Ruo Xianxue laughed again, a sound that was truly joyous this time, like the sound of crystal shattering into shards of light. It was a rare laughter, one that revealed a wilder and more unconstrained side of the Ancient Saint Devil. She relished the honest panic and irritation displayed by Zhi Xuan.

  "Oh, you poor Devil," Ruo Xianxue mocked, wiping away a non-existent spiritual tear. "You should be grateful. Imagine, a mortal vessel such as yourself being given the opportunity to nurse the Ancient Heaven Legacy. Every legacy here is a key capable of tearing the Heavens apart and suppressing Emperors. What do you have to complain about? That you must live with Gods, Devils, and Sacred Beasts?"

  Zhi Xuan clenched his spiritual jaw, his eyes flashing with a cold sapphire fire. Indeed, he was grateful. He owed everything to these legacies. Yet he also felt the oppressive weight of expectation and the danger inherent in every entity residing within his Sea of Consciousness.

  "I complain because I am the Black-Haired Devil, not a gardener of the heavens," Zhi Xuan countered, his voice carrying the turbulence of the Pure Lightning Law. He knew this debate was futile, but he needed to release the tension. "Fine. I will not press the issue further. I will focus on the Wind Law and achieve the perfection of the Five Elements. After that, we shall see who is the vessel and who is the nurse."

  Ruo Xianxue nodded slowly, a trace of amusement lingering on her lips. "A splendid idea. Try not to die before you become a worthy vessel, Devil."

  Zhi Xuan snorted, turned his spiritual form, and returned to his physical body. Within the tranquil cultivation room, Zhi Xuan opened his eyes. The spiritual irritation gradually ebbed away, replaced by a razor-sharp focus. He drew a long breath, and the essence of the Divine Black Jade he had absorbed immediately circulated, calming his Sea of Consciousness and extinguishing his mental turmoil.

  Several hours passed. A calm and measured knock sounded at the door. Zhi Xuan immediately withdrew his Primary Soul from his contemplation of the Wind Law. He halted the flow of the Divine Black Jade essence. He and Ao Sheng rose simultaneously, pulling back their spiritual auras until they appeared as mere cultivators who had just recovered well.

  The female guard stood outside. "Master Zhang, Mistress Jing Zi is ready. We depart now. The Wind Phoenix Ship does not wait for the morning dew."

  Zhi Xuan gave a slight nod. "We are ready, Daoist."

  They followed the guard back to the hangar. The wind outside the formation was now far fiercer, its sound shrieking like the cry of an Ancient Beast. Night had fully descended, but the storms of the Sea of Verdant Winds emitted a strange bluish-green glow from the swirling mists.

  Jing Zi was already on the deck of the Wind Phoenix Ship, wearing a dark defensive robe embroidered with shimmering Wind Runes. She appeared as a cold and resolute figure, standing tall against the gale.

  "Board," Jing Zi commanded, her voice ringing clear despite the powerful whistling of the wind. "We will move slowly at first; the ship's formations must adapt to the wind laws of the harbor."

  Zhi Xuan stepped onto the deck of the Wind Phoenix Ship. The spiritual steel hull felt solid beneath his feet, and he could sense the resonance of the Wind Law contained in every rune upon its surface. Ao Sheng followed him, his eyes filled with awe at this high-level defensive artifact. He sought a safe spot, deciding to stay close to Zhi Xuan.

  On the deck stood several other cultivators, all clad in thick robes and radiating stable Five Element auras. They were merchants seeking storm herbs or ancient beasts that lived on the islands within the sea. They glanced at Zhi Xuan and Ao Sheng for a moment, their looks a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

  Jing Zi walked to the center of the ship, where the control formation swirled with a dim jade light. She placed her palm upon the control crystal.

  "Wind Phoenix Ship, move," Jing Zi said calmly. The ship vibrated softly. The restraining formations around the hangar were slowly deactivated. The wild winds of the Sea of Verdant Winds immediately struck the ship with brutal force, but the spiritual steel hull only shuddered slightly.

  The Wind Runes on its surface lit up, and the ship began to hover, moving out of the Port of Flying Jade. As they crossed the boundary of the land, the sound of the wind transformed into a deafening roar. Zhi Xuan stabilized his Sea of Consciousness. He closed his eyes momentarily, not to meditate, but to digest the waves of Pure Wind Law hitting him. This wind was not merely moving air; it consisted of sharp blades of spiritual essence capable of piercing flesh and disrupting the flow of essence.

  "Outside the hull, the Wind Law is destruction. Inside the ship, it is an ally," Zhi Xuan murmured. He extended his right hand, letting the Wind essence that seeped through the gaps in the formation touch his skin.

  Ao Sheng, having stabilized himself, observed Zhi Xuan. "Senior, these wind fluctuations feel like blades. This is far more ferocious than I imagined."

  "It is a Wind Blade Storm," Zhi Xuan replied in a low voice, ignoring the surrounding noise. "And this is only the beginning. Observe closely, Golden Dragon. Do not just endure; digest. Every Wind Rune on this ship is a lesson in formations."

  He turned his gaze toward Jing Zi, who stood tall at the center of the control formation, her entire focus centered on navigating the ship. Her Soul Transformation aura radiated an absolute calm, as if the surrounding storm were a mere breeze. Zhi Xuan knew that relying on Jing Zi was the correct choice. Navigating the Wind Law at this level required a profound understanding and precise control.

  The Wind Phoenix Ship moved at a steady pace, cutting through the sea of bluish-green spiritual mist. As they moved further out, the density of the wind continued to increase. After several hours of travel, the mist around them began to swirl in chaotic patterns, and the light in the night sky felt increasingly distorted. Suddenly, the ship was struck by a massive wave of spiritual wind. The sound of the impact was like creaking metal, though the hull showed no damage.

  The runes on the surface of the Wind Phoenix Ship flickered violently, emitting an intense jade light to repel the attack. Several cultivators on the deck staggered, their Divine Wheels vibrating as if struck by a spiritual hammer, causing them a flash of panic.

  Jing Zi, though her face remained calm, tightened her grip on the control crystal. She closed her eyes for a moment, and the aura of the Wind Law around her suddenly shifted. The wind within the ship, which had been a passive defense, now began to resonate, following a calm yet controlled rhythm.

  "A mere minor storm, yet it dares to challenge my path," Jing Zi hissed. She moved her hands and released the direct controls, cupping her hands together and letting out a low roar. "Soul Body!"

  From the ship, a silhouette of Jing Zi's soul rose ten zhang high, a silvery form radiating the dominance of the Soul Transformation realm. The soul manifestation stomped its hand down, launching a vortex that sliced through the wind cyclone hitting the ship. It was the soul manifestation of a solid Soul Transformation expert.

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  "Cleave!"

  The soul manifestation split the wind vortex, clearing the ship's path as the swirling winds twisted past. Jing Zi did not appear bothered in the slightest, as if she had experienced this many times. A Soul Transformation cultivator was no longer merely bound by the Laws of Nature; their souls had become so dense that they were not easily consumed by natural laws.

  The towering silver soul manifestation vanished as quickly as it had appeared, merging back into Jing Zi's physical body. The storm around the ship seemed to hold its breath for a moment, startled by that display of dominating power.

  Zhi Xuan narrowed his eyes, observing Jing Zi. The manifestation of a Soul Body was the hallmark of a cultivator who had perfected the Soul Transformation realm; it was a projection of the Primary Soul into the real world, capable of using Dao Laws with terrifying efficiency. Jing Zi's technique of splitting the vortex with a single strike showed an extraordinary command of the Wind Law, as if she could command the wind itself.

  "A mature Soul Transformation," Zhi Xuan murmured to himself, a cold admiration creeping into his mind. He had interacted with several Soul Transformation cultivators, but this one felt different; her foundation was incredibly dense, reflecting her background from a powerful faction. "She is stronger than Shi Han, and even other Soul Transformation experts."

  Ao Sheng swallowed hard, his face paling slightly. The power of the Soul Body felt like absolute heavenly pressure. "Incredible power, Senior Zhi Xuan. Jing Zi... she is no ordinary cultivator."

  Zhi Xuan gave a small nod, his eyes never leaving Jing Zi. "Of course. Remember the words at the teahouse. She is not merely a captain; she is a master here."

  Zhi Xuan took a deep spiritual breath, closing his eyes for a moment to suppress both Ao Sheng's shock and his own. Jing Zi's instant display of dominating power was a priceless lesson. Indeed, a mature Soul Transformation realm was not just about the volume of spiritual essence; it was about the perfect integration of the Primary Soul with the understood Dao.

  Jing Zi had integrated her Primary Soul with the Wind Law to such an extent that she could manifest it as an authority that controlled the storm itself. Zhi Xuan began to shift his attention to the formations on the ship's hull, digesting every rune he passed. These runes did not merely repel; they transformed wild Wind Law into controlled Wind Law, using it for propulsion and defense. This was a different cultivation philosophy from the one he had forged, yet highly relevant to the Wind Law he intended to pursue.

  Amidst the storm that now felt slightly calmer after Jing Zi's intervention, Zhi Xuan continued his silent meditation. He was no longer absorbing the Divine Black Jade essence. Now, he allowed the Pure Wind Law from outside the ship to seep in, drawing it through the gaps in the formations and flowing it into his Sea of Consciousness. He had to begin building a resonance.

  Within his Sea of Consciousness, spiritual Zhi Xuan sat cross-legged once more. He summoned the Heavenly Samsara Wheel, and the empty Wind Law Pillar began to rotate slowly. His Pure Lightning Law, full of speed, pulsed beside him, trying to communicate with the foreign Wind Law.

  "Wind is formless, yet it is capable of creating a storm," Zhi Xuan murmured in his sea of consciousness. He moved his hands, attempting to carve a storm within his mind. "If Lightning is destruction, then a true storm is not merely about destructive lightning, but rather Lightning that merges with the Wind."

  Zhi Xuan attempted to summon the Heavenly Sword, and the blade shot out runes of Pure Lightning full of judgment. Zhi Xuan moved his hands, trying to spin the Heavenly Sword like a cyclone, creating a vortex as if to use the wind generated from lightning.

  WHIRL! WHIRL! ZZZTTT! WHUSH! UGH!

  Zhi Xuan opened his eyes in the Sea of Consciousness with a pale face, coughing softly as he held his chest. The Heavenly Sword did not create a cyclone; instead, it created a vortex that sent out lightning, not wind that carried lightning. It was a different thing entirely where Wind carried Lightning, rather than a destructive Lightning Vortex.

  Ruo Xianxue, who had been sitting arrogantly upon a branch of the Devil Tree of Life, snorted softly. She did not laugh, but the gaze of her Sun and Moon dual pupils emitted an unavoidable sense of superiority.

  "Once again, you try to force the logic of your Lightning destruction upon the flowing Wind Law," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice carrying a tone of reprimand. "Wind is softness, movement, and adaptation, Devil. Lightning is authority and judgment. You are trying to let destruction lead adaptation. That is folly."

  Zhi Xuan took a spiritual breath, his frustration with himself far greater than his irritation at Ruo Xianxue's mockery. He had relied on the Pure Lightning Law as the core of his Dao for too long, causing him to instinctively try and force other elements to submit to destruction.

  "Wind," spiritual Zhi Xuan murmured, staring at the empty Wind Law Pillar. He thought of the Wind Blade Storm outside the ship, and the Wind Runes on the Wind Phoenix Ship that transformed wild laws into controlled ones. "Wind is defense, not merely offense."

  He withdrew his Primary Soul slightly, letting the essence from outside seep deeper. He had to let go of his logic of destruction. If Pure Lightning was the blade that cut, Wind had to be the shell that wrapped. He recalled Jing Zi. That female cultivator did not attack the wind vortex; she cleaved it and commanded it to step aside, using the Wind Law as an extension of her Primary Soul's authority, not as an elemental explosion.

  "The Wind Law is a circling speed, not a piercing speed," spiritual Zhi Xuan decided. "A speed that does not collide, but exists in every gap."

  He tried once more. This time, he did not summon the Heavenly Sword. He summoned the Pure Lightning Law around his Primary Soul, but instead of releasing it in an explosion, he shaped it into a subtle vortex, trying to mimic the airflow patterns around the Wind Phoenix Ship.

  WHIRL...

  The Pure Lightning vortex spun, not with destructive power, but with a subtle speed. It did not produce a damaging cyclone, but rather a resonance that drew in the essence of the wild Wind Law from outside the Sea of Consciousness.

  ZZZTTT... WHUSH...

  Outside the Sea of Consciousness, Jing Zi turned back to find Zhi Xuan meditating. Not only that, but she could see small vortexes and primitive Wind Law fluctuations surrounding him, as if he were trying to place himself inside a subtle cyclone that carried the weight of lightning within it.

  "Oh," Jing Zi hissed. She turned back to the front and offered a lopsided smile. "That young Daoist truly aims to understand the Wind Law here. A brave younger generation indeed."

  Jing Zi paid no mind to the strange fluctuations from Zhi Xuan's body. In the Sea of Verdant Winds, many reckless cultivators tried to absorb the pure Wind essence from the storm to accelerate their Dao comprehension; most ended up with torn meridians. However, the fluctuations emitted by Zhi Xuan felt different—it was an effort of subtle tempering, a careful resonance rather than a brutal absorption.

  Jing Zi gave a small nod, the smile on her lips vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. She refocused on the control crystal, allowing the Wind Phoenix Ship to streak through the waves of spiritual mist. Although she felt intrigued, navigating the Sea of Verdant Winds required absolute focus; the Wind Blade Storm granted no mercy for even the smallest mistake.

  Zhi Xuan, unaware of Jing Zi's brief attention, continued to maintain the subtle Pure Lightning vortex in his Sea of Consciousness. The vortex now felt more natural, a vessel of speed that did not destroy but attracted essence. From outside his Sea of Consciousness, he drew in a strand of wild Wind Law. That wind, which had previously felt like a cruel blade, now softened as it met the spinning Pure Lightning vortex. The Pure Lightning did not attack; it merely resonated with the speed of the Wind, shielding it from the turbulence of destruction.

  "A circling speed," spiritual Zhi Xuan murmured, a cold sense of satisfaction beginning to envelope his Primary Soul. "Not destruction, but an embrace. If Pure Lightning is the authority of the Heavens, then the Wind is the carrier of that authority."

  The Wind Law Pillar on the Heavenly Samsara Wheel vibrated slowly. It was a vibration of recognition. A small amount of the tamed Wind Law essence began to creep into the empty pillar, filling the space with a light blue glow that moved like a liquid. This was not full comprehension—merely a tiny seed of the Pure Wind Law—but it was the correct foundation.

  Zhi Xuan took a deep spiritual breath, stabilizing the seed. He would not force it; the Five Elements Dao had to grow naturally. He allowed the newly born Wind-Lightning vortex to spin slowly, a shield of speed within his Sea of Consciousness, ready to draw in more Wind Law as he moved deeper into the heart of the storm.

  He opened his eyes in the real world. The Wind Phoenix Ship was still racing along. Outside, the Sea of Verdant Winds now truly looked like an abyss of darkness shrouded in giant swirling vortexes. The wind no longer merely shrieked; it now roared with the voice of an angry Ancient Beast.

  Zhi Xuan glanced toward Jing Zi. The woman's face now showed a hint of hidden tension. They must have reached a more dangerous zone.

  "Mistress Jing Zi," Zhi Xuan called in a steady voice. "How long have we been traveling?"

  Jing Zi did not turn, her eyes remaining fixed on the giant vortex visible in the distance. "Twenty hours," she replied, her voice slightly heavier. "We will reach Sky Mist Hill in another ten hours."