Zhi Xuan poured the wine back into his bowl and gulped it down once more. He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing the essence of the wine to seep in, erasing the fatigue of two days of travel and the internal commotion in his Sea of Consciousness. He felt his newly forged spiritual foundation becoming increasingly dense under the push of the Laws of Wind and Mist contained within that nectar.

  Ao Sheng stared at the Red Dragon fruit juice before him. He felt insulted by the little youth status Zhi Xuan had given him, but the sweet aroma and pure vitality of the juice were too tempting to refuse. He sipped it slowly. The sweet and slightly sour taste of pure dragon fruit spread across his tongue, followed by a wave of vitality essence that calmed his recently turbulent Golden Core. He decided to ignore Zhi Xuan's comments and focus on recovery.

  Zhi Xuan set down his porcelain bowl, shifting his attention to the Golden-Horned Beef. He pinched a piece of the tender meat with spiritual chopsticks and tasted it. The meat was cooked perfectly; the texture was soft, but every muscle fiber radiated a dense Consciousness Transformation essence.

  "Good beast meat," Zhi Xuan murmured. He began to eat calmly, ignoring the intense stares from several cultivators around him who were still curious about his presence.

  The old cultivator at the bar, who was still watching them, now spoke up in a lower voice. "Young Master has a very unfamiliar aura. You are not from this Darkness Border. Are you on a journey to the Northern Continent?"

  Zhi Xuan raised his bowl toward the old cultivator as a sign of respect. "Just passing through. We are seeking experience and resources that cannot be found in the Central Continent."

  "Central," the old cultivator repeated, a thin smile on his face. "The busy Central, Zhao Kingdom. If you come from the Central, I am sure you must have heard the rumors about the Immortal Sword and the Black-Haired Devil who triggered the Heavenly Calamity at the Devil Fire Abyss."

  Zhi Xuan stopped chewing. He looked straight into the old cultivator's eyes, his sapphire pupils radiating absolute calmness. "Market rumors. I heard that Devil is a cultivator who knows no rules and caused trouble for the Shi Clan."

  The old cultivator laughed heartily, a laugh that this time showed a bit of appreciation. "Yes, the Shi Clan is indeed furious. They have spread hunt notices across the entire Xing Luo Plain. But what is interesting, Young Master, is that the notices do not seek the Devil for punishment; they seek the treasure he stole."

  He leaned forward slightly, his voice becoming a whisper that could only be heard by Zhi Xuan and Ao Sheng. "The Shi Clan claims the Devil stole a newly forged Immortal Sword. But whispers among the formation masters here say the Sword is an Immortal Artifact born from destruction—an Artifact that cannot be controlled by mortal men. That is why the Shi Clan is so desperate to obtain it."

  Zhi Xuan smiled thinly. "Perhaps. Greed is a Law of Heaven and Earth that cannot be destroyed, even by the Gods."

  Ao Sheng, who was busily eating his meat, suddenly choked upon hearing the conversation. He stared at Zhi Xuan with a panicked expression. The whisper was exactly right.

  "Speaking of Artifacts born from destruction," the old cultivator continued, shifting his gaze from Zhi Xuan to the Darkness Border outside. "The border has recently become more chaotic. The Border Guards say that in the expanse called the Star Stone Expanse, on the path to the Northern Continent, void cracks have appeared that make some cultivators afraid to come to the Northern Continent."

  "Void cracks," Zhi Xuan repeated, his eyebrows lifting slightly. He took another piece of meat, his face showing the same undisturbed calmness. "Is it related to some of the destruction you mentioned?"

  The old cultivator nodded, serving wine to another customer before leaning back toward Zhi Xuan. "Perhaps, but do not worry. The Star Stone Expanse has long been unstable; the void cracks feared by cultivators are those that will make them appear in strange places if they enter."

  Zhi Xuan narrowed his eyes, his spiritual mind processing the information quickly. Void cracks were manifestations of damaged Spatial Laws, usually caused by high-realm battles or the fusion of powerful Ancient Artifacts. However, cracks extending to the Star Stone Expanse, which was one of the paths to the Northern Continent, indicated significant instability.

  "Void cracks are not a problem," Zhi Xuan cut in, his tone flat and full of confidence. "Some things may happen, but cultivators surely have ways to overcome them."

  Zhi Xuan raised his porcelain bowl, draining the rest of the Thousand-Year Mist Wind Nectar. That confidence was not without basis. With the Ancient Heaven Memory Legacy that he now partially mastered, he possessed a fragmentary yet deep understanding of the Eclipse Runes and complex Spatial Laws. He knew how to navigate Spatial gaps, and even how to utilize their fluctuations.

  Ao Sheng, who had finished his juice, nodded slightly. He knew his Senior would not act recklessly. For Zhi Xuan, this problem was a perfect challenge to test his new knowledge.

  The old cultivator laughed again, a respectful laugh this time. "Young Master has high self-confidence. Do not worry, the Hongmeng Empire has already sent high-realm experts to deal with those void cracks, although some problems may still remain."

  Zhi Xuan set down his empty porcelain bowl with a small clink. He looked at the old cultivator. "The Hongmeng Empire sent high-realm experts?" Zhi Xuan repeated, a cold smirk crossing his face. "The Hongmeng Empire would never waste resources to stabilize a wild border that gives them no great profit, unless there is something far more valuable in the Star Stone Expanse than just a travel path."

  The old cultivator sighed, rubbing the rune tattoo on his arm with a thick finger. He leaned in again, his old eyes now radiating a deep gleam of wisdom, as if he were an old fox who had witnessed thousands of springs.

  "Young Master is very sharp," he whispered, his voice now almost inaudible amidst the tavern's bustle. "It is true. A much quieter whisper says those void cracks are openings to enter the Star Battlefield; it is the remains of the Era of the Fall of the Great Emperors. Traders from the Northern Continent say the Star Battlefield is located right beneath the Ancient Bamboo Mountains."

  "Great Emperor Hua, from the Ancient Hua Clan, once turned Heaven and Earth upside down," the old man continued, his voice as if recalling a legend only mentioned in sacred scriptures. "He alone suppressed the Star Battlefield above the Heavens until it sank beneath the earth, right in the Ancient Bamboo Mountains of the Northern Continent. Cultivators believe that even the footprints of a Great Emperor will leave Emperor Dao Traces!"

  Ao Sheng instantly held his breath. He no longer cared about the Beast Core he was absorbing; the words Star Battlefield and Emperor Dao Traces felt like lightning striking his Sea of Consciousness. The remains of battles from the Era of the Fall of the Great Emperors were treasures sought by the entire Xing Luo Plain.

  "Turning Heaven and Earth upside down," Ao Sheng whispered, his eyes widening as he heard Great Emperor Hua described as being able to suppress the Star Battlefield into the ground. "That... That is so powerful."

  Zhi Xuan, on the other hand, grinned widely. His smile was no longer just arrogance; it was the smile of a Devil who had found a perfect target. His eyes, which were previously calm, now radiated a cold sapphire fire.

  "The Star Battlefield, under the Ancient Bamboo Mountains," Zhi Xuan repeated, his tone vibrating slightly with hidden excitement. He gulped down the rest of the wine in the second jade bottle, as if the wine were the blood of the Great Emperors. "That explains why the Hongmeng Empire sent high-realm experts. They are not stabilizing the path; they are claiming the treasure."

  He understood why the Hongmeng Empire sent high-realm experts, ignoring the cost. It was not about stabilizing a path. It was about harvesting a Legacy. An Emperor Dao Trace was a foundation of cultivation that surpassed any technique; it was an absolute understanding of the Laws of Heaven and Earth possessed by an Emperor. Even a single breath left by a Great Emperor was enough for a Peak Consciousness Transformation cultivator to make a breakthrough.

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  Zhi Xuan remembered the time he directly saw the coffins of Great Emperor Zhu and Great Emperor Hua, how those Emperors were truly incredibly powerful, and how he had arrogantly carved his own name on the walls of the Great Emperor's Tomb. He shook his head subtly as he remembered that; regardless, he vowed that one day he would surpass the Great Emperors.

  "Danger and legacy coexist," the old man said again, his voice full of ancient wisdom. "The Star Battlefield is not like the Mortal Realm. Even the Traces of a Great Emperor are miracles of Heaven and Earth."

  "Star Battlefield. Emperor Dao Traces," Zhi Xuan murmured. He looked around the rough tavern. The spiritual power and wealth he currently possessed were nothing compared to the treasures collapsed by the remains of the Great Emperor Era. "Even just staring at the remains of an Emperor's step allows one to understand the Great Dao."

  Zhi Xuan placed the second jade bottle on the table, the clinking sound drawing the attention of several cultivators who were immersed in their wine. He wiped the remaining wine from his lips with the back of his hand, his eyes radiating a deep calmness.

  "Ancient Bamboo Mountains," Zhi Xuan whispered, ensuring the location was perfectly engraved in his memory. But for now, the most important thing was to find a place where he could understand the Law of Fire and the Law of Water in peace. "Thank you, Old Man, I will remember this information well."

  Zhi Xuan gave a small nod, the smile on his lips disappearing, replaced by an expression that was once again flat and calculated. He no longer asked for further details. For him, knowing the name and location—the Star Battlefield beneath the Ancient Bamboo Mountains—was more than enough. The rest was a matter of harvesting, and he preferred to rely on his own instincts rather than whispers from the market.

  The old cultivator, sensing Zhi Xuan's spiritual energy dimming, nodded back. He knew the youth before him had made a decision. He had provided the warning and the clue; Zhi Xuan's subsequent fate lay in the hands of the young Devil himself.

  Zhi Xuan turned, his gaze fixed on Ao Sheng who was still sitting with sparkling eyes, immersed in the imaginary majesty of the Emperor Dao Traces.

  "Listen, Golden Dragon," Zhi Xuan called, his voice returning to being cold and commanding. "The Star Battlefield is a matter for the future. Before you dream of Emperor Dao Traces, make sure you do not die at the hands of a random Consciousness Transformation beast."

  Ao Sheng was instantly jolted, a deep respect mixed with embarrassment washing over him. He nodded quickly, realizing how much he had been swayed by ancient legends. "I understand, Senior Zhi Xuan. I will return to focusing on the Metal Beast Core."

  Zhi Xuan ignored Ao Sheng as he buried himself back into the bowl of meat. He stood up, pressing the empty porcelain bowl with his fingertip, and the bowl instantly crumbled into fine spiritual dust. He had paid. There was nothing more to ask.

  He stepped out of the bar, walking straight toward the thick wooden door. Ao Sheng, though he still wanted to finish his juice, hurriedly grabbed his bowl and bottle, following Zhi Xuan.

  As they walked out, the bustle of the wine tavern once again filled the room. However, there were now new whispers accompanying their departure. The cultivators who witnessed Zhi Xuan's brief conversation with the old cultivator exchanged glances, realizing that these two newcomers were no ordinary cultivators.

  Outside the tavern, the morning air had been replaced by the heat of midday, and the sulfur smell felt stronger. Zhi Xuan led Ao Sheng toward the inn district. Golden Gate City was indeed built with practicality; the inns here were sturdy stone fortresses offering cultivation rooms with adequate spiritual isolation formations.

  Zhi Xuan chose an inn located on the edge of the city, which looked quieter and had thicker formation walls. The inn was known as the Silent Thunder Fortress, managed by a middle-aged female cultivator who possessed a very strong Earth Law aura.

  He rented a top-tier cultivation room with a spiritual isolation formation, paying ten high-grade Spiritual Stones for one week. He did not want to be stingy regarding security and privacy.

  Once they were inside the room, Zhi Xuan immediately spread his Divine Sense throughout the area. The room was spacious, with a jade stone bed serving as a means for cultivation, and an isolation formation that truly blocked their spiritual fluctuations from the outside world.

  Zhi Xuan sat cross-legged on the jade stone bed, facing the thick stone window. He closed his eyes, taking a long spiritual breath. "Ao Sheng," he called without opening his eyes. "I will prepare myself for the Laws of Fire and Water."

  In the corner of the room, Ao Sheng immediately nodded. He understood. Zhi Xuan intended to use this time in the Silent Thunder Fortress to fully digest his understanding of the Laws of Fire and Water, two elements that would make him even stronger in the Five Element realm.

  Ao Sheng wasted no time. He took out the Metal Beast Core from the Ancient Iron-Horned Rhino, which still felt hard and cold. He sat cross-legged on the solid stone floor, focusing his entire Golden Core to face the final resistance of this most difficult Beast Core to conquer.

  Zhi Xuan closed his eyes completely. The physical environment before him disappeared, replaced by the majestic realm of his Sea of Consciousness. There, the Devil Tree of Life towered, its roots crawling over the hidden Devil Seed. Beneath it, one ancient monument, the Ancient Devil Monument, pulsed in a calm rhythm.

  Zhi Xuan's attention was fixed on the spiritual Heavenly Sword now floating calmly above the Pillar of the Heavenly-Blood Body Law. Its dark blade radiated a stable resonance of Pure Lightning. In the same Sea of Consciousness, the spiritual figure of Ruo Xianxue sat gracefully under the Tree of Life, radiating the Ultimate Darkness Law. She no longer showed anger, but a calm aura full of authority.

  "Law of Water," Zhi Xuan murmured, staring at the calm Sea of Consciousness. "I need Extreme Ice, not merely to understand the Law of Water, but to master Extreme Ice."

  Zhi Xuan's current understanding of the Law of Water felt shallow; it was merely a control of spiritual fluids and mist. He knew that to truly dominate this element, he must reach an understanding of its most extreme nature—Pure Ice or Extreme Ice. The Northern Continent, with its ice plains, was the perfect location, but he did not want to rely solely on his journey.

  He directed his spiritual gaze toward the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron. The ancient artifact spun slowly, radiating the Law of Four Seasons into the Sea of Consciousness. The Law of Winter, representing hibernation, stagnation, and solidification, pulsed with a frozen cold energy.

  "Law of Winter," Zhi Xuan whispered. "That is the Season Law closest to Extreme Ice, yet it is still bound to the cycle of life."

  He stretched out his spiritual hand, touching the rotating Law of Winter. He did not try to absorb or force it; he tried to resonate with it, seeking traces of a Dao that transcended the Seasons. In a hidden corner of the Sea of Consciousness, the Kun Peng Fetus—suppressed under the Monument Rune—suddenly pulsed faintly.

  The Kun Peng was an ancient creature that ruled the highest Laws of Wind and Water. Although the Fetus was sleeping, the resonance from Zhi Xuan's thoughts regarding Extreme Ice triggered an instinctive response from its ancient body. Zhi Xuan felt a flow of incredibly cold and sharp essence shooting from the location of the Kun Peng Fetus.

  It was not pure power, but a pure understanding of Extreme Ice, which transcended the Law of Winter. It was the understanding of Water that Freezes Beneath the Cosmos. Ruo Xianxue, sitting cross-legged under the Tree of Life, opened her dual pupils. She looked toward Zhi Xuan with a hint of surprise.

  "Kun Peng," she hissed, her voice calm yet containing a warning. "Do not force it. That Fetus will tear your Sea of Consciousness apart if you try to steal its Dao understanding too quickly."

  Zhi Xuan ignored Ruo Xianxue. He caught that wisp of Extreme Ice understanding, carving it onto his pseudo-Pillar of Water Law. The understanding felt like a sharp ice blade, piercing his Dao logic. Pure Ice is balancing, not fearing Pure Fire. But Extreme Ice is an absolute frozenness where even Fire cannot survive.

  Instantly, the previously calm Sea of Consciousness began to spiritually freeze around Zhi Xuan's Water Law Pillar. The energy seeping out from the Kun Peng Fetus was so pure and ancient; it was a manifestation of the Law of Water reaching its absolute point. Zhi Xuan groaned softly. The piercing cold did not come from the outside, but from within his Primary Soul.

  "Azure Holy Flame," Zhi Xuan hissed and flicked his Soul Fire into the Sea of Consciousness, reducing the piercing cold. "So powerful."

  Outside his physical body, even the jade stone bed began to show signs of freezing creeping from Zhi Xuan's body. The atmosphere of the room changed drastically before the spiritual Zhi Xuan suppressed that piercing Extreme Ice within his Sea of Consciousness.

  Ao Sheng, who was concentrating on refining the Metal Beast Core in the corner of the room, suddenly felt an extraordinary cold enveloping him, piercing all the way to his Dragon Golden Core. He opened his eyes slightly, seeing a thin layer of ice beginning to form on the jade stone bed where Zhi Xuan sat.

  The cold was so pure, so absolute, as if it were the essence of water that had reached its eternity, surpassing the ordinary Law of Winter. Ao Sheng immediately knit his brow, channeling the Fire Law he had just obtained from the Three-Headed Fire Ape Beast Core to protect his body from the sudden chill.

  He shifted his gaze to Zhi Xuan. His Senior's face was calm, but his brow was slightly furrowed, and the spiritual aura around him pulsed wildly between extreme cold and the heat of the faint Pure Lightning Law. Ao Sheng immediately closed his eyes again, deciding not to disturb Zhi Xuan's cultivation. He knew his Senior was facing a tempering of the Dao far beyond the mortal realm.

  Inside the Sea of Consciousness, Zhi Xuan managed to isolate the wisp of Extreme Ice understanding within his Water Law Pillar. That understanding was now enveloped by the Law of Winter from the Divine Cauldron, locked away so as not to disturb other spiritual essences.