Under that absolute decree, no one dared to move. All the disciples in the Refinement Pond, including Han Jue who set up his dragon shield and Wang Mao who trembled at the edge of the pool, could only watch. The silence was so heavy, only broken by the roar of the black storm vortex above and the rumble of the thunder ready to strike.

  Zhi Xuan clenched his teeth until they bled. He knew the first blessing was the Heavenly Severance, a step that Heaven must take to destroy old organs for the sake of forging higher ones. He had forged his Wood Heart, and now that Heart would be tested and destroyed.

  BOOM!

  The first thunder, a deadly dark purple flash, struck. The thunder did not strike the sky or the ground; the thunder struck Zhi Xuan's body, penetrating his body, and directly assaulting the organ being forged. His body trembled with lightning aura flashing on his skin.

  In the Sea of Consciousness, the Heavenly Samsara Wheel screamed, its rotation forced by Ruo Xianxue's red thread vine stopped briefly due to the impact of the Heavenly Thunder Law. That Heavenly Severance energy, pure, cruel, and absolute, instantly assaulted Zhi Xuan's Wood Heart.

  The dark purple thunder tore the newly forged Wood Heart, turning it into fragments of painful energy. The pain was so extreme, as if Zhi Xuan's entire body was being squeezed and destroyed at the elemental level. His spiritual blood which was the foundation of his Wood Heart, trembled and emitted thick black mist as it was burned by the Heaven's Thunder.

  Zhi Xuan almost fainted under the Heavenly Calamity, his body shaking violently from the brutal severance. He felt his Wood essence, which represented life and birth, being torn apart with unimaginable violence. It felt as if his entire Dao, which he had just carved, was being questioned and ready to be erased.

  WHOOSH! WHUMPH! BOOM!

  The second thunder came without pause, as fast as a desperate cultivator's breath. This time, the target was the Water Kidney, the organ that should hold the Law of Cold. The dark purple thunder carried the weight of a thousand dried-up rivers. Zhi Xuan's Kidney, already fragile, was assaulted by a Calamity that transformed the Law of Water into burning energy.

  In the Sea of Consciousness, Zhi Xuan had no time to process the pain caused by the destruction of his Wood Heart. Before he could catch his breath, the energy of the second thunder, as cold as an eternal ice abyss, flooded his Kidney. The Kidney, which was the foundation of Water and functioned to purify essence, suddenly felt as if it was frozen and shattered into millions of ice crystals.

  "Hold on, Monkey! Do not let your Sea of Consciousness collapse!" Ruo Xianxue roared, his voice containing a rare ancient panic. His red thread vine, which bound the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, now spun wildly, sucking more jade essence from below to create an internal shield and reduce the effect of the Heavenly Calamity.

  Zhi Xuan's Kidney was destroyed, but unlike the split Heart, his Kidney broke into pieces, releasing a wave of pain that pierced through to his bone marrow. The fouled Black Jade Essence channeled into his Kidney acted as an anchor, preventing the destruction from becoming absolute. However, Zhi Xuan felt the cycle of elements within his body was in chaos; Wood destroyed, now followed by Water annihilated.

  At the edge of the pool, Wang Mao flinched. He saw Zhi Xuan's body radiating flashes of cold ice and brutal thunder simultaneously. The man barely looked human; he was a living statue struck by lightning.

  "He... he is crazy!" Wang Mao hissed, his eyes radiating genuine horror. "No cultivator can withstand two Heavenly Severances within a single breath!"

  Fei Sheng, watching from the edge of the pool, clenched his jade fan until his knuckles turned white. "He... he truly is taking the path of Heavenly Severance! Each organ destroyed one by one!"

  Han Jue, although his face was tense, remained focused. He observed how Zhi Xuan's body withstood the impact of the Thunder. "He is not using a mortal foundation," Han Jue murmured. "He is using something as an anchor to prevent total destruction. But how long can he withstand the pure Heavenly Calamity?"

  As the second thunder subsided, Zhi Xuan's body softened. He nearly sank in the Three Heavens Jade Refinement Pond, only supported by the Will of the Ancient Devil holding his soul. However, his sapphire eyes, though dim, still radiated a defiant fire. He had lost two foundations—Wood and Water—and the pain surpassed the limits that mortality could endure.

  WHUMPH! BOOM! CRACK!

  The third thunder came. This thunder was golden yellow, radiating a stable Earth aura, but with an unbearable weight. The thunder shot, targeting the Spleen that Zhi Xuan was about to forge. In the Sea of Consciousness, Zhi Xuan collapsed onto the surging sea. His body felt numb, but the pain from the destruction of his Kidney and Heart still burned his soul. He could not move, but he knew the third thunder was coming.

  "Spleen, protect yourself!" Zhi Xuan screamed in his mind.

  The third thunder struck his Spleen with the weight of an Ancient Mountain. The Spleen, governed by the Earth element, required stability. The thunder did not tear, but pressed and crushed. The newly carved Rotting Earth Seal on his Spleen trembled wildly, but the Seal held. The Heavenly Thunder energy, which was pure, clashed with the Rotting Earth Seal, instantly destroying the Seal and damaging his Spleen.

  The impact created an internal earthquake that ripped through all of Zhi Xuan's meridians. He vomited thick black blood into the refinement pool water, water that should have been pure was now contaminated by his spiritual blood. He staggered and was almost powerless to endure such a cruel Heavenly Calamity.

  In the middle of the Three Heavens Jade Refinement Pond, the thick black blood from Zhi Xuan's mouth was immediately diluted and absorbed by the pure jade essence, as if the pool itself rejected even the remnants of destruction. Three Heavenly Calamities had passed, and three Organs—had been destroyed and turned into fragile dust. The elemental cycle within Zhi Xuan's body was chaotic, and his cultivation aura plummeted sharply, almost reverting to the Blood Transformation realm.

  On the highest floating peak, Yan Shen narrowed his eyes. His calm face now showed a slight shock. He had seen cultivators receive Heavenly Blessings, but never this brutal and insane.

  "Three Organs in three breaths," Yan Shen murmured. "This Heavenly Thunder Calamity is so brutal. His spiritual foundation—able to withstand the Severance of Three Organs. Truly an extraordinary genius."

  He waved his hand with a subtle movement. Instantly, the Great Formation enveloping the Main Peak was activated. Layer upon layer of spiritual light appeared, blocking the energy shockwave released by the third thunder. This Heavenly Thunder Calamity was too fierce to be merely witnessed by low-realm disciples.

  Just as the Third Thunder subsided, a Flying Boat shot through the cloud layer covered by the Great Formation, landing gracefully on a jade terrace slightly away from the refinement plaza. From the boat, two figures descended.

  The first was a male cultivator in silver robes, radiating a stable and calm Five Element aura, a senior of the sect. However, the second figure drew the breath of everyone present, even Yan Shen and the elders around the plaza, because her aura was the purest and most respected among all the geniuses present.

  It was Zhu Qinglan. Holy Fairy Zhu. She wore a sky-blue silk robe adorned with subtle winter plum blossom patterns. Her presence seemed to calm the turbulent storm, but her eyes, as beautiful as the deep blue ocean, radiated thick concern. She stood at the edge of the terrace, her gaze locked on the vortex of darkness above the refinement pool, and on the living statue in the middle of it—Zhi Xuan.

  She could not see the details beneath the turbulent water surface, but she could see Zhi Xuan's bare-chested body shaking, radiating lightning and ice aura, and black blood contaminating the jade water. The thick karmic bond, which connected them through an ancient promise and an unresolved destiny, trembled wildly in her sea of consciousness, as if screaming that her Dao Protector was on the verge of destruction.

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  "This is the Heavenly Thunder Calamity phenomenon," the Five Element senior beside her murmured, his voice filled with deep respect. "He is taking the path of the perfect Divine Organ Cycle, a path we have only heard of in the Legends of the Ancient Clans. Who is that man?"

  Zhu Qinglan did not answer. Her jaw was clenched. She recognized the cold arrogance, the body full of scars she had seen years ago. She also recognized the chaotic aura, a mixture of the black jade essence she knew and the cruelty of the Heavenly Thunder.

  'He will never change. Always seeking the most brutal death,' Zhu Qinglan thought, a complex mix of anger and care churning within her. She knew, this Calamity would change Zhi Xuan's foundation forever, her veil pearls softly jingling.

  Han Jue, feeling Zhu Qinglan's presence, glanced over briefly, his gaze sweeping over the pure aura, before refocusing on Zhi Xuan. He knew, Zhu Qinglan's arrival was not a coincidence. This only added drama to the stage of Zhi Xuan's Dao test.

  In the middle of the pool, Zhi Xuan was unaware of anyone's presence, even Zhu Qinglan's. He was on the verge of destruction. Three organs had been destroyed. He had no time. The will of the ancient Devil in his sea of consciousness screamed, and the fourth thunder came.

  WHOOSH! BOOM! CRACK! ZING!

  The fourth thunder, cruelly silver, carried the unbearable weight of the Metal Law. Metal represented sharpness, cutting, and annihilation. The thunder shot like a spear carved from ancient law, targeting Zhi Xuan's Metal Lungs.

  In the Sea of Consciousness, the red thread vine from Ruo Xianxue sucked the pure jade essence with insane speed, trying to rebuild the foundation around the destroyed Kidney. However, the silver thunder came with a speed that transcended time.

  Zhi Xuan's Metal Lungs, which functioned to regulate breath and the spiritual breathing foundation, were instantly engraved by the thunder energy. The pain felt like being stabbed by a million blades sharpened by the Law of Heaven. His Lungs were not just destroyed; his Lungs were shredded, turned into sharp particles that turned back to tear his chest from the inside.

  Zhi Xuan, with Ruo Xianxue utilizing the concept of the Five Divine Organ Immortality to anchor his destruction. The pain was so immense that he lost all his senses. In the middle of the pool, Zhi Xuan sank a little deeper, his face ashen pale like a corpse. Thick Thunder flashes enveloped him, making him look like a devil being forged in the Heaven's cauldron.

  He vomited frothy blood into the whirlpool, his sapphire eyes rolling back. Four organs had been destroyed in four breaths, and the Elemental Cycle within his body had completely collapsed. He was now just a shell containing the desperate will of the ancient Devil.

  On the terrace, Zhu Qinglan flinched. Her head snapped up, and she took a quick step forward, as if wanting to jump into the pool. The Five Element senior beside her immediately restrained Zhu Qinglan's arm with respect, but with absolute strength.

  "Holy Fairy, do not! The fourth thunder is the most ferocious! You will be struck by the Heavenly Thunder!" the senior whispered, his face tense.

  Zhu Qinglan ignored the senior. Her eyes, always calm, were now filled with a rare chaos. She felt the Karmic Bond pulsing with pain, as if her own Heart was exploding. She looked at Zhi Xuan's body, which was now enveloped by a cruel Metal aura.

  "Next is the Heart," Zhu Qinglan murmured. "Fire Thunder... Only those who want to forge the Immortal Divine Heart face a Calamity like this!"

  The Immortal Divine Heart—a cultivation concept that transcended the Five Element realm, a pursuit only undertaken by Great Emperors in the past. Zhu Qinglan did not care about legends; she only cared about the foolish variable in the middle of the pool. Just as the fourth thunder subsided, Yan Shen, floating in the air, slowly shook his head. He no longer saw Zhi Xuan as an experimental subject, but as a miracle that was about to be extinguished.

  "Four organs," Yan Shen said, his voice containing a faint weight of disappointment. "He managed to withstand it, but he will not survive the fifth. The destruction of the Heart... no mortal foundation can recover from the destruction of the core of life."

  In the middle of the Refinement Pond, Fei Sheng and Feng Yi wore the same expression of horror. They watched how Zhi Xuan's body, which was previously upright, now almost collapsed, only held by the jade water. They saw no hope, only inevitable destruction.

  "He must get out!" Zhu Qinglan whispered, her soft voice now filled with an absolute command. The Thick Karmic Bond was screaming at her; if Zhi Xuan died, she might suffer a serious Dao backlash.

  The Five Element senior beside her, witnessing the destruction of four organs, shook his head. "He cannot get out, Holy Fairy. The Heavenly Severance has begun. If he exits, his soul will be torn apart and his cultivation will be destroyed forever. This is a path that must be seen through to the end."

  Zhu Qinglan, restrained by the Five Element senior on the jade terrace, felt every thunder rumble resonate with the karma pulse in her Sea of Consciousness. She closed her eyes for a moment, ignoring the senior's firmness beside her. She had to do something, but the slightest movement would draw the Heaven's Thunder towards her.

  In the sky, the black storm vortex roared, and the thunder clouds spun at a deadly speed, emitting fierce golden-red flashes. The fifth thunder, the Fire Thunder, was ready to strike. This thunder was much thicker, fiercer, and carried the weight of absolute destruction—The Immortal Divine Heart.

  WHOOSH! BOOM! CRACK! ZING! ECHO!

  The fifth thunder struck. The thunder did not penetrate the skin; it enveloped Zhi Xuan's entire body, turning him into a torch burning with the Heaven's Fire Law. The Heart, the core of life, courage, and Spiritual Fire, was assaulted with an irresistible force of annihilation.

  The fifth thunder enveloped Zhi Xuan's entire body, turning him into a torch burning with the Heaven's Fire Law. His skin all over his body tore like flesh ripped by a Heavenly Knife.

  His muscle tissues peeled away, revealing blackened and red-hot bones under the assault of the cruel Fire Thunder. His blood, already a cloudy mixture of foul spiritual blood and Black Jade, evaporated instantly upon contact with the lightning energy, creating a bitter black mist.

  In the Sea of Consciousness, the core of Zhi Xuan's life—the Immortal Divine Heart he pursued—exploded. This time, the destruction was absolute. No red thread vine from Ruo Xianxue could withstand the direct impact of the Heaven's Fire Law. His Heart was destroyed, and his weak Spiritual Fire was extinguished instantly, leaving the Sea of Consciousness in deadly darkness and silence.

  Zhi Xuan's eyes closed, his head slightly slumped. His body, which had been violently shaking, now sat upright in the middle of the fierce whirlpool, but without any aura fluctuations. He did not move, did not breathe, did not pulse. He was merely a severely wounded statue, as if his entire essence of life had been extinguished.

  In the sky, the black storm vortex suddenly stopped. The fifth thunder subsided, and the Heaven's Fire Law vanished, leaving a cold silence more terrifying than the storm itself. The black clouds above the Three Heavens Jade Refinement Pond slowly began to be swept away, and gentle sunlight returned to touch the plaza. The Heavenly Thunder Calamity was over.

  A deadly silence enveloped the entire peak of the Thousand Heavens Sect.

  Yan Shen, floating in the air, closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. His calm face showed a bitter conclusion. "Five organs destroyed in five breaths," he muttered, his voice containing an unspeakable weight of disappointment. "An extraordinary genius... but his Dao was too ambitious. He has failed."

  On the jade terrace, Zhu Qinglan stumbled. She felt the Thick Karmic Bond in her Sea of Consciousness severed for a moment, leaving a cold void that pierced her soul. The pain of her Dao backlash, usually faint, now surfaced with a dull, heavy ache. She struggled away from the Five Element senior restraining her, her eyes, as beautiful as the deep blue ocean, radiating spiritual tears that almost fell.

  "Zhi Xuan!" Zhu Qinglan hissed, her soft voice now filled with pure pain and panic. She leaped forward, ignoring the Great Formation that Yan Shen had activated, ignoring the senior beside her. She ran across the terrace, her gaze locked on the scorched and torn figure in the middle of the pool.

  Wang Mao collapsed at the edge of the pool, his face ashen pale. He felt no victory; he only felt horror. The phenomenon was so terrifying, so absolute. "He... he is dead," Wang Mao whispered, his voice trembling. He could not imagine the destruction of Five Organs.

  Only Han Jue remained sitting upright, his dragon shield slowly subsiding. He stared at the living corpse in the middle of the pool with narrowed eyes. Zhi Xuan's life aura had indeed extinguished, but Han Jue sensed something deeper; an unspeakable silence, not the silence of death, but the silence before rebirth.

  In the middle of the deadly silence, where the entire Thousand Heavens Sect held its breath witnessing the end of a cruel miracle, a tremor jolted. The tremor did not come from the enraged Heaven, but from a small moth that was now expanding. Xiao Die.

  The Thousand Feathered Moth, which usually rested obediently behind the folds of Zhi Xuan's robe, now surged drastically, its body swelling to the size of a Pavilion, its majestic wings spreading tens of meters wide, radiating a soft and magical rainbow dust. It was the aura of a grieving and angry Verdant Titan—an aura equivalent to the Five Element realm.

  The Verdant Titan aura released by Xiao Die surged into the air, pressing down on the panicking Five Element cultivators around it. The Moth, whose eyes were the size of black jade stones, stared at Zhi Xuan's figure in the middle of the pool. The soft rainbow dust was immediately channeled. Xiao Die did not channel Law or essence; it channeled the purest and most precious Heavenly Insect Life Essence, attempting to rekindle the extinguished flame.

  Zhu Qinglan, who had just leaped to the edge of the pool, stopped. Her eyes radiating spiritual tears were fixed on Xiao Die. She recognized the Thousand Feathered Moth, one of the Hundred Ancient Insects, which was now showing the power of the Verdant Titan realm, equivalent to her Five Element realm.

  "Heavenly Insect... Verdant Titan," Zhu Qinglan muttered, shock and awe enveloping her. However, her focus immediately returned to Zhi Xuan.

  The soft rainbow dust descended, enveloping Zhi Xuan's scorched and torn body. As the dust touched his skin, Zhi Xuan's body began to radiate a faint jade light. The Life Essence of the Heavenly Insect, which carried the Law of Rebirth, was poison to mortals, but nectar to a foundation that had been forged to the limit of destruction. However, it did not help.