Yun Xiao stood on his sword atop the hills, his white robes dancing in the cool breeze.
He gazed at the vast expanse before him, and a faint smile graced his lips as he murmured:
"The world holds righteous energy,even when none remain.Tonight, in Blue Soul,
the pure air still caresses the land,free and unyielding."
Three days earlier, Blue Soul's vibrant spirit had been overshadowed by treachery. The hills, shrouded in darkness, had resembled haunted lands infested with demons and ghosts.
"When Blue Soul rids itself of this darkness, the human world will thrive."
Yun Xiao's bright eyes glimmered like stars, his mind wandering to the image of his Senior Sister—free-spirited, beautiful, and unwavering. A gentle happiness rose in his heart.
"Senior Sister, you go to slay monsters and demons, to uphold the path of a true sword immortal. As for me, I will guard Ten Thousand Swords Sea. The Teacher entrusted it to me... it is my duty now."
A faint hum resonated in the air as Yun Xiao soared upward on his blue sword, cutting through the clouds that hovered over Blue Soul.
On his shoulder sat a small black beast, its wide mouth drooping with a long scarlet tongue that swayed in the wind. The creature suddenly gagged, its deep blue eyes trembling as it turned its head away.
"Ugh... I can't take it anymore!" Lanxing muttered, covering its mouth as it spat out a glowing, dark-red Heavenly Dao Buddhist relic.
"You've had enough fun," Yun Xiao said with a chuckle, catching the relic in mid-air. Guiding his sword downward, he descended into the garden where Senior Sister Zhao had often resided.
Though she was gone, the garden still bore her mark.
The stone table, the osmanthus tree, and even the delicate fragrance of mackerel shad lingered.
Lanxing hopped off Yun Xiao's shoulder, its expression growing anxious as it crouched on the ground. It began spitting out more Heavenly Dao Buddhist relics, forming a small hill of glowing treasures.
"So many?" Yun Xiao exclaimed, his eyes lighting up in surprise.
These relics were spoils of war from the Northern Desolate battle. Out of two million spirit crystals, Yun Xiao had given 1.5 million to Senior Sister Zhao for distribution, keeping 500,000 for himself. On the return journey, however, he had fed most of his share to Lanxing.
"You glutton!"** Lanxing grumbled, clutching its side."I still haven't digested the spirit crystals from the treasure pavilion, and now I'm stuck with these!"
"Oh, shut up," Chiyue retorted, the beast's tone dripping with sarcasm."If you're tired, then stop eating."
Lanxing shot back, glaring at Chiyue."Do you think vomiting doesn't take effort? If you push me too far, I'll transform everything into liquid!"
Yun Xiao ignored their bickering, carefully arranging the relics on the stone table. But as his hand hovered over the surface, memories surfaced—of an evening spent here with Senior Sister Zhao, and a faint blush crept onto his face.
"Tonight, I'll attempt to condense the pill." Yun Xiao declared.
Lanxing nodded."It's worth a try."
---
The people of Blue Soul remained unaware of the changes in Yun Xiao's cultivation. His battle in the Northern Desolate had brought him to the brink, forcing him to push past limits. At this moment, he stood at the Divine Sea Fixed Realm, preparing to ascend into the Source Pill Realm.
Three days earlier, he had broken through two levels within the Divine Sea Realm using the resources of the treasure pavilion, creating two additional Longquan and reaching the Fixed Realm. This feat had allowed him to defeat even those in the intermediate stages of the Source Pill Realm, such as the powerful Son of God with Sword Soul talent.
Now, Yun Xiao sought to solidify his foundation for the next great leap.
"Fixed Realm is the foundation," Yun Xiao thought."It's the small transformation. But to ascend to the next great boundary is the true test."
The Source Pill Realm required one to condense the supernatural powers of the Divine Sea into a single cohesive pill, sacrificing breadth for immense depth and strength. The process was akin to the evil spirits forming their monster pills, but for cultivators, it was a path of refinement and mastery.
With a surge of determination, Yun Xiao placed his hands over the relics, the glow of their energy reflecting in his bright eyes.
"Tonight, I will succeed!"
And with that, the hill of relics began to pulse, a silent storm brewing within Yun Xiao's dantian.
The small black beast morphed into an ancient antique copper coffin, now resting in the serene garden of the cloudling. The coffin, aged and weathered, bore countless mottled marks—a silent witness to an untold history stretching back through the ages.
Yun Xiao wasted no time, bringing the Heavenly Dao Buddhist relics and placing them inside the copper coffin.
The interior of the coffin was dim, housing nine smaller "coffins within the coffin", each lying peacefully to one side. Among them, a single coffin inscribed with the words "Subdue Prison" exuded a heavy, malevolent aura that seemed to subtly influence Yun Xiao's mental state as he cultivated.
"The Subdue Prison Source Coffin... It's fused with the Heaven-Burying Sword Soul," Yun Xiao mused. "I wonder—what kind of transformation could arise from this combination? Will it yield another Sword Soul, or something entirely new? And could I even control it?"
This Heaven-Burying Sword Soul, with its overwhelming power, had become the foundation of Yun Xiao's strength.
Lanxing, the black beast, scoffed from a corner. "Stop dreaming, you little weakling. You haven't even fully stepped into the Source Pill Realm yet, and here you are fantasizing about Creator Immortal powers!"
Yun Xiao ignored the jab, instead focusing his attention on the ancient cultivation technique known as the Law of the Primordial Ruin.
As he began to practice, the inscriptions on the copper coffin seemed to glow faintly, radiating the primal energy of creation itself. It was as if the coffin had become the cradle of the universe, a source of all things.
"The Primordial Ruin begins with the sea, leading to the formation of the Ruin Pill," Yun Xiao recited under his breath. "The pill is a singular point, the essence of creation, containing worlds and infinite possibilities."
He then began to compress the vast fivefold Divine Sea within his dantian, drawing upon the power of the relics.
With precision, Yun Xiao manipulated his Divine Sea, swirling the vast supernatural energy into a unified sphere, like a master chef crafting a dumpling.
"First, wrap the sea into a single mass," he murmured, his thoughts clear and focused. "Then, infuse it with the energy from the Heavenly Dao Buddhist relics, compressing it gradually until it solidifies into a Source Pill!"
The Heavenly Dao Buddhist relics transformed into streams of pure energy, cascading like waterfalls into his dantian. The supernatural sphere swelled to its limit, straining the boundaries of his body.
A fierce windstorm erupted within the copper coffin, the air rippling with the force of Yun Xiao's cultivation. His white robes and long hair danced wildly as if he stood amidst a tempest.
"Now, compress!"
Yun Xiao directed all his focus toward compressing the volatile sphere, forcing the unruly Divine Sea energies into submission. Despite the resistance, his control was absolute. The fivefold Divine Sea was refined into a single grain-sized Source Pill, dense with power.
A brilliant glow emanated from his dantian—a tiny, pure-white pill, radiating an aura of creation.
Yun Xiao opened his eyes, steadying his breath as he consolidated his newfound strength.
"Source Pill Realm... the first step of a new journey," he whispered. "Even at the early stage, this single-layer Source Pill contains power surpassing the fivefold Divine Sea!"
He marveled at the newfound harmony within his dantian. The Source Pill contained all the elemental attributes—wind, fire, water, earth, lightning, and wood—making his control over the elements nearly perfect.
"This body... this talent... it's flawless," Yun Xiao thought, smiling in admiration of his potential.
Lanxing interrupted, rolling its eyes. "Flawless? Don't flatter yourself. Your dantian is barely holding together! If you keep pushing it like this without upgrading to the Nine Dragons Dantian, it'll crack apart and ruin you."
Yun Xiao's smile froze, the beast's blunt words deflating his ego.
Standing tall, Yun Xiao's eyes gleamed with determination. "Next stop: Ten Thousand Swords Sea!"
He recalled Ye Guying, the inheritor of the Taboo Tower. "With his Nine Dragons Dantian, how far could he have risen?" Yun Xiao wondered. "Whatever the case, four days from now, I will step forward to face him."
Without hesitation, Yun Xiao soared into the night sky, his sword trailing azure light as it cut through the darkness.
"Jiang Yue has fallen. Ye Guying, you're next."
Inside the majestic Overwhelming Palace, Yun Xiao knelt with reverence before a serene figure—a middle-aged man dressed in azure robes, lying still with a peaceful expression. His hands were clasped over his chest, but his skin was pale, and his aura faint.
Nearby, Shangguan Yu, a blue-robed woman, watched over the scene.
"Fine Jade Aunt," Yun Xiao asked softly, "can he hear me?"
Shangguan Yu nodded gently. "Yes. He knows you've returned after slaying the monsters and bringing back the Seven Children's spirits. His expression has eased, and for the first time in days, he even smiled."
Her voice wavered slightly as she continued. "Yun Xiao, with you here, his greatest regrets may finally be resolved. Blue Soul is on the right path again."
Yun Xiao's resolve deepened. "Fine Jade Aunt, the Taboo Tower has run unchecked for too long. Their evil must end."
Shangguan Yu offered a faint smile. "Then go. Bring peace to this world."
With a determined gaze, Yun Xiao vowed, "I will destroy the Taboo Tower. No one will stop me."
He stepped outside, ascending his sword. With a flash of cold light in his eyes, he soared into the sky, heading toward the Ten Thousand Swords Sea.