On the tattered ship deck, ten figures rose, though some still seemed unsteady from the shock of the Weaver Transformation Law. Han Jue, Wang Mao, Fei Sheng, Feng Yi, and Zhi Xuan were five of the most conspicuous geniuses. Their auras, though distinct, radiated an unquenchable will that had been tempered by the storm.

  Zhi Xuan clasped his hands, allowing the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron to spin calmly in his sea of consciousness. He soothed his Azure Holy Flame, promising himself that in this place, he would find a way to upgrade his Soul Flame, or he would steal the Dao from the Heavens.

  They stepped down onto the jade platform, leaving the smell of burned blood and the debris of the Continent Crossing Vessel behind. The air here felt thicker with spiritual essence, as if breathing was a form of cultivation. Every step on the jade felt like a footing on stable Law.

  The Elder who had spoken, radiating a calm and powerful high-level Transformation aura, led them. He did not look back, but his serene and weighty aura was enough to suppress the excitement and anxiety of the disciples.

  "The Three Heavens Jade Refinement Pond," the Elder said, his voice resonating with gentle authority. "This is where the pure spiritual essence of the Immortal Waterfall is pumped. The Pond can purify the Spiritual Core, calm the Law, and—for those in the Organ Transformation realm—forge Divine Organs with unimaginable speed."

  Hearing those words, Zhi Xuan's eyes flickered with an impatient sapphire flash. The Earth Spleen. He had to forge the Earth Spleen.

  They walked across the arching crystal bridge. Beneath them, the abyss shrouded in thick mist radiated an aura of boundless Earth Dragon Veins. The hanging palaces, adorned with spiritual gems and light formations, radiated calm and eternal Law.

  Every disciple they passed, wearing gray or white robes, radiated a thick and solid spiritual foundation, with a minimal Five Element aura palpable everywhere, making the Star King's Stairs geniuses from the Southern Continent look like juniors.

  Han Jue walked beside the Elder, his elegance unmatched. He allowed his Golden Dragon Law aura to slowly resonate with the Law of Earth of the Thousand Heavens Sect, as if he was already a part of this place.

  Wang Mao, on the other hand, walked with heavier footsteps, his gaze cold and calculating, observing every Thousand Heavens Sect disciple they passed, measuring their strength.

  However, Zhi Xuan's attention was immediately drawn by an unexpected sight. On the edge of the crystal bridge leading to the main peak, several senior Five Element disciples chatted calmly while moving with graceful and impeccable steps.

  Among them, was a figure wearing an elegant light blue jade robe. The girl wore a pearl veil, obscuring her beautiful face, with soft lines but her eyes were sharp and as cold as holy tears. Her eyes sparkled as if they were holy springs. The crystal pearls hanging beneath the phoenix hairpin on her head swayed slightly.

  Her skin was as white as snow, her jet-black hair was tied in a simple yet elegant bun, and her face, though covered—a face Zhi Xuan still remembered perfectly—was flawlessly perfect. Her eyes sparkled light gray, radiating deep boredom.

  Beside her stood a man in a white robe, radiating a striking aura of the Path of Truth. The man looked handsome, flawless, and like a senior disciple just like the girl beside him. They walked with grace, as if they were a benchmark for disciples to emulate.

  "Zhu Qinglan..." Zhi Xuan muttered with a slight start, the smile on his face collapsing at the sight of the face he wanted to avoid. His pleasure and will to cultivate here were shattered in an instant.

  In his sea of consciousness, the Ancient Devil Monument that usually scoffed now emitted a faint dark resonance. Ruo Xianxue, the Red Stone, did not scoff, but his hiss sounded full of a mix of disgust and affirmation.

  "I told you, Monkey. The Zhu Clan and the Hua Clan are the pillars of the Hongmeng Empire. And Holy Fairy Zhu would never waste time cultivating in just any place. Of course, she is here, in this Holy Land."

  Ruo Xianxue's words failed to fully reach Zhi Xuan's consciousness. His entire focus was fixed on those calm light gray eyes. Eyes he had once seen from a kneeling, bound position, forced to listen to a lecture about the weakness of his foundation and how he was an interesting variable.

  Amidst an environment filled with pure spiritual essence, Zhi Xuan suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold, far colder than Mo Yuan's Cold Law. His newly tempered Wood Heart pulsed erratically, and his black jade essence spun with a chaotic rhythm. Beautiful women are always dangerous. The mantra repeated in his mind, but he felt Zhu Qinglan's danger far transcended mortal beauty.

  It was the danger attached to the Thick Karmic Bond he had promised to resolve, and the Dao he was forging to surpass it. As their group approached the area of those senior disciples, Zhi Xuan unconsciously took a small step back, trying to conceal himself behind the tall back of Wang Mao. This was the instinctive action of a coward meeting his predator.

  "Monkey, you just defied the Heavens and dismissed Weaver Transformation! Now you are hiding behind a higher-realm earthworm? You are shameful!" Ruo Xianxue roared, his shame limitless.

  Zhi Xuan ignored Ruo Xianxue and held his breath. He only hoped that Zhu Qinglan, with her profound boredom, would not notice the presence of a 'monkey' trying to escape destiny. However, luck never favored Zhi Xuan.

  As they passed each other, Zhu Qinglan, who had been walking gracefully, suddenly stopped. The movement was so subtle, but it radiated an absolute Law aura, as if the entire Law around the crystal bridge had come to a halt. The senior Five Element disciple beside her, including the handsome man in the white robe, also paused, turning back in confusion.

  "What is wrong, Holy Fairy?" the man in the white robe said, his eyes turning watchful and following Zhu Qinglan's line of sight.

  Zhu Qinglan's light gray eyes, behind her pearl veil, shifted slowly. She did not look at the elder leading the group, or the elegant Han Jue, or even the tense Wang Mao. Her gaze pierced straight past Wang Mao's back, right towards Zhi Xuan. There was a thin flicker of interest, like a ripple in a calm lake, that crossed her usually indifferent eyes.

  Zhi Xuan, who was desperately trying to be invisible, felt all the blood in his body freeze. His Wood Heart pulsed wildly, as if sensing an inevitable threat. He maintained his indifferent and cold face, holding his breath, hoping it was just a coincidence.

  "Oh?" Zhu Qinglan's voice sounded soft, as gentle as morning dew, yet every word carried an indescribable weight of Law. "I sense a familiar aura. An aura that is... quite filthy."

  Hearing that, the senior disciples around Zhu Qinglan, including the man in the white robe, frowned. Using the word filthy for an aura in the pure Thousand Heavens Sect was a great insult. They all followed her gaze, and eventually, their eyes fell upon the group of new Star King's Stairs disciples.

  Fei Sheng, who was walking beside Zhi Xuan, was stunned. His eyes were fixed on Zhu Qinglan's figure. He knew about the reputation of the Holy Fairy of the Zhu Clan. Her grace and majesty were so captivating that he forgot to breathe.

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  "Holy Fairy Zhu Qinglan," Fei Sheng whispered, his jade fan nearly falling from his hand. "Her beauty... surpasses everything I have ever heard. Even her Five Element Realm feels like a Domain."

  Feng Yi, on the other hand, nodded in agreement, though there was a faint trace of jealousy in her eyes. "Her aura is so pure, like the essence of the Immortal Spiritual Waterfall itself. She is a perfect example of the Ancient Clan's blessing."

  Han Jue, standing tall and elegant at the front, turned slightly. His Golden Dragon Law eyes observed Zhu Qinglan carefully. He sensed the aura radiating from the Holy Fairy—a foundation so solid. He could feel the hidden weight beneath that elegance.

  Wang Mao, who was still guarding Zhi Xuan's back without realizing the true target, snorted. Although he was impressed by Zhu Qinglan's aura, his arrogance made him refuse to be completely subjugated. "Just a Holy Fairy. But indeed, her foundation is quite strong."

  The other five disciples, also Star King's Stairs geniuses, stared at Zhu Qinglan with mesmerized eyes. To them, the girl was the personification of the beauty and power of the Thousand Heavens Sect, a goddess walking among them.

  However, Zhi Xuan remained rigid. His face, usually cold, was now paler than usual. He felt Zhu Qinglan's eyes stripping him bare, seeing through Wang Mao, through his robe, and straight to the core of his Dao. And this encounter was not a part of the journey he wanted.

  The man in the white robe, beside Zhu Qinglan, stepped forward, his Path of Truth aura radiating with protective intent. "Excuse me, Holy Fairy. Is something bothering you?"

  Zhu Qinglan ignored the question. She stepped forward with graceful steps, the crystal pearls on her phoenix hairpin softly jingling. Every step felt like a moving Law. She passed the Elder leading the group, passed Han Jue, and stopped right in front of Wang Mao.

  Wang Mao, who did not expect to be the target, straightened his back, his volcano-like aura barely turbulent. "What is the matter, Holy Fairy?" he asked, his voice containing a hint of tension.

  Zhu Qinglan did not answer Wang Mao. Her light gray eyes, now even sharper, narrowed slightly. She peered around Wang Mao's back, directly at Zhi Xuan.

  "You," Zhu Qinglan said, her voice still soft, but this time, there was an absolute tone of affirmation, like a death knell for Zhi Xuan. "Black-Haired Devil. We meet again."

  The entire group, including the leading Elder, Han Jue, Fei Sheng, Feng Yi, and even Wang Mao, froze. They all stared at Zhi Xuan, who was no longer hiding. Zhi Xuan's face, as white as snow, showed a hardened expression, his jaw clenched but he remained calm, without any significant tremor.

  "Holy Fairy Zhu," Zhi Xuan replied calmly, clasping his hands and bowing faintly. "We meet again."

  A cold and deadly silence crept over the crystal bridge, a silence far more oppressive than the clash of two Weaver Transformations. The silence sucked all the spiritual essence out of the air, leaving a deadly void.

  Wang Mao, who had just been passed by Zhu Qinglan as if he were thin air, turned back, his face filled with confusion and a fresh sense of shame. Black-Haired Devil? What kind of title was that? He knew that Zhi Xuan had the nickname The Herald of Devil, but he had never known that Zhi Xuan was also called the Black-Haired Devil.

  Fei Sheng, who had just praised Zhu Qinglan's majesty, now stared at Zhi Xuan with a combination of dread and disbelief.

  "Brother Zhi Xuan... you... you know her?" Fei Sheng whispered, his jade fan almost falling from his hand. How could an early-stage Organ Transformation cultivator newly arrived from the Southern Continent have a history—and the title Black-Haired Devil—with such a majestic Holy Fairy of an Ancient Clan.

  Zhi Xuan did not reply, only raising his gaze again, he lowered his sight to meet Zhu Qinglan's face, the difference in their posture now looked striking like a Devil facing a Holy Goddess amidst a flock of swans.

  Zhi Xuan's cold and measured gaze met Zhu Qinglan's light gray eyes. The contrast between the Holy Fairy's sacred majesty and the hidden ruthlessness in Zhi Xuan's eyes was stark. The scene seemed to bring the Law of Heaven and the Law of the Devil together on the crystal bridge.

  "We meet again," Zhu Qinglan replied, her tone unchanged, still as soft as dew, but now filled with the weight of a past promise and the reception of karma. "And you still look the same, only slightly more interesting in my eyes."

  "Holy Fairy Zhu, you are a busy woman," Zhi Xuan replied, his voice returning to a cold and calm tone, but full of caution. "I thought insignificant matters from the past were easy to forget. I came here to be a disciple of the Thousand Heavens Sect."

  "Ah, you still have not changed," Zhu Qinglan said, her tone flat, as if stating a weather fact. She ignored the deadly silence around her, ignored the observing Han Jue, and ignored the annoyed Wang Mao. In Zhu Qinglan's eyes, there was only Zhi Xuan, the Black-Haired Devil. "You ran away from me for years, and now you come to my domain, calling it insignificant?"

  The words, spoken without emotion, pierced Zhi Xuan's logic. True, he had run away, and the Thousand Heavens Sect was under the influence of the Hongmeng Empire led by the Zhu Clan. He had walked straight into the dragon's lair he feared most.

  Zhi Xuan lifted his chin slightly, forcing himself to maintain a cold and calm demeanor. His pure fear of Zhu Qinglan was now wrapped in his Devilish arrogance. He would not allow himself to appear weak, not in front of the Holy Fairy, and not in front of the Central Continent geniuses.

  "Holy Fairy Zhu," Zhi Xuan countered, his voice as cold as newly formed ice. "Domain is too grand a term. This is the Holy Land of cultivation, belonging to the Thousand Heavens Sect. I came as a disciple, not as a prisoner."

  The man in the white robe beside Zhu Qinglan, whose aura was like the Path of Truth, frowned. He felt offended by Zhi Xuan's tone towards the Holy Fairy.

  "Who are you, Junior? How dare you speak to the Holy Fairy in such a tone!" the man in the white robe hissed, his Five Element aura radiating, trying to pressure Zhi Xuan.

  However, before the pressure could reach Zhi Xuan, Zhu Qinglan flicked her hand with an invisible subtle motion. The Five Element pressure immediately subsided, as if absorbed by a higher Law. The man in the white robe staggered, startled.

  Zhu Qinglan ignored the man, her gaze still fixed on Zhi Xuan. There was a thin, almost imperceptible smile that curved behind her pearl veil. It was a dangerous smile, not a smile of joy, but a smile of cold certainty.

  "Of course you are not a prisoner," Zhu Qinglan said, her tone full of cold understanding. "You are a variable. And the words of a variable must be kept. You have reached a higher realm, have you not? Though still far from worthy."

  Zhi Xuan flinched. He knew about his realm, but the way Zhu Qinglan said it, as if she knew every detail of Zhi Xuan's cultivation, felt like a violation of Law.

  "I do not understand what you are talking about, Holy Fairy," Zhi Xuan lied, his sapphire eyes remaining cold. "You are too free to speak with a Junior like me."

  "Free?" Zhu Qinglan chuckled softly, a laugh that sounded like the chime of a silver bell in the morning dew, yet to Zhi Xuan, it felt like the echo of a curse. "Well, it is rare to see a Devil arrive among a flock of White Swans."

  Zhi Xuan clenched his jaw. He could feel the sharp stares of the leading Elder, Han Jue, and especially Wang Mao, stabbing his back. The title Black-Haired Devil and the acknowledgment of a past relationship with the Holy Fairy of the Ancient Zhu Clan, were things that would place him under inevitable scrutiny.

  "Holy Fairy Zhu is too complimentary," Zhi Xuan countered, he bowed again, but this time, it was a cold formal bow, not a sign of respect, but a desperate attempt to end the conversation. "I am merely a new disciple with a shallow foundation, unworthy of wasting your time."

  Zhu Qinglan tilted her head slightly, a movement so elegant, yet it felt like a predator observing its prey. Her light gray eyes, radiating a pure Water aura, traced Zhi Xuan from head to toe—not with lust or disdain, but with the meticulousness of an alchemist examining a rare herb.

  "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave." Zhi Xuan did not wait for a reply. He turned, stepping forward with absolute intent to leave the crystal bridge that felt like a jade-plated cage.

  Every step was calm and measured, concealing the storm of panic raging within his Wood Heart. He allowed his external composure to create the illusion that his encounter with Holy Fairy Zhu was merely a trivial momentary interaction.

  However, before Zhi Xuan could take more than two steps, Zhu Qinglan's gentle voice sounded again, her voice now radiating an irresistible Supreme Law weight, as if every word she spoke was a decree carved in the Sky.

  "You are right, insignificant matters from the past are easy to forget," Zhu Qinglan said, her tone as soft as silk floating in the spring wind. Yet, the tremor behind her words made the air above the crystal bridge feel like glass about to shatter.

  Zhi Xuan, whose back was still facing Zhu Qinglan, suddenly felt as if all the blood in his body—and his newly forged organs—ceased to function. He could not move. This was not the pressure of a realm, but Absolute Will wrapped in charming words.

  "But," Zhu Qinglan continued, her voice now sounding closer, as if she had traversed tens of meters in an instant without a trace of footsteps. "There is one thing the Law of Karma cannot forget, Black-Haired Devil."

  Zhi Xuan felt a cold dread creeping up his spine. He knew what was coming. It was the double-edged sword he had once used to buy his freedom from the Zhu Clan years ago. Zhi Xuan did not respond again, he did not turn back and stepped forward to leave.