becomes. But remember, Junior Wang, he is not alone. His Ancient Beast has secured him from mortal aggression. But inside the Refinement Pond, spiritual beasts are forbidden. At that time, he must face us with the strength of his own Dao."

  Wang Mao nodded, the flame in his eyes reignited, but this time, it was the fire of sharp calculation, not blind rage. "He will face the pressure of our two Consciousness Transformations, without his spiritual beast. We will see if the Dao tempered from mud can withstand the weight of our clan heritage."

  Wang Mao, now alone, closed his eyes. He no longer saw the shame on the ship's deck. He only saw the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron, and the Verdant Titan Heavenly Moth. The determination to advance in cultivation was now fueled by pure greed and retribution.