On the other side of the deck, Zhi Xuan sat cross-legged, his eyes now open and radiating a sharp focus. His ridiculous argument with Ruo Xianxue in the Sea of Consciousness had provided him with a valuable pause and information: the Incarnation Spiritual Body of the Ancient Fox had stabilized and was now capable of using the Law of Darkness.
"The Law of Darkness," Zhi Xuan murmured. He stretched out his hand, and the Law of Pure Lightning pulsed in his palm. "It is indeed the foundation of true destruction, but Lightning is pure judgment. Both go hand in hand, but they cannot mix before I can control them."
Zhi Xuan stared at the horizon, looking far toward the North; the wild forest beneath him felt foreign and full of the roars of beasts. The journey north felt long, and he decided to stop once they reached a civilization far from the Zhao Kingdom, distancing themselves from the influence of the Shi Clan and finding a safe place to prepare for the Northern Continent.
The Seven-Star Boat glided for two full days over the chaotic wild forest, a region known as the Darkness Border. This territory was a buffer between the Zhao Kingdom, rich in spirituality, and the extreme Northern Continent. No major sect dared to claim sovereignty here; there were only Ancient Beasts, wandering cultivators, and temporary fortresses seeking unique resources from the wild.
Throughout the journey, the Seven-Star Boat sped quietly, driven by Zhi Xuan's efficient Law of Pure Lightning. Behind him, Ao Sheng had fully immersed himself in the absorption of the Beast Cores. His Azure King aura pulsed around his body; the Fire Beast Core and the Illusion Beast Core had been completely absorbed.
Within his Golden Core, the Laws of Fire and Illusion now resided, subordinate to the Water Law and the Azure Dragon Bloodline. He still had to absorb the hardest Metal Beast Core, but the foundation of his Five Element Dao was now much firmer.
Zhi Xuan did not waste time. During those two days, he digested knowledge from the Ancient Heaven Memory Legacy, focusing on techniques of divination and concealment. He found sections on the Eclipse Runes and the Heaven-Sealing Formation, knowledge that transcended any mortal formation.
He also focused on his Lightning Law. After the Heavenly Sword integrated, he realized that he could summon Lightning not only from the Heavens and himself, but also from the void within Ruo Xianxue's Sea of Consciousness.
At the end of the second day, Zhi Xuan arrived at the first decent civilization. It was a fortress city built from black volcanic stone, surrounded by formation walls that emitted a solid Earth essence. The city was known as Golden Gate City, a trading post established by cultivators from various continents seeking wild resources.
"Finally, civilization," Zhi Xuan muttered. He channeled his essence, and the Seven-Star Boat slowed down, descending slowly outside the city's main gate. He stored the boat into his storage bag. Ao Sheng stood beside him with a calm face, although he had not yet fully refined the three Azure King cores.
"Civilization, indeed," Ao Sheng replied, his voice slightly hoarse from the intensive cultivation. He opened his eyes, which now radiated a more stable golden-blue light. "Golden Gate City. A name full of wild life. This city was built upon a volcanic earth vein, which is why its walls are so sturdy."
Ao Sheng had absorbed two Azure King Beast Cores—Fire and Illusion. His Dao foundation felt dense, and he now felt the ability to manifest Dragon Fire and Mist Illusions with minimal spiritual effort.
"The Metal Law from the Iron-Horned Rhino is too hard. I will absorb it after we find a safe inn," Ao Sheng added, pointing toward the heavily guarded black stone gate.
Zhi Xuan nodded, agreeing with Ao Sheng's analysis. He channeled the Pure Spring Law to cover Ao Sheng's new and wild spiritual aura, disguising him to look like an ordinary Consciousness Transformation cultivator. Zhi Xuan himself did not need to disguise his realm; his Devil aura naturally repelled shallow spiritual detection.
They walked toward the gate. The gate guards, wearing heavy armor and carrying spiritual spears, immediately intercepted them. They were all hardened and experienced Five Element cultivators, tempered by the wild.
"Two Daoists, the entry fee to Golden Gate City is ten low-grade Spiritual Stones per person," one of the guards said, his eyes sharp and emotionless. He observed Zhi Xuan and Ao Sheng's clothing, looking for signs of weakness or wealth.
Zhi Xuan took out twenty low-grade Spiritual Stones and handed them over. He did not care about the small fee. His goal was to enter without drawing unnecessary attention.
The guard took the Spiritual Stones, his Divine Sense darting briefly over Zhi Xuan's body. Although he could not pierce Zhi Xuan's disguised aura, his instinct warned him that the youth before him was not someone to be trifled with. The calm yet dangerous aura stopped his intention to ask further questions.
"The path straight ahead will lead you to the market and the inn district," the guard said, pointing with his spear. "In Golden Gate City, we do not tolerate fighting within the formation walls. If there is a conflict, take it outside the City and settle private matters without disturbing the city."
Zhi Xuan gave a small nod without saying a word. He led Ao Sheng in through the thick black stone gates. The air inside the city felt dense and smelled lightly of sulfur, mixed with the scents of herbs and heated iron.
Golden Gate City was not an elegant city like those in the Zhao Kingdom; it was coarse, practical, and dominated by harsh spiritual energy. Low and sturdy volcanic stone buildings rose on both sides of the street, designed to withstand spiritual storms and Ancient Beast attacks.
The streets were filled with various kinds of cultivators. Some wore thick Beast skins, carrying large primitive spiritual weapons; others wore clean robes, looking like merchants or formation masters. The most common spiritual aura was the Five Elements, with occasional dense Consciousness Transformation fluctuations—tough cultivators who dared to make a living in the Darkness Border.
As they walked, Zhi Xuan allowed his Divine Sense to spread subtly, absorbing information without drawing attention. His eyes caught everything: shops selling rare Beast Cores, ancient herbs growing on volcanoes, and artifacts forged from Ancient Metal.
They walked toward the center of Golden Gate City. The atmosphere there was much busier, and the spiritual fluctuations in the air felt denser, indicating the presence of more high-realm cultivators. Zhi Xuan observed that most of the cultivators he saw looked rough and carried old scars, evidence of a hard life in the wild.
"Did you hear? The Hongmeng Empire said they are looking for the Black-Haired Devil," whispered one fat cultivator wearing hunter robes to the man beside him; they were on the edge of the street. "They say they are spreading invitations to the Black-Haired Devil, but they never reach him because he is always moving places."
"You mean the invitation saying the Empire wants the Black-Haired Devil to come for the Three Plains competition?" the man beside him replied, snorting softly while rubbing his coarse beard. "Isn't it still too early if the Black-Haired Devil is being invited now?"
Three men with tall, large bodies, and two women in wilderness hunter robes standing near the two men immediately turned around, their faces looking interested in joining the conversation about the rumored Black-Haired Devil. They approached the two men and began to talk in whispers.
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"Didn't he last appear in the Zhao Kingdom?" exclaimed one of the female hunters, her voice filled with familiarity. "I heard he revived a youth with Dragon blood, and he also has good connections with the Heavenly Lotus Sect."
"Correct," another female hunter continued, crossing her arms over her chest. "The Shi Clan issued a hunt for the Black-Haired Devil, even providing a painting depicting his silhouette."
The woman waved her hand and took out a scroll painting showing the figure of the Black-Haired Devil, in black robes with red silk, long black hair tied with Snow Phoenix Jade, looking faint and incomplete in the depiction.
"Snow Phoenix Jade?" muttered one of the tall, large men, his forehead creasing. "He is the same Black-Haired Devil who is said to have ties to Holy Princess Zhu?"
"Of course! Didn't you see it?" exclaimed the man beside the fat man rubbing his beard. "He is someone who follows the Devil Path, yet the Ancient Zhu Clan allowed it because that Devil saved the Ancient Zhu Clan from the bloodline restriction of the Great Emperor Zhu's Tomb. The Black-Haired Devil is truly crazy!"
"Yes, I heard he has several famous names!" exclaimed the tall man leaning against a straw cart. "Black-Haired Devil, The Herald of Devil. Those are all titles he earned from the Arena."
"Do not forget," the fat man said again, his smile widening and drawing the attention of all the cultivators near him. "The Three Plains competition will be held ten years from now. It will invite the top five geniuses of this Xing Luo Plain who are in the Five Element realm!"
"The Three Plains competition?" muttered one of the tall men. "You mean the Yao Gu Plain, the Feng Mie Plain, and Xing Luo? That is a competition involving the Three Great Plains of the lower realm! Why is the Black-Haired Devil directly invited by the Hongmeng Empire?"
"Ha, are you deaf or stupid?" hissed one of the tall men beside him, slapping his shoulder somewhat hard. "Don't you see? He is hunted by the Shi Clan, has ties with the Ancient Zhu Clan, a cultivator who could even come out alive from the Great Emperor's Tomb, possesses mysterious and very powerful artifacts. Do you still question it?"
"Hey, don't hit me!" hissed the man who was slapped, throwing off the hand of the man beside him, then whispering back this time with new understanding. "I know, but the Three Plains competition... isn't that massive? I mean, Yao Gu and Feng Mie, those are outside our own Plain. I don't even want to believe that the Lower Realm has Nine Plains."
"Only you don't believe in the vastness of Heaven and Earth!" the female hunter exclaimed again, her voice sounding annoyed with the soft, tall man. "But I am truly curious, what kind of person is it that even shakes the Ancient Zhu Clan and is allowed to live on peacefully?"
"One that will certainly shake Heaven and Earth," the fat man replied with a wide smile. "Holy Fairy Zhu has even become a Soul Transformation now. That was not without the interference of the Black-Haired Devil."
Zhi Xuan walked beside Ao Sheng, ignoring the whispers that were growing louder around them. He had channeled the Pure Spring Law to block his Divine Sense from unimportant spiritual disturbances, but the conversation of the cultivators around him—so blatant and relaxed—crept into his ears.
Every title mentioned—Black-Haired Devil, The Herald of Devil—and every detail about the Snow Phoenix Jade, the connection with Holy Princess Zhu, and the Shi Clan's hunt felt familiar. A cold amusement ran down his back. He realized that his reputation had grown like an uncontrollable devil fire, leaping from the Zhao Kingdom to the Darkness Border.
Ao Sheng, walking beside him, also heard the conversation. His golden-blue eyes blinked faintly. He now understood why Zhi Xuan, despite looking mischievous and impulsive, always acted with crazy calculations; his Senior was no ordinary young cultivator. His Senior was the subject of legends and whispers, an existence that brought disaster and miracles.
"Senior Zhi Xuan," Ao Sheng whispered, his voice containing a new and deep respect. "They... are talking about you. The Shi Clan has truly announced your hunt."
Zhi Xuan shrugged casually, but his thin smile showed hidden satisfaction. "That is not a bad thing. They are only helping to spread my name. A loud name will make cowards hide. Besides, that scroll painting is too faint. They only saw the black robes and my hair."
He glanced toward the group of cultivators looking at the scroll painting. The image of himself was merely a silhouette, adorned with the Snow Phoenix Jade hair tie—an artifact made with pure Water Law. He felt annoyed; that Jade was a gift from Holy Princess Zhu, and it had now become the primary marker of his identity.
"The Three Plains competition," Zhi Xuan murmured, ignoring the discomfort and focusing on the vital information. He had heard rumors about the decennial gathering of the top geniuses from the Three Great Plains of the Lower Realm. It was a stage to carve one's Dao and test one's Immortal foundation. "The Hongmeng Empire is sending invitations now? They are too fast."
"Senior, the Hongmeng Empire..." Ao Sheng whispered, again unable to help himself.
"Just a bluff," Zhi Xuan cut him off calmly, his Divine Sense locking onto the location of the nearest inn. "If they truly wanted to catch me, they would send a Supreme Elder who could easily take me, not an invitation spread like market rumors. They want to exploit my reputation. Besides, that competition is still ten years away, enough time for me to reach a higher realm."
Ao Sheng realized how far the reputation of his Devil Senior reached. Not only was the Shi Clan hunting him, he already knew the mysterious Ancient Zhu Clan was involved from the first time he heard Zhi Xuan speaking about it with Zhao Xue, and now, the Hongmeng Empire—the greatest ruler on the Xing Luo Plain where two Ancient Clans resided—was inviting him for an inter-Plain level competition.
Zhi Xuan stopped his steps in front of a wine tavern, bringing a scent of wine that felt intoxicating and attractive to him. He walked into the nameless tavern, and Ao Sheng followed behind him, even though he would not drink wine considering he was still shy about trying adult things.
Zhi Xuan stepped into the tavern. The thick wooden door creaked softly, and the bustle inside instantly dimmed for a moment. The tavern was dark and smoky, lit by dim spiritual oil lamps. The floor was dirty with dust and straw scraps.
Dozens of cultivators, from various realms and styles of clothing, sat at rough tables, drinking wine from large porcelain bowls or eating the smoked meat of wild animals. Their auras were dense and harsh, filled with the scent of blood and wild spirituality. Several pairs of sharp eyes immediately turned toward the two strange newcomers—one with long black hair and clean robes, and another with a handsome face and a hidden Dragon aura.
Zhi Xuan ignored those gazes. He walked straight to the long bar made of hard wood, where an old cultivator with hands full of rune tattoos acted as a bartender, radiating a wild aura and smiling thinly as Zhi Xuan approached him.
"Old man," Zhi Xuan said coldly, pulling a thin smile and waving his hand to produce five high-grade spiritual stones. "Give me your luxury wine and for this little youth behind me. Also, prepare your best meat."
Ao Sheng, who was behind Zhi Xuan, looked on dazed, shaking his head and raising his hand. "Senior, I do not drink wi—"
"Your sweetest wine without spirituality," Zhi Xuan cut him off quickly, without looking back, his tone full of absolute indifference toward Ao Sheng's objection. "He is still young; too much wine will make him drunk and seduce women."
The old cultivator, who had a coarse gray beard and eyes that radiated wild wisdom, laughed softly. His laugh sounded like stones rubbing together. He took the five high-grade spiritual stones Zhi Xuan placed on the bar counter—a significant wealth—and weighed them in his palm.
"A generous Young Master," the old cultivator replied, his voice hoarse. His sharp eyes stared at Zhi Xuan, as if trying to measure the depth of the hidden Devil aura. "Our best wine is the Thousand-Year Mist Wind Nectar; you will receive two of the best bottles. For the sweet wine without spirituality for the small youth, we have Red Dragon fruit juice harvested under a full moon. Our best meat is the Golden-Horned Beef slaughtered from a Consciousness Transformation Beast."
Zhi Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Five high-grade Spiritual Stones for two bottles of wine and Beast meat equivalent to Consciousness Transformation was a fair price in the wild border. He sat on a tall, rough wooden stool, while Ao Sheng—who was still protesting internally about his status as a "little youth"—sat awkwardly beside him.
The old cultivator, whom Zhi Xuan noticed had ancient rune tattoos spreading all the way to his neck, immediately served the order. He placed two jade bottles radiating a gentle essence of Wind and Mist—the Thousand-Year Mist Wind Nectar—in front of Zhi Xuan. Then, he served a glass of thick, fragrant blood-red liquid in front of Ao Sheng, and a large plate of perfectly roasted Golden-Horned Beef, emitting smoke with a strong spiritual aroma.
Zhi Xuan opened the first jade bottle. The aroma of the ancient wine immediately filled the tavern, enough to make the Consciousness Transformation cultivators there feel drunk from the smell alone. He filled his porcelain bowl and gulped it down. It tasted cold, refreshing, and the Laws of Wind and Mist contained within it immediately swept through his Sea of Consciousness, calming the spiritual turbulence left by Ruo Xianxue's spiritual whipping.
"Good wine," Zhi Xuan praised with a thin smirk, his throat feeling refreshed and the aroma of the wine being so fragrant. Zhi Xuan poured the wine into the bowl again and swallowed it once more.
369 Chapter Progress in my draft, mind if i binge update to 250 chapter?
