The Head Weaver had now collapsed onto the floor. He tried to get up, but his soul was gravely injured. His eyes pleaded, not for life, but for a swift end.

  Zhi Xuan walked closer and stood over the Head Weaver. He raised his foot, ready to end the fight, but his gaze fell upon the ancient Stone Cauldron in the corner.

  "A perfect cycle, you said?" Zhi Xuan hissed, his voice cold.

  He kicked the Head Weaver hard. The pale body slid across the ground, slamming into the ancient Stone Cauldron.

  "Your field is destroyed, and your soul is torn. I will not waste Essence to purify you, Head Weaver."

  Zhi Xuan extended his hand. The Azure Holy Flame—the purest and hottest Soul Fire—leapt from his fingertip, not dark purple, but a soothing yet deadly bluish-gold color.

  The fire did not strike. It enveloped the Head Weaver, purifying his dead alabaster-like body. The body did not burn; it immediately evaporated, the Essence of Death embedded in his skin being refined by the Soul Fire.

  Zhi Xuan did not want the remnants of an entity that could weave Spiritual Blood to decay in his world. In a matter of seconds, all that remained was a clump of dry ash that smelled of pungent iron, and thousands of thin golden threads that had lost their luster.

  The threads, which were the manifestation of the Head Weaver's technique, wilted into dust as their Master perished. Zhi Xuan looked at the ash with indifference. In his Sea of Consciousness, he could feel Ruo Xianxue's deep satisfaction.

  'Monkey, I like how you dealt with that rat,' Ruo Xianxue echoed. 'Quick, brutal, and efficient. Now, deal with the mess outside. And don't touch that ash. There is residual Essence of Death that I don't want you to absorb.'

  Zhi Xuan nodded silently. He walked to the corner of the hut, picking up the now cold ancient Stone Cauldron. Although this artifact was not as pure or powerful as the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron, it exuded a dense historical aura and had ancient carvings that seemed to store the memory of the cycle of life and death.

  This cauldron could be used as a secondary vessel or a secondary refining tool. He stored it inside his Storage Pouch.

  He then walked to the hut door. Ignoring the young man Gatekeeper who had now collapsed onto the ground like a wooden puppet whose strings were cut. Even the moth Xiao Die, whom he had briefly worried about, had returned from his robe pocket, now hovering to his shoulder with a calm yet vigilant hum.

  CLANG!

  Zhi Xuan kicked the door open. Outside, Mist Chaser Village looked like a nightmare that had just ended.

  All the puppets that had been standing tall were now lying on the earthen floor, their bodies made of bark and moss withered and dry, looking like fragile statues.

  The dilapidated wooden gate that had radiated an ancient aura now looked like a pile of wood ready to collapse. The black-purplish mist above them churned wildly, freed from its master's control, beginning to diffuse and fade into the forest silence.

  Zhi Xuan stepped out, his foot treading on the body of the old woman puppet who had previously greeted him with a grin. He felt his Black Jade Essence still surging, and the Devil Seed that Ruo Xianxue had just planted at the bottom of his Sea of Consciousness felt like a strange clump of dark energy.

  The landscape of Mist Chaser Village changed drastically. Although the moon still shone brightly above, and the dazzling sunlight could not enter due to the spatial distortion, the thick mist had vanished.

  Now, the air felt heavy, cold, and thick with passive Essence of Death. The huts became gloomier, and most horrifyingly, the hands protruding from under the ground stopped moving, like plants whose vitality had ceased, revealing the sight of a mass grave that had just been dug.

  "This village, it is truly strange. The spatial distortion is still present," Zhi Xuan murmured. He stepped back again, entering the Head Weaver's hut. He could not be careless; he did not know whether the ancient forest outside would still trap him in a loop or throw him into a deadlier zone. He had to wait for spatial stability to return.

  Zhi Xuan snapped his hand, and the hut door closed with a loud sound. He was not afraid of the now lifeless puppets outside, but of the spatial distortion that still trapped him. With the Head Weaver's death, control over the space in the village might become unstable, or even more deadly.

  He sat cross-legged in the middle of the cold earthen floor, taking a deep breath. His focus shifted from the external environment to the internal threat—the Devil Seed. He closed his eyes, looking at his Sea of Consciousness which was now peaceful, but carried a new burden.

  Inside his Sea of Consciousness, the storm that had been raging now subsided. The roaring sound of the Sea of Consciousness changed to a stable hum, but above the calm waves, a small, pitch-black shadow, the size of a grape, floated on the surface.

  The seed spun slowly, radiating an essence of death mixed with a pure will for slaughter—the residue of the Head Weaver that had been purified and transformed by the Sacred Devil. Instead of corrosive and decaying, the Essence was now dense, cold, and deadly, wrapped in a thin layer of Ancient Devil aura. This was the Devil Seed that Ruo Xianxue had promised—a soul seed.

  Zhi Xuan allowed his spiritual form to approach the seed. He felt a cold and dangerous attraction. The seed was the karma he had to pay for using the Sacred Devil's power to destroy a lesser foe.

  "Is this the karma the heavens promised me?" Zhi Xuan looked at the seed. It was as if he was looking at a seed that would multiply his karma under the Heavenly Dao—a seed that would demand the fulfillment of Demonic desires.

  'Precisely, Monkey. That is the new Devil karma you have planted,' Ruo Xianxue echoed, her voice sounding satisfied. 'This seed will grow. It will demand blood and power. It is the Demonic foundation that will challenge your Heavenly Dao. If your Dao Heart wavers, this seed will take over, and you will become the perfect vessel, even for me.'

  Zhi Xuan was not intimidated. He had predicted this outcome. He channeled a bit of his Black Jade Essence, creating a purification aura around the seed. The seed trembled, but did not shatter. It was a refined Pure Demonic Essence.

  "I accept the karma," Zhi Xuan whispered, his eyes shining with cold resolution. "But this seed will not dominate; it will become fertilizer for my Wheel of Celestial Samsara."

  Zhi Xuan knew, to conquer the Devil, he must possess the Devil's power, but control it with a higher will. This Devil Seed, although dangerous, was also a deadly resource he could learn from and use, as long as his Dao Heart remained unshaken.

  Zhi Xuan allowed his spiritual form to stand before the spinning Devil Seed in his Sea of Consciousness, forming a soul shield for his spiritual self. The pitch-black grape-sized seed radiated a cold allure, a promise of cruel power.

  "Seizing the will of living beings, collapsing all Heavenly Dao, even if your will is strong, a single devil thought can break it."

  Ruo Xianxue's echo was like a dark ancient mantra, carrying the existential fear of every cultivator, how they would be terrified and fail to overcome cultivation hurdles just because of a tiny devil thought, seizing the will to move forward and giving way to wild, beast-like instincts.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  "You are even shielding your soul from a tiny seed, do you regret it now?"

  Zhi Xuan, whose spiritual form was enveloped in a thin Black Jade aura, smiled cynically. The smile did not reach his eyes, but only spread on his lips, showing mad self-confidence. He merely raised his hand and pointed to the spinning Devil Seed.

  "It is just a seed, and that seed will become the path to compete with the heavens."

  Zhi Xuan pulled back his spiritual form, opening his sapphire eyes. The cold confidence in the Sea of Consciousness immediately transferred to his face. Outside, the hut felt cold and silent. He allowed Xiao Die to remain on his shoulder; the moth's pure presence felt soothing against the newly planted Demonic aura.

  "Xiao Die, we will spend the night here," Zhi Xuan whispered, his voice low. "We will wait until the spatial distortion outside subsides, or until we can sense a clear compass direction."

  Zhi Xuan reached into his Storage Pouch and took out the jade scroll he had obtained from Bandit Lin—the Blood Bone Pill Formula. He might have found the Wild Blood Grass Root, but low-level Beast Heart Oil, White Jade Powder, and Sun Falling Leaf were impossible to find here.

  He placed the scroll on the floor, then waved his hand and sharpened his divine sense. The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron whizzed and pierced out of the hut, deciding to search for the remaining traces of Wild Blood Grass Root.

  The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron shot out of the Head Weaver's hut, shrinking into a jade-gold sphere that whizzed in the air, propelled by Zhi Xuan's now focused and sharp Divine Sense. Although Zhi Xuan could not free himself from the village's spatial snare, he could use the Cauldron as an extension of his senses.

  The Cauldron flew low, scanning the wet, muddy ground on the outskirts of the village. Zhi Xuan was not interested in the remnants of the withered Thousand-Night Mushrooms; he was looking for the root grass with the densest Essence.

  After the Head Weaver perished, the spiritual control in the village collapsed. However, the Wild Blood Grass Root—which was essentially low-level spiritual grass enriched by Spiritual Blood—still emitted a faint Essential aura.

  Zhi Xuan directed the Cauldron to the location where the Head Weaver had previously pointed to the mushroom field. There, among the collapsed soil mounds and the protruding hands that were now frozen in decay, the Cauldron stopped.

  HUM!

  The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron spun in place, radiating a gentle and serene spiritual wave. The cauldron spun and emitted a jade-gold light. Zhi Xuan sharpened his divine sense and channeled the cauldron to pull the Wild Blood Grass Root from the soil.

  SHIIIING!

  A dozen strands of Wild Blood Grass Root slowly lifted from the ground, their red veins still contrasting with the darkness. He did not take all of them at once. He only took the largest and gumiest ones, those whose Essence was densest.

  "Enough to make two batches of low-level Blood Bone Pills," Zhi Xuan murmured calmly and with a slight sense of relief.

  The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron carried the grass back into the hut and spun in front of Zhi Xuan. The herbal roots were pulled out, immediately absorbed and stored inside Zhi Xuan's Storage Pouch. He waved his hand, and the artifact shrunk into a bead in his hair.

  Zhi Xuan rose from his position. This hut was not only like an altar and a well-maintained shack; it was visible in some corners that there were shelves adorned with worn scrolls and weapon artifacts.

  Zhi Xuan squinted, the Azure Holy Flame in his eyes scanning the dust-covered shelves. This Head Weaver's hut, besides being a control center and dwelling, must have stored the spoils from the cultivators who became the Head Weaver's "harvest."

  In the corner of the hut, there was a roughly carved wooden shelf, on which lay several scrolls made of ancient animal hide, and several worn jade containers. Zhi Xuan walked closer, carefully avoiding the ashes of the Head Weaver's remains.

  He picked up the first scroll made of animal hide. The scroll radiated a penetrating cold aura and smelled of earth. He channeled his Divine Sense into the scroll. Instantly, his Sea of Consciousness was flooded with extremely complex diagrams and runes, far more complicated than the Blood Bone Pill Formula.

  "This... a copy of the Ancient Nirvana Puppet technique." Zhi Xuan choked, his eyes widening with pure surprise, accompanied by a sharp curiosity.

  The scroll, although only a rough copy, contained detailed methods on how to create a puppet, briefly showing an image of Nirvana puppet creation.

  This technique was far more advanced than the Head Weaver's mere golden threads; Nirvana Puppets could nurture a conveyed will from the puppet master, allowing the puppet to live for only one will according to the puppet master's desire.

  "This is almost close to Necromancy; they live only for will," Zhi Xuan murmured, his eyes shining with interest in the great thing he had just discovered. "They do not have a soul or spiritual essence. This is like a scroll that can create undead soldiers!"

  Zhi Xuan stored the scroll carefully into his Storage Pouch, realizing how dangerous this knowledge was. Such a technique could shake the foundation of any Heavenly Dao if disseminated. He calmed himself, the excitement he had just felt was a devil thought, and he would not allow the devil seed to control him.

  "Silence!" Zhi Xuan roared as a whisper appeared in his head, clutching his own head and stepping back step by step. Zhi Xuan felt a subtle pull in his Sea of Consciousness, not from Ruo Xianxue, but from the newly planted Devil Seed.

  'Ambitionnnn... Powerrrr... Take it... Zhi Xuan... Step over the heavens and create blood on every path you tread...'

  The whisper, sounding cold and fervent, was the manifestation of the Devil Seed—an essence of slaughter trying to seduce Zhi Xuan's Dao Heart. The sudden excitement over discovering the forbidden technique was the perfect bait for the Devil Seed.

  Zhi Xuan clutched his head, his Dao Heart trembling amidst the swiftly passing internal storm. He forced his Black Jade Essence to spin, condensing Pure Essence around his Sea of Consciousness.

  "I am Zhi Xuan! My Will is my Dao!" Zhi Xuan roared, his voice hoarse, but filled with cold determination.

  Slowly, the pull subsided, and the whisper disappeared. The Devil Seed returned to a passively spinning black shadow in his Sea of Consciousness, accepting its master's rejection.

  Zhi Xuan let out a long sigh, cold sweat soaking his back. This internal threat was far more terrifying than any external threat he had ever faced.

  'Be careful, Monkey. That was just an introduction,' Ruo Xianxue echoed, her voice sounding cold and warning. 'That seed will become a part of you, and it will challenge you at every discovery, every ambition, every moment of weakness. You are no longer fighting against mortal cultivation; you are fighting against your own heart.'

  Zhi Xuan nodded, releasing the grip from his head. He looked at the Ancient Nirvana Puppet scroll with a different gaze—it was a deadly double-edged sword.

  He continued searching the hut more calmly and controlled. Under the scroll shelf, he found a wooden chest made of dark jade wood that radiated a stable aura.

  "This is like the worn-out coffin in my bag," Zhi Xuan murmured, he leaned down to look closer at the chest made of dark jade wood. The chest was carved with extremely intricate ancient runes that he did not recognize, but they radiated an aura of confinement—as if the object inside was too dangerous to be seen.

  Zhi Xuan scraped the confinement runes with a bit of Black Jade Essence. Immediately after the pressure of the runes subsided, Zhi Xuan opened the heavy lid of the chest.

  The smell of wet, decaying earth, which had previously filled the village, suddenly faded, replaced by an ancient and dry scent that stung the nose—like the aroma of the remains of flowers that had died hundreds of years ago.

  Inside, lying in a layer of decaying gray silk cloth, were a dozen small statues carved in great detail.

  The statues, no taller than the palm of a hand, had forms resembling humans, spiritual beasts, and even several entities that looked like Devils. They were carved from a material he did not recognize, brown-gold in color, and strangely, had no spiritual fluctuations whatsoever. The statues were the pure essence of mortality.

  Zhi Xuan leaned down, touching one of the statues shaped like an ancient flying eagle. As his gentle fingertip touched the surface of the statue, the statue instantly faded. Not into wood or stone dust, but into fragments of brown-gold ash that were immediately carried by the incoming air.

  The surrounding statues exposed to the air also began to wilt, in silence. The statues that had been intact, now became small piles of falling ash, as if they were merely projections of memory, not physical matter. Only a few statues survived and their number was drastically reduced.

  Zhi Xuan sighed. He let the statues fade. He only took five small statues made of the densest brown-gold material—a small monkey statue, a woman, two little girls, and a man holding a staff.

  These five statues did not fade, radiating a cold and pure Essence of Mortality, as if they were the strongest or the last puppets carved. He stored them inside his Storage Pouch, an interesting object to use one day.

  He then moved on to another object on the shelf. Under the jade wood chest, Zhi Xuan found a cloth bag made of dried black snake skin. He opened the bag and found its contents: a large pile of low-level Spiritual Stones and a few mortal silver coins.

  "A pathetic haul," Zhi Xuan muttered, shaking his head slowly. He took all of it and stored it.

  Zhi Xuan closed the snake skin bag, quickly dismissing his disappointment over the meager loot. The biggest clues were not the treasure, but the artifacts and scrolls he had found. He swept his gaze across the entire hut for the last time, ensuring there were no more dangerous remnants of the Essence of Death.

  He returned to sitting cross-legged in the middle of the hut. Xiao Die settled on his shoulder, the moth's Pure Essence slowly beginning to cleanse the cold and thick air around them.