Suddenly, in the middle of the Great Hall, above the arena's defense formation, the air over the Elders' podium rippled softly, without sound, as if time itself had frozen at that point. Everyone present, including Elder Yan Shen, felt an aura that was cold, ancient, and deadly. It was a pressure that surpassed Soul Transformation, surpassed Five Element, and surpassed all mortal realms.

  From nothingness, an old man in simple gray robes, with hair as white as snow and eyes radiating boundless wisdom, appeared. He was a rarely seen figure who spent most of his time in closed cultivation behind the Forbidden Peak. He was the Great Supreme Elder of the Thousand Heavens Sect, a cultivator in the Weaver Transformation realm.

  His presence immediately broke the concentration of the shocked and terrified disciples. All of them, from the outer disciples to the Main Peak disciples, immediately stood up. Simultaneously, the voices of hundreds echoed through the Great Hall, breaking the spiritual noise of the peaking Dao clash.

  “Greetings to the Great Supreme Elder!”

  The Great Supreme Elder ignored the greeting. His eyes, which seemed to have witnessed millions of births and destructions, were fixed directly on the arena. He did not look at Zhi Xuan, nor did he look at Xu Sheng. He looked at the point of impact between the Furnace and the Pagoda—the point where Cycle and Balance were swallowing each other.

  The Great Supreme Elder’s face, usually calm, now showed a hint of surprise. He raised his wrinkled hand, and the Supreme Law of the Weaver Transformation realm, subtle yet inevitable, crept out. The Law encircled the Dao clash, attempting to analyze and stabilize the vortex that threatened to shatter the arena's formation.

  In the arena, Zhi Xuan and Xu Sheng, although aware of the higher entity's presence, could not retreat. They were bound by an unavoidable clash of wills. Zhi Xuan’s face was as calm as ice, but the veins in his neck bulged, and the slap mark on his cheek seemed to throb under the pressure of the Death Cycle.

  “Your Law is a mortal Law, Xu Sheng,” Zhi Xuan hissed, his voice slowly returning to a normal tone, cold and arrogant. “My Law is Time. And Time will always defeat Balance.”

  CRACK!

  Before the gaze of thousands and the pressure of the Weaver Transformation, Xu Sheng’s Five Element Pagoda shook violently. A small crack appeared on the surface of the Pagoda. It was not a physical crack, but a crack of Dao will—proof that Zhi Xuan’s Cycle philosophy had fundamentally pierced Xu Sheng’s conviction.

  Xu Sheng’s face turned deathly pale. He felt his solid Dao insulted and swallowed by a concept that was older and more cruel. He knew that if this battle continued, not only would his Soul Artifact be destroyed, but his Dao Heart would also shatter, making it impossible for him to advance to a higher realm.

  The Great Supreme Elder let out a long sigh, a small exhaustion visible on his ancient face. He could not allow the Dao of a promising Five Element cultivator to be destroyed by a Devil Phenomenon.

  “Enough,” the Great Supreme Elder said, his voice calm, but every syllable carried the weight of Heaven and Earth. The voice pierced into the Sea of Consciousness of both Zhi Xuan and Xu Sheng, forcing them to release the grip of their wills.

  BOOM!

  The Dao clash broke, not with destruction, but with forced separation. The Three Ages Divine Furnace spun gently and returned to Zhi Xuan’s hand. Xu Sheng’s Five Element Pagoda returned to his hand, but its five-colored aura dimmed, and the Dao crack on its surface was clearly visible.

  Xu Sheng staggered back, falling to one knee. He was not physically injured, but his soul was shaken. He stared at Zhi Xuan’s Divine Furnace with eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

  Zhi Xuan stood tall, the Divine Furnace whirring softly in his hand. He showed no victory, only a cold exhaustion. He looked toward the Great Supreme Elder and bowed slightly, a rare acknowledgment of authority.

  “Great Supreme Elder,” Zhi Xuan said, his voice hoarse again, the slap mark on his cheek fading further, as if its energy had been exhausted. “Disciple Zhi Xuan has tested his Path. The Dao Testing is complete.”

  Silence fell over the Great Hall. Everyone stared at the kneeling Xu Sheng, his face pale, and the cracked Five Element Pagoda. He was a respected early-stage Five Element disciple, defeated not by physical strength, but by the superior Dao will of a Consciousness Transformation cultivator.

  Xu Sheng, overwhelmed by shame, tried to stand. His anger flared; his jealousy of Zhi Xuan was now mixed with a brutal sense of helplessness. He knew he had been humiliated in front of Zhu Qinglan and the entire Thousand Heavens Sect.

  “I—I am not finished!” Xu Sheng roared, his voice breaking. He tried to force his Five Element Pagoda to attack again, but the Pagoda trembled, refusing his command, as if his own Soul Artifact had acknowledged defeat.

  The Great Supreme Elder shook his head slightly, his expression filled with pity. “Enough, Disciple Xu Sheng. Your Path needs reforging. Your Dao is not defeated, but the Path you walk is too narrow, too dependent on static Balance. Return to your peak.”

  Xu Sheng, with unseen tears of anger and humiliation, bowed his head. He did not dare to argue with the Great Supreme Elder. He stood up with difficulty, his once elegant white robe now feeling like a burden. He did not look toward Zhu Qinglan; he simply stepped down from the arena, leaving a trail of defeat behind him.

  On the other side, Feng Yi, who had just recovered and was supported by another disciple, stared at Zhi Xuan with eyes now filled with shock and fiery excitement. The humiliation she felt earlier vanished, replaced by deep admiration. This Phenomenon, whom she had considered weak, had just defeated a respected Five Element cultivator through a mere Dao clash.

  “He… he is extraordinary,” Feng Yi whispered, her cold laugh returning, but this time filled with deep respect. “He didn't just win; he swallowed his Dao. He kept every one of his words.”

  Zhi Xuan took a deep breath, and the Three Ages Divine Furnace vanished into his Sea of Consciousness. His pain had returned, but it was a tolerable pain, the price of a perfect Dao victory. He looked toward the Great Supreme Elder, then at Zhu Qinglan, who was still sitting in the row of Main Peak disciples. He had repaid the slap while simultaneously binding her further.

  The public claim of their karmic promise and the destruction of Xu Sheng’s Dao before the entire Thousand Heavens Sect was a retaliation far more painful than any physical slap. The Great Supreme Elder turned, his ancient eyes meeting Zhi Xuan’s cold sapphires. There was a wary look, a mixture of admiration and warning.

  "Disciple Zhi Xuan," the Great Supreme Elder said, his voice now softening, as if he were speaking to an incomprehensible Phenomenon. "Your Path... is too sharp. You forge your path with blood and life-death experience. I hope you do not fall into a Path that makes you sink so deep."

  "This disciple accepts the Great Supreme Elder’s guidance," Zhi Xuan said calmly, bowing his body. He knew the Great Supreme Elder referred to the Path that brought destruction and becoming a Devil who lost control. "Zhi Xuan will always remember the message given by the Great Supreme Elder."

  Smiling coldly, the Great Supreme Elder nodded, his gesture containing both recognition of strength and a warning about inherent dangers. He then waved his hand. His subtle and soothing Weaver Transformation aura swept the arena, restoring the cracks in the jade and erasing the traces of the spiritual storm that had just occurred. In an instant, the Great Supreme Elder disappeared as if he had never been there, leaving behind a deeper and more meaningful silence.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Zhi Xuan turned, ignoring the countless stares. He realized his energy was truly drained. Forcing a Dao clash, though brief, consumed the spiritual essence he had just recovered. The pain from his spiritual wounds, recently closed by the Seven Spirit Purifying Jade, now throbbed again, forcing him to stabilize himself. He no longer needed words. This victory was worth more than a thousand words.

  "His Dao is so oppressive. Even if I were the one standing in the arena, I would have wet my robes immediately," one outer disciple whispered in a low tone, looking at Zhi Xuan with both awe and fear.

  "He does not excel in realm combat; he excels in Will!" Su Baolian said from Fei Sheng's side, his sturdy body fiery with a wild will from the Wilderness.

  "You're right, such a genius... Even if Holy Princess Zhu doesn't want him, I do," Feng Yi said suddenly, indirectly declaring that she dared to take him if Holy Princess Zhu did not want him.

  A soft but clear cold laugh suddenly escaped Fei Sheng's lips. He immediately closed his jade fan with a quick flick, suppressing his thin smile. He glanced briefly at Feng Yi's face, which was still pale from internal injuries but her eyes were alight with deep desire.

  “Junior Sister Feng Yi,” Fei Sheng whispered, his voice filled with hidden humor. “I think you just challenged not only a Devil, but also Holy Princess Zhu. Zhi Xuan’s claim on that karmic promise is a declaration of destiny.”

  "So what?" Feng Yi replied weakly once more, sitting back down beside Fei Sheng. "He chooses survival over glory above all else. And I dare to bet on the Path he builds."

  Fei Sheng's hidden laughter did not go unnoticed. It was a gentle yet sharp reminder that Zhi Xuan's battlefield was never limited to jade and artifacts; it always involved the Dao heart and deeper intrigues. After all, who could resist when someone possessed such an oppressive Dao? It was something that would step until Heaven and Earth could not bear it.

  Feng Yi fell silent, her pale cheeks now slightly flushed with shame. She knew Fei Sheng was right. Her fiery declaration—that she wanted the Devil Phenomenon—had just challenged the Karma claim Zhi Xuan had recently announced. Moreover, she had just announced romantic competition in front of the pearl-veiled Holy Princess Zhu.

  In the Main Peak row, Zhu Qinglan had lowered her pearl veil again, hiding the unreadable expression in her eyes. Her Five Element aura had stabilized, and she returned to the appearance of a cold and graceful Holy Fairy. However, inside her Sea of Consciousness, a storm was raging. She glared sharply at Feng Yi, whom she had once invited to Immortal Jade Peak to investigate Zhi Xuan, and who was now turning and seemingly wanting to create competition.

  "Foolish Fire Phoenix girl," Zhu Qinglan thought, her tone cold and disdainful. "She just knelt before Xu Sheng’s Law of Righteousness, and now dares to claim the Phenomenon who just swallowed a Five Element Dao. Her arrogance is baseless, but her desire... is too pure."

  Zhu Qinglan suppressed the urge to release her divine sense and lock Feng Yi under spiritual pressure. That would violate sect etiquette and show that she was disturbed. It was something she would never do. She had to maintain the elegance of a Holy Fairy. She was not disturbed by a ridiculous claim based on burning desire.

  However, Feng Yi's recognition, which was fiery and shameless, hit her in an unexpected way. It was not because she feared losing Zhi Xuan—she never 'owned' that Devil—but because Feng Yi had belittled their karmic bond in public. It was a challenge aimed not at Zhi Xuan, but at herself.

  Zhu Qinglan shifted her gaze from the now shamefully silent Feng Yi toward Zhi Xuan, who began walking slowly down from the arena. Zhi Xuan’s steps felt heavy, not from defeat, but from the immense consumption of essence. The slap mark on his face had almost completely disappeared, replaced by pale skin and a cold calm that had returned, as if the storm had passed.

  She saw Zhi Xuan stop at the edge of the arena and, instead of returning to the Heaven Sword Peak seat, he walked away from the crowd toward the Great Hall doors. Zhu Qinglan clenched her jaw. Zhi Xuan’s action felt like a final insult; after using their karmic claim to humiliate Xu Sheng, he was now leaving without once looking in her direction.

  Zhu Qinglan clenched her jaw, a strand of cold aura encircling her graceful body. This action of Zhi Xuan, which felt like the cold and unexpected conclusion of a brutal business deal, felt like the heaviest insult. The youth had come, claimed her, humiliated their enemy under the name of Karma, and was now leaving, as if she were merely a tool that had completed its task.

  Although she had indeed established that every five days was Zhi Xuan’s visit to Immortal Jade Peak for Dao guidance, and had placed a heavy mission six months away to seek the Seven Lotus Yin Fruit in the Divine Stone Mine near the Ancient Wasteland, and most importantly, she had placed Zhi Xuan in a scheme to find clues to the legacy of the Great Emperor of the Zhu Clan, Zhu Yan Tian.

  It was a Promise, a mission that would be borne only by those with life-death experience, not those sitting on silk cushions and cultivating in peace and glory. Zhu Qinglan had also bet with Zhi Xuan that if he truly stepped onto the Path of the Great Emperors, he would be worthy of being her Dao Protector. But now, before her own eyes, she had seen that small seed soar high.

  Zhu Qinglan bowed her head slightly, smoothing the folds of her graceful robe, a movement so subtle it was almost invisible. This elegance, nurtured in the Ancient Zhu Clan for thousands of years, was her strongest shield, hiding the internal storm that raged. However, a glimmer of spiritual vibration suddenly swept over her, as if it were right beside her ear whispering, in a hoarse voice laden with exhaustion but also cold victory.

  WHUSHH!

  That soft spiritual vibration felt like frost piercing Zhu Qinglan’s Sea of Consciousness. The words, spoken soundlessly amidst the hustle and bustle of the Great Hall, were heard only by her. It was Zhi Xuan’s divine sense, cold and arrogant, a cruel and intimate farewell.

  "Your dog's tail, I have broken it. And, thank you for your medicine. That Silk and that Slap were sweet enough to be repeated."

  Zhu Qinglan felt her cheeks, hidden behind the pearl veil, suddenly heat up. The spiritual vibration piercing her Sea of Consciousness felt so crude and intimate, carrying the remnants of exhaustion from the Dao clash yet filled with unbearable arrogance. It was an insult delivered in the most private and sickening way.

  "Your dog's tail, I have broken it." Those words referred directly to the destruction of Xu Sheng’s Dao, and she knew Zhi Xuan considered Xu Sheng nothing more than a hindering tool. However, what most triggered the storm within her was the final sentence: "That Silk and that Slap were sweet enough to be repeated."

  Zhu Qinglan’s limbs stiffened. It was a mockery, a full acknowledgment that she had been provoked and acted outside her elegance, and worse, Zhi Xuan liked it. Holy Fairy Zhu, whose elegance surpassed the world, was now treated like an ordinary woman with a temper.

  The Five Element aura around her rippled wildly, almost exploding in pure anger. However, thousands of years of Ancient Clan etiquette bound her. She could not show anger before thousands of disciples. She could not strike at the Devil who was now casually walking out of the Great Hall as if nothing had happened.

  Zhu Qinglan clenched her jaw behind the pearl veil. Those words were sharper than the Ocean Breaker Thunder Sword, more shameful than a public slap. Zhi Xuan’s retaliation against the silk insult was perfect; he had slapped her back with a filthy and public intimacy.

  "Wild Devil!" Zhu Qinglan thought, her tone cold and piercing. "You think you can use a karmic promise as a weapon and treat me like—"

  With a graceful movement, Zhu Qinglan let out a spiritual breath. When she released it, all ripples of emotion had vanished, replaced by a deadly frozen silence. She did not rise from her seat; she simply raised her delicate right hand.

  Her Five Element aura, cool and soothing, was no longer directed to attack or defend, but to affirm Law. In her palm, a strand of ice-blue Heavenly Silk solidified. It was the same Silk, but now imbued with the Supreme Law of the Zhu Clan—a will that imposed order.

  The Silk shot out, not toward Feng Yi or the departed Zhi Xuan, but toward Xu Sheng, who still stood outside the arena, his back slumped from the Dao destruction. The Silk wrapped around Xu Sheng’s pale body, not to heal, but to forcibly calm him.

  "Senior Xu Sheng," Zhu Qinglan said, her voice calm, graceful, but so cold it sounded like flowing ice water. The voice drifted throughout the Great Hall, carrying the weight of authority of an Ancient Clan Holy Princess. "Your Path is not shattered. It is just that... you look back too often, not forward."

  Those words, though they sounded like comfort, were the final and most cruel insult. Xu Sheng, who had served and admired her all this time, was punished for focusing too much on jealousy and grudges. He was treated as a child who needed to be soothed. Without waiting for Xu Sheng’s reply, Zhu Qinglan gave a cold signal to the Formation Elder.

  "Elders," Zhu Qinglan said in a tone that affirmed the elegance of authority. "Immediately escort Disciple Xu Sheng out of the Great Hall. And regarding Disciple Zhi Xuan," she paused briefly, "record his victory in the Dao Testing. He is worthy of a reward, even if he has left the arena in a disrespectful manner."

  She did not mention the karmic claim, nor the promise. She separated personal matters from sect etiquette. Zhu Qinglan ended this chapter by imposing elegance, ignoring Zhi Xuan’s insult and Feng Yi’s challenge. Xu Sheng, wrapped in Heavenly Silk, was lifted and quickly removed from the Great Hall by the Formation Elder, his face still pale from the Dao destruction.

  In the disciple rows, Feng Yi fell silent. She saw how Zhu Qinglan ended the entire drama with three cold sentences, erasing all traces of chaos. It was a power far more terrifying than Zhi Xuan’s Thunder Sword.