Boom!

A pillar of crimson-gold light erupted from the ruins of the altar, surging toward the ceiling of the Bronze Blood Hall. The last traces of the Heart-Devouring Gu were incinerated in an instant, purged by the sheer intensity of the celestial resonance.

As the shimmering light cocoon shattered, Wei Zhaoli emerged. Her brow was smooth and flawless once more, her eyes shimmering like clear spring water under a morning sun. The sickly pallor that had haunted her was gone, replaced by a radiant, bashful glow.

Shen Xian felt the change within himself as well. The [Li Fire True Seal] had fused with his core to an unprecedented degree. His [Linggen]—the very roots of his spiritual potential—seemed to have undergone a qualitative sublimation. The surrounding Spiritual Qi no longer felt like an external force to be drawn in, but an extension of his own will, flowing through him with effortless harmony.

I can feel it, he realized, his heart steady. Through this alone, I have touched the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage.

Wei Zhaoli hurriedly adjusted her robes, her movements frantic and clumsy. Only the deep crimson staining the tips of her ears betrayed the intimacy of the last few hours. She bit her lip, still feeling the phantom sensation of a lingering, scorching warmth.

When she stole a glance at Shen Xian, she found him pensively studying his palm. The golden radiance of his seal was more blinding than ever. A tremor ran through her heart; the memory of their souls intertwining—that profound, soul-soothing warmth—threatened to pull her back into a daze.

“The Gu poison is gone,” Shen Xian said, his voice dropping an octave into a low, resonant hum. “Your spiritual body—”

“I know!” Zhaoli interrupted him, her voice a pitch too high.

She regretted the outburst immediately. It was an admission of guilt, a thin veil over her chaotic thoughts. She straightened her collar with forced dignity, though her ears refused to cool. “This matter… it ends here. We speak of it no more.”

A flicker of amusement danced in Shen Xian’s eyes. He nodded with exaggerated slowness. “Of course. It was merely… medical necessity.”

Zhaoli bristled, her chest tightening with a mix of indignation and a strange, secret elation. The ancient texts had never described the “healing” process being quite so… thorough.

“How about… one more treatment for good measure?” Shen Xian’s voice teased.

Zhaoli gasped, but before she could voice a protest, he had already pulled her back into a scorching kiss.

Later, Shen Xian stood over the broken remains of Lin Lang. Resting on the corpse’s right index finger was an ornate, dark red ring that pulsed with a sinister, hungry luster. With a flick of his wrist, the [Blood Jade Ring] whistled through the air and settled into his palm.

“A [Blood Jade Ring]?” Zhaoli breathed, leaning in close. The earlier shyness had finally begun to settle into a comfortable, domestic proximity. “Rumor says these can sustain living beings within their internal space. There aren’t more than three in the entire Qing Province.”

Shen Xian swept his Divine Sense inside and felt a grin tugging at his lips. The internal space was a hundred zhang square—ten times the capacity of his best storage bags. In one corner, he found a dedicated spirit beast chamber, complete with several rare herbs growing in nutrient-rich soil.

“It seems Lin Lang was the type to carry his entire life’s savings on his person,” Shen Xian remarked.

He upended the ring’s contents onto the altar ruins, creating a small mountain of loot. First came the Spirit Stones—a glittering hoard of high-grade gems, at least fifty thousand by his count. Then came a dozen jade bottles of [Blood Fiend Pills], smelling of iron and slaughter. However, the centerpiece was a scroll of dragon-hide embroidered with gold thread: the map to the [Burial God Valley].

“The [Dragon Transformation Pool]…” Shen Xian traced his finger over a dragon-shaped sigil on the map. A marginal note read: Formed from the essence of ancient dragon clans; contains secret methods for bloodline evolution.

“So that was his game,” Shen Xian mused. “The Bronze Blood Hall was just the beginning. He wanted the dragon blood for his beasts.”

Zhaoli picked up a heavy, crimson token. “The [Blood Fiend Token]. It’s a pass for the third layer of the valley. It seems these ruins are linked to the deeper mysteries of the Burial grounds.”

The inventory continued to yield treasures: a blood-jade dagger coiling with black miasma—a Quasi-True Spiritual Treasure; a set of twelve formation flags for the Lin Family’s famous [Azure Light Grand Formation]; and a heavy iron box filled with a stack of rare, third-tier talismans.

“A true windfall,” Shen Xian murmured, his fingers brushing the smooth surface of the ring. With fifty thousand high-grade stones and these maps, his path forward was paved in gold.

Beside him, Zhaoli watched his excitement with a soft, genuine smile. She reached into the rubble of the altar core, following a lead from Lin Lang’s previous jade slips.

Clang!

Shen Xian’s [Wuchen Sword] struck the remaining dark red crystals, shattering them to reveal a hidden compartment. Floating in the center were a bronze slip etched with demonic runes and a mass of wriggling, dark-gold blood essence.

“The altar’s true inheritance,” Zhaoli whispered.

Shen Xian scanned the bronze slip. “The [Blood Refinement Puppet Technique]. It’s the manual for those war-puppets we fought. If refined to completion, one could command a Nascent Soul-level battle thrall.”

He turned to the blood essence. His [Li Fire True Seal] flared instinctively. A trap?

He unleashed a burst of [Blazing Heaven True Flame]. The outer layer of the blood hissed and evaporated, revealing a single drop of dark golden dragon blood.

“Ancient Demon Dragon essence,” Shen Xian noted, his brow twitching. “Though the altar’s collapse has drained most of its divinity. It’s only equivalent to a Golden Core’s essence now. Still… better than nothing.”

He pressed the puppet technique slip into Zhaoli’s hand. “This is for you.”

Zhaoli stared at it, startled. “This is a Nascent Soul-level secret. You should keep it.”

“Take it,” Shen Xian insisted, his voice softening into a gentle warmth. “You already use a third-tier puppet. This will make you… safer. I’d prefer it if I didn’t have to worry about you so much.”

Zhaoli froze, her heart fluttering at the unexpected tenderness. “I…”

“Besides,” Shen Xian added with a roguish glint in his eye, “you’ve seen my strength. I don’t need puppets. Especially after experiencing yours.”

The double meaning hit her like a physical blow. Her neck flushed pink as she realized the scoundrel was referring to their earlier ‘session.’

“Smooth talker!” she huffed, snatching the jade slip and shooting him a glare that lacked any real venom.

[System Notification: Host has gifted a high-grade Nascent Soul-level technique to his Dao Companion. 50x Blessing Return triggered! Reward: Low-grade Soul Formation-level [Nine Heavens Artifact Refining True Explanation]. Claim?]

Shen Xian’s heart skipped a beat. Soul Formation-level?

In an instant, a torrent of ancient knowledge flooded his mind. The intricacies of soul-forging, the temperance of divine metals, and the stabilization of volatile essence became as natural to him as breathing. He wasn’t just a cultivator anymore; he had become a Grandmaster Smith in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

The last supporting pillar of the underground palace gave way, revealing a passage upward.

“Time to go,” Shen Xian said, the [Blood Jade Ring] gleaming on his finger.

Zhaoli nodded, but as she took a step, her knees buckled. The lingering resonance of the [Heart-Link Tribulation Body] left her limbs feeling like lead.

Shen Xian caught her by the waist, steadying her. “Still feeling the ‘aftereffects’ of the healing?” he asked with a perfectly straight face.

Zhaoli pinched his arm fiercely, her face hidden against his chest. But as they ascended into the light, she couldn’t hide the faint, triumphant smile tugging at the corner of her lips.