The Blood Demon Beast’s massive frame trembled violently. The gaping, bloody maw on its abdomen no longer spewed foul gales; instead, it emitted a low, mournful whimper.

“Spare… spare me…”

A jagged mental wave, filled with abject terror and pleading, drilled into Shen Xian’s consciousness.

“I will… submit as your servant. I offer my lifeblood essence…”

Shen Xian’s grip on the Traceless Sword remained steady as a rock. His eyes were calm, gleaming with the unforgiving chill of ten-thousand-year-old ice.

He sensed the beast’s genuine submission. A ferocious beast at the half-step Nascent Soul realm pledging allegiance would indeed be a powerful pawn.

But…

Images flashed through his mind.

Shen Zhimo’s blood-stained inkstone.

Shen Tiexin’s shattered corpse.

The seven elders, drained of every drop of their life force.

“The blood of my Shen Family…”

His voice cut through the stagnant air.

“…can only be repaid with your life.”

Hum!

The Traceless Sword erupted with blinding frost. Nine ancient runes lit up along the blade’s spine. With a casual flick of his wrist, Shen Xian drove the steel into the beast’s colossal body.

Boom!

Glacial sword intent detonated from within.

The beast’s enormous bulk convulsed. It let out one final, ear-piercing shriek before detonating into a sky-full of bloody rain.

crack… crack…

Before the blood could touch the ground, the extreme cold froze every droplet mid-air. A million crimson ice crystals suspended in the void, refracting a sinister, beautiful red light.

Shen Xian stood amidst the frozen rain, robes flapping in the biting wind. His expression was devoid of pity.

He reached out, catching a falling crimson crystal.

“Blood debt paid in blood.”

He crushed the crystal. It melted into red water, dripping through his fingers.

Once the bloody mist dissipated, a narrow fissure was revealed behind where the Blood Demon Beast had been nesting.

Shen Xian stepped over the scattered ice and walked in.

Rounding a corner, the oppressive darkness vanished, replaced by a crystalline, translucent space. A transparent barrier enclosed an area about ten zhang wide.

Inside, a fist-sized sphere of silver-blue light floated silently—the Void Essence Soul.

Before the crystal wall sat a withered skeleton clad in the tattered remains of a Shen Family robe. A broken jade slip was clutched tightly in its hand.

“A family senior…”

Shen Xian’s gaze sharpened. He noted the gaping wound on the skeleton’s chest cavity. It was a fatal blow inflicted by the Blood Demon Beast. This ancestor had likely used his last breath to seal the beast and hide the treasure.

Shen Xian bowed respectfully.

He carefully pried the jade slip from the bone fingers. Inserting a wisp of divine sense, a fragmented message surfaced:

[…I have failed the family… left this restriction… requires an object of the same origin to unlock…]

A failsafe. The ancestor had ensured that even if he died, the treasure wouldn’t fall to outsiders.

Shen Xian’s eyes lit up.

Spiritual light surged from his left arm. The Void Rope shot out like a spiritual snake, darting toward the barrier.

As soon as the rope touched the crystal wall, the solid surface rippled like disturbed water.

“Just as I thought.”

Shen Xian urged the artifact forward. The Void Rope moved like a swimming fish, drilling effortlessly through the restriction.

Inside, the silver-blue sphere trembled. Sensing a kindred energy, it drifted toward the rope.

As they touched, the silver light blazed. The Void Rope seemed to come alive, transforming into a phantom silver dragon that opened its maw and swallowed the Essence Soul in one gulp.

“Return.”

Shen Xian formed a seal. The Void Rope flew back, wrapping around his wrist. He could feel the terrifying purity of the spatial energy pulsing against his skin.

The third component of the Ancestral Treasure was secured.

Shen Xian didn’t linger. He transformed into a streak of light, exiting the abyss and returning to the surface.

Finding a secluded cliff, he sat cross-legged, a satisfied smile finally breaking his stony expression.

With a wave of his hand, he dumped his harvest from his storage pouch. The most eye-catching item was the Void Rope, now glowing with a rhythmic silver-blue pulse.

“Void Rope, Void Essence Soul…”

Shen Xian traced the newly formed Dao patterns on the rope. The two treasures were fusing, evolving with every breath.

If he could seize the Void Guiding Jade Pendant from his ‘good brother’ Shen Xing, the three would merge into a heaven-shaking Supreme Treasure.

“Now, for the next course.”

Shen Xian tapped his spirit beast pouch. A dark green Xuan Turtle crawled out.

“Time to earn your keep.”

He dangled a stalk of Purple Immortal Ganoderma in front of it.

The turtle’s bean-sized eyes lit up. It stretched its neck, swallowing the spiritual herb in one bite.

Crunch.

Satisfied, the Bagua patterns on its carapace began to ripple, projecting a golden screen of light. A faint, flickering map appeared, highlighting a specific location: The Molten Fire Ruins.

“Molten Fire Ruins?”

Shen Xian rubbed his chin.

An ancient battlefield for fire cultivators. It was home to the Azure Nether Fire, a nasty flame that burned spiritual foundations. Ordinary fire-avoidance arts were useless there.

“Dangerous for others,” Shen Xian muttered, patting the turtle’s shell. “But a walk in the park for us.”

He needed to get there before anyone else picked the place clean.

Several days later.

Shen Xian descended onto crimson, scorched earth. The moment his boots touched the ground, wisps of green smoke hissed from the soles.

The ruins looked like they had been lashed by a fire god’s whip. Jagged fissures scarred the land, spewing tongues of azure-blue fire.

“Azure Nether Fire.”

Shen Xian narrowed his eyes. Not far away, a charred corpse was frozen in a running pose. The identity token at its waist had melted into a lump of red iron, but the insignia was unmistakable—Li Fire Sect.

He flicked a finger, sending a wisp of wind toward the body.

Puff.

The corpse disintegrated into ash. Even a Golden Core body couldn’t withstand the corrosion here.

The Xuan Turtle tugged at his sleeve. The “Kan” (Water) position on its shell glowed softly.

Shen Xian looked up. Carved into a massive rock wall ahead were ancient, crystallized warning runes:

[Nine Tribulations Fire Mansion. Trespassers Burn.]

The edges of the characters were vitrified glass.

“Work,” Shen Xian commanded.

The Xuan Turtle obeyed. The “Kan” trigram flared, erecting a pale blue water screen around them. The oppressive heat vanished instantly.

Shen Xian suppressed his aura to the absolute limit. Under the cover of the water screen, he moved like a shadow.

The Traceless Sword in his hand emitted a faint chill, freezing the ground beneath his feet just enough to silence his steps.

After winding through three twisted fissures, the path opened up.

Three Li Fire Sect disciples were slumped against a scorching rock wall, gasping for air. Their crimson robes were tattered, skin blistering from the ambient heat.

“Damnable Azure Nether Fire…” one disciple cursed, clutching a charred arm. “Even the Elder’s talisman is failing.”

“Stop whining,” another rasped. “I wonder if Senior Sister has found that True Spirit Treasure yet.”

Hidden in the shadows, Shen Xian’s eyes went cold.

Elite inner disciples. Early Golden Core realm.

They were perfect information sources.

“Who’s there?!” The lead disciple sensed something and jerked his head up.

He saw nothing but a flash of white light.

Thud.

Frosty sword energy pierced all three throats in a single line.

Shen Xian emerged from the darkness like a ghost.

The blood spurting from their necks froze instantly into red icicles, clinking softly as they hit the ground.

“Efficient.”

Shen Xian sheathed his sword and crouched beside the leader’s corpse. His right hand began to glow with an eerie, bloody light.

He pressed his palm against the corpse’s forehead.

Blood God Scripture, Activate.

A blood-red lotus spun silently in his dantian. The residual life essence and memory fragments of the deceased were violently sucked out.

Images flooded his mind:

[Molten Fire Ruins… The Burning Heaven Furnace… Saintess Su Mei leading the team…]

Shen Xian opened his eyes, a crimson light flashing through his pupils.

Five hundred years ago, the Li Fire Sect had lost a low-grade True Spirit Treasure here—the Burning Heaven Furnace.

A True Spirit Treasure.

Even a low-grade one was priceless. Used correctly, the returns from the System would be astronomical.

“Did you find it?” Shen Xian looked down at the Xuan Turtle.

The turtle blinked confusedly. It could find treasure, but it couldn’t tell him what it was.

“Useless.”

Shen Xian stored the turtle and moved forward.

As he crossed the outer perimeter, the temperature spiked violently. Even with his cultivation, his skin began to prickle.

Boom!

A massive fluctuation of spiritual energy erupted ahead.

Shen Xian instantly merged into the shadows of the rock wall, inching toward the source.

Rounding a bend, the core of the ruins came into view.

A vast lava platform.

Three factions were locked in a chaotic melee. But the most dominant force was clear—a group of Li Fire Sect disciples in crimson robes, maintaining a complex formation.

In the center, controlling nine roaring fire dragons with terrifying precision, stood a woman with an enchanting figure.

The Li Fire Saintess, Su Mei.