Outside the Sea of Consciousness, Zhi Xuan opened his sapphire eyes. The purple-blue lightning flashes around him had now stabilized, dimming into a soft glow that pulsed in harmony with his heartbeat, which had returned to normal. He took a long breath, pushing aside the cold threat of Ruo Xianxue that had just brushed against his consciousness.

  He looked around. The bamboo forest surrounding him was silent, with only the sound of hiding night insects audible. Ao Sheng was already sitting cross-legged before him, surrounded by Divine Black Jade that radiated a dense aura of spiritual essence. Ao Sheng, who was now a Pure Golden Dragon, did not channel mortal cultivation techniques; he simply breathed. Each breath seemed to draw the essence of Heaven and Earth, as well as the pure jade essence, turning it into pure dragon essence that seeped into his Golden Core.

  This was the cultivation speed of an Ancient Beast—a path not restricted by complex meridians or slow cultivation cycles. They simply absorbed, purified, and grew, driven by their ancestral bloodline. Zhi Xuan smiled faintly, a smile now filled with calmness after the release of tension. He closed his eyes, letting his mind focus on restoring his new Thunder foundation.

  On his shoulder, Xiao Die hovered slightly, as soft rainbow powder enveloped Zhi Xuan's head. The powder was not merely soothing; it was pure spiritual healing essence filtered from the Law of Life by a Heavenly Insect, a luxury only the owner of an Ancient Insect could obtain. The powder seeped into his Heavenly-Blood Body, quickly patching the fine tears in his meridians caused by the forced use of the Thunder Law.

  The night felt cold, so Zhi Xuan waved his hand to create a spiritual shield surrounding Ao Sheng. Meanwhile, Zhi Xuan closed his eyes again in quiet meditation. Returning to his Sea of Consciousness, the Heavenly Samsara Wheel with the embedded Law of the Four Seasons was still attempting to achieve full resonance with the Thunder Law.

  Zhi Xuan waved his spiritual hand, and a silvery spiral immediately formed to try and condense the Thunder Law into one with the Law of the Four Seasons. He attempted to fully control the most violent Law of Nature, which carried the weight of destruction.

  "If Thunder is merely the sound produced by Lightning," Zhi Xuan murmured, trying to guess the nature of the powerful Thunder Law. "Then a bolt of Lightning must be able to appear without the existence of the Sky. If the Sky collapses, then Lightning does not exist. However, what if I become the Sky that serves as the place where the Lightning itself emerges?"

  Zhi Xuan's thoughts were like a sharp blade piercing the core of the Thunder Law. He sat cross-legged in the center of his Sea of Consciousness, letting the newly absorbed Thunder essence churn. He contemplated the essence of destruction; the most demanding and fastest Law in nature, a manifestation of judgment. Creation is built with all the will and matter that construct it, but Destruction is instantaneous and the end of all things.

  "Thunder is not Lightning; Thunder is merely the noise that arises because Nature is trying to contemplate the form of Lightning."

  Zhi Xuan moved his hands, directing the Heavenly Samsara Wheel with every understanding he tried to absorb. How he darted with a flash of Lightning and Thunder only appeared afterward, and how the Sea-Breaking Thunder Sword only carried the weight of a loud roar but was not yet able to carry the true destruction of Lightning.

  He remembered when the Heavenly Calamity nearly extinguished his Soul, and when the Law of the Four Seasons saved him and forged his Divine Organs. How even a Heavenly Calamity so powerful could be balanced by the Law of the Four Seasons, which had been the Cycle since the very birth of Mankind. Lightning does not submit to the Sky; rather, it is the Sky that contemplates the form of a Lightning bolt.

  "If even the Sky is unable to contemplate the Law of Thunder, then Lightning is the Speed and Destruction that brings the End of all things."

  Destruction does not wait for time; rather, it is time that will walk upon the Path of Lightning itself. A bolt of Lightning will not bring Happiness or Enlightenment. Instead, it serves as a form of Judgment and a symbol of the Birth of Destruction. Destruction itself brings Life, and Lightning is the Origin for every Judgment of Heaven.

  Inside his Sea of Consciousness, Zhi Xuan allowed the Heavenly Samsara Wheel to spin without direction. He no longer forced the Thunder Law churning around the Wheel to enter; he let it dance on the boundary of the Law of the Four Seasons.

  "Spring brings birth, Summer brings growth, Autumn brings harvest, and Winter brings death," Zhi Xuan murmured. He closed his eyes, and a new Rune arising from his understanding shot forward and was etched onto his Divine Wheel. "Lightning is the moment when the four Laws meet at a single point, an annihilation that becomes a new beginning."

  As this understanding seeped in, the silvery spiral in his Sea of Consciousness suddenly stopped. The wild Thunder Law, which had been churning erratically, began to form a perfect circle around the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, merging with the Devil Blood Law and other spiritual Laws, though not completely melting into them.

  The process of understanding took quite a long time. Driven by the experience of the Heavenly Calamity, the Thunder Law from the Third Heavenly Thunder Slash technique, and the Sea-Breaking Thunder Sword that felt like a traveling companion, Zhi Xuan finally understood that the Five Elements realm, said to borrow the Laws of Nature, was not just about borrowing, but about immersing and letting the Laws of Nature flow through one's body.

  In his Sea of Consciousness, the absorbed Thunder Law no longer looked like essence taken by force. It now had a form: a Rune of Judgment Lightning etched with majesty and destruction. The Rune shot forward, surpassing the Law of Thunder, and took its place on Zhi Xuan's Divine Wheel.

  With this completion, Zhi Xuan's Divine Wheel spun with three perfect superior foundations: the Pure Thunder Law, the Devil Blood Law, and the Law of the Four Seasons. His foundation as a Five Elements cultivator was now solid, stable, and far beyond those who had just broken through the realm. Zhi Xuan exhaled a spiritual breath. A deep relief crept through his Sea of Consciousness, which now felt vast and calm.

  Zhi Xuan opened his eyes, and the purple-blue lightning flash in his eyes had now fully dimmed, leaving a deep sapphire calm. He felt his Five Elements foundation was now as solid as Primordial steel. The speed and destruction of Lightning were now under his absolute control. Beside him, Ao Sheng was still immersed in his cultivation, the pure golden dragon essence around him becoming increasingly dense.

  "Two weeks have passed, Monkey," Ruo Xianxue hissed in the Sea of Consciousness. She had also entered the stage of solidifying her Spiritual Body and had released Zhi Xuan's seal that bound her to the Tree of Life. "I no longer need the Vitality from your Tree of Life to remain sustained. Soon, I will remain connected to your Tree of Life but will not be overly affected even if I am far from it."

  Zhi Xuan smiled coldly in the Sea of Consciousness, a smirk filled with arrogance now clearly visible, as if he welcomed Ruo Xianxue's approaching freedom. He knew that with Ruo Xianxue no longer tied to the Tree of Life, they could go much further. As for Xiao Die, she had a significant opportunity with her transformation, no longer just appearing in the form of a moth, but also being able to have a manifested spiritual body.

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  "Good," Zhi Xuan replied in his Sea of Consciousness. "Two weeks is enough for me to stabilize the Thunder Law. Now, you can perform full meditation with Xiao Die. I will not disturb the two of you."

  Zhi Xuan withdrew his Primary Soul back into his physical body. He rose to his feet with agile and calm movements; his entire aura felt like a sheathed sword—lethal yet controlled. He channeled a bit of the Thunder Law, and the spiritual vortex surrounding Ao Sheng instantly vanished, leaving the Pure Golden Dragon in silence.

  Ao Sheng's eyes opened, radiating a pure golden light. He immediately stood up, and the Pure Golden Dragon aura around him was instantly absorbed back into his Golden Core. Two weeks of cultivation driven by the Divine Black Jade had stabilized him at the Sprouting Fang level, though he was still far from a level advancement.

  "Quite good," Zhi Xuan praised calmly, nodding vaguely as he saw Ao Sheng's stable aura. "In the journey to the Devil Fire Abyss, perhaps something will make you take a step further."

  Zhi Xuan glanced toward the East, where the sun began to radiate a cold bronze light through the gaps in the bamboo. He had spent two weeks stabilizing his foundation, a short but essential time. They had to move quickly before the news of the massacre at the Black Dragon Tomb spread further and attracted stronger cultivators from the Orthodox Dao.

  "We will go South," Zhi Xuan commanded, his voice returning to a flat, efficient tone. "The Devil Fire Abyss is located far to the south of this plain. We will use full speed."

  In the Sea of Consciousness, Ruo Xianxue snorted, but her majestic aura soon enveloped the Ancient Devil Monument. Her spiritual body, now radiating a pure glow, began to absorb the refined essence of the Divine Herbs. Beside her, a cheerful Xiao Die immediately drifted into the folds of the Monument, welcoming the opportunity for total solidification.

  Zhi Xuan, ignoring his last debate with the Primordial Devil, stepped forward. He brought out the Seven Star Boat. This time, he did not launch it into the air but used the artifact as a vessel traveling between the bamboo trees. Zhi Xuan tapped the shoulder of Ao Sheng, who had just finished his cultivation.

  "The Path of the Beast, Golden Dragon," Zhi Xuan said as he stepped into the boat, allowing Ao Sheng to follow him. "You will see a more cruel view of the world."

  Ao Sheng nodded and stepped into the Seven Star Boat, which now moved with stable speed above the ground, cutting through the bamboo forest as if the ship were a weightless shadow. The Seven Star Boat moved with a speed that made the surrounding bamboo forest blur into dark green lines. Zhi Xuan sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, his sapphire eyes scanning the horizon while the Thunder Law beneath his skin pulsed.

  "Fire Heart Fruit," Zhi Xuan murmured, closing his eyes and seeing the spiritual map that mentioned the magma pool where the Fire Heart Flower grew. "Seniors Yan Xu and Nian Qin were right; there is an Ancient Spirit there that devours souls."

  Zhi Xuan could see the refined spiritual map, but he no longer felt fear. He had been given a task to complete and assistance from the Heavenly Lotus Sect, especially with the drop of Azure Dragon Blood still safely stored in the sandalwood box within his storage bag. He, of course, had to fulfill this debt to Yan Xu and Nian Qin who had given him their trust.

  However, he was also curious about the Ancient Spirit rumored to be able to create illusions that weakened every cultivator. There were rumors of very powerful Illusions, and cultivators who came to the Devil Fire Abyss to hunt for Divine Herbs were said to never return; only a few returned, and even then, it was through risking their lives or having the luck of survival.

  The journey took three days, crossing plains filled with forests and rugged stone hills. The Seven Star Boat moved with a speed only achievable by a Five Elements cultivator using a Heaven-Grade Artifact. During the day, Zhi Xuan controlled the boat with hidden Thunder Law, while at night, he let the star energy from the boat guide them.

  When the sun set on the third day, the Seven Star Boat suddenly stopped. Before them, the lush bamboo forest was replaced by a barren and fiery landscape. The ground around them radiated extreme heat. The air was filled with the scent of sulfur and dense Fire essence; even the surrounding plants appeared withered and scorched.

  "Devil Fire Abyss," Ao Sheng murmured, his golden eyes narrowing. Although his Golden Dragon Bloodline should not be affected by ordinary heat, he could feel the pressure from the Fire essence floating in the air, an essence that felt far more ancient and fierce than mortal Fire.

  Zhi Xuan jumped down from the Seven Star Boat, tapped the artifact, and the boat immediately vanished into his storage bag. He did not channel Ice or Water Laws to resist the heat; he let the Thunder Law in his meridians pulse, absorbing the extreme heat. He had already solidified his Thunder foundation; now he needed the Pure Fire Law to balance his Five Elements foundation.

  "This abyss is a dumping ground for spiritual artifacts and devil spirits in the Zhao Country. Here, too, there are Spirits that have no physical foundation but consist only of fire and the souls they have devoured," Zhi Xuan hissed, his gaze sharp. He pointed forward. Far ahead, a pitch-black abyss yawned; from the bottom of the abyss, the glow of red magma radiated a threatening light, and above it, a blood-red mist hung.

  Zhi Xuan felt the vibration of the Heavenly Cauldron in his Sea of Consciousness, and he also felt a strange resonance from the Shabby Coffin in his storage bag. These two objects, and down there, were the origins of the two items now in his hands. Perhaps Zhi Xuan would truly find the truth about his origins related to the Ancient Heavens.

  "Stay with me," Zhi Xuan commanded coldly, creating a Four-Directional Blood Shield to encompass Ao Sheng, who was somewhat vulnerable to the toxic essence or the dense devil mist down there. "We will wait here before descending; I will study the terrain of this Abyss first."

  In the silence filled with suffocating heat, Zhi Xuan closed his eyes for a moment. He no longer relied on his physical eyes; his Divine Sense expanded with a speed driven by the stable Thunder Law, diving into the Devil Fire Abyss.

  His Divine Sense pierced through the layer of blood-red mist hanging over the abyss. The mist was not just vapor; it was a blend of Devil Fire essence and the wails of trapped souls, a spiritual poison capable of disturbing an ordinary Consciousness Transformation cultivator. The Four-Directional Blood Shield he had just created around Ao Sheng was a wise decision.

  Once through the mist, Zhi Xuan's Divine Sense faced waves of burning heat that could even sting his consciousness. At the bottom of the abyss, the scene was a vast, churning sea of magma, radiating orange and dark red glows that moved slowly. In several areas, he saw eruptions of green fire emitting a cold aura of destruction—pure Devil Fire.

  In the middle of that sea of magma, Zhi Xuan saw countless black stone formations, like small islands. On one of those islands, far in the center of the deepest abyss, his Divine Sense detected a gentle yet powerful fluctuation of life. The Fire Heart Fruit. The fruit sat atop glowing red vines, surrounded by a layer of extremely dense Fire essence.

  However, what most caught Zhi Xuan's attention was the movement within the magma. His Divine Sense caught countless transparent shadows. They had no physical bodies; they were clumps of spiritual energy formed by Devil Fire and trapped Primary Souls. These were the Ancient Spirits spoken of, soul-hungry entities that survived by eating failed cultivators.

  Each Ancient Spirit radiated an aura of spiritual madness and piercing despair. They swam and twisted within the sea of magma as if the magma were cool, pure water. Zhi Xuan's Divine Sense noted that these Spirits, although they had no clear cultivation realm, possessed combat instincts driven by thousands of years of suffering and madness. They were ghosts that were not devils, but rather wandering souls that were simply stronger.

  "Restless ghosts," Zhi Xuan murmured, a thin smirk creeping onto his face. "How could they possibly frighten a Devil?"

  Zhi Xuan withdrew his Divine Sense. He smiled coldly. Those spirits might be troublesome for an Orthodox cultivator who had to be careful that their Primary Soul was not tainted or eaten, but for Zhi Xuan, they were merely food waiting to be harvested. He possessed a Soul Lantern that craved souls, and he now had the Pure Thunder Law, which was the natural enemy of spiritual entities and Yin elements.

  He turned, looking at Ao Sheng. "Those spirits will be very strong with Illusions. We will go down. Do not move too far from me, Ao Sheng. You must stay focused and do not let the mist or their aura of madness touch your Golden Core."

  Zhi Xuan clenched his jaw. He understood that time was of the essence. He could not wait for other cultivators to arrive and harvest the Fire Heart Fruit before him. He stepped toward the edge of the abyss, taking a position to jump.

  "Sea-Breaking Thunder Sword," Zhi Xuan called, and the dark sword drifted out of his storage bag, its blade enveloped by Pure Lightning that pulsed gently, a manifestation of the newly stabilized Thunder foundation.

  He did not use the sword to attack, but as a lure. He channeled the Pure Thunder Law into the sword, creating a destructive magnetic field around himself.

  "We will go down with Lightning," Zhi Xuan hissed, his gaze now radiating a cold madness. "Speed is your best protection."