Mei and Ling'er bowed deeply, fully understanding the weight and cunning behind their Holy Fairy’s decree. They no longer saw this as simple anger, but as a complicated chess game. Leaving, the two loyal attendants immediately moved with exceptional speed and efficiency, obeying Zhu Qinglan’s command to prepare the lavish gifts that would bind the Black-Haired Devil.

  Meanwhile, on Sky Sword Peak, Zhi Xuan had sat cross-legged on the jade platform, trying to restore his shattered composure. He used a portion of his Black Jade Essence to stabilize the minor fluctuations caused by Zhu Qinglan's Earth Law Palm slap.

  “Rotten Great Saint,” Zhi Xuan hissed in his Sea of Consciousness, his tone containing deep annoyance. “You caused me shame in front of the entire Thousand Heavens Sect. I owe this second Karmic Slap to you.”

  Ruo Xianxue snorted atop the Devil Tree of Life. “I merely gave you a chance to carve a perfect Descendant, Monkey. Why are you so afraid of women? Even if you were embraced by Heavenly Wisdom, you would still be cautious. That is a weakness, not an honor.”

  “I am not afraid of women; I respect Law,” Zhi Xuan countered. “And you, with that wild provocation, just gave that very angry Five Element cultivator, Xu Sheng, a new reason to attack me at the Annual Disciple Celebration.”

  Suddenly, Zhi Xuan noticed an energy fluctuation outside the Cultivation Cave. He channeled his divine sense, and found two familiar Late Organ Transformation auras—Zhu Qinglan’s attendants, Mei and Ling’er. They carried several scrolls and spatial bags that radiated a strong spiritual essence aura.

  Zhi Xuan sighed. Zhu Qinglan did not send Xu Sheng for revenge; she sent her attendants. That was a good sign, but also confusing. He rose from his jade platform, stepping out of the Cultivation Cave. He looked at Mei and Ling’er, who stood outside the pavilion, bowing deeply, their gazes showing deep respect, mixed with a hint of fear.

  “Holy Fairy Zhu sent you,” Zhi Xuan said, his tone flat. “I assume this is a final expulsion, or perhaps a letter containing a karmic curse.”

  Mei, holding the foremost scroll, raised her head. Her expression was formal, showing no emotion.

  “Young Master Zhi Xuan, we were instructed by Holy Fairy Zhu to deliver these to you,” Mei said, her voice calm and controlled. She stepped forward and placed a large spatial bag radiating spiritual essence, a tightly closed jade box, and an ancient bamboo scroll on the stone table in the pavilion.

  “This is the compensation that was supposed to be sent tomorrow. Holy Fairy Zhu expedited it,” Ling'er continued, pointing to the spatial bag. “This bag contains two thousand High-Grade Spiritual Stones, a large amount of Black Jade Stones, and spiritual herbs needed for your Peak Consciousness Transformation cultivation.”

  Zhi Xuan raised an eyebrow. Two thousand High-Grade Spiritual Stones? That was an enormous amount for a new disciple, even for a genius. Zhu Qinglan truly gave him wealth.

  “And this,” Mei continued, opening the jade box. Inside, lay a spiritual herb radiating a rich and calming life aura. “This is Heaven’s Breath Grass. It will stabilize your newly forged foundation and prepare it for the upcoming realm clash.”

  Zhi Xuan narrowed his eyes. Heaven’s Breath Grass was an extremely rare and expensive herb, a treasure needed by cultivators who had just reached a high realm to ensure no fluctuation tore their foundation. This was an incredibly valuable gift, an absolute acknowledgment of his Dao.

  “And this,” Ling’er said, with a slightly more excited tone, pointing to the ancient bamboo scroll. “This is the Zhu Clan's Heaven-Grade Martial Art, Third Heaven Thunder Slash. Holy Fairy Zhu wants you to master it to strengthen your combat abilities, preparing for the Divine Stone Mine.”

  Zhi Xuan stared at the scroll. Heaven-Grade Martial Art. That was something only accessible to the most elite disciples of the sect or ancient clans. He felt deep disbelief. She had just slapped him out of her domain, and now she was giving him priceless treasures?

  “There are conditions,” Zhi Xuan said, his voice returning to a cold and calculating tone. He was not stupid. This luxury must have a price comparable to the honor of the Holy Fairy he had violated. “You can keep them. I will not accept gifts without clear conditions.”

  Mei and Ling’er exchanged glances. Mei took a step forward, her posture calm, but her eyes radiated absolute firmness, a reflection of Zhu Qinglan's will.

  “The conditions are clear, Young Master Zhi Xuan,” Mei countered. “These gifts are an advance payment for the Six-Month mission to the Divine Stone Mine and as compensation for the binding Holy Fairy Zhu will impose on you.”

  “Binding?” Zhi Xuan repeated, his eyebrow slightly raised.

  “Considering you have shown unpredictable tendencies and violated boundaries in her domain,” Ling’er said, adding detail in a formal tone. “Holy Fairy Zhu demands that you personally visit her at the Jade Immortal Garden, once every five days, for the next six months, to report your cultivation progress and receive Dao pointers from her.”

  Silence descended upon Sky Sword Peak. Zhi Xuan looked at the spatial bag, the jade box, and the Heaven-Grade Martial Art scroll. Then, he looked towards the Jade Immortal Peak in the distance, where Zhu Qinglan was now likely smiling slyly.

  Once every five days. For six months.

  A total of thirty-six formal meetings, each of which would disrupt his cultivation. Not only that, Zhu Qinglan was openly claiming a close relationship with him in front of the entire Thousand Heavens Sect. This was an incredibly clever and cruel retaliation. Zhu Qinglan did not attack him; she bound him with thicker karma and unavoidable gossip. She made Zhi Xuan, the Devil who wanted to cultivate peacefully, the focus of the Thousand Heavens Sect's attention.

  “Extraordinary,” Zhi Xuan muttered, his voice flat, but there was a hidden layer of anger. Zhu Qinglan was a master strategist, a manifestation of Ancient Clan cunning.

  “Holy Fairy Zhu also ordered us to convey this,” Mei said, bowing her head slightly. “If you refuse, she will openly cancel the Dao Protector promise, which will tear karma and guarantee that the entire Thousand Heavens Sect will view you as a disgrace who violated the Holy Fairy's honor. And she will allow Senior Brother Xu Sheng and others to test your arrogance without limitation.”

  Zhi Xuan closed his eyes for a moment. He felt deep annoyance. Zhu Qinglan had cornered him. She had created a scenario where refusing the gifts would damage his Dao and make him face endless conflict. While accepting the gifts would bind him to Zhu Qinglan's will, forcing him to be a chess piece in a game of karma. He opened his eyes, a cold sneer twisting his lips.

  “You may return,” Zhi Xuan said, his voice containing a tone of acknowledged defeat. “Tell Holy Fairy Zhu that I understand her rules. I will accept these gifts as a valuable advance payment.”

  He stepped forward, his cold and sharp hand taking the water jade ring he had previously received from Zhu Qinglan. He channeled essence, and the spatial bag, jade box, and ancient bamboo scroll immediately disappeared into the jade ring. His movements were swift and measured, showing cold acceptance of fate.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Tell her, I will visit her at the appointed time,” Zhi Xuan continued. “And I promise her, that every Dao pointer she gives me, I will use it to become stronger.”

  Mei and Ling’er bowed, a feeling of relief and triumph filling their hearts. Their task was complete.

  “We will convey your message, Young Master Zhi Xuan,” Mei said. They turned, and immediately disappeared in a streak of fast light.

  After the two attendants left, Zhi Xuan sat back down on his jade platform. He looked towards Jade Immortal Peak. His cold smile disappeared, replaced by a calm and measured facial expression.

  “You win this time, Zhu Qinglan,” Zhi Xuan muttered. He channeled his divine sense into the jade ring, staring at the Heaven’s Breath Grass radiating a rich life aura and the Heaven-Grade Martial Art scroll. “You gave me wealth to bind me. But I will use this wealth to sever that bond.”

  In his Sea of Consciousness, Ruo Xianxue snorted with satisfaction. “This is a good thing, Monkey. That girl gave you Heaven Law and heavenly herbs. Take her strength. After all, she is the potential mother of your Devil-Heavenly descendant.”

  “Six months,” Zhi Xuan muttered. “Thirty-six humiliating meetings. I will use every second of this to reach an unimaginable realm. And by the time I reach that realm, the Dao Protector you considered will become a Law that demands accountability for your karmic promise.”

  Zhi Xuan took a deep breath, the breath exhaled by his Cleaving Metal Lungs now felt cold and calculating. He closed his eyes, allowing the abundant spiritual essence from the Heaven’s Breath Grass he had stored in the jade ring to begin resonating with his new foundation.

  First, he had to stabilize the foundation that had just been tested by the clash of Xu Sheng's Five Element Dao. Every strand of essence within his Perfect Five Divine Organs was still trembling slightly. He had to ensure that the furnace he forged had achieved absolute stability. He reached into the jade ring, and the Heaven's Breath Grass immediately appeared in his palm. The herb radiated a warm life aura, a contrast to his Devil Metal's coldness. Without hesitation, Zhi Xuan put the herb into his mouth.

  RUMBLE!

  As soon as the Heaven’s Breath Grass reached his stomach, its pure essence exploded, not in a destructive form, but as a wave of gentle warmth. The wave immediately enveloped his Five Divine Organs, seeping into his Heart of Desire Fire and his Cleaving Metal Lungs. The small fluctuations remaining from the clash of Dao with Xu Sheng immediately subsided. His foundation felt like newly forged steel that was now dipped in heavenly oil—hard, yet flexible and inseparable.

  In his Sea of Consciousness, his Devil Tree of Life trembled, its roots penetrating deeper into the foundation of the Consciousness Realm. Even Ruo Xianxue felt the benefits of the herb. The Heavenly Samsara Wheel absorbed all the essence from the Heaven’s Breath Grass, the flow connecting the five organs felt pleasant and expansive.

  Three days and three nights passed as quickly as an incense stick burning. On the fourth morning, just as the Heavenly Sun touched the steep peak of Sky Sword Peak, the spiritual wave inside Zhi Xuan's cultivation cave exploded in a calm yet undeniable spiral.

  The sharp Devil Metal aura swirled around the jade platform, no longer wild or chaotic, but bound in a deadly harmony. The Heaven’s Breath Grass had done its job; the Perfect Five Divine Organ foundation now achieved absolute stability. Every rotation of essence within those organs felt like the rotation of an unassailable cosmic wheel.

  Zhi Xuan opened his eyes. His sapphire pupils encircled by blood-red rings now shone with deep calmness. He took a breath, and the air inside the cultivation cave felt like a sharpened sword, cold and sharp. He had achieved a truly stable Peak Consciousness Transformation, there was no longer any doubt. He was ready to face any realm duel or natural disaster.

  "Sanctum Stability Peak." Zhi Xuan mumbled, he patted his waist and took out the Divine Furnace and the Heaven-Splitting Thunder Sword, the two Heaven-Grade weapons floating in front of him. "Two Weapons, unfortunately the sword is still half destroyed."

  The Ocean-Shattering Thunder Sword, its jet-black blade made of Ancient Thunderwood, did indeed radiate a deadly ferocity aura, but there were countless fine cracks on its surface, an acknowledgment that it was a half-damaged Heaven-Grade Artifact. The sword resonated with the Black Jade Essence, but required a higher heavenly material to be repaired and reach its full potential.

  "In the Ancient Devil Memory, only Netherworld Black Iron is capable of repairing it." Zhi Xuan mumbled, he stared at the sword with a sharp gaze. Seeing the eroded traces of Netherworld Black Iron. "However, that Iron is too rare to obtain."

  Zhi Xuan sighed, his breath exited as a sharp mist that immediately dispersed in the air. He stood up for a moment to retrieve the gift box he received when he became a disciple, changing his red-silken black robe with a sky-blue robe that felt in stark contrast to his long black hair. He still tied the red star-embroidered cloth on his arm.

  "Xiao Die," Zhi Xuan called as he placed his black robe on the shelf. Staring at his own appearance, now wearing a sky-blue robe. "Do you think I deserve to wear this robe?"

  Xiao Die, the Thousand Feathered Moth who had been calmly anchored in the folds of Zhi Xuan's black robe, woke up. Its small, shining wings radiated a soft rainbow dust. It spun once above Zhi Xuan's head, as if analyzing its master's new look.

  A soft chirp came from the moth. The rainbow dust descended, touching the sky-blue robe Zhi Xuan was wearing. In the silence of Sky Sword Peak, Xiao Die's chirping sound felt like pure heavenly music. The moth then landed slowly on Zhi Xuan's shoulder, its fine feathers gently pressing against its master's cold skin.

  “Your chirp sounds like you are unsure,” Zhi Xuan muttered, his thick face returning to a strange expression. He gently stroked Xiao Die's head with his fingertip. “This sky-blue robe is too ‘pure’. Too… heroic. It does not suit my Dao.”

  The robe was one of the few gifts he received from the Thousand Heavens Sect, a gift for disciples with good foundations and those who passed the heavenly selection. Indeed, the contrast with his jet-black hair and the red rings in his eyes felt striking, as if he were a devil disguised as an angel.

  He waved his hand and retrieved his two artifacts back into the Consciousness Realm. "Netherworld Black Iron, perhaps the Divine Furnace can also be forged with it."

  Zhi Xuan stepped out of the Cultivation Cave, masking the Cave's formation and staring towards the clouds surrounding the other cultivation Peaks. He took a long breath, then with runes carved on his feet, he stepped and shot towards the Mission Hall to fulfill his first mission as part of the Star King Ladder list.

  He arrived at the Thousand Heavens Sect's Mission Hall, a majestic building made of white jade, radiating the Law of Space and Order. The Hall was bustling with disciples of various realms, from Organ Transformation to Consciousness Transformation, all busy seeking tasks to earn sect contributions and spiritual stones.

  Zhi Xuan's arrival—a figure who had just been the subject of wild gossip about low-altitude flying practice that destroyed a tree and a shocking Dao duel against a Five Element cultivator—immediately drew attention. Whispers spread like wildfire.

  “That’s him! Zhi Xuan, the Black-Haired Devil from Sky Sword Peak!”

  “Sky-blue robe? Isn't that too pure for his Devil aura?”

  “Look, his aura is so stable. The rumor about his victory against Senior Brother Xu Sheng must be true!”

  Amidst the excited whispers, Zhi Xuan walked with calm and measured steps, ignoring the eyes that were now fixed on him. He had grown accustomed to being the center of attention; the Dao he carved was indeed destined to attract the attention of Heaven and Earth. His pure sky-blue robe, contrasting with his jet-black hair and the faint red rings around his pupils, actually strengthened the Aura of Phenomenon that disguised the darkness within.

  He did not step into the main mission board area filled with various colored scrolls. As a disciple who had just finished a Dao fight against a Five Element cultivator and received a greater karmic mission, Zhi Xuan was not interested in the crumbs of sect contributions. He headed to the corner of the hall, where elite and senior disciples exchanged information privately, and where larger and more dangerous missions were displayed on a jade slab radiating Supreme Law.

  That jade slab—known as the Dragon Decree Board—only displayed missions requiring a Consciousness Transformation foundation or higher, missions that often bordered on battlefields or ancient clan territories.

  As he arrived in front of the slab, several Consciousness Transformation cultivators who were standing there, some of whom were senior disciples he knew from the Purification Pool, immediately stepped aside, creating an awkward space around him. The power he demonstrated last night had drawn a clear boundary: Zhi Xuan was not a peer, but an existence approaching disaster.

  Zhi Xuan channeled essence into his hand and touched the surface of the Dragon Decree Board. Thousands of lines of ancient writing flashed through his mind, listing missions ranging from patrols in the Demon Mist Swamp to guarding spiritual convoys.

  "The karmic binding mission has been set," Zhi Xuan muttered in his heart. "Now, I just need a small mission to cover my movements and gather some additional resources.”