Ao Sheng, who had regained his composure, frowned. Although he disliked the mockery, he knew that Zhi Xuan did this to divert attention from the serious injuries he had just suffered. He chose to remain silent.

  However, Xiao Die, the Thousand Feathered Moth who was now in human form and had just escaped death, was surprised by Zhi Xuan’s laughter. She stared at him, the embarrassment on her face replaced by confusion and a slight stir of pride from her newly awakened Ancient Blood. She stepped forward, returning to her graceful gait, but now she was cautious, each step gathering a subtle essence of Wind beneath her feet.

  "Senior," Xiao Die said, her voice rising slightly; she no longer called Zhi Xuan Master. "Xiao Die has passed through the Heavenly Calamity. It was a trial of the Heavens directed at the Ancient Insects. Why does Senior laugh at the forms of Xiao Die and Big Brother Golden Dragon?"

  Zhi Xuan wiped a nonexistent tear from the corner of his eye, his wild laughter subsiding into a chuckle. He looked at Xiao Die, then at Ao Sheng who stood stiffly. He exhaled slowly and lowered himself smoothly to the ground, sitting cross-legged and clenching his jaw.

  "Just relief," Zhi Xuan replied calmly. He moved his fingers and closed his eyes, the surrounding essence beginning to be absorbed into his body. "The two of you can get acquainted with the beasts outside that are attracted by the Heavenly Calamity. As for me, I will be here."

  The ripples of spiritual essence encircling Zhi Xuan immediately solidified, forming a subtle dome of Wind-Lightning around him. Although he tried to downplay the situation, closing his eyes while absorbing the remaining spiritual energy, he felt a powerful surge in his blood. The Heavenly Wrath Claw had cleaved his Heavenly Bone, and his Heavenly-Blood Body Law was working hard to regenerate the damaged tissue.

  Seeing Zhi Xuan immediately begin intensive recovery, Xiao Die and Ao Sheng looked at each other; the two children seemed to understand. Xiao Die’s confusion subsided. As spiritual beasts who had just survived a Calamity, their instincts for sensing danger were far sharper than ordinary cultivators. They knew their Senior Devil was at his limit.

  Xiao Die, now fully recovered from the Calamity and her embarrassment, turned away from Zhi Xuan. She looked at Ao Sheng, her soft ocean-colored eyes radiating deep gratitude mixed with a newfound vigilance toward their surroundings.

  "Big Brother Golden Dragon," Xiao Die whispered, her voice now calm again, like the flow of a river in spring. "The Natural Formation in this valley has been destroyed by the Calamity. The spiritual energy here is very attractive, and the Ancient Beasts must have smelled the Ancient Blood. We cannot allow Senior Zhi Xuan to be disturbed during his healing."

  Ao Sheng nodded seriously. He rested the Black Water Dragon King Spear on his shoulder, his golden-blue eyes sweeping the cave entrance. He could feel the resonance of approaching Ancient Beasts, driven by the scent of blood and the spiritual essence that exploded during the Calamity.

  "You are right, Xiao Die," Ao Sheng replied, the horn on his forehead shimmering. "You are a Verdant Titan, equivalent to a Five Element cultivator. Meanwhile, I am still at the Azure King rank, equivalent to Consciousness Transformation. You attack from the air; I will handle the ground."

  Xiao Die smiled faintly, a smile that carried the beauty of a newborn Sacred Beast. She stepped to the cave entrance, her hands raised, and a pair of spiritual wings made of enchanting rainbow powder bloomed on her back. The wings were not made of flesh, but of the newly forged Laws of Wind and Ancient Soul, emitting a calmer and more stable Wind Law, contrasting with Zhi Xuan’s wild Wind.

  "I will lead," Xiao Die decided. She had been Zhi Xuan’s spiritual beast much longer than Ao Sheng, and the instinct to protect her master ran deeper. "Big Brother Golden Dragon, I will heal while giving you a boost in power!"

  WHUSH!

  Xiao Die shot into the air, her spiritual rainbow wings flapping soundlessly. She did not fly high but circled the valley, acting as invisible spiritual eyes and a shield. Her speed and gentleness were the perfect manifestation of the transformation she had just mastered—a velocity that did not destroy, but observed.

  Ao Sheng nodded seriously, the Black Water Dragon King Spear in his hand spinning once with agility. He watched Xiao Die as she streaked through the air, graceful yet lethal. Ao Sheng knew that although Xiao Die was a Thousand Feathered Moth, the newly forged Ancient Blood essence, combined with his own Dragon Blood, had made her an extremely dangerous entity.

  He stepped out from the mouth of the cave, taking a defensive position among the ruins of the shattered cliff. Ao Sheng channeled essence into his spear. Cold Black Water swirled around the spearhead, emitting an aura of pure and dense Water essence.

  "Come, you mortal Ancient Beasts," Ao Sheng hissed. He felt the first wave of Ancient Beasts approaching: three Wild Wind Wolves at the Azure King rank, driven by the scent of Ancient Blood Essence and the chaos.

  The three Wild Wind Wolves emerged from the gaps of charred trees, their yellow eyes radiating hunger and madness. They lunged at Wind speed, ignoring Ao Sheng and heading straight for the cave where Zhi Xuan was meditating. Their instincts led them to the source of the wounded Heavenly-Devil Blood scent.

  WHIRL!

  Suddenly, from above, Xiao Die reacted. She did not attack with brutal force. Her spiritual rainbow wings flapped once, and Fine Rainbow Powder—the natural treasure of the Thousand Feathered Moth—descended like rain from the sky. The powder was not poison, but an essence that triggered Essence Chaos.

  As the rainbow powder touched the skin of the Wild Wind Wolves, their Wind essence became wild and uncontrollable. They flinched, their speed becoming erratic, and they began to attack each other in a panicked roar.

  Xiao Die wasted no time. She drifted down and landed on a rock, pointing toward the largest wolf. "Big Brother Golden Dragon, the first wolf!"

  Ao Sheng did not squander the opportunity. The Black Water Dragon King Spear streaked forward. The Black Water surrounding the spear solidified, forming the silhouette of a roaring dragon head. The spear pierced the heart of the frantically spinning Wild Wind Wolf, killing it instantly.

  The spear was immediately withdrawn. Ao Sheng felt no joy from the kill, only the urgent need to guard the area. The two remaining wolves managed to parry the Rainbow Powder and realized the greater threat. They turned, growling, and unleashed sharp Wind blades toward Ao Sheng.

  Ao Sheng stomped his foot. The Black Water from the spear spread before him, forming a thick liquid shield. The Wind blades struck the shield, creating large ripples but failing to pierce it. However, this defense consumed Ao Sheng’s limited essence.

  "Thousand Mist Illusion!"

  Ao Sheng released an illusion that created a mist around him. In an instant, his fluctuations vanished and were swallowed by the fog, leaving the beasts confused as they became spiritually blind, unable to detect Ao Sheng anywhere.

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  The two Wild Wind Wolves roared in frustration. Ao Sheng’s Illusion Mist did not just obscure vision; it interfered with their divine sense, making them unable to lock onto the position of the enemy who had just killed their comrade. They unleashed Wind blades randomly, tearing through the air around the mist, but none hit the target.

  Ao Sheng, now moving within his thin mist, channeled the Black Water essence into the Black Water Dragon King Spear. He could not maintain this illusion for too long; he had to end the fight quickly.

  "The weakness of Wind is the lack of focus on a single point," Ao Sheng whispered to himself. He remembered the unspoken lessons he often witnessed while Zhi Xuan trained his Lightning and Wind Laws in meditation. He had to use the wolves' own Wind against them.

  While Xiao Die and Ao Sheng fought the beasts, Zhi Xuan recovered calmly. The Heavenly-Blood Body Law accelerated the necessary regeneration without deeper injury. The Slaughter Seals, which looked like a spiderweb on his chest, darkened and triggered a blood surge to heal the damaged tissue.

  In the Sea of Consciousness, Zhi Xuan sat quietly, resting his soul while his physical form healed itself. Ruo Xianxue sat gracefully on a branch of the Tree of Life, staring at her nails as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.

  "Great Saint," Zhi Xuan called out hoarsely, exhaling a spiritual breath. "Now, I truly feel like a caretaker of Ancient Beasts."

  Ruo Xianxue snorted, her Sun and Moon dual eyes lifting slowly from her nails to look at Zhi Xuan. There was a hint of hidden amusement in her gaze.

  "You have seen for yourself, Devil," Ruo Xianxue hissed, her voice calm yet containing primal authority. "That is the sacrifice made by Ancient Blood. You may be raising them, but they were also the ones who held back the Calamity that should have burned this mortal body to ash. That Golden Dragon, though he acts like a naive youth, knows very well the value of his sacrifice. The Little Insect now owes her life to him."

  Zhi Xuan gave a small nod. He could not deny it. Golden Dragon Essence Blood was something even the Gods of the Ancient era would kill for. Ao Sheng’s sacrifice not only saved Xiao Die but also perfected the foundation of that Ancient Beast to be equal to a Golden Dragon.

  "Speaking of debts," spiritual Zhi Xuan murmured. "You promised to provide a Grand Formation if the Calamity became too cruel. I did not see any Grand Formation. Only four fragile flags that you planted."

  Ruo Xianxue laughed softly, a laugh full of ancient mystery. "Do you not realize, Zhi Xuan? I did not need to create a Grand Formation. The most powerful Grand Formation was You. Every bolt of the Calamity you parried with the Heavenly Sword and the Wind-Lightning Law, every impact that damaged your body, was the refinement she needed. I only ensured the fourth and fifth strikes did not tear her soul apart before that Mad Dragon acted. I have done my part."

  Zhi Xuan fell silent, processing those words. He was the Grand Formation. By forcing himself to face the Calamity and using the newly born Wind-Lightning Law to deflect destruction, Zhi Xuan had become a catalyst, not just a protector. He had tempered Xiao Die’s soul with his Heavenly-Devil Blood and his own Pure Lightning.

  "You are truly clever at playing pawns," Zhi Xuan snorted subtly, meditating peacefully. "At least, the Heavenly Sword has tasted the Heavenly Calamity again. Tempering with a Heavenly Calamity is truly a treasure for me."

  "Of course," Ruo Xianxue replied, her smile now showing the full cunning of an ancient devil fox. "The Heavenly Sword and your body were both forged by the same fires of the Calamity. After this, your Devil Artifact will have a sharpness exceeding any other high-level artifact. Now, focus. The Wind-Lightning energy you used to fight the Calamity is still churning in your meridians. Do not waste that tempering from the Heavens."

  Spiritual Zhi Xuan nodded. He turned his full attention inward. He channeled the residual Pure Wind-Lightning energy in his meridians. His Heavenly-Devil blood surged, absorbing that energy, transforming the remains of the Calamity's destruction into regenerative power. He felt the cracked Heavenly Bone slowly mending, becoming even denser. His cultivation foundation became sturdier, as if it had just undergone a thorough cleansing.

  Outside the cave, Ao Sheng and Xiao Die’s battle had reached a swift and lethal climax. Ao Sheng, inside the illusion mist, finally moved. He used the wild Wind Law from the wolves' own attacks. As one of the Wild Wind Wolves unleashed a Wind blade, Ao Sheng moved at a nearly invisible speed, using the black water vortex from the Black Water Dragon King Spear to deflect the wolf’s Wind blade so that it attacked the other wolf.

  WHUSH! ZRAKK!

  The Wild Wind Wolf roared in pain as its own companion’s Wind blade sliced through its chest and legs. It was an application of the philosophy Zhi Xuan had just learned—using speed to deflect and encircle, not to fight head-on.

  Xiao Die, watching from the air, saw the opening. Her spiritual rainbow wings flapped, and she dove down, emitting a controlled Wind Law. She did not attack; she created a spiritual rainbow mist around the wounded wolf. This mist was a soothing toxin, but now mixed with her new Ancient Blood, it caused the wolf to stagger, its essence slowing drastically.

  Ao Sheng did not hesitate. The Black Water Dragon King Spear shot out for the last time, piercing the heads of both Wild Wind Wolves simultaneously, ending the first wave of threats. The two Ancient Beasts collapsed, their greenish-black blood soaking the charred ground.

  Ao Sheng took a long breath, the illusion mist around him vanishing. He leaned on his spear, his face pale from essence exhaustion. Although he won, the fight consumed most of his energy. Xiao Die floated down gracefully, her spiritual wings withdrawing into her back. She stepped toward Ao Sheng, her tiny hand extended.

  "Big Brother Golden Dragon, you were great," Xiao Die praised, her eyes radiating sincerity. "Your Illusion Mist and the use of the wolves' own Wind exceeded my expectations."

  Ao Sheng smiled faintly, his mental fatigue easing from the sincere praise. "You too, Xiao Die. Your Pure Rainbow Powder was incredible. They were paralyzed before I even had the chance to attack."

  As they stood side by side among the ruins, both realized a greater wave of danger was approaching. The Ancient Beasts coming next were no longer driven by hungry instincts, but by more intelligent curiosity and greater spiritual power—beasts at the Azure King rank and even perhaps Verdant Titans.

  Xiao Die acted immediately. She stepped toward the two dead Wild Wind Wolves, knelt, and channeled essence into her hands. Her Thousand Feathered Moth Ancient Blood had the ability to absorb spiritual essence from newly dead beasts. She was not stealing; she was cleansing the remaining turbulent Wind Laws in the wolf carcasses.

  "I must collect the remaining essence. We must hide the scent of this destruction," Xiao Die explained. Meanwhile, Ao Sheng returned to his defensive position, his eyes scanning the forest.

  When several Verdant Titan and Azure King beasts finally arrived, they leaped from the shadows of the forest, stepping forward with hungry faces upon seeing Xiao Die and Ao Sheng, who gave off pure blood fluctuations. Ao Sheng immediately stepped in front of Xiao Die, levitating his spear while monitoring the beasts one by one.

  "Xiao Die, this is not good for us," Ao Sheng whispered warily, preparing to receive an attack if the beasts lunged. "I can hold back some of them; you attack from the air when the beasts start to move."

  Xiao Die nodded quickly, her round eyes unblinking and sharpening, monitoring the pressure from each beast surrounding them. One of the beasts leaped first, followed by the others. Ao Sheng and Xiao Die were on guard, ready in their positions.

  ZZTTT! ZRAKK! ZHINGG! ZHINGG! WHUSH!

  A flash of red lightning accompanied by the hum of a sword blade erupted from the direction of the cave. In an instant, flashes of lightning accompanied by wind that cleaved the air surrounded Xiao Die and Ao Sheng. Their eyes widened; their senior’s Heavenly Sword moved in one swift strike, giving them a view like threads and cracked lines.

  ZRAKK! THUSS! ZRAKK! ZHINGG!

  In just a few short breaths, even the Verdant Titan and Azure King beasts could not survive the Heavenly Sword, demonstrating that an Immortal-grade artifact was far superior and more terrifying than a Heavenly-grade one. The beasts were neatly sliced, now becoming piles of scattered meat around them.

  The cores of the Azure King beasts and even the Verdant Titan cores floated out of the bodies of the dead creatures. They did not have specific Laws to be absorbed, but the essence was enough to provide a boost to their own spiritual blood. There were eight cores in total that hovered before falling to their feet like balls.

  WHUSH! WHUMP!

  The Heavenly Sword shot back toward the cave, humming lowly as if it had enjoyed the blood it was given. The Heavenly Calamity had tempered the blade in a way that no artifact refining could achieve; only a Heavenly Calamity could make a blade that sharp and terrifying.

  Beside the Heavenly Sword, Zhi Xuan stood calmly. His sapphire-blue eyes were like dying stars; he only looked blankly at Ao Sheng and Xiao Die who were still in shock. Then, with a gentle wave of his hand, the Heavenly Sword was stored back in his body. His face was cold, but a thin smile of relief played on his lips.

  "Absorb those cores," Zhi Xuan commanded coldly yet with a protective tone, like an older brother feeding his siblings. "The meat is a benefit; collect it and we shall eat it."