His pupils reflected the youth’s jade-like body, which was gradually descending the platform and cracking with every movement. A distinct, sweet taste, characteristic of the Qi of Ginseng, suddenly welled up in his throat. It was the life-saving trump card integrated into his marrow and blood after he had devoured the Ginseng Child.

CRACK!

The web of cracks on the youth’s chest and abdomen had already spread to his throat, yet he touched the lingering Starlight on his fingertip to the center of his own brow.

The entire White Jade Palace suddenly trembled violently. Jade fragments flaking off the surfaces of the Coiling Dragon Pillars coalesced in mid-air into the seal script of the *Cyan Mountain Suppressing Technique*—the very same Body Refining Secret Technique of the Profound Daoist Sect that Xu Yunfan had seen before!

Xu Yunfan’s Heart and Spirit trembled as he instantly realized the truth. ’So the True Inheritor’s Ultimate Skill from the Profound Daoist Sect must have been obtained from this place.’

"Quite a fine Human Cauldron."

A trembling sound, like that of a bronze chime, was forced from the youth’s fractured vocal cords. The pure light around him transformed into a bridge, connecting to the crown of Xu Yunfan’s head.

Xu Yunfan’s pupils contracted, his mind reeling as if struck by lightning. The instant the bridge of light pierced the crown of his head, he saw what looked like a sea of clouds exploding before him. A torrent of countless ancient, obscure Runes washed over him, nearly battering his consciousness into a stupor.

’This is... possession?!’

Every muscle in his body tensed instantly. The Dragon Scale Armor sensed the danger, its individual scales bristling as they erupted with a blinding, bloody light.

Xu Yunfan felt his head was about to explode. In a daze, he saw...

A White Bone Altar rising from the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, with nine rust-covered chains piercing the figure at its center.

The figure slowly looked up, revealing a face identical to his own, but its lips were curved into the same smile the youth had worn just moments before!

The pure light coiled around Xu Yunfan’s limbs like chains, holding him suspended in mid-air.

A faint smile appeared on the youth’s face as he watched the dazed expression come over Xu Yunfan.

He stood with his hands behind his back, Xu Yunfan’s rigid figure reflected in his eyes. He let out a soft sigh, his voice carrying the desolation of a thousand years. "What a pity... The world has its own karmic laws; they cannot be forced. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in this land is as depleted as a desert. The timing is not right, the conditions are not met. Even with heaven-defying power, it is difficult to go against the tide."

His gaze roamed over Xu Yunfan’s tense body, sweeping past the dark patterns on the Dragon Scale Armor, and a playful smile suddenly touched his lips. "As for ’human harmony,’ however, it seems fate has prepared that for me."

He tapped a finger against the void as if strumming Xu Yunfan’s physical body.

"With this body of yours, which has undergone Blood Exchange and Washing Marrow, and supplemented by my prized *Turtle Breath Tribulation Scripture*, I can endure two or three hundred years of desolation... When the tide of Spiritual Qi returns, that will be the day my Dao sees the light again!"

Before his voice had faded, the youth’s figure abruptly disintegrated into a sky full of pure light, rushing toward the center of Xu Yunfan’s brow like an inverted Celestial River!

BOOM!

As if struck by lightning, Xu Yunfan collapsed to the ground.

In his Sea of Consciousness, the youth’s spirit essence transformed into a hundred-zhang giant. It brought a palm down, intending to crush his Divine Soul.

But at that very moment, a sudden change occurred.

SHRRRIP!

The Extreme Dao Relic Shell—formed from the sloughed-off flesh of a mysterious female Extreme Daoist—suddenly erupted. In this moment of crisis, the fleshy shell writhed like a living creature, squirming madly to cling to every inch of Xu Yunfan’s skin as if it were a Taotie that had smelled blood.

The youth’s spirit essence froze, shocked to find it had plunged into a blood-red dreamscape.

A setting sun, the color of blood, stained the entire dreamscape crimson.

The heavens hung low, threatening to collapse at any moment and crush this illusory world.

The White Bone Altar stood majestically in the center of a Sea of Blood. Nine rust-covered chains pierced through the altar, their ends disappearing into the void, as if restraining some indescribable existence.

The mysterious woman in white, formed from the remnant will of the Extreme Dao Relic Shell, stood atop the altar. Her sleeves billowed, and a chilling Sword Qi swirled around her.

Her expression was cold, only her eyes were as frigid as winter stars, piercing straight through to the youth’s spirit essence, which had sacrificed its body to enter Xu Yunfan’s Sea of Consciousness.

The youth’s composure vanished instantly, his brow clouding over with gloom.

’This turn of events was far beyond his expectations. To think that this person, no more than a grasshopper, would have such a secret hidden in his Sea of Consciousness.’

He quickly calmed himself. But when he got a clear look at the woman’s figure, his pupils shrank, and he let out a cold sneer.

"So it’s a remnant of the ’Celestial Sword Pavilion’! Yuu Congling, you’re not dead yet? To think you’re still clinging to life like this. I really misjudged."

His voice was like the clashing of metal, laced with a trace of mockery and fear.

"No wonder this Relic Shell could block my possession... Back then, the Celestial Sword Pavilion was famous for its ’Spirit-Slaying Sword Intent,’ a specialized counter to Primordial Spirit techniques. I never imagined someone could actually seal Sword Intent into a fleshly husk and refine it into such a demonic object!"

At this, the youth suddenly burst out laughing.

"When we came to this world back then, a Great Cultivator from your Celestial Sword Pavilion watched with his own eyes as you fell. If I bring you back to my Sect, they will surely reward me handsomely! This fleshly husk of yours is mine for the taking. Once I get out of here, I’m going to refine you into my Human Cauldron."

As he said this, a lustful glint flashed in the depths of the youth’s eyes.

"A True Inheritor of the Celestial Sword Pavilion... I’ve never had a taste of one of those in my life."

"Primordial Demon Sect... your wicked ambitions never die."

Yuu Congling’s expression did not change in the slightest. She simply raised her hand slowly.

In an instant, the Sea of Blood churned and the White Bone Altar trembled. Countless streams of Sword Qi condensed from the void, forming bloody Longswords that hung in the sky, their tips aimed directly at the youth!

The youth’s expression changed drastically. He hadn’t expected that Yuu Congling, a mere remnant will, could still condense such an incomparably terrifying Sword Intent.

’It must be because this Xu Yunfan has been feeding her his Essence Qi in her dreams day and night. That’s the only way this could happen.’

His thoughts moved like lightning. The youth instantly understood the connection and shot a vicious glare at Xu Yunfan, who was standing in the distance.

Xu Yunfan’s expression remained unchanged. He raised a hand and gave the youth the middle finger.

Although the youth didn’t know what the gesture meant, he naturally understood it was disrespectful. He decided not to dwell on it. To deal with Xu Yunfan, he first had to destroy Yuu Congling of the Celestial Sword Pavilion.

He roared, "You dare stand in my way, you mere remnant will?!"

But before his voice could fade, a rain of bloody swords poured down!

The moment the rain of bloody swords began to fall, monstrous Demon Qi erupted from the youth’s body. It formed nine pitch-black chains that coiled around him, each one bearing a hideous demonic face that let out a shrill screech. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Primordial Nine Tribulations, open!"

The chains, like living things, crushed the incoming bloody Sword Qi, but several rays of sword light still pierced the defense, tearing shocking wounds into the youth’s Primordial Spirit.

He grunted, the anger in his eyes turning completely to savagery. He formed a Two-Handed Seal, and the surging Demon Qi condensed into the phantom of a three-headed, six-armed Demon God.

"Since you insist on protecting this brat, this venerable one shall devour your remnant will first!"

The Demon God phantom spread all six of its arms. Scarlet vertical pupils split open in its palms, shooting out six rays of soul-eroding demonic light.

Yuu Congling’s figure remained motionless, but the White Bone Altar boomed as nine pillars of blood rose from it, their surfaces covered in densely packed, sword-shaped inscriptions.

TWANG!

A clear sword cry rang through the Sea of Blood. All the inscriptions detached from the blood pillars and interwove before her, forming a sword-screen engraved with the ancient seal script for "Spirit-Slaying."

The moment the demonic light struck the sword-screen, it melted away like snow under a scorching sun!

The youth’s pupils contracted violently. He had never expected that Yuu Congling had cultivated the "Immune to All Tribulations" sword style from the Celestial Sword Pavilion’s Sect’s Ultimate Skill, the *Celestial Sword Manual*!