Feng Yaoyue appeared instantly just a few steps from Zhi Xuan. The Phoenix Maiden approached and cast a fleeting glance at Zhu Qinglan, a faint glimmer flickering in her eyes. She offered a slight bow—not out of reverence, but as a formal acknowledgment of someone she considered a rival.

  "Holy Maiden Zhu," Feng Yaoyue greeted coldly. She straightened her posture and noticed Zhu Qinglan’s hand still clutching Zhi Xuan’s robe, a thin smile spreading across her face. "I... did not expect the Holy Maiden of the Zhu Clan to encounter such difficulty."

  Zhu Qinglan immediately released her grip on Zhi Xuan’s robe. The blush that had briefly graced her cheeks vanished, replaced by a sharp, icy aura. She straightened her back, reclaiming the dignity of an Ancient Clan Holy Maiden in the blink of an eye.

  "Hardship is part of tempering one’s Dao, Holy Maiden Feng," Zhu Qinglan replied in a flat, frigid tone, as if she had reverted to being the untouchable Ice Lotus. "It is a pity when one merely waits in safety while others pierce the boundary between life and death."

  Feng Yaoyue chuckled, a sound like silver bells chiming in the wind. She wasn't offended at all; instead, her glowing golden eyes returned to Zhi Xuan, gazing at the white-robed practitioner with unshielded adoration.

  "Senior Zhi, you look even more magnificent than the last time we met," Feng Yaoyue said, stepping closer and ignoring the tension among the Holy Sons. "Yaoyue was worried about you; are you alright, Senior?"

  Zhi Xuan merely met her gaze with a calm, unreadable expression. "I am well, Holy Maiden Feng." He shifted his gaze briefly toward Zhu Qinglan before returning it to Feng Yaoyue. "Both of you should join your kinsmen on their platforms. I shall go and meet Holy Maiden Qin."

  Zhi Xuan stepped forward with a piercing calmness, his white robe fluttering in the energy winds swirling from the core crater. He did not wait for an answer from the two Holy Maidens; instead, he shot forward like a silver streak of light toward the western platform, where Qin Meiling sat with a jade zither on her lap.

  Zhu Qinglan watched his departing figure with an unreadable gaze, while Feng Yaoyue let out a soft huff, biting her lower lip at the feeling of being ignored. The tension on the platform had not fully dissipated by the time Zhi Xuan landed before Qin Meiling.

  "Holy Fairy Qin," Zhi Xuan greeted with a slight bow.

  Qin Meiling looked up, her slender fingers pausing over the zither strings, leaving a final, lingering note that hung bitterly in the air. "Brother Zhi... you carry a different aura. The Nine Ancient Clans have agreed to refine the Heavenly Ascension Fruits inside the tower."

  "The Secret Realm of Ocean Chaos holds many indescribable dangers," Qin Meiling continued, sighing softly. "The elite disciples and their weapons have been sent back to the Cang Hai floating continent through the formation. The Ancient Clans have suffered too many losses among the elite disciples, leading us to let them exit the Secret Realm first."

  Zhi Xuan was momentarily stunned before nodding slowly. He cupped his hands before his chest. "A wise decision by the Ancient Clans. This Zhi feels somewhat guilty as an honored guest for not assisting Holy Fairy Qin in reducing the casualties."

  Qin Meiling offered a faint smile, a curve of the lips that held both elegance and profound melancholy. She shook her head slightly, letting her fingers caress the strings without plucking them, as if she were trying to read the lines of fate upon the wires.

  "Do not say that, Brother Zhi. If not for your presence in the hall earlier, Han Shanshan might have turned this place into a graveyard for many," Qin Meiling whispered. She then looked toward the tower gate, which began to glow with a dense, heavy light. "We of the Ancient Clans are too accustomed to ancestral protection, forgetting that in the face of ancient will, our status is but dust."

  Zhi Xuan turned his body, standing side-by-side with Qin Meiling as they stared at the energy crater below. "So, only the leaders and direct descendants remain," Zhi Xuan murmured. "This tower... why are the Ancient Clans in such a hurry to consume the Ascension Fruits inside?"

  "Because this tower possesses divine energy so dense, it is like an ocean atop another vast ocean," Qin Meiling replied, her voice dropping to a secretive whisper. "Divine Transformation requires immense energy; its ripples will trigger a Heavenly Tribulation. Therefore, this tower acts as a bridge to the heavens. If the tribulation comes, we have our own sky to face it within the tower."

  Qin Meiling turned to look at Zhi Xuan, initiating a soul transmission. "Be careful of Han Shanshan, Brother Zhi. If he achieves Divine Transformation, he will surely hunt you down once you exit this Secret Realm."

  Zhi Xuan received the transmission with a steady gaze, giving no one a chance to read the turmoil within his soul. "This Zhi understands. Thank you for the sincere warning, Holy Fairy Qin. Divine Transformation is indeed like becoming a god in the lower realms. Besides, the Zhu and Hua Ancient Clans still stand behind me."

  Qin Meiling nodded slowly, her clear eyes scanning the crowds on the other platforms. "We have gathered enough resources from this Secret Realm. Divine Herbs, Immortal Artifacts, and pure divine stones. This journey has not been in vain."

  "Over there," Qin Meiling continued, pointing toward a mountain far from the energy crater. "Holy Son Wang, Wang Mingshen, said that it is the Underworld Mountain, as there is an underworld river flowing within it. Holy Maiden Chen, known for her sharp perception, said the same."

  Zhi Xuan narrowed his eyes, peering into the distance toward the mountain Qin Meiling pointed out. Though the distance was beyond mortal sight, through his Divine sense, he could feel the same darkness he had encountered in the valley of the bronze coffins.

  "The Underworld Mountain," Zhi Xuan murmured, his voice carrying a vibration undetectable by mortal ears. "Jiu-Quan. I saw it once before. But what did Holy Son Wang and Holy Maiden Chen find there?"

  Qin Meiling shook her head and smiled faintly. She pointed toward Wang Mingshen, who was conversing with Chen Jianyun. Near their platform, Holy Maiden Chen and Wang Ruoxi stood slightly apart. "I do not know, Brother Zhi. You may ask Holy Son Wang and Holy Maiden Chen yourself."

  "This Zhi will try to exchange greetings," Zhi Xuan said to Qin Meiling. He shot forward with steps as light as clouds, crossing over the roaring energy crater and landing on the northern platform with the grace of a silk thread falling onto water.

  Zhi Xuan's arrival at the northern platform immediately halted their discussion. Wang Mingshen turned slowly, a thin smile appearing as he saw Zhi Xuan, as if trying to decipher what Zhi Xuan’s next move would be.

  "Brother Zhi," Wang Mingshen greeted in a voice heavy yet clear. "I feel you have recently crossed a path never trodden by human feet. The scent of damp earth and the silence of the grave still cling to your robe."

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Zhi Xuan smiled thinly, a silent acknowledgment. "Holy Son Wang has sharp vision. I merely carved a path for a mortal such as myself."

  "Furthermore," he continued, glancing at Chen Jianyun for a moment before returning his gaze to Wang Mingshen, "I heard from Holy Fairy Qin that you and Holy Maiden Chen were discussing the Underworld Mountain."

  Holy Maiden Chen, who had remained silent with her back turned to her kinsman, spoke without looking. "There is only a broken Scythe. Nothing of interest remains except for the Underworld River, which is capable of dissolving the soul."

  "Brother Zhi," Chen Jianyun added in a whisper, stepping closer as if to offer a warning. "My sister, Chen Ling'er, possesses a Heavenly Eye that was born from her Dao Fetus. Therefore, Ling'er also said that the Underworld Mountain hides a formation capable of fading a soul without the practitioner even realizing it."

  Zhi Xuan shifted his gaze toward Chen Ling’er. The mention of a Heavenly Eye and a Dao Fetus made his mind race. A Dao Fetus was a blessing from the heavens; if it were true, then Chen Ling'er’s words carried the weight of a divine decree.

  "Fading the soul without being realized..." Zhi Xuan murmured. "A formation so subtle it remains undetected, appearing as reality while secretly bringing destruction."

  He turned gracefully to face Chen Ling'er's back, clasping his hands. "Holy Maiden Chen, it is an honor to meet one blessed with a Dao Fetus."

  Chen Ling'er slowly turned around. Unlike the burning beauty of Feng Yaoyue or the icy elegance of Zhu Qinglan, Chen Ling'er’s face radiated an aura as calm as an abyss, as if she were a mirror reflecting the emptiness of the universe. Her pupils were a pale purple, glowing with the shape of a disk.

  "A blessing is a curse wrapped in silk, Brother Zhi," Chen Ling'er said calmly, nodding slightly. "You have come to ask about the Underworld Mountain, have you not?"

  "Exactly, Holy Maiden Chen," Zhi Xuan replied, meeting the girl's pale purple eyes. "This Zhi feels the mountain is not merely a pile of rock and dark essence, but something more... fundamental."

  Chen Ling'er walked closer, her steps leaving no ripple of essence, as if she were not stepping upon the mortal realm. She stopped at the edge of the crystal platform, letting the roaring crater winds blow her jet-black hair.

  "That mountain rose from the underworld," Chen Ling'er said, her disk-like purple eyes staring into the horizon. "You must have heard before that beneath the Nine Plains, there lies the Underworld... have you not?"

  Zhi Xuan nodded slowly, his memory drifting back to the barbarian tribes, Shanhu and Shuha. "The Underworld—I heard of it while in Huang Tu. But shouldn't that realm be separated by laws impenetrable to practitioners like us?"

  Chen Ling'er smiled faintly. "Laws indeed restrict a Weaver Transformation practitioner. But not for a Divine Transformation."

  "The Underworld may only contain ancient monsters," Chen Ling'er continued. "Jiu-Quan flows there; all forms of death reside in the Underworld. However, a dangerous place also hides unparalleled heavenly opportunities. Very well, enough talk of the underworld."

  She took a small breath, flicking the sleeve of her robe. "The Scythe I mentioned is at the base of that mountain. There lies a floating four-directional land above the Jiu-Quan stream. That is the Abyssal Reaping Crescent."

  "Abyssal Reaping Crescent..." Zhi Xuan hissed, the name tasting of thick deathly aura. "A treasure buried at the bottom of the Jiu-Quan stream. To touch something washed by the underworld river is to offer one's soul to the void."

  Chen Ling'er nodded, the glow in her pupils dimming before sharpening again. "Exactly. Brother Wang and I could only watch from a distance. The will radiating from that scythe is so ancient; it seems to be waiting for its owner. I sensed that its previous owner was surely an ancient devil."

  Wang Mingshen, standing beside them, added seriously, "We decided to retreat because the formation surrounding the place began to threaten Holy Maiden Chen's existence. It was as if the mountain had its own consciousness, refusing to be peeked at by the Heavenly Eye."

  "I just remembered," Chen Ling'er interjected. "It is one of the Thirteen Banners of Calamity. Something that, if it falls into the hands of a devil, would match the other Banners of Calamity that have fallen into this lower realm."

  "Banners of Calamity?" Zhi Xuan hissed, feeling a sense of familiarity. One of his own artifacts, the Abominable Heavenly Banner, was once the Calamity Banner of the Heavenly Devil. He hadn't expected another of the thirteen to be that scythe. "This Zhi once heard that the Banners of Calamity were merely the results of a war. Yet, Holy Maiden speaks as if they are treasures forged by devils."

  Chen Ling'er fell silent for a moment. She looked at Zhi Xuan with a gaze that seemed to strip away every secret hidden beneath the practitioner's white robe.

  "Brother Zhi, most practitioners in the Nine Plains believe that the Banners of Calamity are just ancient myths," Chen Ling'er said in a low, vibrating tone. "But for the Ancient Clans, it is different. Those banners... they are reminders that there was once a threat from vile beings we do not know of within these Nine Plains."

  Zhi Xuan felt his chest throb. That scythe—a banner of calamity embedded at the bottom of the Jiu-Quan—if the Abominable Heavenly Banner was a vessel for thousands of nirvana puppets and the will of death, what could a scythe washed by underworld water for thousands of years do?

  "Interesting," Zhi Xuan murmured. "If the scythe is waiting for its owner, then its owner must be a powerful devil or a cruel, heterodox practitioner."

  "Or someone whose destiny has been intertwined with the river of death from the start," Wang Mingshen added, patting Zhi Xuan’s shoulder. "But forget the Underworld Mountain for a moment. Look, the tower gate has given us our answer."

  DUMMM—!

  A boom that bypassed mortal hearing frequencies echoed from the center of the crater. The energy chains connecting the platforms vibrated violently, sparking blue spiritual fire. The Core Tower gates, reaching ten zhang in height, slowly began to split open, releasing a spiritual wave of divine essence so pure it made the Divine Wheels of every practitioner pulse rapidly.

  "The gate is open!" Shen Jiuxiao exclaimed, his eyes sharpening within his armor. "Brothers and sisters of the Ancient Clans, let us claim our Divine Transformation."

  Han Shanshan, on his platform, immediately shot forward like a dark iceberg, his robe cutting through the air with terrifying speed. He ignored everyone, his eyes fixed only on the opening gap. Behind him, the Holy Sons and Maidens of other clans began to move.

  "Brother Zhi, perhaps you will be alone outside this tower," Chen Ling'er invited, glancing briefly at the crowd. "The Holy Sons and Maidens will enter; I hope Brother Zhi can find an equal opportunity."

  Zhi Xuan looked toward the widening gate, letting the blinding golden light wash over his marble-calm face. He gave a final respectful bow to Chen Ling'er and Wang Mingshen with a motion so graceful it suggested the frantic power struggle before him was merely a play that didn't disturb his inner peace.

  "This Zhi will not force a destiny that is not his," Zhi Xuan said softly, his voice piercing the roar of the crater winds. "May success accompany your steps within the Core Tower."

  One by one, the great figures of the Nine Ancient Clans shot like flashes of colored light toward the gateway. Zhu Qinglan, before crossing the threshold, turned once more toward the northern platform. Their eyes met for a moment—a look filled with secret promises and the burden of unresolved karma. Without a word, the Holy Maiden of the Zhu Clan disappeared into the Core Tower.

  Now, the once-bustling crystal platform fell into total silence, leaving Zhi Xuan alone amidst the swirling energy crater. His white robe fluttered violently, and his long black hair danced in the wind that carried the intoxicating scent of divine essence.

  "Alone outside the tower..." Zhi Xuan murmured, watching the gate slowly begin to close. "That is what they think."

  He turned his body, looking toward the distant horizon where the shadows of the Underworld Mountain stood like a frozen monument of death. The glow of the Heavenly Eye in his right socket began to pulse, providing piercing vision. There, at the bottom of the black Jiu-Quan stream, he could feel the same aura—just as when he had faced the Calamity Banner of the Heavenly Devil.

  "Abyssal Reaping Crescent," he hissed, and the corner of his lips curled into a thin smile filled with hidden devilish aura. "If the Dragons and Phoenixes chase the Heavens, then let me first crawl toward Hell before I tear the Heavens apart."

  Zhi Xuan wasted no time. He faded into a shadow and traveled through the air, shifting between shadows to accelerate his journey toward the Underworld Mountain. He drew the Ruthless Heavenly Banner, letting its grey cloth lick the air, feeling the vibration of the devil warriors within.

  "Your brother is over there, isn't he?" Zhi Xuan's voice seemed to sparkle as he laughed hoarsely in the air. "I know, you feel one of your separated kin. Today, I shall obtain that scythe and give you a companion."