The jagged stone forest provided perfect cover. Shen Xian moved swiftly, leaping through the air until he reached the heart of the bizarre rock formations.

He set up several simple restrictive seals around a secluded cave, then swallowed a handful of recovery pills. As the medicinal warmth spread through his meridians, the tension finally left his shoulders.

“I was too overconfident,” he murmured, clenching his fists.

Despite the victory, the battle had been far too risky. If Su Mei and her companions hadn’t been so eager, expending too much energy early on, or if he hadn’t caught them off guard with unconventional tactics, the outcome might have been very different.

“First, recover.”

Shen Xian closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. Outside, the distant roars of beasts and the faint sounds of fighting echoed, but his seals held firm.

Gradually, his aura stabilized.

Though perilous, the battle had yielded immense gains. More importantly, it had given him a clearer understanding of his own limits.

“Now…”

He opened his eyes, a gleam of anticipation in them. It was time to sort the spoils.

Shen Xian emptied the storage pouches he had collected.

“From the Blood Fiend Sect, only the old man’s pouch.”

He examined the black, blood-scented bag. After he beheaded the elder, the other disciples had fled like rats, leaving him with just one trophy.

“The loose cultivators, however, yielded a complete haul.”

Three pouches lay before him: one from the grey-robed swordsman, one from the talisman cultivator, and one from a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. The talisman cultivator had tried to self-destruct his pouch in a last-ditch effort, but Shen Xian’s sword had been faster.

The most substantial gains, naturally, came from the Li Fire Sect.

Out of nine disciples, he had killed five and severely injured four, securing five pouches in total. Su Mei’s crimson-gold pouch had nearly been lost to the void during her Blood Flame Escape, but his Void Rope had snatched it at the last second.

“The big fish is in the net.”

Shen Xian ran his fingers over Su Mei’s pouch, a slight smile playing on his lips. With a surge of spiritual power, he overturned all nine pouches simultaneously.

Clatter!

A cascade of treasures poured out, forming a small mountain within the cave. The crisp sound of spirit stones clinking together was music to his ears, and rich spiritual energy instantly filled the space.

“Heh, even more than I expected.”

Shen Xian’s divine sense swept over the pile.

The most eye-catching item was a glittering hill of over five thousand mid-grade spirit stones, interspersed with over a hundred high-grade ones. Their glow was enticing in the dim light.

Next to the stones were various bottles and jars. A quick scan revealed Jade Marrow Pills for healing, Qi Recovery Powder for restoring spiritual power, and three bottles of Blood Explosion Pills—dangerous items that could temporarily boost combat power at a heavy cost.

The pile of magical instruments was equally impressive.

The Blood Fiend Sect’s Soul-Devouring Banner, though damaged, had a pole made of Netherworld Iron—an excellent material for crafting Yin-attribute treasures. The loose cultivator’s green jade sword hid a Sword Pill in its hilt. And a string of unassuming bronze bells could disrupt divine sense detection with a light shake.

Shen Xian pushed aside the common items, focusing on the true treasures.

First, the Heaven Fire Heart Sutra from Su Mei’s pouch. The crimson jade slip, adorned with golden talismans, radiated a scorching heat. It was clearly a core cultivation method of the Li Fire Sect, at least fourth-tier quality.

Although useless to him, he thought of Wei Zhaoli. Gifting her the exclusive cultivation method of her arch-enemy would surely amuse her. The smile on Shen Xian’s lips deepened.

There were other techniques: the Burning Heaven Palm and Heaven Fire Sword Scripture, both top-grade third-tier divine abilities. There was also a fragmented beast-skin map marked with “Red Flame Valley” and the Li Fire Sect symbol.

“A secret stronghold?” he mused, tucking the map away.

Next, a silver-white half-face mask caught his eye. Light as gauze and cool to the touch, it concealed both appearance and aura. When infused with spiritual power, it could simulate the fire-attribute fluctuations of an early-stage Golden Core cultivator.

“Excellent. Just what I needed for a disguise.”

Even better was the Profound Heaven Azure Cloud Robe. This mid-grade spiritual treasure, entirely azure with cloud patterns, offered astonishing defense and could change its style at will. His previous armor, the Profound Heaven Golden Silk Armor, had been shattered in the last battle. This replacement was timely.

Finally, he discovered an exquisite jade box. Inside lay a crimson-gold pill, its surface bearing nine natural patterns.

“An Infant Condensing Pill?!”

Shen Xian’s pupils contracted. This supreme-grade pill, rare even in the Li Fire Sect, could assist Golden Core cultivators in condensing their Nascent Soul.

“Su Mei must have been preparing for the Nascent Soul Realm. What a pity… now it belongs to me.”

His heart swelled with joy. Zhaoli would definitely appreciate this.

But the crown jewel of the haul was the True Spiritual Treasure he had just obtained: the Burning Heaven Cauldron.

Its ancient, heavy body was carved with profound talismans and emitted a scorching aura. When he attempted to channel spiritual power into it, he was repelled by an invisible force.

“Sealed. As expected.”

Frowning, he took out the Nine-Revolutions Exquisite Needle. The needle tip sparked against the cauldron, and the Spirit Insight Pearl illuminated the complex network of restrictions—a nine-layered interlocking seal.

Breaking these seals required more than brute force.

Shen Xian recalled the formation legacy left by Shen Yanchi. He retrieved a cyan jade formation plate, the carrier of the Heavenly Works Array Explanation.

Infusing the plate with spiritual power, projections of formation patterns appeared in the air.

“Formation and seals share the same origin,” he muttered, focusing on the “Using Formations to Break Seals” method.

For days, he immersed himself in deduction. He suspended the cauldron above the plate, watching the crimson seals and cyan patterns intertwine. Whenever he found a weak point, he probed it with the needle, recording the feedback on a jade slip.

On the tenth day, a clear, melodious chime sounded—the “Formation Eye Resonance.”

The nine-layered seals revealed their complete pathways.

“So the key is here!”

He stared at the three intersecting golden patterns on the cauldron’s feet—the spiritual power hub. Biting his fingertip, he drew a seal-breaking pattern in blood.

The moment the blood touched the cauldron, the chamber shook violently. The crimson glow blazed, and the seals resisted fiercely.

Shen Xian grunted, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, but a smile of victory spread across his face. The fiercer the counterattack, the closer he was to breaking it.

“Heaven’s Craft Unveils Creation, the Array Locks Heaven and Earth!”

He formed seals with both hands, simultaneously activating the nine key nodes he had identified.

The array disk erupted with azure light, revealing the Nine Palaces Spirit-Locking Array, a creation unique to Shen Yanchi. Eighty-one array patterns coiled around the cauldron like living vines, slotting precisely into the gaps of the restrictions.

Snap. Snap. Snap.

The restrictions broke one by one. Success was imminent.

Suddenly, the cauldron trembled violently. A crimson serpent of flame surged back along the array patterns in a backlash!

“Hmph!”

Shen Xian snorted coldly. The Li Fire True Seal between his brows blazed to life. Golden light clashed with the fiery serpent, erupting into a fierce confrontation.

Simultaneously, he activated the Void Reflecting Spirit Mirror. Unleashing his Nascent Soul-level divine sense, he pressed down with overwhelming force, brutally crushing the backlash energy back into the cauldron.

Shen Xian continued breaking the restrictions until he reached the final layer.

“Open for me!”

With a soft shout, the Nine-Revolutions Exquisite Needle split into nine golden threads, piercing the nine critical nodes simultaneously.

Crack!

The final restriction shattered.

Just as a surge of triumph washed over him…

Whoosh!

The moment the seal broke, a crimson remnant soul shot out from the cauldron like a bolt of red lightning. It arrived within three inches of Shen Xian’s brow in an instant!

Too fast!

Shen Xian’s pupils contracted sharply. His Sea of Consciousness instinctively churned, raising defenses.

But the remnant soul was faster. It bypassed his physical form and invaded his mind before his mental barriers could fully solidify.

“Youngster, this body is mine now!”

The remnant soul sneered, transforming into a crimson spear within his Sea of Consciousness and thrusting straight toward the core of his soul.