The Eighth Prince lifted the bell slightly. The peaceful yet suffocating power fluctuations of the Seven Eternal Gods Bell immediately spread. He gazed toward the South, in the direction expected to be Zhi Xuan's arrival path, as if he wanted to show that the Empire possessed artifacts and pride capable of rivaling any Devil that arrived.

  "The Seven Eternal Gods Bell," whispered an Elder of the Ancient Hua Clan, sitting in the honorary tribune across from Hua Lian Xi. "The Eighth Prince brought it! He truly intends to challenge the Black-Haired Devil in front of everyone!"

  Hua Tianming, sitting on the golden silk tatami, smiled thinly. He moved his cup, causing his spiritual tea to swirl slowly.

  "That bell is an Immortal-grade artifact. The power of the bell is a manifestation of the Soul Law. It can withstand the destruction of Lightning and paralyze the soul," Hua Tianming explained, his voice remaining calm. "The Eighth Prince of the Empire, he wants to show that the Devil's Dao, no matter how perfect its foundation, will still submit to the Law of Order of the Hongmeng Empire."

  Beside him, Hua Lian Xi nodded vaguely. "The bell is a test, not for Zhi Xuan, but for the Ancient Zhu Clan. If Zhi Xuan is able to withstand the Seven Eternal Gods Bell, then the Zhu Clan's protection over him will be stronger. If he fails... then the Zhu Clan must decide whether they will intervene for their pawn."

  At the Ancient Zhu Clan's tribune, Zhu Yanghai watched coldly. His silvery eyes showed no emotion.

  "My brother-in-law indeed has many enemies," Zhu Yanghai murmured, his smile thinning. "This Eighth Prince, his foundation has reached Perfection. With that bell, he is a threat. Qinglan, if he steps too far, will you move?"

  Zhu Qinglan remained standing tall, her pearl veil shimmering. She shifted her gaze from the Seven Eternal Gods Bell, staring directly at the Hongmeng Emperor, then at Zhu Yanghai.

  "My karmic bond is to obtain, not to protect," Zhu Qinglan replied with a cold voice. "If his Dao is easily destroyed by a mortal bell, then he is not worthy of being my Taoist Protector. Let destruction find him. That is the test of his own Dao."

  However, within her Sea of Consciousness, the Pure Water Law pulsed at a terrifying speed, ready to retaliate against any spiritual fluctuation that touched Zhi Xuan. Although her words were cold, her soul was tied to the fate of the youth, a contradiction known only to her and Zhu Yanghai.

  Meanwhile, the Young King of the Central Star, Ye Ming, slowly opened his eyes from behind the shadow of his robes. His gaze pierced through the crowd, fixed on the Seven Eternal Gods Bell.

  "Order and Balance," Ye Ming murmured. "Daoist Zhi Xuan's burden will be tested by the weight of Heavenly Order. A true philosophical battle."

  Suddenly, the eyes of the Young King of the Western Star, Shi Xing, which had been closed, snapped open. His pupils, radiating starlight, moved rapidly, catching something in the distance, far above the southern horizon.

  "He is coming," hissed Shi Xing, his voice hoarse with ambition and hatred. His Lightning Dao vibrated, ready to explode.

  The silence in the grand Plaza was immediately torn by spiritual ripples coming from the Heavens. It was not the sound of an explosion or a roar, but the sound of something cleaving through space with a speed that surpassed mortal logic, a flash of glowing red lightning as if a predatory eagle had arrived.

  WHUSH! WHUSH! WHUMP! WHUMP!

  The reddish streak dived down like an eagle finding its prey, striking the edge of the arena with an arrogant booming sound. It caused the Plaza to tremble slightly and gave rise to an overwhelming spiritual wave. Everyone held their breath; thousands of eyes stared sharply and shifted their gaze toward a single point.

  There, a man with flowing silvery hair waved his hand gently. His black robes with red silk swayed because of the spiritual wave he released. He rose from his crouched position, the smoke subsiding to reveal the silhouette of a towering figure. His body showed that he was no ordinary man cultivating the Path of Truth.

  His eyes were sapphire blue like dead stars, his gaze as sharp as a twilight blade cleaving through Heavenly Tribulation. On his back, a Heavenly Sword was strapped, wrapped in a white cloth that acted as a scabbard for him, but it was not that which made him appear like a Devil or a Celestial, but the piercing cold air that came creeping across the Plaza.

  Thousands of pairs of eyes, ranging from Five Element realm cultivators to Divine Transformation Elders sitting in the Pavilion of Majesty, were now fixed on that figure. The aura he radiated was not one of wild destruction, but a strange blend: the dense and unshakable weight of the Earth, mixed with the coldness of Extreme Ice and hidden Lightning energy.

  Every pair of eyes found him foreign; the man who was supposed to be the Black-Haired Devil had now transformed into a silver-haired man, as if his own cultivation path brought the dust of corpses and death in his wake, leaving a mark on his hair like the cold of the Extreme Ice Mountains. Zhi Xuan stood without anyone behind him; he only came with the Heavenly Sword on his back.

  In the presence of the Ten Thousand Year Heaven Jade Plaza that shone with Order, the presence of Zhi Xuan, the Silver-Haired Devil, felt like an ink stain on white silk. The aura he radiated was so calm, yet every cultivator witnessing it felt their Dao foundations suppressed by an unavoidable spiritual weight.

  Zhi Xuan tilted his face upward, staring at the Mortal Emperor and the Imperial Elders. He moved his hands and clasped them together, bowing deeply yet showing no submission, only respect to one who ruled, as if he were the one who would one day stand to rule as a future promise.

  A suffocating silence greeted his arrival. Thousands of pairs of eyes stared at him; some were full of hatred, some full of curiosity, and some were shrouded in the cold analysis of the Ancient Clans. From the Pavilion of Majesty, the Hongmeng Emperor only nodded vaguely, saying nothing, as if Zhi Xuan's presence was merely a formality to be fulfilled.

  "I am Zhi Xuan," Zhi Xuan finally said in a cold and hoarse tone, an impossible tranquility while all eyes were fixed on him. However, he did not waver; he straightened his body and nodded vaguely. "Fulfilling the Empire's invitation for the Three Plains Competition."

  Zhi Xuan did not channel any essence to amplify his voice, yet every syllable he spoke pierced through the vast Jade Plaza, passed through the Formation Laws, and resonated in the Sea of Consciousness of everyone present. It was the voice of a cultivator whose Dao had reached a perfect Five Element density, an acknowledgment of an existence that could not be ignored.

  In the honorary tribune of the Ancient Zhu Clan, Zhu Qinglan let out a breath that was barely audible. She saw Zhi Xuan's silver hair—a sign of an extreme Dao journey and the completed tempering of the Extreme Ice Law—and she felt the contradictions Zhi Xuan had absorbed. His hair was now the color of snow, yet his aura radiated the heat of the Earth and the embers of Fire.

  "Silver hair," whispered Zhu Qinglan, her tone cold yet her eyes radiated a subtle, unreadable glint. She touched the pearls of her veil. "He has used his Extreme Ice beyond the limits, as if walking through Ancient Ice Mountains for unimaginable years. He... truly shakes the Plains."

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  Beside her, Zhu Yanghai smiled meaningfully. "Zhi Xuan always surprises. His hair is a sign of the destruction he left behind, and now it becomes a promise for the peace of the Heavens. Watch, Qinglan. His foundation does not tremble at all under the gaze of cultivators."

  At the Ancient Hua Clan's tribune, Holy Son Hua Tianming, who had been smiling thinly, now withdrew his smile completely. His eyes, as sharp as twilight, radiated genuine surprise.

  "That is him... no wonder the Ancient Zhu Clan truly saw him," murmured Hua Tianming. "Arrogance and a scent of blood so strong, yet he envelops it well like a Celestial. My previous encounter with him was not in vain if his demeanor is like this."

  Holy Daughter Hua Lian Xi, who had appeared calm, closed her fan with a cold movement. "A foundation of Earth and Ice so perfect... He is even more stable than Young King Ye Ming, who focuses on stability. We underestimated him, Brother. He is an extreme balance standing above destruction."

  In the midst of the suffocating silence, the reaction of the four Star Young Kings was the most important. They were the four pillars that were supposed to support the Plaza of Majesty, but now they all felt their own Daos being questioned by the silver-haired youth who had just arrived.

  Shi Xing, the Young King of the Western Star, whose Lightning and Fire Dao was always turbulent, now felt his Lightning dimming. The burning hatred in his eyes was mixed with a sense of disbelief. He saw that silver hair, a symbol of unimaginable Extreme Ice depth, and he felt his own Lightning Law felt wild and shallow before Zhi Xuan's spiritual weight.

  "He... that hair," hissed Shi Xing, his voice choking. He lifted his silver spear slightly, as if searching for support. "My Shi Clan's Order will destroy him. He does not deserve to stand upon this Heaven Jade!"

  Liu Feng, the Young King of the Eastern Star, whose Wind and Water Dao prioritized flexibility, now felt his Laws come to a halt. The wind around him felt dense, and the water in his Sea of Consciousness almost froze. He saw absolute stillness within Zhi Xuan, a stillness supported by a foundation of Earth and Ice so perfect.

  "He is no longer the Black-Haired Devil," murmured Liu Feng. "He is the Eternal Snow frozen in the midst of fire embers. He has moved beyond the concept of balance; he is a Dao that stands upon contradictions."

  Ye Ming, the Young King of the Central Star, whose Earth and Ice Dao was most similar to Zhi Xuan's new foundation, was the most shocked. He had taken pride in the weight and stillness of his Dao. However, before Zhi Xuan's aura, Ye Ming felt like a small hill before a Heavenly Mountain.

  "The weight... that weight is not just from the Primal Earth," whispered Ye Ming, his eyes shrouded in shadow radiating shock. "The weight comes from the acceptance of destruction and the karma being carried. He has made that burden his strength."

  Ling Huo, the Young King of the Southern Star, who carried aggressive Pure Fire, now felt her embers respond. The response was not anger, but a primal interest. She saw the same contradiction—Fire and Ice, Earth and Lightning—perfectly unified in one body.

  Ling Huo, who had been silent until now, began to speak to Young King Ye Ming. "He... comes from the Star Wilderness, the same Southern Continent as I. Today, seeing him with such an arrogant arrival, the underdeveloped Southern Continent truly has something that shakes the Empire."

  Zhi Xuan just stood tall. He nodded toward the Ancient Hua Clan's honorary tribune, then shifted his gaze toward the envoys of the Thousand Heavens Sect, where Elder Yan Shen and the Supreme Elder he recognized were located. Zhi Xuan bowed deeper as if recognizing the Sect that had sheltered and helped him. Then he shifted his gaze toward the Ancient Zhu Clan's honorary tribune.

  Zhi Xuan pulled the corners of his lips into a thin line, nodding to Zhu Yanghai, then turned toward Zhu Qinglan who stood beside him. Those sapphire blue eyes met the light gray eyes once more, with a hint of longing but also a cold tension, a silent acknowledgment between them.

  Zhi Xuan looked away from Zhu Qinglan, breaking that eye contact bound by a karmic promise. His eyes swept the crowd of cultivators filling the tribunes, from those excited in the Five Element realm to the Elders hiding their cultivation. He did not seek approval; he was merely measuring the depth of the water in the pond he was about to stir.

  In the midst of thousands of pairs of eyes locking onto his movements, Zhi Xuan's attention fell on the figure standing beneath the Pavilion of Majesty—the Eighth Prince of the Empire, holding the ancient artifact, the Seven Eternal Gods Bell.

  Zhi Xuan realized the Eighth Prince's intention: this was not an official fight, but a challenge of honor. A challenge to prove whether an anomalous Dao, forged in the midst of destruction, was capable of withstanding the Soul Law of Order represented by the Imperial Bell.

  The Eighth Prince, with a face decorated by cold arrogance, lifted the Seven Eternal Gods Bell to his shoulder height. He did not wait for the Hongmeng Emperor's instruction. For him, the Silver-Haired Devil was a stain that had to be immediately cleaned from the Jade Plaza.

  "Zhi Xuan!" roared the Eighth Prince, his voice amplified by spiritual essence until it shook the mountain peak. "You, the Devil who brings destruction! The Hongmeng Empire is the Holy Land of Order! Before you set foot upon this Heaven Jade, allow me to test whether your filthy soul is worthy of bearing the Weight of the Seven Eternal Gods!"

  DENTING!

  The bell vibrated. The vibration was not a loud sound, but an invisible spiritual wave manifested from the ancient Soul Law. The wave shot straight toward Zhi Xuan, carrying an oppressive spiritual weight. Its purpose was to paralyze the Sea of Consciousness, shatter the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, and force Zhi Xuan to his knees to beg for mercy.

  The Seven Eternal Gods Bell was an artifact created to suppress the will, and its weight now felt like the Heavens themselves collapsing upon Zhi Xuan's soul. In the tribune, Elder Shi Xuan smirked with satisfaction. He knew that bell was an effective eradicator of anomalies. The Ancient Zhu Clan was tense, Hua Tianming narrowed his eyes, and Zhu Qinglan, although her lips were covered by pearls, allowed the essence of Pure Water in her Sea of Consciousness to pulse wildly, ready to release a storm if necessary.

  However, Zhi Xuan stood undaunted. He did not use a single one of his Laws to parry that Soul shockwave, simply standing still and doing nothing but taking a long breath. He allowed the bell's vibration to enter his body.

  ZZRRT! WHUMP!

  The Soul wave of the bell struck. It shot through the skin and meridians, heading straight for Zhi Xuan's Sea of Consciousness. The bell tried to weigh down his soul, break his will, and destroy the newly forged Dao foundation. Although the Seven Eternal Gods Bell had not yet sounded the Seven Laws of Heaven and Earth, the pressure from the Immortal Artifact felt truly heavy.

  In the Plaza, a total silence suffocated everyone. All eyes, from the majestic Hongmeng Emperor to the lowest cultivator in the tribunes, awaited the collapse of the Silver-Haired Devil. They awaited the moment when that anomalous Daoist, forged by destruction, would kneel before the Great Order of the Empire. However, what happened next made time seem to twist and stop.

  In Zhi Xuan's Sea of Consciousness, the Soul wave of the Seven Eternal Gods Bell collided directly with the calmly rotating Heavenly Samsara Wheel. That Soul wave, which was supposed to destroy, was instead absorbed. The Heavenly Samsara Wheel, consisting of the five Law pillars that were now perfect—Lightning, Wind, Extreme Ice, Earth, and Fire—resonated with a slow and stable rhythm.

  Zhi Xuan moved his hand behind him, reaching for the hilt of the Heavenly Sword whose blade was shrouded in white cloth, as if the blade did not protect Zhi Xuan from any attack, but rather Zhi Xuan himself had decided to maintain the Heavenly Sword to prevent a killing. He pulled the sword hilt and immediately the sword was lifted forward.

  ZHINGG! ZZZTTT!

  Zhi Xuan merely planted the Heavenly Sword in front of his feet, yet the ripple caused by the Immortal Artifact forged with the Heavenly Tribulation was magnificent and piercing. Pale reddish lightning and air pressure became heavy; clouds turned black above the Imperial Plaza, like a Heavenly Tribulation about to descend whenever the owner of the Heavenly Sword willed it.

  An invisible yet felt ripple of destruction spread from the tip of the Heavenly Sword planted in the Heaven Jade. The vibration of the Seven Eternal Gods Bell that suffocated the soul, instead of destroying Zhi Xuan, collided with the energy ripples emitted by the Heavenly Sword. The bell's vibration was like hitting an unshakable steel wall.

  WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP!

  The counter shockwave did not carry physical destruction, but a philosophical pressure. It penetrated and shook the Sea of Consciousness of the Eighth Prince of the Empire. His arrogant face immediately turned pale. He felt the Soul will within the Seven Eternal Gods Bell struggling, as if meeting something more ancient, more arrogant, and more unbearable than any Heavenly law.

  The Eighth Prince staggered back, his eyes filled with horror and disbelief. He held the bell tightly, as if the artifact itself would explode in his hands. He had used a thread of the bell's power that should have been able to suppress the Five Elements easily, but all he received was a reflection of suffocating weight, a weight that felt as if he were trying to move the entire plains with a single finger.

  In the center of the Heaven Jade Plaza, Zhi Xuan still stood tall. The Heavenly Sword was planted in front of his feet, and from its black hilt, a breath of subtle reddish Lightning essence pulsed, as if the heart of destruction itself. He did not move; he did not even lift a single finger. He only allowed his perfect Dao to resonate, announcing that the Burden he carried was far heavier than the Order represented by the Seven Eternal Gods Bell.