The Seven-Star Boat drifted calmly above the corridor as the Heavenly Cauldron spinning around them purified the air, neutralizing the remnants of the Water Poison floating in the tomb's atmosphere.

  "The Black Dragon Tomb," Ao Sheng whispered, his voice filled with deep wonder and sorrow. He felt the oppressed ancient dragon aura—the aura of his ancestors—welcoming him, yet also wailing.

  Zhao Xue, standing at the bow of the boat opposite Zhi Xuan, closed her eyes for a moment, letting the Pure Ice Law within her body respond to the tomb's aura. She nodded.

  "This is the Ancient Tomb of the Black Dragon. The essence is very pure, yet it has been defiled by corrosive Water Law," Zhao Xue murmured. She opened her sharp eyes and looked at Zhi Xuan. "The water poison in this air is residue from the Shi Clan. They have tried to contaminate this tomb for many years."

  ZHRINGG! ZHRINGG! ZHRINGG!

  Zhi Xuan turned as fast as lightning, and with a swift wave of his hand, he launched five larger Devil Blood Swords. They circled like a shield, blocking dozens of swords that suddenly appeared from behind them. The Devil Blood Swords formed a rotating ring of blades.

  DUANG! DUANG! KRAKK!

  The ancient corridor of the Black Dragon Tomb was immediately filled with the sound of heavy spiritual weapon collisions. The newly appeared swords, made of bluish-green spiritual essence and radiating the aura of Consciousness Transformation, struck the Devil Blood Swords with brutal force. Zhi Xuan's five Devil Blood Swords vibrated violently but managed to hold the line, creating spiritual sparks that briefly illuminated the dark corridor.

  WHUSH! WHUSH! WHUSH!

  From behind them, at a distance of several zhang, four cultivators with Consciousness Transformation fluctuations appeared. They united in a deadly Four-Directional Formation, manifesting a giant Palm that filled the entire corridor.

  The four figures wore dark gray robes, similar to those worn by the six cultivators who had just been slaughtered, but the aura they radiated was much more stable and contained a denser Water Poison essence. They were the Shi Clan guardians who had been stationed deeper within the tomb as a final defense before the core zone.

  "You shall go no further, Devil!" roared one of the Shi Clan cultivators, his voice filled with burning rage and the certainty of victory. They had seen how deadly Zhi Xuan was, and because of that, they immediately launched their most brutal Formation attack.

  The giant Palm made of bluish-green spiritual essence shot forward, carrying the weight of a collapsing mountain and the scent of lethal poison. The Palm was designed to crush, to shatter the Seven-Star Boat, and to pulverize anyone on its deck.

  WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP!

  The giant Palm hovered and moved slowly but carried a weight that caused the corridor to vibrate violently. The flight path of the Seven-Star Boat was disrupted by the pressure, making Zhi Xuan almost lose control in directing the boat to surge forward.

  Zhi Xuan did not let out a cry of anger or shock. His sapphire eyes radiated a cold light, and an infinite calculation flashed through his mind. He glided out of the Seven-Star Boat for a moment and leaped into the air, raising his hand to form a Heavenly Shattering Palm above his head.

  WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP!

  The Heavenly Shattering Palm was launched with a sharp roar from Zhi Xuan. With his physique tempered by the Slaughter Seals, he was sturdy enough to withstand the pressure of the Palm heading toward him, yet the Heavenly Shattering Palm also sped forward to meet the opposing strike.

  DUAARRGH!

  The two spiritual Palms collided in the middle of the ancient corridor with a deafening boom, creating a brutal shockwave of spiritual essence. The basalt corridor shook violently, and the dragon carvings on the walls seemed to wail in pain. The Shi Clan’s Water Poison Palm, though formed by the combined strength of four stable Consciousness Transformation experts, was unable to withstand the destructive power of Zhi Xuan’s Heavenly Shattering Palm, which was reinforced by the Heavenly-Blood Body Law.

  The Water Poison Palm cracked, and its bluish-green spiritual essence exploded into fragments, splashing a mist of spiritual poison in all directions. Zhi Xuan, who led the collision, withstood the pressure with his tempered Devil physique, but the shockwave still pushed him back harshly. He was thrown back onto the deck of the Seven-Star Boat with a loud DUAGH! and was immediately caught by Zhao Xue and Ao Sheng, though both almost fell while supporting Zhi Xuan's body, which felt like heavy steel in their hands.

  Ao Sheng and Zhao Xue staggered, their shoulders bearing the weight of Zhi Xuan’s dense physical form. Although Zhi Xuan was a cultivator only at the peak of Consciousness Transformation, his tempered physique and weight, amplified by the Heavenly-Blood Body Law, felt like holding the weight of a hurtling mountain.

  "Senior!" Ao Sheng cried out in panic, his eyes scanning Zhi Xuan’s face for signs of damage.

  Zhi Xuan gritted his teeth. The remaining Thunder Law from the impact still vibrated within his meridians, but his solid Devil foundation immediately dampened it. He stood tall, wiping blood that was not his own from the corner of his lips. He glanced briefly at the four Shi Clan cultivators who were now staring at him in horror.

  "The Heavenly Shattering Palm, reinforced by the Devil Body Law," Zhao Xue murmured, her cold tone now filled with hidden admiration. She could feel the weight Zhi Xuan had endured and understood that the Heavenly Shattering Palm was a technique requiring an immensely strong physical foundation.

  Zhi Xuan did not answer. He moved his hand, and the five Devil Blood Swords that had previously blocked the barrage of Shi Clan spiritual swords returned, hovering around him and piercing through the water poison mist created by the explosion.

  "They still have a stable Four-Directional Formation," Zhi Xuan hissed, his tone flat as if he were observing trapped rats. He wasted no time in recovering.

  The four Shi Clan cultivators, after their Water Poison Palm was destroyed, realized the absolute difference in strength. They no longer intended to fight openly. They immediately channeled their spiritual essence, creating a second Palm. However, this time, the Palm did not shoot forward but exploded in place, transforming into a storm of countless Water Poison Swords. Thousands of bluish-green spiritual blades shot forward, filling the corridor.

  Zhi Xuan, seeing the storm of Water Poison Swords rushing toward them, only snorted coldly. He no longer relied on his physical strength, as the Soul Backlash still felt dull in his Sea of Consciousness. Zhi Xuan looked at Zhao Xue with a sharp glance, giving her the command to move.

  Zhao Xue nodded without a word, her face showing a pure determination that matched her Dao. She leaped from the deck of the Seven-Star Boat, landing lightly on the cold basalt stone. She channeled her True Ice Law, and the surrounding temperature instantly plummeted as if winter had just arrived.

  WHUSSHH!

  Zhao Xue swung her True Ice Blade. That single swing released a storm of infinite pure ice essence. The air in the ancient corridor froze immediately. The storm of Water Poison Swords rushing toward them, consisting of thousands of bluish-green spiritual blades, immediately collided with that unrivaled ice aura.

  KRAKK! KRAKK! FRIIZZ!

  The Water Poison Swords, dominated by the Laws of Water and Poison, froze instantly. The spiritual blades turned into fragile essence, and in the blink of an eye, the thousands of swords shattered into dust of ice essence that fell to the floor. The water poison mist enveloping the corridor also froze, absorbing the corrosive Water Law and transforming it into pure spiritual ice crystals.

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  The four Shi Clan cultivators were shocked. They had used everything they possessed to create that sword storm, but this newly appeared woman, with her True Ice Blade, had neutralized their attack with one swing. The Pure Ice Law radiated by Zhao Xue was a purification far beyond their capabilities.

  WHUSHH! WHUSHH! WHUSHH!

  Other Poison Swords still shot forward with sharp blades; the four Shi Clan cultivators drained their energy to fully create a relentless storm, and the countless blades formed a stronger gale within the tomb corridor. However, in the distance, Zhi Xuan once again launched the Heavenly Cauldron, which was spinning with the Law of the Four Seasons.

  WHIRL! DING! DING! DING!

  "Go," Zhi Xuan hissed coldly, and the Heavenly Cauldron immediately shot forward with a loud hum. It tore through the blades with ease. The Heavenly Cauldron enlarged slightly, becoming the center of a storm that pulled the swords in with its own vortex.

  The storm of countless Water Poison Swords, which had previously sped forward with killing intent, now felt as if it were being sucked into a spiritual black hole. The vortex created by the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron—which carried the harvesting Law of Autumn and the purifying Law of Summer—pulled every spiritual blade into it.

  HUAKH!

  Zhi Xuan snorted harshly and coughed up blood. He spat the blood to the side and stared coldly. With a surge of essence flowing from the Devil Life Tree, he shot forward from the Seven-Star Boat to chase the Heavenly Cauldron; he had to get close to kill the four Consciousness Transformation experts directly at close range.

  "Wait!" one of the Shi Clan cultivators roared in panic, his eyes wide as he saw the Heaven-grade artifact they knew from rumors now drawing in all their attacks. The suction power of the cauldron stripped away their spiritual control over the attack. Meanwhile, they saw a streak of shadow darting forward, dodging every blade as it closed in on them.

  Zhi Xuan shot through the vortex created by the Heavenly Cauldron, his body enveloped in the Heavenly-Blood Body Law, now moving at a speed that challenged the limits of the corridor. He was like a shadow protected by a vortex of destruction. He arrived before the four Shi Clan cultivators in the blink of an eye.

  The four cultivators, whose spiritual essence was exhausted by the sword storm and the Heavenly Cauldron, could now only stand stiff, their faces filled with the same horror as their slaughtered comrades. Zhi Xuan left no room for negotiation or pleas. He raised both hands, and from each of his fingers, five new Devil Blood Swords enveloped in lethal Thunder Law appeared. A total of ten swords radiating an aura of destruction.

  "Die," Zhi Xuan hissed, his tone flat and heartless.

  ZRINGG! ZRINGG! ZRINGG!

  The ten Devil Blood Swords shot forward, targeting the vital points of the four Shi Clan cultivators. Each cultivator received two to three lethal sword slashes. The cultivators did not have time to react. They could only feel the burning sensation of heat and the piercing cold of the Devil Blood Swords as they penetrated their Divine Wheels and Seas of Consciousness. They collapsed without a sound, their bodies trembling for a moment before falling onto the cold basalt floor.

  WHIRL! WHIRL!

  Instantly, the Heavenly-Blood Body Law took action. Zhi Xuan channeled essence into his hands, and four strands of invisible thin blood lines seeped into the bodies of the newly fallen cultivators. The blood and spiritual essence of the four cultivators were immediately pulled out. The seventh through tenth souls shot out from their bodies, pulled irresistibly into the Soul Lantern.

  ZZZT! KRAKK!

  The tenth Soul Backlash was a disaster. Zhi Xuan’s Sea of Consciousness exploded. The collective roar of thousands of souls within the Lantern turned into a mental shockwave that shattered spiritual eardrums. Zhi Xuan felt his Heavenly Samsara Wheel vibrate violently, nearly stopping its rotation.

  He staggered, both hands clutching his head, which felt as if it were being struck by a bronze hammer. The corner of his mouth leaked thick blood, and he was forced to kneel on the cold water of the corridor. The pain went beyond the physical; it was a genuine betrayal of the Dao.

  ROARR!

  Ruo Xianxue, within the Sea of Consciousness, released a far more oppressive roar, a compulsion from the vibrating Ancient Devil Monument. A pure silvery-gold light pierced through the Devil Life Tree, channeling a cold dark essence to stabilize Zhi Xuan’s Sea of Consciousness, while Xiao Die also channeled spiritual healing through her rainbow powder.

  "You have exceeded the limit!" Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice filled with a rare anger. "Ten Consciousness Transformation souls in succession is your current limit! Do not take any more!"

  Zhi Xuan panted, letting his body lean on Ruo Xianxue’s spiritual support. He managed to suppress the Soul Backlash, but he knew he had just toyed with destruction. He had not only absorbed spiritual essence but also the karmic essence of the slaughter. He stood tall, letting the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron, which was now hovering back to his hand, absorb the remnants of the vile energy floating in the air.

  Zhao Xue, who had witnessed the brutal harvesting and Zhi Xuan’s painful reaction, now floated back to the deck of the Seven-Star Boat. Her previously calm face was now filled with shock and discomfort. She saw the blood on Zhi Xuan’s lips and understood that this man was performing an act that violated the boundaries of the Dao.

  "What kind of technique is that?" Zhao Xue asked, her voice low and full of suspicion as she stared at the Heavenly Cauldron spinning in Zhi Xuan’s hand. "That was not just killing; it was a seizure of a living being's will."

  Ao Sheng, witnessing the brutality of his Senior—the lethal attacks and the painful internal struggle—now looked at Zhi Xuan with a mixture of fear and gratitude. He had seen how precious Zhi Xuan’s fighting was and knew that all of this was done for the sake of his Destiny.

  Zhi Xuan turned and shot back toward the Seven-Star Boat, appearing on the bow and sitting cross-legged to stabilize his essence; the scent of blood and sharp iron radiated from his body. He closed his eyes and waved his hand to bring out ten Divine Black Jade Stones, breaking them so that the spiritual essence immediately surrounded him.

  "Zhao Xue," Zhi Xuan called with a heavy breath, his voice hoarse without needing to look at her. "Control this Seven-Star Boat; bring it closer according to Ao Sheng’s direction."

  Zhao Xue, although still filled with suspicion, could not ignore the command. The man before her had just slaughtered ten Consciousness Transformation cultivators in succession and showed signs of serious Dao damage. The vile aura radiating from Zhi Xuan seemed to scream of danger, but the aura of the Snow Phoenix Jade and the connection he alluded to kept Zhao Xue bound by a strong sense of curiosity.

  She stepped forward and stood where Zhi Xuan had stood before, and the aura of the Pure Ice Law immediately seeped into the Seven-Star Boat. The Heaven-grade artifact responded subtly to her pure spiritual essence, and the boat began to glide forward at a stable speed above the black basalt corridor.

  "Ao Sheng," Zhao Xue called, her voice now calm again, setting aside her shocked emotions. "Where should we go?"

  Ao Sheng immediately approached, his eyes now filled with joy upon seeing the Seven-Star Boat moving forward again. He nodded and pointed toward the corridor shrouded in mist of ice essence and poison that had been neutralized by Zhao Xue.

  "Sister Zhao Xue, the Black Dragon Tomb always leads straight ahead," Ao Sheng replied, smiling more now thanks to the slaughter carried out by his Senior. "At the end of this corridor, we will find the Core Gate, the place where the pure Black Dragon Bloodline resides."

  The Seven-Star Boat glided along the corridor, the walls of which were decorated with carvings of bound black dragons. Zhao Xue continued to radiate the Pure Ice Law, clearing any remnants of water poison that might have escaped the previous purification. Behind her, Zhi Xuan sat cross-legged, the sea of spiritual essence around him spinning rapidly, hiding the brutal turmoil within his sea of consciousness.

  As they moved further, the ancient spiritual pressure within the tomb increased. The oppressed ancient dragon aura became denser, causing Ao Sheng, who was now holding the ancient wooden box again, to tremble slightly with excitement and emotion.

  Suddenly, Zhao Xue raised her hand, and the Seven-Star Boat immediately stopped drifting. Her sharp eyes scanned the corridor. Before them, the corridor ended at a massive Stone Gate, carved with a relief of a sleeping Black Dragon. However, around the gate, there were strands of Ancient Seals that still emitted strong fluctuations.

  "There," Zhao Xue whispered. "The Core Gate. But the Formation protecting it is far more complex than the Seals outside the lake. And, there is something else."

  Zhao Xue pointed to the wall to the left of the Stone Gate. There, a small stone altar stood, and on top of it, an ancient bronze jar was placed. The jar emitted a thick Water Poison aura, and around it were strands of spiritual silk threads that were almost invisible—a defensive mechanism established by the Shi Clan.

  Zhi Xuan, still sitting cross-legged, opened his sapphire eyes. Although he was still channeling essence into his Divine Wheel to stabilize his Sea of Consciousness, the glint in his eyes had returned to being calm and calculating. He shifted his gaze to the stone altar and the ancient bronze jar.

  "That is the Soul Poison Altar," Zhi Xuan murmured coldly, his voice now steady again, though there was still a slight rasp. "The poison fluctuations there are thicker; that jar is a Primary Formation, and we do not know how many hidden Formations are here."

  Zhi Xuan closed his eyes for a moment to fully focus his spiritual essence. The aura of essence around him spun rapidly, hiding the brutal turmoil within his sea of consciousness. He held his breath, feeling the weight of thousands of souls residing in the Soul Lantern. The aura from the Soul Poison Altar was a real threat to his recently shaken Sea of Consciousness.

  "Great Saint," Zhi Xuan called in his Sea of Consciousness; he could no longer act and this time focused only on healing himself rather than thinking. "Do you see a gap in that Formation?"