Zhu Yanghai raised his hand, signaling Advisor Zhao to stand straight. "That is precisely what makes me curious, Advisor. My sister, Zhu Qinglan, is a disciple of the Thousand Sky Sect, the purest righteous cultivator in the Xing Luo Plains. She has rejected even the geniuses who proposed to her from various other plains. How is it possible that the Black-Haired Devil, someone sought by the Eternal Killing Temple, could forge a bond so strong it shakes the foundation of the Ancient Zhu Clan?"

  The Holy Son rose from his seat, his gold-red robe shimmering under the bright spiritual light. He walked toward the large window in his pavilion, his eyes gazing far out toward the mist-shrouded Holy Mountains.

  "I do not care whether he is a Devil or not, Advisor Zhao. I only care about the karmic bond itself," Zhu Yanghai continued, his voice filled with genuine curiosity. "If he was able to steal my sister's attention and forge an unbreakable destiny, he must be an extraordinary individual. It is a pity he must have perished in the Ancient Wasteland. The Great Emperor's Tomb is an annihilator, not a legacy."

  Advisor Zhao followed Zhu Yanghai's gaze. "Holy Son, we have the latest news. We managed to trace the origins of the Black-Haired Devil some time ago. He hails from the Southern Continent, specifically the Starry Wilderness. He entered the Thousand Sky Sect as a true disciple of the Sky Sword Peak. Not only that, he also forged his Divine Organs using a Heavenly Tribulation that shocked the Thousand Sky Sect on his very first day of arrival."

  Zhu Yanghai turned, his silvery eyes narrowing slightly. It was not a look of hostility, but of honest surprise, as if he had just heard an ancient poem that was both beautiful and brutal.

  "Starry Wilderness? A true disciple of the Sky Sword Peak?" he murmured, repeating Advisor Zhao's words with deep interest. He walked back toward his throne but did not sit; he stood tall, radiating the elegant aura of a Holy Son.

  "And a Heavenly Tribulation?" Zhu Yanghai smiled faintly, an elegant and sincere smile, as if he were praising an extraordinary genius. "Forging Divine Organs with a Heavenly Tribulation on the first day? That is unparalleled arrogance. Since the Primordial Era, only a handful of mortals have dared to borrow Heaven's Tribulation to strengthen their foundation and receive Heavenly Blessings. He is a sharp blade that refuses to bow."

  "He is indeed extraordinary, Holy Son," Advisor Zhao replied, nodding in agreement with a look of appreciation. "The trail of the Black-Haired Devil, whose name is Zhi Xuan, is not the trail of an ordinary criminal. He is a raging storm, but with a pure foundation and an arrogance willing to challenge the Heavens. He should have been a fitting match for our Holy Maiden, one who could balance an untouched heart."

  Zhu Yanghai chuckled softly, a refined and authoritative laugh full of sincere admiration. "A storm that challenges the Heavens, drawing the attention of an iceberg that rejects every touch. Destiny is truly a magnificent writer, Advisor Zhao. It is a great shame that the storm has now been extinguished, perished within the tomb of my ancestors. If he were alive, he would be an invaluable ally. However, the Law of the Tomb knows no mercy."

  Zhu Yanghai sighed, a faint disappointment reflecting in his silver eyes. He then returned to his throne, his gaze refocusing on the primary mission. "The loss of our six elite disciples is a great blow, but this proves we cannot rely on cultivators from other sects. We must accelerate the search for the Azure Dragon Bone Powder in the other passages of the Tomb. Summon the envoys from the Ancient Hua Clan of the Western Continent. We must cooperate. This Great Emperor's Tomb is too vast to be explored alone."

  Time passed as life does; in the dark corridors throughout the full months, morning and night alternated. Zhi Xuan, who had escaped the deathly passages that squeezed and harvested essence, still lay on the stone floor which felt damp and cool.

  The spiritual mist enveloping this passage room felt pure, uncontaminated by poison or the decaying Emperor's Law, but instead shrouded in an ancient aura that was cold and more piercing, feeling frozen and never touched by spiritual energy from outside the Tomb. It carried an atmosphere that offered a contradictory sense of threat and calm.

  It was an Ancient Tomb Core, with rune carvings that seemed to originate from the Primordial Era. In its center, there were two intersecting gravestones, separated by pillars that seemed to support the Pyramid of the Great Emperor's Tomb. From beneath the gravestones, there were Ancient Coffins, each floating and bound by chains of sturdy obsidian.

  The aura radiated was everything from the center of the Great Emperor's Tomb Core; sturdy rune walls and four small pools surrounded the room. In the corners of the tomb lay passages leading to other tombs, revealed to be the resting places of the Great Emperor's followers who fell during the Era of the Great Emperor's Fall tens of thousands of years ago.

  On the other hand, during the span of months if measured outside, Xiao Die circled Zhi Xuan while emitting a fine rainbow powder that functioned as healing. The hum of the delicate rainbow and the vitality essence of a peak Verdant Titan kept Zhi Xuan from death. Supported by the emitted Yin essence, Xiao Die seemed untiring in radiating vitality.

  In the Sea of Consciousness, which was now calm after a long time, Ruo Xianxue with her double pupils and dark robes dragging the Ancient Devil Monument, stared annoyedly at the spiritual Zhi Xuan who sat cross-legged in the center of the Sea of Consciousness. The sky of the Sea of Consciousness still shone brightly with nebulae and orange hues; the Devil Tree of Life radiated vitality absorbed from Xiao Die's powder.

  The spiritual Zhi Xuan sitting cross-legged looked like a blade that had been forged and was now resting in its scabbard. His spiritual body was now whole again, but his aura felt sharper, thanks to Ruo Xianxue and Xiao Die who had saved him at the last moment after he was severely injured upon entering the Ancient Tomb Core.

  "It has been three months," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice filled with dissatisfaction. She stared at the Devil Tree of Life which was now thriving, filled with vitality from Xiao Die's efforts. "Three months and you are still sprawled outside, while here you sit cross-legged like a sheep in a pen. Remember, you owe me for the Ancient Devil Monument runes I shattered just to support this foundation of yours."

  Ruo Xianxue had shattered hundreds or perhaps thousands of the millions of runes attached to the Ancient Devil Monument. They were mysterious runes, which she had used once before when taking over Zhi Xuan at the Taiyin Holy Pool, which had left Zhi Xuan temporarily blind in his left eye. Now that Ruo Xianxue had awakened, she was naturally bound to the Devil Tree of Life and could easily act if danger threatened without significant consequences.

  "I will repay it, Great Saint," the spiritual Zhi Xuan replied, his tone cold and calm. He opened his spiritual eyes, and his sapphire eyes glowed with a newly forged light. "I am indebted to Xiao Die, to you, and to the fate that threw me into this peaceful passage. This corridor is the perfect place to heal my wounds and refill my foundation."

  The spiritual Zhi Xuan rose and walked within the Sea of Consciousness. He looked up at his spiritual sky, where nebulae and orange auras swirled. He was no longer in a hurry. Three months in a state between death and life was a high price, but recovery in this holy place, the core of the cruel Great Emperor's Tomb, had provided unexpected peace and purification despite the lingering dangers.

  "And, I also feel a strange sensation," Zhi Xuan murmured, frowning as he looked at his reflection in the sea of consciousness. "During the threshold of death and life, I felt a familiarity with all these ancient things. Just like with that Lotus. However, that sense of familiarity vanished as soon as I woke up here and you all helped me."

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  The spiritual Zhi Xuan touched his reflection on the calm surface of the Sea of Consciousness. The familiarity that appeared and disappeared at the threshold of life and death was a mystery that refused to be understood. It felt as if he possessed vast knowledge, knowledge of the Primordial Era and the ancient laws that formed this Great Emperor's Tomb, yet that knowledge was hidden deep behind his Sea of Consciousness, only emerging when his Dao foundation was on the brink of collapse.

  "It is resonance," Ruo Xianxue hissed, the Ancient Devil Monument she dragged vibrating faintly. "Every time your Dao foundation almost crumbles, the Heavenly Samsara Wheel turns, attempting to retrieve knowledge that might be stored in your spiritual blood. It is the remnants of a decayed Dao trying to resonate with a living body, Monkey. Do not think too much on it. Most ancient knowledge will only become poison to your mind."

  "Perhaps," Zhi Xuan replied, not entirely convinced, shrugging his shoulders indifferently. He chose to ignore the mystery for the time being. His priority was the Seven Lotus Yin Fruit and Zhu Yan Tian's legacy. "I am going back out."

  Zhi Xuan closed his eyes in the Sea of Consciousness and immediately opened them in his physical body. A pungent smell like ancient iron and a cold sensation he could not identify hit him. He sat up abruptly, which caused the small moth, Xiao Die, who was flying nearby, to immediately hover closer and touch Zhi Xuan's cheek with her antennae, as if afraid of losing her master.

  Zhi Xuan stabilized his hitched breath, immediately calming the trembling Thousand Feathered Moth. He raised his right hand, touching Xiao Die gently, and that touch immediately calmed the little creature. The silk bracelet on Zhi Xuan's hand felt warm, proof the moth had turned her anxiety into a soft hum filled with relief.

  He felt that the vitality essence radiated by the rainbow powder from Xiao Die had completely healed the Extreme Yang burns and his crushed left shoulder. He channeled his purification essence throughout his body; three months in a peaceful and forced sleep at the Tomb's core had given him a perfect recovery.

  "Thank you, Xiao Die," Zhi Xuan said with a sincere smile, gently stroking the moth's head. "Did you absorb the Extreme Yin essence you like while I slept?"

  Xiao Die's joyful hum immediately filled the Sea of Consciousness. The Thousand Feathered Moth's happiness was contagious, bringing a thin smile to Zhi Xuan's lips. "Master, of course. In this passage, the Yin essence is very pure, not mixed with a decaying will like outside. If Master reaches the Soul Transformation one day, then the Great Saint will have a spiritual body, and Xiao Die will have the chance to transform!"

  Zhi Xuan laughed softly, his hoarse voice echoing quietly inside the silent Tomb Core. Three months in a state between life and death was a worthy sacrifice for the perfect recovery and new hope offered by the Thousand Feathered Moth.

  "Soul Transformation," Zhi Xuan murmured. That realm felt far away, yet the hope radiating from Xiao Die felt so real. "I will try. I owe it to you, to the Great Saint, and to myself to rise stronger."

  He observed the Ancient Tomb Core room. The cold Primordial aura was soothing, but the ancient gravestones and the two chained Ancient Coffins seemed to radiate an oppressive majesty. Zhi Xuan now realized the aura he felt was not just that of Great Emperor Zhu Yan Tian's Tomb, but there was also the aura of Great Emperor Hua's Tomb.

  Zhi Xuan took a deep breath, letting the cold, pure air enveloped in Primordial aura fill his lungs. Indeed, there were two auras, two majesties intersecting in this room. One aura felt cold and solid like an unshakeable iceberg, full of Emperor's Law—the Tomb of Great Emperor Zhu Yan Tian.

  Meanwhile, the other aura felt subtle and supple, filled with Emperor's Law—the Tomb of Great Emperor Hua. The two floating and chained Ancient Coffins were proof of the existence of two Tombs, united at the Tomb's core.

  "The Tombs of Great Emperor Zhu and Great Emperor Hua," Zhi Xuan muttered. "Two Great Emperors of the Xing Luo Plains, resting in the same place."

  He stepped forward, his legs no longer limping. The twenty remaining Slaughter Seals now felt purer and more solid, etched into his physical foundation, ready to be used. He observed the four small pools around the room. The pools did not contain water, but rather solidified spiritual essence. One pool radiated pure Yang light, one radiated pure Yin light, and the other two pools radiated an unknown essence that felt like a Law.

  ZZZTTT! SSSHHH!

  From the depths of the passages that were the tombs of the Great Emperor's followers, sharp whispers and roars emerged. Accompanied by a surge of dark mist jutting out from the direction of the corridors, it filled the surroundings of the room where Zhi Xuan stood. From that spiritual mist, faces of people from ancient times appeared, staring at Zhi Xuan sharply yet filled with familiarity.

  "That Person's breath! It is the breath of That Person!" the ancient people hissed in unison, like the tolling of old bells thundering throughout the room, causing Zhi Xuan to fall to his knees under the pressure. "The same breath! It is the trace of That Person!"

  Zhi Xuan fell to his knees, not out of weakness, but because of the pressure of ancient will striking his Sea of Consciousness. The surge of dark mist from the follower tomb passages felt like millions of decaying years, a dead will now brought to life by his presence. The faces of ancient people appearing from the mist, which were remnants of souls or shadows of the followers' will, stared at him with an intensity that transcended death.

  "The person missing from all Ages! One hand destroying the Forbidden Plains! That Person has come here!"

  The collective roar of the decaying will split the silence in the Ancient Tomb Core. The sound was not merely a roar; it was a resonance of the Primordial Era, a collective memory of the fallen followers. The faces made of dark mist swirled around Zhi Xuan, their eyes radiating a light of madness and brutal worship.

  Zhi Xuan exerted his remaining twenty Slaughter Seals and the Heavenly Samsara Wheel to stabilize his Sea of Consciousness. This pressure of will felt more severe than the oppression of the Emperor's Law; it was the pressure of destiny trying to force him to acknowledge an identity he did not know.

  "Who is That Person?" Zhi Xuan hissed, his voice hoarse, but his eyes refused to blink. He stared into the eyes of that ancient will, searching for answers behind millions of years of darkness.

  "You dare to ask?" the ancient voices growled in unison. The dark mist swirled faster, focusing their will on the wound on Zhi Xuan's forehead, where his spiritual blood had just dried. "Your blood! Your breath is the breath of That Person! You who vanished in the Abyss of Origin! You who stepped upon our bones, you who stood alone carrying the Cauldron on those Plains!"

  Suddenly, from one of the deepest follower tomb passages, a clearer shadow emerged. The shadow was the figure of an ancient cultivator wearing decaying armor, radiating the aura of a General who was unparalleled in his time. The figure did not radiate madness, but rather a silence filled with infinite sorrow.

  "That Person!" the ancient General roared, his voice thundering, yet purer, silencing the growls of the other wills. "He is not That Person! Yet he possesses the breath of That Person! An unimaginable age we have waited, only to realize That Person has vanished from the Primordial Chaos!"

  The ancient General stepped forward, his shadow growing larger, covering the faces of the other wills that now dimmed beneath his authority. The aura of infinite sorrow enveloped the Tomb Core, feeling like the weight of millions of years placed on Zhi Xuan's shoulders.

  "That Person walked upon our blood and bodies! Standing atop all the ruins of the Ages, carrying the Cauldron and with One Hand Cutting the Forbidden Plains!"

  Zhi Xuan, kneeling under the unbearable pressure, felt his Sea of Consciousness vibrate violently. The ancient General's words—Carrying the Cauldron and with One Hand Cutting the Forbidden Plains—pierced the core of his hidden memories. It was a resonance much stronger than what he had felt at the threshold of death. It was a primordial truth trying to tear the veil of time.

  "I. Am. Not. That. Person!" Zhi Xuan hissed, unconsciously waving his hand as the Divine Cauldron immediately circled him. He could feel his tattered robe tearing further as he tried to stand with a sharp roar. He rose and stood tall, the jade binding his hair melting away and letting his hair flutter. His sapphire blue eyes stared sharply. "I do not know nor am I the same as That Person!"

  Yet on the other side, the eyes of the ancient people and the ancient General widened. Their faces were filled with familiarity and sorrow, admiration and battle intent simultaneously. In their eyes, Zhi Xuan standing with the Divine Cauldron hovering in his hand was another figure so majestic and so oppressive, yet also the one that made them surrender their bones and blood to become a bridge for That Person.

  On Zhi Xuan's side, he already felt a piercing weight. The memory of the Lotus he encountered, which also called him That Person. And now, the remnants of the ancient spiritual mist also called him That Person. This feeling was indeed very familiar, yet he did not understand why he felt nothing other than the fact that he was not that person.