"Saint Son Zhu Yanghai," the ancient General's voice echoed, not with a roar, but with a resonance that pierced the Sea of Consciousness of everyone present. The voice carried the weight of millions of years, extinguishing all arrogance. "I am the Eternal Will, the General who guards the Foundation of the Tomb of Great Emperor Zhu Yan Tian. We have witnessed. We have waited."

  Zhu Yanghai, whose face was usually calm, now showed genuine shock. The manifestation of this Eternal Will was something that transcended all the Ancient Books of the Ancient Zhu Clan. He immediately bowed, absolute respect radiating from his aura.

  "This humble one honors the Eternal Will," Zhu Yanghai said, his voice trembling with emotion. "What are the Ancestor's commands?"

  The ancient General ignored Zhu Yanghai, his empty eyes staring straight at Zhu Qinglan. Behind her, the blurred will of Zhu Qinglan, which was connected to the shattered statue, now vibrated violently.

  "The Bloodline Restriction," the ancient General spoke, his voice cold and absolute. "It is not a curse, but a Dao affirmation from the Great Emperor. You will never be able to access the Legacy, never be able to enter the Tomb, until the Great Emperor's Heavenly Scripture is returned to the Ancient Tomb Core."

  A haunting silence enveloped the Flying Ship and the dusty desert area. The faces of the Ancient Zhu Clan Elders turned deathly pale, not out of fear of Zhi Xuan, but out of fear of the revelation coming from the Eternal Will itself. The Great Emperor's Heavenly Scripture! That which they had thought lost from the Ancient Zhu Clan for tens of thousands of years—the fact they knew nothing of their own Ancestor's supreme Law Book—was now revealed by the shadow of the ancient General before a Devil bound by Karma.

  "The Heavenly... Scripture?" Zhu Yanghai hissed, his graceful aura feeling shaky. He looked toward the shadow of the ancient General, his eyes filled with pallor and the shock of one who truly knew nothing. "Eternal Will, this humble servant does not understand. The Heavenly Scripture was lost during the Era of the Great Emperor's Fall. Please, may the Ancestor forgive the ignorance of the Ancient Clan all this time."

  "I know it was not this generation that hid it," the ancient General replied, the shadow nodding faintly as if understanding what had happened in the past. "Take this message to the Clan Patriarch, your parent. Take it from the Zhu Clan's Underground Pavilion, and only the Patriarch is permitted to surrender it to the Tomb."

  "You must carry this message, Saint Son Zhu," the ancient General continued, his voice now softening, carrying a burden of hope long buried. "That book... the Heavenly Scripture, is locked under the Blood-Lock Formation, right beneath the Main Hall, in the Underground Pavilion. Only the Patriarch knows the seal. Return it to the Tomb Core. Only then will the Bloodline Restriction be lifted, and the Legacy be opened."

  The shadow of the ancient General glanced briefly toward Zhi Xuan, his empty eyes radiating absolute authority. "This youth... the Black-Haired Devil, has sworn a Dao oath. He has become the herald of destiny. Respect his courage to challenge the Tomb. If he is killed, this Seal of Will will become a curse, tainting your Dao and locking the Legacy forever."

  With those final cold and absolute words, the spiritual light of the Eternal Will Seal dimmed, and the shadow of the ancient General vanished, disappearing completely. It left behind only the tattered coffin, which now looked even more grimy upon the sand. The silence shrouding the desert was now far deeper and more lethal, filled with profound shock and fear in the hearts of every Ancient Zhu Clan cultivator.

  Zhu Yanghai stood tall again, but his aura felt unstable. He stared at the tattered coffin in the sand, then turned to the pale face of the Ancient Clan Elder beside him, and finally, his gaze fell upon Zhi Xuan.

  "The Great Emperor's Heavenly Scripture..." Zhu Yanghai murmured, his voice now filled with a cold realization. They had lived in a lie for tens of thousands of years, thinking their ancestor had only given them a curse. "I will immediately report this to my Father."

  Down below, Zhi Xuan staggered, waving his hand to return the tattered Coffin to his storage bag. He sat back down upon the sand. It was a pathetic sight; a herald of destiny sitting on the sand, bringing out a Divine Black Jade Stone, then breaking it and absorbing the Divine Stone.

  Zhi Xuan held the cracked Divine Black Jade Stone in his hand, and the pure spiritual essence of the jade was greedily absorbed by the Devil Tree of Life. The essence flowed through his weary meridians, calming the brutal fluctuations in his Sea of Consciousness that had just been shaken by the Kun Peng sealing. Every drop of essence he absorbed was precious recovery.

  "Did you really not take those artifacts, Master?" Xiao Die asked, her small hum sounding tired but filled with cold curiosity in the Sea of Consciousness. "That Sword and Lantern are very valuable!"

  "Trash in the face of the Kun Peng," Zhi Xuan replied in the Sea of Consciousness, his tone cold and indifferent. "I have no energy to seal them. And I do not need a Sword or a Lantern to win the heart of a Holy Fairy. Only arrogance and the Kun Peng sealed within me."

  He cracked the black jade stone again, absorbing the last of its essence. He glanced up toward the Flying Ship. Zhu Yanghai's face was filled with political chaos and unexpected discovery. The Ancient Zhu Clan Elders looked terrified and confused. And in the midst of it all, Zhu Qinglan stood tall.

  Zhu Qinglan, now free from her face covering, stared straight at Zhi Xuan. In her light grey eyes, a lethal relief now mixed with the feeling of wanting to approach and see Zhi Xuan's condition up close. He had returned. Her Dao foundation had been saved. But the price paid by Zhi Xuan was far too high.

  "You must come to the Flying Ship, Zhi Xuan," Zhu Yanghai spoke, his voice now calm again, filled with an authority that could not be argued, yet also containing a strange sense of respect. "You are a herald recognized by the Eternal Will. We will not kill you. We must bring you to the Ancient Zhu Clan."

  Zhi Xuan looked up, smirking with blood on his lips. He let Zhu Yanghai see his pathetic weakness, but behind that weakness lay a mad self-confidence. He had won the first round.

  "Zhi will not go," Zhi Xuan replied, his tone cold and full of fake obedience. "Let me rest. I have just returned from the hell of the Great Emperor's Tomb. Besides, I take orders from no one except Holy Fairy Zhu Qinglan. And, I only have a place at the Heavenly Sword Peak. Of course, I miss the slaps from the Eternal Jade Peak."

  Zhu Qinglan took a cold breath, the hot desert air feeling like an ice blade piercing her lungs. Zhi Xuan's arrogance, even while he was near death and his body was trembling, was the arrogance she knew and hated, but also the one she missed.

  On the Flying Ship, several Ancient Zhu Clan cultivators restrained themselves from roaring, their fists clenched on the verge of rage. But the authority of the Eternal Will that had just vanished still enveloped them, holding back every intent to attack. They were bound, not by Law, but by a newly revealed Destiny.

  Zhu Yanghai raised his hand, gesturing for all the Elders to retreat. He stared at Zhi Xuan with silver eyes filled with deepening admiration. This youth, even after enduring the Primordial pressure and the Emperor's Law, still possessed an arrogant nature capable of provoking the anger of even a Great Emperor.

  "The Great Emperor's Heavenly Scripture is a secret that has shackled our Clan for unimaginable years," Zhu Yanghai spoke, his voice now softening, ignoring Zhi Xuan's mockery. He descended from the Flying Ship, his golden-red robes fluttering gracefully, landing calmly on the dusty sand before Zhi Xuan.

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  "I respect the Eternal Will and your Dao Oath, Zhi Xuan. You are a herald of destiny, one capable of moving Heaven and Earth with your courage alone," Zhu Yanghai continued. He did not approach, keeping a respectful distance, as if acknowledging that the one before him was not a fugitive, but a genius who had just taken a step into the Primordial Dao.

  "However, the Great Emperor's Tomb has now been closed by the Formation," Zhu Yanghai said, his eyes as graceful as pearls staring toward the place where the Tomb had disappeared. "You hold the message. I hold the authority. The Ancient Zhu Clan will repay your kindness. Of course, you risked your life for the Seven Lotus Yin Fruit for my sister, who will condense her soul and ascend to Soul Transformation. You truly live up to your title."

  Zhi Xuan smirked coldly, spitting into the dry sand again, the blood on his lips now mixed with the dust of the Tomb. He cracked the last Divine Black Jade Stone in his hand, absorbing its spiritual essence to the last drop. Then he nodded faintly as a form of respect, not submission.

  "I only made sure the woman up there did not cry when the little wooden man statue crumbled," Zhi Xuan murmured hoarsely with a small chuckle, sounding more like a man who had experienced countless life-death encounters. "And, yes, I have my own artifact for my journey back to the Thousand Skies Sect."

  Suddenly, in front of Zhi Xuan, silver strands appeared and Zhu Qinglan stood there, staring at Zhi Xuan with a cold gaze. Her skin, as white as snow, appeared in contrast with the Ancient Wasteland and Zhi Xuan's wounded state. Her Dao heart trembled; the man before her had truly brought her the Seven Lotus Yin Fruit, even carrying the curse message of the Ancient Zhu Clan before all the Clan Elders.

  "Holy Princess Zhu," Zhi Xuan called out hoarsely, pulling back the hood of his robe to reveal his forehead covered in dried blood and his long, tangled black hair. He waved his hand and from his storage bag, the Seven Lotus Yin Fruit appeared, neatly sealed. "Yours. My mission is complete."

  The Seven Lotus Yin Fruit, encased in a translucent spiritual seal, radiated a pure Yin aura that was cold and soothing, contrasting with the desert heat. Its seven pitch-black petals looked like eternal ice carvings, the core of the pure Yin Dao sought by Zhu Qinglan.

  Zhu Qinglan did not move immediately. She only stared at the Seven Lotus Yin Fruit, then shifted her gaze to Zhi Xuan's face smeared with dust and dried blood. In her light grey eyes, a storm of emotions swirled. She saw the price that had been paid: the piercing spiritual fatigue, the blood fluctuations, and the forced arrogance.

  Behind her, Zhu Yanghai smiled thinly, a smile that was graceful and full of admiration. He knew that among all the treasures Zhi Xuan might have brought from the Great Emperor's Tomb, the most important for this youth was fulfilling the promise to his sister, even if it meant defying the heavens and the dead will.

  "Then," Zhu Yanghai decided, immediately dashing back up to the ship. Zhu Yanghai appeared on the flying ship and, with a brief roar of dry laughter, he nodded to Zhi Xuan. "Enjoy your time together! And Zhi Xuan, Xu Sheng has received his payment."

  The Flying Ship immediately sped away, leaving Zhi Xuan and Zhu Qinglan in the middle of the Ancient Wasteland, where the heat and oppressive aura of the Great Emperor's Tomb could still be felt. However, what disturbed Zhi Xuan's ears was Zhu Yanghai's statement about Xu Sheng. Zhi Xuan had wanted to return to the Thousand Skies Sect and take revenge on Xu Sheng for sending the Eternal Killing Temple to kill him.

  Zhi Xuan furrowed his brow, his sapphire eyes narrowing sharply. Zhu Yanghai's words were like a blade piercing through his spiritual fatigue and touching the core of his anger. Xu Sheng has received his payment. Those words spun around, forming a puzzle. Did it mean the Ancient Zhu Clan had taken action? Or was there another power at work? Regardless, Zhu Yanghai would not have mentioned it without reason.

  "Xu Sheng has received his payment," Zhi Xuan murmured, looking down for a moment and knitting his brows. He was already planning to kill that dog's tail, but now it seemed his path was being cleared. He let out a sharp sigh.

  Zhu Qinglan still stood tall before him, the shadow of her ship speeding away not touching her face, which was as cold as eternal snow. She reached out her hand, taking the sealed Seven Lotus Yin Fruit from the air. Her movement was calm and full of dignity. Once the Fruit was in her grasp, its pitch-black petals radiated a soothing Yin aura throughout Zhu Qinglan's body.

  Zhi Xuan looked up again and smiled thinly. He rose immediately and tapped his waist to bring out the Seven Star Boat. The boat, which was originally small, grew until it could accommodate two people. Without hesitation, Zhi Xuan channeled his remaining essence and stepped onto the bow of the boat.

  "Holy Fairy Zhu, please," Zhi Xuan said, standing on the boat that floated above the ground. Ready to be flown toward the Thousand Skies Sect and return.

  Zhu Qinglan stared at the silence between them, a silence filled with sacrifice and unspoken acknowledgment. She ignored Zhu Yanghai's parting mockery and focused on the youth standing at the bow of that tattered boat; his figure was dirty and covered in ancient dust, but his eyes radiated a light sharper than ever before. In her heart, she knew that this youth had taken risks beyond death, not for the sake of the Ancient Zhu Clan, but solely for the promise he had carved at the Eternal Jade Peak.

  She stepped forward. Each step was graceful and calm, but the firmness in her light grey eyes was a deep acknowledgment. Zhu Qinglan stepped onto the Seven Star Boat, landing lightly without causing even the slightest jolt. She stood behind Zhi Xuan, the pure majesty of a righteous cultivator now standing alongside the Chaos aura of a Black-Haired Devil.

  Zhi Xuan immediately channeled his remaining spiritual essence. The Seven Star Boat vibrated, emitting a faint blue light, and with a soft roar, the boat streaked into the air. He left the Ancient Wasteland, leaving behind the oppressive Primordial air and the mystery of the Great Emperor's Tomb now closed by invisible Heavenly Laws.

  The scenery below them soon changed from dusty desert to green spiritual forests and majestic mountains shrouded in mist. Atop the fast-moving Seven Star Boat, the long silence once again enveloped them.

  "You are wounded," Zhu Qinglan whispered softly, breaking the silence. The whisper came suddenly, cold yet audible behind Zhi Xuan's back, where his robe was torn. "The little wooden man statue crumbled; I have thrown it away."

  Zhi Xuan started slightly, but remained silent and gave no answer. Only a rough exhale served as his reply. He did not turn around, and he could also feel Zhu Qinglan move one step closer behind him. Being apart for months should not have changed Zhu Qinglan's disposition. But now, Zhu Qinglan's movement of stepping one step closer seemed to betray her true nature.

  The air around Zhu Qinglan, which was usually cold and freezing, now carried a slightly warmer breath. She did not channel Water Laws or slap silks as she usually did to Zhi Xuan, but her presence felt more real, closer than she had ever allowed. The whisper about the thrown-away statue was a brutal affirmation; she knew Zhi Xuan had nearly died, and his current state was living proof.

  "The statue crumbled into dust three months ago," Zhu Qinglan's voice was now clearer, cold as an ice blade spoken with absolute truth. "And I... I waited. Every day, every night, at the Eternal Jade Peak, I restrained myself from destroying that statue myself."

  Zhi Xuan fell silent. Three months ago. That was the same time he had fallen into the Ancient Tomb Core, his body on the brink of collapse between death and life. The statue carved with his spiritual blood had felt the destruction of his Dao foundation as it nearly crumbled.

  "The statue crumbled, and I did not throw it away," Zhu Qinglan continued, her voice now feeling slightly shaky, a real betrayal of her iceberg nature. "I only kept it. Keeping the ashes of your foundation's destruction as a reminder of the stupidity you have committed."

  Zhi Xuan finally smiled thinly, a smile unseen by Zhu Qinglan, a smile that was weary yet full of triumph. So that was it. The holy fairy was not lying. She was only trying to hide the worry she had kept for three months, though it was still shrouded in cold denial.

  "The statue is no longer important," Zhi Xuan murmured, staring ahead and steering the Seven Star Boat to take another path that did not pass the Central Desert Lake, seeking instead a cooler route. "And, am I not now right before your face?"

  Zhu Qinglan took another breath, cold and slow. She could see Zhi Xuan's broad shoulders before her, the tattered, torn robe, and the scent of the Ancient Wasteland's dust that clung to him. The aroma was not that of rotten blood, but the aroma of a Dao that had almost shattered and was now rising again.

  Unconsciously, she took another step forward and, with a trembling hand, gripped the back of Zhi Xuan's robe. Zhu Qinglan's grip on Zhi Xuan's robe felt very light, yet it carried the weight of millions of pounds of unspoken worry. It was a touch that contradicted every Law of Purity she had held firmly until now.

  Zhi Xuan, feeling that light yet heavy grip, did not move. He allowed the contradictory warmth of Zhu Qinglan's hand to pierce through his torn robe, touching his tensed back. He knew that behind this touch lay an acknowledgment of the most honest weakness and worry, something he would never obtain through words.

  "You won't leave again, will you?" Zhu Qinglan whispered, her voice now barely audible, swallowed by the roar of the wind cleaving the Seven Star Boat. In that whisper, there was no longer the cold tone of an iceberg; there was only a sincere uncertainty, a question addressed to Destiny itself.