Ao Sheng and Xiao Die jolted from the deafening silence. The two of them, who had just prepared themselves for a life-and-death struggle against Verdant Titan and Azure King beasts, now simply stood in the middle of a scene of swift and orderly slaughter. The piles of meat scattered around them looked as if they had just passed through a butcher’s blade—clean and precise. The beast cores rolling at their feet radiated dense spiritual energy, glowing dimly under the remaining night light.

  They stared at Zhi Xuan. The man in the red silk and black robes now stood at the mouth of the cave, his torn robes appearing as if they had been mended by the Wind Laws flowing around him. Although he had just collapsed from the strike of the Heavenly Wrath Claw, his instantaneous appearance and the brutal slash of the Heavenly Sword showed that he had completed a substantial internal recovery.

  "Wow," Xiao Die’s voice trailed off in amazement, her lips parted and her face radiating a subtle shock. "Senior Zhi Xuan... is truly always cool."

  Ao Sheng snorted softly, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He was more interested in the speed of the Heavenly Sword than its aesthetic impression. He gave a small nod to Zhi Xuan. "Thank you, Senior. If not for the Heavenly Sword, we might have had to use all our essence just to hold them back."

  Zhi Xuan exhaled, his cold aura softening slightly. He stepped out of the cave, walking through the ruins with a steady pace. "The Heavenly Sword has found its way. The destruction of the Heavenly Calamity has made it sharper. Absorb those cores now. Then, we will clean up the rest."

  Ao Sheng and Xiao Die immediately crouched down. Ao Sheng took five Azure King cores. Xiao Die took two Azure King cores and the largest Verdant Titan core. The cores felt warm and radiated mixed Laws, even though Ancient Beasts carried innate Laws within their bloodlines. The two did not waste time. They sat cross-legged on the charred ground, mimicking Zhi Xuan’s meditation posture, and began to channel spiritual essence into the beast cores. The cores dimmed immediately, their spiritual essence being drawn out and absorbed into their Golden Cores and Ancient Blood, replenishing the essence lost in the Calamity and the battle.

  Zhi Xuan simply stood, watching over them as he waved his hand to levitate the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron. The cauldron drifted closer, its opening facing toward Xiao Die and Ao Sheng, providing a healing fluctuation of the Spring Law. Zhi Xuan then allowed them to absorb the cores in peace. He looked up to stare at the Starry Sky, exhaling softly and feeling every bit of the Heavenly-Blood Body Law that had restored his internal chaos. His hair fluttered gently, and the Snow Phoenix Jade in his hair tie calmed the fluctuations of his essence.

  "Great Saint," Zhi Xuan murmured, staring deep into the Starry Sky. "The following years remain before the Three Plains Competition begins. In your opinion, should I hide these two when I arrive at the Hongmeng Empire, or let them walk behind me?"

  In the Sea of Consciousness, Ruo Xianxue turned her gaze away from the Devil Tree of Life. Her nine graceful fox tails swayed slowly, and her eyes narrowed as she stared at the spiritual silhouette of Zhi Xuan sitting by the sea. She realized the question was not merely tactical, but also about recognition and the burden of protection.

  "Why should you fear a mortal Empire," Ruo Xianxue replied coldly, her nine tails swaying subtly. "If they seize those two brats, you can kill them at a later date. Remember when I spoke of a time when the Zhu Ancient Clan would tremble before you? You have already done it. Now, the Hongmeng Empire will as well."

  Zhi Xuan exhaled slowly, a thin line pulling at the corner of his lips. Why should he fear an Empire that, if they hunted him, he would eventually hunt back? Most importantly, the promise of the second Great Constellation and the achievement of Soul Transformation as a prize in the Three Plains Competition was his goal.

  "You are right," Zhi Xuan replied calmly. He nodded vaguely and shifted his gaze back toward the two small figures sitting on the charred earth. "Now, I will wait for them to finish absorbing those cores."

  Ao Sheng and Xiao Die, immersed in the absorption of the beast cores, radiated spiritual auras that pulsed steadily. The cores dissolved slowly, filling the essence holes left by the Calamity and the fight. Zhi Xuan waited, unhurried. He allowed his breath to synchronize with the gusts of the night wind, purifying the newly born Wind Law within his meridians with cosmic energy. Every heartbeat pumped Heavenly-Devil Blood, consolidating the newly recovered Heavenly Bone. He had stepped onto a firmer level within the Five Elements realm.

  A bright morning arrived in a short time, bringing a fine dew that fell while the sunlight was still shy to shine, covered by the leaves and towering tree branches. Ao Sheng and Xiao Die opened their eyes in unison. The golden-blue light and rainbow light in their eyes subsided, replaced by a calm full of energy. The beast cores had vanished completely. The two stood up. Ao Sheng touched his Golden Core, feeling warmth and a substantial increase. The lost essence was now fully replenished, and there was even a slight improvement in the quality of his Black Water essence. Xiao Die, with a more stable and graceful aura, smiled brightly.

  "Thank you, Senior Zhi Xuan," they said in unison, bowing deeply.

  Zhi Xuan gave a small nod. "Take the meat of those beasts. We will consume it all before we move to the Crimson Land Valley."

  They immediately became excited, ignoring the fact that they were in the ruins of a destroyed valley. They moved to the piles of scattered meat. The meat of these high-realm beasts was a spiritual treasure. Cooking their meat would help Ao Sheng and Xiao Die’s Ancient Blood integrate fully with the newly absorbed essence, while also physically healing Zhi Xuan. The morning was spent with boisterous cooking; Xiao Die and Ao Sheng ate the meat roasted with Zhi Xuan’s Azure Holy Flame. They enjoyed every delicious piece that held high vitality. Zhi Xuan only ate a few; he had enough meat for several days.

  The sun began to appear above the horizon, bringing bright rays that provided a new face to the world. Zhi Xuan flicked his hand, and the fireplace he had previously made merged smoothly back into the ground. He waved his hand, bringing out the Seven-Star Boat and immediately boarding the prow.

  "Ao Sheng, Xiao Die," Zhi Xuan called. He did not look at them, instead staring toward the distant Crimson Land Valley in the Northern Continent. "Board, we will continue the journey."

  Ao Sheng and Xiao Die hurried. They leaped onto the deck of the enlarged Seven-Star Boat, their auras now filled with fresh vitality. Under the morning sun, the boat emitted a graceful silvery light, contrasting with the gloomy background of the Night Shadow Forest. Xiao Die stood beside Ao Sheng, her soft ocean-colored eyes looking forward with undisguised excitement. She had completed her Calamity and now possessed a human form; a new world felt spread out before her.

  Zhi Xuan channeled Pure Wind-Lightning essence into the Seven-Star Boat’s control formation. The artifact roared lowly, its sound smoother and more controlled than before. The Wind Law he had just mastered made the navigation of the flying artifact far more efficient. The Seven-Star Boat streaked north, leaving the Night Shadow Forest behind them, cutting through the dawn sky at a terrifying speed.

  Their pace was far swifter than when they were with Jing Zi. The speed of the Seven-Star Boat, fueled by balanced Lightning and Wind essence, allowed them to glide between invisible spatial Laws, reducing air resistance to almost nothing. Inside the Sea of Consciousness, Ruo Xianxue only snorted. She saw the new spirit in the two Ancient Beasts and the improvement in Zhi Xuan’s foundation.

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  "Crimson Land Valley," Zhi Xuan murmured. He stared at the mental map from the Ancient Heaven Memory Legacy. The valley was a territory dominated by Ancient Fire energy and stable Earth, hidden behind the range of the Extreme Ice Mountains. It was the perfect place to perfect the remains of his Five Elements Dao.

  Their journey was an unstoppable pursuit of speed. They crossed lands and seas in a matter of days. They saw small factions below, cities shrouded in Defensive Formations, and ancient mountains enveloped in mist, but Zhi Xuan never slowed down. His destination was the Crimson Land Valley.

  Twelve days after leaving the Night Shadow Forest, the landscape below began to change dramatically. Green vegetation vanished, replaced by barren plains covered in a layer of white dust. The air grew cold, and the harsh Ice Law began to seep into the higher layers of the atmosphere.

  "We have reached the border of the Northern Continent," Zhi Xuan stated, his voice calm despite the piercing cold. "Ahead of us are the Extreme Ice Mountains. The Ice Laws there are no joke. Even Soul Transformation realm cultivators will struggle to endure it."

  Zhi Xuan moved his hand and provided a seal that hid the fluctuations of the two small children behind him; Ao Sheng’s horns were covered by an illusion and Xiao Die’s wings vanished back into her back. Zhi Xuan did not take the risk of carrying the two of them openly in a continent filled with harsh cultivators.

  The Seven-Star Boat dove low. Zhi Xuan sharpened his divine sense to search for any civilization or nearby territory populated by cultivators. His goal was to find information about the Extreme Ice Mountains and the Crimson Land Valley to find a safe and easy path to cross, considering the ten-year time limit was drawing closer and Zhi Xuan had to master the Five Elements realm fully before returning to the Three Plains Competition.

  Zhi Xuan slowed the Seven-Star Boat, bringing it to glide low over the hard ice plains. From a distance, the towering mountains looked like countless crystal blades, their peaks shrouded by the Extreme Ice Law which radiated an aura of frozen destruction. In the distance, Zhi Xuan saw dim points of light breaking the uniformity of the ice plains. Those points formed a small settlement, likely a forward outpost established by small factions to mine spiritual ice stones or hunt Ancient Beasts living in the Extreme Ice Mountains.

  Zhi Xuan channeled essence into the Seven-Star Boat’s Illusion Formation. The artifact dimmed, its bright light vanishing, replaced by a dull silver shadow that was barely visible against the white ice background. Zhi Xuan did not want to draw unnecessary attention. He turned back, looking at Ao Sheng and Xiao Die.

  "Two little ones," Zhi Xuan said, his voice containing a warning. "The Extreme Ice Mountains ahead are a dangerous territory. We will not fly directly over them. We will seek a safe path through this outpost. Do not reveal your Ancient Blood or spiritual essence, and most importantly, do not speak unless asked."

  Xiao Die and Ao Sheng nodded in unison. Xiao Die, with her calm new face, radiated an aura of deep politeness, reminiscent of the mannerisms she had recently learned for interacting with the outside world. Ao Sheng, although instinctively disliking concealment, understood the need for caution.

  The Seven-Star Boat glided slowly toward the settlement. As they approached, Zhi Xuan could see that the settlement was surrounded by a crude Defensive Formation, and several fully armed cultivators patrolled atop walls of spiritual ice built haphazardly. Most of the cultivators were in the Five Elements realm, and only a few had reached the Soul Transformation realm—enough to show that the foundation of cultivators in the Northern Continent was no trivial matter.

  Zhi Xuan stored the Seven-Star Boat back into his Sea of Consciousness and landed behind a large ice cliff, a few miles from the settlement. The air here felt like piercing needles, but Zhi Xuan, with his Wind Law and Heavenly-Devil Blood, ignored it.

  "We walk," Zhi Xuan commanded. He stepped forward, his fully mended robes now appearing graceful and impressive. He suppressed his spiritual aura until he appeared like a peak-stage Consciousness Transformation realm cultivator—strong enough to be respected, but not enough to draw the attention of major sects.

  The three of them walked across the frozen ground. Ao Sheng and Xiao Die walked slightly behind him, radiating the aura of polite and protected young disciples. As they approached the gate, a weary-looking cultivator, wearing thick beast-skin robes and holding a spiritual ice spear, stepped forward. His red and swollen eyes showed a long lack of sleep.

  "Identity," the cultivator hissed, his voice hoarse from the cold. "This place is the Frozen Wind Mining Outpost. No wanderers are allowed in without a purpose."

  Zhi Xuan stopped, his hands hanging relaxed at his sides. He produced a jade badge showing that he was a disciple of the Thousand Heavens Sect—enough to make them recognize the great sect from the Central Continent. He did not care if they withheld the badge; his goal was to trigger an interaction.

  "This junior is a core disciple of the Thousand Heavens Sect," Zhi Xuan replied with a calm voice. "We aim to cross the Extreme Ice Mountains toward the Crimson Land Valley. We ask this fellow Daoist to provide guidance and permission to cross."

  The jade badge Zhi Xuan produced radiated a controlled aura of spiritual essence, showing its origin from a major Central Continent faction. Although the Thousand Heavens Sect was not in the Northern Continent, its name carried enough weight to make the guard flinch. The guard, with his red and swollen eyes, looked at the badge, then turned to stare at Zhi Xuan, measuring his strength. Peak-stage Consciousness Transformation—strong enough to be a threat, but not enough to ignore the rules. He also observed Ao Sheng and Xiao Die, two young figures shrouded in an aura of calm and protection, making them look like genius disciples being protected by their senior.

  "Thousand Heavens Sect," the guard repeated, his tone slightly more respectful, though still filled with caution. "Crimson Land Valley... That is a dangerous journey, Daoist. Especially now, the Extreme Ice path is active. We have lost two teams in the past month in those mountains."

  He returned the jade badge to Zhi Xuan. "We cannot give permission to cross those mountains because not just anyone can enter the mining area, but we can provide the latest maps and information."

  The guard waved his hand and a box made of ironwood appeared in his palm. He carved a rune on the ironwood box and opened it, revealing a jade slip that stored the latest information and maps of the Extreme Ice Mountains.

  "Ten high-grade spiritual stones," the guard said bluntly; the information provided was worth the danger faced when creating the jade slip. "Inside this jade slip, all the different paths from the mining area are recorded. Crossing the Extreme Ice Mountains takes months. If you are certain, then you may proceed. If not, then you can return to your warm sect."

  Zhi Xuan received his jade badge back. Although the guard spoke harshly, the honesty about the danger and the request for ten high-grade spiritual stones showed that the information was indeed valuable. In the Northern Continent, where resources were scarce, ten high-grade spiritual stones were a fair price for a life in the Extreme Ice Mountains.

  Zhi Xuan smiled thinly, a smile that did not reach his eyes. He moved his hand, and a Divine Black Jade Stone appeared in his palm, radiating a pure spiritual essence aura denser than ordinary high-grade spiritual stones.

  "A fair exchange," Zhi Xuan replied with a calm and seemingly familiar voice. "Ordinary spiritual stones will not suffice; a Divine Stone will pay for this information."

  The guard gasped, his red and swollen eyes widening as he saw the quality of the Divine Black Jade Stone—the best spiritual stone one could obtain in this realm. He took the stones hastily, storing them in his storage ring as if afraid Zhi Xuan would take them back.

  "The jade slip, Daoist," the guard spoke, his tone now much more respectful, even nearly bowing.

  Zhi Xuan took the jade slip, his spiritual essence enveloping its surface, and the map of the Extreme Ice Mountains was immediately etched into his Sea of Consciousness. The map showed paths marked with dangers, Natural Ice Formations, Ancient Beast nests, and locations of mountain cracks caused by overly dense Ice Laws.

  "We thank this fellow Daoist for the help," Zhi Xuan replied. He nodded vaguely, a gesture of farewell. The guard immediately opened the defensive formation gate, just enough to let the three of them through, and watched them closely, ensuring they did not veer toward the mining area.

  Zhi Xuan, Ao Sheng, and Xiao Die stepped through the gate. As soon as they passed it, the air temperature dropped drastically. The harsh Ice Law felt like thousands of needles trying to pierce their essence defenses. They walked away from the Frozen Wind Mining Outpost, stepping over hard ice that reflected the cold morning sun. About five miles from the outpost, Zhi Xuan stopped. He brought out the Seven-Star Boat, which immediately expanded.

  "Ao Sheng, Xiao Die, board," Zhi Xuan commanded coldly. He levitated the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron to circle the boat, providing a resonance of the Summer Law that slightly reduced the extreme cold. "We will not waste time walking; we need to arrive at the Crimson Land Valley as quickly as possible."