Lin Xiaozhu continued her explanation, her voice steady and analytical. “Uncle once broke it down for me. The Seven Emotions Evil Thoughts aren’t tangible entities in the traditional sense. They are more like the physical manifestation of a rule, or a concept. The demons we slaughtered before? They were merely empty shells, biological hosts parasitized to carry their power.”

She paced slightly, gesturing to emphasize her point. “Desire is like a seed. It burrows into the host’s heart, inducing their deepest obsessions, and then feeds on that chaotic energy to nourish itself. To completely eradicate such a thing, there are only two ways.”

She held up two slender fingers. “First: Locate its core aggregate—the main body—and annihilate its spirit and soul. You must utterly obliterate the very source of its existence.”

“Second…” She paused, her tone weighing heavy with gravity. “Is to fuse with it. Absorb it, refine it thoroughly, and turn it into your own power. But this path is fraught with extreme peril. The slightest lapse in will results in a backlash, transforming the cultivator into a new, even more terrifying demon.”

Zhang Xian’s heart stirred. “That is the path Lele chose.”

He quickly followed up, “In your opinion, was the Black Venerable we killed the core aggregate of Desire?”

Lin Xiaozhu pondered for a moment before nodding with certainty. “Based on my perception, the aura of Desire on him was the purest and most potent, far surpassing any other demon. The moment he died, the corrupt black energy on the remaining demons weakened significantly. There is no doubt—he was the primary source.”

However, a frown creased her forehead. “That said… after the main body dissipated, the remaining seeds of Desire didn’t vanish along with it. That is indeed an anomaly. I’ll need to return and consult Uncle to understand why.”

Hearing Lin Xiaozhu’s firm judgment, the knot of worry in Zhang Xian’s chest loosened slightly. Perhaps Desire was like a virus from his previous life; as long as the human heart harbored the seven emotions and six desires, it could never be fully eradicated. Perhaps one could only suppress it and purge the infected carriers.

“Senior Brother, I’m so tired. I don’t want to practice the sword anymore.”

“Little Xi’er, listen to your Senior Brother. If you break through to Foundation Establishment by the end of the year, I’ll buy you your favorite Honey Cloud Cakes. A whole box!”

“Wuwu… but it’s so hard. Can I eat less cake and practice a little less?”

“Absolutely not. If you don’t cultivate properly, Master will smack your palms, and even I won’t be able to stop him.”

“Alright, alright, Senior Brother, quit scaring Junior Sister. She’s still young, let her take it slow.”

“Second Junior Sister, you’re spoiling her again. You play with her every day—careful Master doesn’t punish you too!”

“Hehe, Senior Brother is the best! He’d never tattle on us!”

Li Fuxi jerked awake from the dream, her back drenched in cold sweat. She stared blankly out of the cabin window, her chest heaving, the familiar, warm voices of the past still echoing in her ears.

“Senior Brother… Second Senior Sister…” she murmured, her vision blurring with mist.

After a long silence, she slowly sat up. She hesitated for a moment before reaching toward her pillow. Her fingers closed around a warm communication jade talisman. Carved on the front in bold, flamboyant strokes was the character: “Xian.”

Three years flew by in the blink of an eye, and the landscape of the Southern Domain shifted quietly but profoundly.

Old Master Yunhe narrowly survived his Heavenly Tribulation, successfully advancing to the Nascent Soul stage. With a true powerhouse at the helm, the Yunshang Pavilion’s prestige exploded. They not only secured their spot among the Southern Domain’s six major forces but also aggressively annexed the marketplaces left behind by the Baoqing Workshop’s withdrawal. Their commercial empire expanded rapidly, crowning them the undisputed number one merchant association in the region.

Over at the Yunmiao Sect, Wangya Zhenren also successfully broke through to Nascent Soul. The former Sect Master, Xingjie Zhenren, having been stuck at a bottleneck for too long, left a letter of resignation and quietly departed the sect to seek opportunities in the wider world. Wangya Zhenren naturally took over as the Acting Sect Master, assuming full control.

Li Fuxi officially ascended to the position of Head of Lingjian Peak. Meanwhile, Lin Yinyin’s cultivation skyrocketed. She broke through to the sixth stage of the Golden Core at a terrifying speed, becoming the youngest Supervisor in the sect’s history. Her future was limitless.

On Qingmu Peak, the Head Liu Huaigu finally emerged from the shadow of grief over his friend’s death. He resigned from his position and withdrew from public view. His daughter, Liu Qingxuan, entered intense seclusion. upon emerging, she broke through to the late Golden Core stage in a single burst and took over her father’s seat.

During these three years, Zhang Xian made a special trip to Penglai Immortal Island to visit Lele. She remained in a deep slumber, her aura steady and profound. Refining and fusing with the concept of Obsession was clearly a long, arduous road.

afterward, Zhang Xian returned to his homeland in the Great Liang Kingdom. He spent three full months burning through a mountain of Spirit Stones to set up Spirit Gathering Grand Formations at major ley lines, rivers, and mountain nodes. It was a massive terraforming project to inject Spiritual Qi into the barren land.

Back at the Yunmiao Sect, the disciples had grown accustomed to the luxurious flying boat perpetually parked above Lingjian Peak. Everyone knew it was Zhang Zhenren’s personal vessel.

It was an open secret that Head Li Fuxi and Supervisor Lin Yinyin were “kept” up there year-round.

The gossip mill churned even harder when disciples caught glimpses of other high-profile beauties boarding the ship. The peerlessly elegant Yun Wanqing of the Yunshang Pavilion and the new Head of Qingmu Peak, Liu Qingxuan, were occasional guests.

The only saving grace was that “Old Devil Zhang” seemed to have reformed. He hadn’t harassed any other female cultivators in years, allowing many of the sect’s disciples to breathe a secret sigh of relief.

The demon-slaying war of the past seemed to fade into memory, washed away by the flow of time.

Hum.

The stone door of the flying boat’s cultivation chamber ground open. Li Fuxi walked out slowly. Her aura was harmonious and restrained, far more profound and stable than it had been three years ago.

Zhang Xian was waiting outside, a gentle smile playing on his lips. “Congratulations, Master. Peak Golden Core realm. You are now just a hair’s breadth away from the Great Dao of Nascent Soul.”

Li Fuxi shook her head lightly, though the slight upward curve of her lips betrayed her satisfaction. “It isn’t as simple as you make it sound. The Nascent Soul realm is not so easily attained.”

Her beautiful eyes shifted, sweeping over Zhang Xian with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. “But you… why do I feel your aura becoming increasingly unfathomable? It feels like you’re about to overtake your master, yet I rarely see you in seclusion.”

“Master, you jest. How could this disciple’s meager skills compare to yours?” Zhang Xian laughed it off smoothly. “By the way, Master, how is the refinement of that jade bracelet I gave you coming along?”

At the mention of the bracelet, Li Fuxi’s delicate brows knit together, and she let out a soft sigh. “That bracelet is extraordinary.”

She raised her hand, revealing a wrist of snowy white skin. An icy blue jade bracelet circled it, glowing with an inner light and emitting a faint, frosty chill.

“I’ve tried countless times. I’ve exhausted my True Essence and even drew upon the power of my dual Heavenly Spiritual Roots, yet I can barely leave a scratch on its surface.”

Her tone carried a trace of helplessness mixed with awe. “There seems to be an incredibly powerful restriction inside the bracelet that resists my refinement. I fear I will have to wait until I truly step into the Nascent Soul realm—using the power of a Nascent Soul to commune with heaven and earth—before I can fully master it.”

Zhang Xian nodded, hiding his amusement. He wasn’t surprised. That bracelet was a Mid-Grade Defensive Spirit Treasure, created by using the Spirit Treasure Essence from the system to upgrade a base item. Its power was leagues above ordinary low-grade treasures, and naturally, its internal restrictions were formidable.

With Li Fuxi’s cultivation still at the Golden Core stage, refining a Mid-Grade Spirit Treasure was simply asking too much.

It seems that if I want Master and the others to use better gear, they’ll have to break through to Nascent Soul first, Zhang Xian mused. My ability to forcibly refine items via the system is a cheat they don’t have access to.