Zhi Xuan nodded slowly. The deal was fair, as strange as it was. Yan Shen was not manipulating him to become a slave or a pawn. He offered the knowledge he needed, in exchange for a 'spectacle' of how Zhi Xuan would conquer his own Dao.

  He rose from his seat, bowing slightly to Yan Shen. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior. And also for your kindness at the gate."

  Yan Shen merely smiled and nodded, his eyes returning to look out the window. "Live out your destiny, Young Master. The path is solitary, and dangerous. Dragons fly alone."

  Zhi Xuan stepped out of the tea pavilion, the Scroll of the Fifteen Ancient Devil Purifying Formations feeling cold and heavy in his hand. He did not look back. Within his Sea of Consciousness, Ruo Xianxue remained silent, her anxiety replaced by a dark anticipation.

  Behind him, Yan Shen seemed to fade and a gentle breeze hit Zhi Xuan. Zhi Xuan felt the oppressive aura pressure that had enveloped the room suddenly disappear completely. The white jade gate of the pavilion swung shut with a soft sound, as if no one had ever sat there.

  Zhi Xuan stood tall on the bustling street, letting the dense Spiritual Essence of Green Cloud City embrace him. However, within that embrace was a piercing coldness. He had just exchanged words with a cultivator who could see into the core of his Dao, a man who asked not for mortal treasures, but for his destiny.

  "Red Stone," Zhi Xuan murmured in his Sea of Consciousness, his steps measured as he blended into the crowd of trading cultivators. "What is your opinion of Yan Shen?"

  ‘He is a true Daoist,’ Ruo Xianxue replied, her tone highly cautious—something very rare. ‘He sees you not as an individual, but as a Phenomenon. He is a guardian of balance, Monkey. He does not want you to perish, but he will not lift a finger to prevent it. His greatest goal is to witness whether the Sacred Devil, implanted through the Devil Seed, will be able to be controlled by the decayed Ancient Heaven Dao Heart.’

  "And this Scroll?"

  ‘The Scroll is a roadmap to the highest peak. Purification. If you succeed, you will have an unrivaled cultivation path—a Devil fused with the Heavenly Dao. If you fail, I will have the perfect vessel, and I won't have to waste thousands more years subduing you.’ Ruo Xianxue let out a dry laugh, but there was a genuine undertone of threat hidden within it.

  "I will succeed," Zhi Xuan cut in coldly, his head turning slightly, scanning his surroundings. He did not want anyone to suspect his internal conversation.

  Zhi Xuan knew he had just met a figure who would change his path forever. A seemingly unintentional chance encounter, yet it had opened the door to a higher—and more dangerous—path than he had ever imagined.

  He knew Yan Shen had given him the best safety rope as well as the heaviest karmic noose he could possess. The path to Devil Purification was a solitary one and must be traveled alone.

  Zhi Xuan immediately moved away from the quiet residential district, rejoining the hustle and bustle of the trading route. He hid the newly acquired Jade Scroll deep within his Storage Pouch, sealing it with Black Jade Essence runes so no Divine Sense could scan it.

  He realized Green Cloud City now felt like an eggshell. On one side, he had a treasure trove of knowledge that could destroy him if revealed; on the other, he had time pressure—three months until the Thousand Heavens Sect test and the urgent need to complete the Blood Bone Pill.

  Zhi Xuan needed shelter. He rented a low-level spiritual cave on the eastern outskirts of the city, an area dominated by Body Transformation and First Ember cultivators who wanted to cultivate without interruption.

  The cave was cheap, but its defensive formation was adequate enough to ward off ordinary Divine Sense and provide a slight spiritual filter.

  Once he was inside the damp, cold cave, Zhi Xuan activated the Essence filtering formation, locking himself away from the outside world. He placed the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron before him, and he immediately took out all the ingredients he had gathered.

  Before him lay small jewels: Blood Wild Grass Root, White Jade Powder, Beast Heart Oil, Sun Falling Leaf, the seven dry Heavenly Herbs, and half a bottle of the deadly Fallen Petal Powder.

  Zhi Xuan did not immediately concoct the pill. He had to understand Yan Shen's Scroll first. He sat cross-legged, ignoring the Devil Seed pulsating cheerfully in his Sea of Consciousness.

  He took out the white jade scroll. He channeled his Divine Sense into it, and his Sea of Consciousness was immediately flooded with ancient diagrams and complex runes—not for attack or defense, but for purification.

  The Scroll explained the fundamental principles of Devil Purification, a scroll that provided formation diagrams focusing on only one thing: purifying the Devil Seed into a soul unity.

  The Fifteen Formations were a series of meditations and essence channeling paths designed to take the purest and strongest Devil essence, draw it out of the sea of consciousness, then condense and fuse the seed into a soul that would merge with the cultivator's soul, each step leading to the purification of the soul that would become the balance of the soul.

  ‘This is a crazy technique, Monkey,’ Ruo Xianxue echoed, her voice filled with awe and a slight horror. ‘This is not Purification; this is unity taming. If you err even one step, that Devil essence will destroy your Dao foundation and you will become a pure Devil.’

  "But if I succeed," Zhi Xuan countered, his eyes shining with cold resolution, "I will not have the Devil in my sea of consciousness. I will have a Devil that is united with my soul without disturbing my Dao Heart."

  Zhi Xuan spent two full days inside the spiritual cave, focusing only on digesting the ancient knowledge. He found that he could not immediately practice the Purification Formations; the scroll was only designed for high-level cultivators who had birthed a soul.

  Attempting to condense the Devil Seed before the Soul was formed would only result in total destruction. Zhi Xuan stored the scroll carefully in his storage pouch, along with the ancient nirvana puppet technique. He would not be distracted by things he would achieve in the future; his focus was now.

  After digesting future potential, Zhi Xuan shifted his focus entirely to the present: concocting the low-level Blood Bone Pill. This pill was critical; not only to suppress the Taiyin essence, but also to prepare himself to step into the Blood Transformation realm, as his First Ember realm, having reached the Sanctum level, had a great chance of completing the Blood Transformation in one go.

  Zhi Xuan set aside the seven heavenly herbs and Fallen Petal Powder. He tapped his waist and placed the essential ingredients for achieving Blood Transformation. Zhi Xuan flicked a blade of essence in his hand, directing the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron to enlarge.

  He began the process carefully. White Jade Powder and a portion of the Sun Falling Leaf were inserted first, serving as the foundation for bone and blood. Zhi Xuan channeled his Azure Holy Flame.

  The cold, pure soul fire, dark purple in color, ignited beneath the Cauldron. This was the key. His Soul Fire, though still weak compared to a true alchemist, had the highest purity that could purify any spiritual essence.

  WHIRL!

  The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron, now floating above the spiritual cave ground, rotated slowly. The Cold Purple Fire enveloped the ingredients within. In a short time, the White Jade Powder had melted, and the Sun Falling Leaf released a pure solar Essence, smelling warm and refreshing.

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  Zhi Xuan focused his Black Jade Essence, stabilizing the temperature of the Azure Holy Flame to keep it constant. This alchemy process demanded total serenity; the slightest mistake could cause the pill to explode or turn into poison.

  Next, he added the Beast Heart Oil. The thick oil immediately reacted to the heat of the Soul Fire, releasing a dense blood mist. Zhi Xuan had to be careful that the blood mist was not contaminated by the faint traces of Death Essence still remaining inside the Cauldron.

  Finally, he inserted the Blood Wild Grass Root. This grass, laden with Wild and tough Essence, reacted the most violently. The Cauldron trembled, and the uncontrolled Wild Essence tried to escape.

  Zhi Xuan let out a low growl. He knew this Blood Bone Pill would be the toughest and most demanding Pill in his first experience making pills. He had to subdue the Wild Essence and the thick Blood Essence, forcing them to fuse with the Purity of the Sun and Jade Bone.

  BOOM!

  The Cauldron exploded and released black smoke from the mouth of the cauldron, the unpleasant burnt smell made Zhi Xuan cough.

  Zhi Xuan snorted, clearing the smoke from the Divine Cauldron. He had to adjust the Azure Holy Flame. He needed to combine serenity and aggression, a contradiction that could only be overcome with absolute control.

  "One more time," Zhi Xuan muttered. "I don't have enough ingredients to fail twice."

  He took the second set of ingredients he had prepared—the remaining Sun Falling Leaf, which he split, and other scarce supplies—and with eyes radiating cold determination, he relit the Azure Holy Flame, ready to subdue the Wild Fire of the Blood Grass Root.

  He had to change his strategy. The first failure was due to lack of containment. The Wild Essence from the Blood Wild Grass Root was too dominant and could not be subdued directly by the single purity of the Azure Holy Flame.

  This time, Zhi Xuan did not insert the Wild Grass Root immediately.

  He took out a small jade bowl he had found in the weaver master's house, and poured three small drops of Fallen Petal Powder.

  This powder, although deadly in large doses, had a unique function: it could tame Wild Essence by mixing it with a soothing passive poison.

  Zhi Xuan channeled an extremely thin strand of Black Jade Essence into the bowl, dissolving the powder into a sparkling liquid containing passive energy.

  He then took the Blood Wild Grass Root, cut it into small pieces, and soaked it in the Fallen Petal liquid.

  "Control poison with poison," Zhi Xuan murmured. "Taming Wild Fire with Deadly Gentleness."

  With the preparation complete, Zhi Xuan returned to the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron. He took a deep breath, discarding all unnecessary thoughts, and allowed his Dao Heart to reach perfect serenity. Outside the spiritual cave, time seemed to stop.

  WHIRL!

  The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron rotated again. This time, Zhi Xuan's movements were measured with brutal precision. He had learned from the first failure: alchemy was a dance between control and power.

  He inserted the White Jade Powder and the remaining pieces of the Sun Falling Leaf into the Cauldron. The Azure Holy Flame, now channeled with more stable intensity, immediately transformed the ingredients into a pure white-gold liquid that radiated a pure aura.

  It was time for the most difficult ingredient.

  Zhi Xuan took the now-tamed Blood Wild Grass Root, which now emitted a sweet but calm scent of Fallen Petal Powder. He inserted it into the white-gold liquid.

  This time, there was no wild explosion. The liquid boiled, and the Wild Essence inside the Root tried to rebel, but the passive poison of the Fallen Petal Powder immediately soothed it, forcing it to interact with the Solar Essence.

  Zhi Xuan channeled his Black Jade Essence directly onto the walls of the Cauldron, forming a thin layer that contained and condensed the energy inside.

  This technique, which he developed himself through a deep understanding of the artifact's nature, transformed the Divine Cauldron from merely a vessel into a living Essence Condensation Machine.

  ‘Impressive control, Monkey. Your will is stronger than I remember,’ Ruo Xianxue echoed, her voice coming from the depths of the Ancient Devil Monument. That rare note of praise was a confirmation of Zhi Xuan's progress.

  Zhi Xuan ignored her, his entire Sea of Consciousness focused on the Cauldron. He inserted the Beast Heart Oil, which served as a binding agent.

  The oil fused with the liquid, and the Cauldron began to emit a warm, blood-red glow—a sign that the purification of Spiritual Blood was occurring.

  The Cold Purple Fire of the Azure Holy Flame reached its peak intensity. It did not burn; it purified and condensed.

  An hour passed in complete silence. Around Zhi Xuan, the filtered Spiritual Essence from the spiritual cave flowed rapidly, consumed by the Heavenly Cycle of Samsara to support concentration and maintain the Azure Holy Flame.

  Finally, the blood-red liquid inside the Cauldron began to thicken. Zhi Xuan, with a quick movement, flicked his finger. Black Jade Essence shot out, dividing the liquid into small, perfect spheres.

  Each sphere emanated a condensed Spiritual Blood aura, with a core that shone like a jade-gold gem.

  "Pill Formation," Zhi Xuan muttered.

  He rotated his Essence, forcing the spheres to spin at high speed. The surrounding energy formed a dense spiritual ring, and the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron released a low sizzling sound as the Pill Formation reached its peak.

  Twenty minutes later, the rotation slowed. Four perfect, deep-red spheres—each the size of a thumb—fell with a soft clinking sound to the bottom of the Cauldron. The low-level Blood Bone Pill had been successfully concocted.

  Zhi Xuan let out a long breath, pure relief flooding him. He had succeeded. He had four pills, enough to stabilize the Taiyin Essence and solidify his foundation in the First Ember Sanctum, without fear of the threat of internal corrosion.

  He flicked off the Azure Holy Flame, and the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron immediately shrunk, returning to a calm jade-gold bead in his hair. Zhi Xuan took the Blood Bone Pills, stored them in a small jade container, and sealed them with runes.

  Although he was spiritually exhausted, his joy was real. With this Pill, he had not only survived, but he had placed himself back on the path of competition in Green Cloud City.

  Zhi Xuan did not waste a single moment. After securing the freshly concocted Blood Bone Pills, he immediately swallowed one of the pills.

  The taste of the Pill was hot and thick, like swallowing a clod of fresh blood condensed by the sun. As soon as the Pill reached his stomach, it immediately dissolved into an explosive wave of Spiritual Blood Energy.

  This energy did not disperse into his meridians like ordinary spiritual Essence; it flowed directly to his bones and marrow, triggering a violent reaction.

  WHUUMM!

  Zhi Xuan's body trembled violently. He could feel every blood cell in his body screaming, forced to cleanse itself of impurity. This Blood Bone Pill was concocted for the Blood Transformation stage, but Zhi Xuan used it to strengthen his foundation in the First Ember Sanctum realm and, most importantly, to suppress and purify the remaining foul Taiyin heritage.

  The Taiyin aura that had been passive and cold at the bottom of his Sea of Consciousness now reacted wildly to the warm, pure Spiritual Blood Energy.

  Inside, the Taiyin energy tried to fight back, creating a stabbing pain throughout his ribs and organs. It felt like fire and ice fighting inside him, trying to tear his body apart.

  Zhi Xuan clenched his jaw, cold sweat soaking his silk robe. He made no sound; every inch of his control was directed at channeling the Pill Energy.

  He used his Black Jade Essence as a filter, allowing the pure Pill Energy to enter the marrow, but forcing it to suppress the Taiyin remnants. He was not just absorbing; he was violating the energy to fulfill his will.

  In his Sea of Consciousness, the Devil Seed spun wildly, enjoying the necessary cruelty of this painful purification process. However, the Seed could not take over; it could only witness.

  An hour passed. The pain began to subside, replaced by a warm and solid sensation. Zhi Xuan felt his bone marrow—which was the foundation for the Blood Transformation ascent—becoming harder and purer, like newly polished jade.

  When he opened his eyes, he felt a noticeable difference. His Black Jade Essence was not only denser; it felt more stable. The foul Taiyin heritage now slept soundly, tightly wrapped by the pure Blood Bone Pill.

  ‘A successful pill, Monkey. Your foundation is now stronger than an ordinary genius. You are ready to step forward,’ Ruo Xianxue echoed, her voice carrying a rare respect.

  Zhi Xuan nodded inwardly. He had not just stabilized his realm; he had laid a solid foundation to go further.

  Zhi Xuan let out a long breath, expelling the last foul air from the cruel purification process. He did not move. He sat cross-legged in the middle of the damp spiritual cave, his body covered in a thin layer of glittering spiritual sweat.

  Although the Blood Bone Pill was a low-level pill, it had served as a harsh whip that purified not only the Taiyin Essence, but also his entire foundation.

  ‘A successful pill, Monkey. Your foundation is now stronger than an ordinary genius. You are ready to step forward,’ Ruo Xianxue echoed, her voice carrying a rare respect.

  Zhi Xuan nodded inwardly. He had not just stabilized his realm; he had laid a solid foundation to go further.

  For the next three days, Zhi Xuan entered deep meditation. He did not try to achieve Blood Transformation instantly. Instead, he focused on channeling his black jade essence, allowing it to flow through the newly purified bones and meridians.

  The black jade essence, now flowing through denser and faster Spiritual blood, felt like a river carving a new canyon inside his body. Every rotation of essence in the Heavenly Cycle of Samsara strengthened his First Ember Sanctum foundation, ensuring that no empty space remained.

  At the end of the third day, Zhi Xuan opened his eyes. His eyes shone with a very calm light; there was no longer any trace of spiritual exhaustion. He had recovered all his black jade essence, and the Devil Seed had been suppressed into stable passivity—like a dragon sleeping soundly in the abyss.

  ‘The time has come, Monkey,’ Ruo Xianxue whispered. ‘You have the herbs, you have the soul fire. You must step into the Blood Transformation realm. Delaying will only give others time to surpass you.’

  Zhi Xuan nodded. He couldn't keep hiding. To compete in the Thousand Heavens Sect, he had to reach the Blood Transformation realm.