Zhi Xuan nodded to Jue Mu, accepting the offer without wasting time. For him, one poison on the battlefield was better than ten sharp swords. He ignored the stares of thousands of eyes that looked at him as if he were a newly descended God, yet covered in blood. He allowed Chu Feng to lead him.

  "Follow me, Young Master," Chu Feng said, walking quickly down a few stone steps and along a narrow, hidden passage.

  The passage was only lit by faint small essence lamps, and the air inside felt cooler, far from the heat of the arena's madness. Finally, Chu Feng stopped in front of a small room, made of crudely carved black stone.

  "This is the arena's emergency cultivation room," Chu Feng explained, carving a small rune on the door. "We allow fighters to recover, but only for a short time. This room has a formation that prevents external Divine Sense from prying, but do not expect abundant spiritual essence."

  Zhi Xuan stepped inside. The room was small and damp, containing only a straw mat placed in the corner. However, it was enough.

  "Wait for me outside," Zhi Xuan commanded, his voice cold again. "I need total silence."

  Chu Feng nodded, handing over a small pouch containing low-grade recovery herbs. "Use this to clear any remaining poison essence in your spiritual blood. Do not push yourself, Young Master. The Death Bringer is a dangerous opponent."

  Zhi Xuan took the herbs indifferently. "I know."

  Chu Feng stepped back and closed the stone door, leaving Zhi Xuan in the darkness and silence he needed.

  Zhi Xuan immediately dropped onto the straw mat, allowing his body to fully relax. He coughed once more, this time bringing up thicker, almost black blood. The fracture in his ribs felt sharp, and his meridians pulsed with pain.

  He took out the recovery herbs from Chu Feng—a dull-looking root and a roughly distilled pill—and immediately put them into his mouth. The herbs were only capable of clearing the remnants of the Blood Reaver's essence trying to erode his meridians, but were unable to heal his internal injuries.

  Zhi Xuan channeled his black jade essence. He allowed the Wheel of Heavenly Samsara to rotate slowly, each rotation harvesting cold and pure spiritual essence from himself, directing it to the torn meridian points. He flowed his spiritual blood, which possessed superior healing and cleansing properties, as a balm.

  ‘You must be quick, Monkey. Only two hours. That's not enough even for an ordinary Blood Transformation cultivator,’ Ruo Xianxue echoed.

  'I know. But this pain is unavoidable. This is the price of forcing it. If I can stabilize my spiritual blood, external healing will follow,' Zhi Xuan replied.

  He did not attempt to heal his ribs; he focused on the core. The Sea of Consciousness and the spiritual blood. He used the Law of Winter, summoning cold essence to suppress the turbulence of his spiritual blood. The cold essence spread, stopping internal bleeding, freezing the cracks in his Sea of Consciousness to prevent them from spreading.

  "Xiao Die," Zhi Xuan whispered with a slight pant. "Help me."

  Xiao Die, who was hiding in the folds of his robe, immediately appeared. Its soft, rainbow hum filled the dark space, but this time, the hum had a vigilant and powerful resonance. The Heavenly Moth flew above Zhi Xuan's head, its wings emitting a gentle jade-gold light.

  Zhi Xuan raised his hand. With his absolute trust in his spiritual creature, he directed Xiao Die. The Heavenly Moth understood. It no longer emitted a threatening Titan aura, but released a gentle essence pollen.

  The pollen, shimmering like stardust, floated down onto Zhi Xuan's body. The pollen was not medicine, but a pure catalyst that merged with Zhi Xuan's Spiritual Blood. Zhi Xuan's already pure black jade essence was amplified by this celestial catalyst, allowing the internal healing process to occur at a speed that transcended mortal logic.

  The Wheel of Heavenly Samsara in Zhi Xuan's Sea of Consciousness spun faster, driven by the pure energy of the pollen. Within the wheel, the Law of Winter worked more effectively, condensing the black jade essence that Zhi Xuan channeled. The coldness permeated, calming his turbulent meridians, rejoining the torn tissues.

  Zhi Xuan let out a long sigh, a sigh that expelled the foul air from his last fight. In the silence of the dark stone room, he felt his cracked ribs slowly shift, urged by the waves of spiritual blood that now flowed more calmly and purely.

  His spiritual blood, which had been pushed to its extreme limit, was now stable again, even undergoing a subtle purification.

  Xiao Die, after expending a small fraction of its essence pollen, returned to the folds of his robe, its hum now indicating satisfaction.

  ‘Fourth-order Heavenly Moth pollen... that is a rare treasure, Monkey. Only you would dare to use it to mend internal injuries. That is an extremely extravagant waste,’ Ruo Xianxue echoed, although her tone reflected more admiration than sneer.

  Zhi Xuan ignored the Ancient Devil Monument. He opened his eyes. Only one hour and fifty minutes had passed, but thanks to the aid of the celestial catalyst, he had recovered about six-tenths of his strength.

  His fractured ribs were mended and stabilized, and the turbulence of his Spiritual Blood Essence had subsided. He was not fully recovered, but he was in a much better condition to fight than before.

  "Enough," Zhi Xuan muttered. Recovering to ten-tenths would take many full hours. On the path of blood, being half-recovered was already a luxury.

  He rose from the straw mat, tidying his red silk robe, which was now stained with the dried blood of the Blood Reaver and his own. The smell of copper and death still lingered there.

  Zhi Xuan waved his hand, and a drop of cold black jade essence appeared, cleaning the remaining blood from his face. He walked to the door, his hand touching the cold rune carving.

  WHIP!

  The stone door shifted, revealing Chu Feng standing outside, looking anxious.

  "Young Master, your time is almost up," Chu Feng said, his eyes scanning Zhi Xuan's body, looking for signs of weakness. He was surprised. Although Zhi Xuan's jade face was still pale, his Blood Transformation aura was now much more stable than when he left the arena.

  Chu Feng frowned. "Two hours for recovery after a fight with a veteran... You pushed yourself too hard."

  "Take me to my opponent," Zhi Xuan interrupted. He did not have time for a lecture on caution; out there, two thousand Spiritual Stones were waiting.

  Chu Feng, sensing the sharp determination radiating from the Black-Haired Devil, only nodded. "Follow me. The Death Bringer is waiting on the threshold of death he created."

  They walked back through the winding passage. The closer they got to the arena, the thicker and more foul the contaminated Spiritual Essence aura became. The air felt heavy, not just from the madness of the spectators, but also from a thin layer of poisonous Essence enveloping the cave.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  ‘Poison. The Death Bringer uses poison, Monkey. That is a cunning path. Poison can bypass ordinary Essence defenses,’ Ruo Xianxue warned.

  'I know. But my Divine Cauldron possesses extreme purifying properties. And I have just cleansed myself with a celestial catalyst,' Zhi Xuan replied, without fear.

  They arrived at the entrance to the arena. The roars and cheers struck Zhi Xuan's senses again, this time mixed with a strange spice scent and a suffocating acidic smell—poison residue. The Arena Guide, with his red dragon tattoo, was already standing in the center, pumping the excitement of the audience who were already on the verge of madness.

  "Gentlemen and ladies! The Black-Haired Devil has returned! Though injured, he returns to claim the promise of a second Blood Crystal!" the Arena Guide roared.

  Zhi Xuan stepped onto the black sand of the arena. His gaze immediately fell upon his opponent.

  The Deathbringer was a thin, almost skeletal man, but his eyes radiated an unnatural blue-green light. He wore a dark gray robe, and his entire body seemed shrouded in a layer of deadly Essence mist.

  He held two short daggers, their blades appearing dull, but Zhi Xuan sensed deadly poison fluctuations there. His aura, Peak Blood Transformation, felt fouler and more cunning than the Blood Reaver's frontal strength.

  "You dare to return, bloodied brat?" the Deathbringer sneered, his voice dry like grinding pebbles. "I smell foul blood on your robe. You only patched your wounds, not healed them. My poison will find every crack in your meridians."

  The Deathbringer smiled, and the smile looked like a grinning skeleton. He waved his hand, and a thin green mist, smelling like rotten flesh and copper, began to crawl around his feet, poisoning the black sand.

  "I am the slow, painful path, Young Master," the Deathbringer continued, his blue-green eyes filled with pleasure. "I will melt your spiritual blood, shatter your Divine Wheel, and harvest your filthy Blood Crystal before you even realize it."

  Zhi Xuan ignored the threat. He only felt a faint anger towards the Deathbringer's path—poison was a cunning and despicable Dao, a path that refused direct confrontation.

  "I am not a Young Master," Zhi Xuan countered, his voice calm. He allowed his Black Jade Essence to radiate outward, creating a thin layer of defense around his body—a cold aura aimed at freezing the poison essence in the air.

  "I am the Black-Haired Devil. And your Blood Crystal is part of my wealth."

  The Arena Guide raised his hand. The gong boomed.

  "BEGIN!"

  The Deathbringer did not attack with force; he attacked with poison Essence.

  He leaped, his movement extremely fast, but not toward Zhi Xuan. He lunged sideways, his two poisonous daggers stabbing the air behind Zhi Xuan. The thick green mist crawling on the arena sand suddenly spun wildly, surrounding Zhi Xuan.

  "Green Death Mist!" the Deathbringer shouted.

  The mist, full of poison essence that had been forged by the Deathbringer, rushed to invade Zhi Xuan's cold Essence defense, trying to seep into his pores.

  Zhi Xuan snorted. He had anticipated this attack. He could not use the Divine Cauldron for defense without wasting more Essence. He had to attack the mist.

  WHIRLLLL!

  Zhi Xuan stomped his foot, summoning his spiritual blood. Ten Blood Devil Blades manifested, no longer forming a defensive vortex, but spreading quickly into a Circular Formation that spun horizontally around his feet.

  The formation spun so wildly that it created an almost sterile buffer zone, pushing away the crawling Green Death Mist. However, the mist was cunning. The poison Essence did not attack frontally; it tried to seep in from above and below, looking for the slightest gap in Zhi Xuan's cold defensive essence.

  Zhi Xuan knew his superior spiritual blood could only withstand this invasion for a moment. He had to test the poison, understand it, and attack where it was weakest.

  ‘Take out the Divine Cauldron, Monkey. Purification is the only Dao that rivals poison,’ Ruo Xianxue urged.

  Zhi Xuan nodded. He waved his hand. The Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron appeared above his palm, spinning slowly.

  He did not use it to attack, but allowed it to radiate pure gold-jade essence waves, acting as an intermediary that would react to the poison. Seeing his opponent only defending with a spinning sword formation, the Deathbringer grinned wider.

  "Only defending? My poison is the weakness of foolish Blood Transformation cultivators!" the Deathbringer roared.

  He leaped back, swinging his two dull daggers. The blades did not shoot out as a physical attack, but radiated ten Poison Filaments—thin but deadly green essence threads, spreading throughout the arena, seeking contact with Zhi Xuan's skin.

  The filaments moved slowly, as if the Deathbringer was playing with his prey.

  "Green Nerve Filaments! One touch, and your essence will be paralyzed!" the Deathbringer yelled.

  Zhi Xuan saw the filaments coming. This was the opportunity he needed. He could not expend essence on the Divine Cauldron and the Blood Wind Vortex simultaneously. He had to take a risk. Zhi Xuan allowed five Green Nerve Filaments to pass through the Sword Formation, which he loosened the spin of, aiming for his robe section.

  SHIIIING!

  The five filaments pierced his red silk robe and touched the skin of his arm, which was smeared with dried blood.

  A sharp, cold pain immediately spread in his blood vessels. The poison essence, instead of paralyzing, began to burn his spiritual blood. Zhi Xuan grit his teeth, coughed hard, and his knee slightly buckled.

  ‘You're insane! That poison attacks the Spiritual Blood Essence!’ Ruo Xianxue roared, shocked by Zhi Xuan's bold, or rather, foolish action.

  Ruo Xianxue was right; the action was indeed insane. However, in Zhi Xuan's heart, it was a cold calculation—the price to pay for understanding the enemy.

  The five poison filaments felt like burning ice needles in his meridians. The poison was not just targeting the nerves; it was trying to contaminate and paralyze the core of his spiritual blood. Zhi Xuan felt his essence spinning wildly, trying to isolate the poison, but the pain was so sharp that it almost tore his concentration.

  'I know. I must feel the poison to understand it,' Zhi Xuan replied, his teeth grinding.

  He did not retreat. He forced himself to stand, using his remaining strength to direct the essence of the Heavenly Trifold Reincarnation Cauldron into his own spiritual blood. The Divine Cauldron did not just purify; it also analyzed.

  The gold-jade essence waves from the Divine Cauldron vibrated, fighting the poison invasion.

  In an instant, Zhi Xuan gained a terrifying understanding: the Deathbringer's poison was not a slow poison; it was a poison designed to break the cohesion of spiritual blood, making it unstable and ineffective for cultivation.

  "Only a feint!" the Deathbringer roared, realizing his opponent had not fallen. He saw the stagger and thought Zhi Xuan was on the verge of defeat.

  The Deathbringer leaped forward, discarding the dagger that had stabbed Zhi Xuan. With his two new dull daggers, he launched a fast physical attack, aiming for Zhi Xuan's heart.

  "Five Soul Stabs!"

  The two daggers spun in a rapid cross pattern. Zhi Xuan knew that if this physical attack succeeded, the poison on the blades would finish the job the filaments had failed to do.

  Zhi Xuan released his Blood Wind Vortex Sword Formation, which had been holding back the poison mist. The ten blood sword blades vanished, returning to Essence. He allowed the Divine Cauldron in his palm to slightly enlarge, to the size of a spinning bowl.

  He jumped backward, his movement fast, but not an attack move—it was the most efficient escape motion.

  SHING!

  The two daggers only cut the air. At the same time, Zhi Xuan swung his small Divine Cauldron, not as an attack, but as a Mobile Purification Barrier.

  The Cauldron radiated a calm, deadly resonance, releasing a golden wave in all directions. The wave collided with the remaining Green Nerve Filaments.

  Fzzzzzt...

  The poison filaments immediately evaporated into acidic smoke upon contact with the Divine Cauldron's purification wave, indicating that the Cauldron was the absolute natural countermeasure.

  "What?!" the Deathbringer roared. "A purification artifact! That's impossible!"

  Zhi Xuan did not answer. He felt the poison in his arm starting to subside under the Divine Cauldron's control, but the pain from the Blood Reaver's injuries surged back. He had to fight quickly and efficiently.

  He lunged sideways, using the speed of his cold black jade essence to dodge the Green Death Mist that was now creeping up, driven by the Deathbringer's madness. Zhi Xuan realized that the Deathbringer's only weakness was his reliance on poison to weaken his enemy, not frontal combat. He had to force him into a clean fight.

  "A Poison Cultivator like you only dares to play dirty!" Zhi Xuan retorted, his voice cold and piercing. "Show me if your thin skeletal arms can withstand a single blow from pure Blood Transformation!"

  The Deathbringer was enraged. The taunt cut into his Dao. He let out a roar that resembled a cough.

  "I will tear your Essence apart!"

  The Deathbringer leaped. This time, he did not use daggers. He cupped his hands together, summoning his most concentrated poison Essence, forming a dark green, seemingly boiling orb.

  "Essence Shattering Poison Orb!"

  The orb shot toward Zhi Xuan with deadly speed. The orb was not only poisonous; it carried an explosive force designed to destroy the Divine Wheel from a distance.

  Zhi Xuan knew that if he defended with the Blood Wind Vortex, the explosion would rip open his internal injuries. He had to take a calculated risk.

  He did not completely avoid it. He summoned the Divine Cauldron in his hand, spinning it at extreme speed.

  WHIRLLLLLL!

  Zhi Xuan threw the small Divine Cauldron forward, aiming for the Divine Cauldron to devour. The Essence Shattering Poison Orb collided with the spinning Divine Cauldron.