Breaking Through to Greater Might, Vowing to Reclaim What Was Owed

Ren Xiaoyao sat quietly on the bluestone of the Spirit Spring Blessed Land for three days. Every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the Emperor Mark on his fingertips would light up with a faint golden glow, intertwining with the warm Spiritual Qi gushing from the Spirit Spring, like fine silk threads wrapping around the tiny wounds on his meridian walls that had not yet fully healed. The soreness left by the violent impact of the Emperor Power when he used the "Emperor Array - Immortal Suppressing Seal" gradually dissipated under the nourishment of the spiritual Spiritual Qi of the Spirit Spring day after day. The Emperor Power in his dantian, which was originally mostly empty, slowly filled up like a field soaked by spring rain. When the pale golden Emperor Power circulated in his dantian, he could vaguely feel the resonance with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

He rubbed the Emperor Mark Jade in his palm with his fingertips. Although the spiritual energy of the Lingxiao Pavilion remaining on the pendant had faded, it constantly reminded him that this spiritual domain had already been exposed due to Zhao Lie's group's visit. If he stayed any longer, it might not only attract further retaliation from the Lingxiao Pavilion, but also attract other forces coveting the Emperor Array. With this in mind, Ren Xiaoyao stood up, brushed away the fragments of spiritual herbs from his robes, put the Emperor Mark Jade into his bosom, and with a flash of pale blue Spiritual Qi around him, his figure swept out of the spiritual domain as if merging into a gentle breeze, speeding towards the depths of the Black Miasma Mountain Range.

Deep within the Black Miasma Mountain Range, miasma permeated the air. Ordinary cultivators would have their meridians eroded by the miasma if they took even half a step inside. However, Ren Xiaoyao's Emperor Power possessed Purifying Power. Wherever the pale golden halo passed, the dense miasma instantly dissipated, turning into wisps of turbid air that merged into the ground. He followed the Spiritual Qi fluctuations he sensed, which far surpassed the surrounding area. The spiritual herbs beneath his feet were slightly bent by the Spiritual Qi, and the Demon Beast lurking in the forest sensed the Emperor's Might and all shrank back into their burrows, not daring to show their faces.

After seven days of rapid travel, a secluded valley hidden behind a sheer cliff finally revealed its outline through the clouds and mist. Ren Xiaoyao lightly touched the vines on the cliff face with his toes, leaping over the precipice and instantly enveloped in the spiritual Spiritual Qi within the valley—the mist in the valley was not miasma, but spiritual mist formed from condensed Spiritual Qi. Taking a breath of it made him feel refreshed. At the bottom of the valley, three Spirit Spring gushed forth, their waters shimmering with a pale blue light. The splashes of water falling onto the bluestone were even imbued with tiny specks of Spiritual Qi energy. Beside the springs, the caps of Thousand Year Lingzhi gleamed with a deep purple luster, and the leaves of the Purple Yun Grass were covered with glistening Spirit Dew. Even the air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance and the warm, moist aura of Spiritual Qi energy.

What surprised him even more was that the naturally formed rock patterns on the valley walls were crisscrossed. Upon closer inspection, one would discover that these rock patterns were actually remnants of High Antiquity Spirit Gathering Formation. Even after tens of thousands of years, they could still autonomously draw in the spiritual Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, continuously absorbing the Spiritual Qi energy outside the valley into it, making the concentration of Spiritual Qi here 30% stronger than the previous spiritual domain, making it an excellent Secret Realm for cultivation.

"This is the new training ground." Ren Xiaoyao murmured to himself, and the Emperor Mark on his fingertip suddenly lit up, a pale golden stream of light shooting towards the array marks on the valley wall. The moment the stream of light touched the array marks, the originally dormant rock patterns instantly awakened, emitting a faint blue spiritual light. Then, a pale blue protective barrier rose from the valley wall, like an invisible dome covering the entire secluded valley, completely isolating it from the miasma and spying auras from the outside world.

He followed the sound of the flowing Spirit Spring to the bottom of the valley, where he found a piece of blue stone, its surface glistening with the spring water, at the confluence of the three Spirit Spring. As he sat cross-legged, he lightly flicked his finger, Gemstone Saber he had previously seized from Zhao Lie's followers flew out of his Storage Bag and landed on his lap. The Thousand-Year Black Iron scabbard of the longsword gleamed coldly in the spiritual mist. Although the pigeon-blood ruby adorning the scabbard was dimmed due to its owner's serious injuries, one could still feel the profound spiritual power contained within the blade—this sword, though not Emperor Artifact, was still a rare and powerful Black Iron Weapon in the Immortal Realm, and it was perfect for assisting in breaking through to a higher realm.

Ren Xiaoyao closed his eyes and activated the Qingfeng Valley's ancestral <Flowing Cloud Art>. The pale golden Emperor Power within his dantian instantly flowed through his meridians, like a mountain stream flowing through his limbs and bones. With each cycle, the Emperor Power would merge with the azure Spiritual Qi in the valley, gradually transforming into a stream of light gold and light azure intertwined. The stream circulated more and more rapidly through his meridians, eventually converging entirely into his dantian, crashing fiercely against the barrier of the mid-stage Earth Immortal realm.

The barrier was like a thick, invisible Stone Gate, its surface gleaming with a faint white light. When the airflow collided with it, it only caused the Stone Gate to tremble slightly, leaving a few shallow marks before being bounced back. Ren Xiaoyao frowned slightly, sensing that although the airflow in his dantian was thick, it still lacked the strength to break through the barrier. He opened his eyes, a flash of inspiration in them, and raised his hand to hold the Gemstone Saber horizontally in front of his chest. The Emperor Power at his fingertips flowed into the scabbard like a thin stream.

The moment the Emperor Power touched the Mysterious Iron Blade, it stripped away the remaining Mysterious Iron spiritual power within the blade like fire melting ice—that spiritual power, carrying the weight and chill of the Mysterious Iron, transformed into a silver-white stream of light, flowing from Ren Xiaoyao's fingertips into his dantian. The pale golden-green aura and the silver-white Mysterious Iron spiritual power met within his dantian, instantly merging into an even stronger current of energy. This energy swirled and rose, crashing against the barrier of his cultivation realm once more like a thunderclap.

"Snap--!"

This time, a crisp cracking sound rang out within his dantian, and the heavy, invisible Stone Gate shattered in response. A spiritual force several times stronger than before surged out from the broken Stone Gate, spreading like a tide to his limbs and bones. Ren Xiaoyao's aura suddenly soared, and the spiritual mist in the valley was completely drawn in, transforming into cyan vortexes that swirled around him. The vortexes grew faster and faster, even stirring up the water from the three Spirit Spring, forming three water curtains. Golden ripples rippled within the water curtains, intertwining with the vortexes to create a magnificent scene of cultivation.

Half an hour later, Ren Xiaoyao slowly finished his practice. The vortex of energy and the water curtain around him gradually dissipated, and the Spirit Spring resumed its usual gushing flow. The Spiritual Qi in the valley was even more condensed than before. He raised his hand and brushed the spiritual grass in front of him. A wisp of light blue spiritual energy landed on the leaves of the Purple Yun Grass. The Purple Yun Grass, which was originally just a bud, instantly bloomed into light purple flowers, and the fragrance of the flowers spread, carrying an aura that nourished the soul.

Ren Xiaoyao felt the abundant Emperor Power and spiritual energy within his dantian. When the Emperor Mark on his fingertips lit up, the golden halo was even brighter than before, and his perception range quietly expanded to more than fifteen miles away—the sounds of demonic Demon Beast charging, spirit birds flapping their wings, and even the subtle sounds of miasma flowing from fifteen miles away could be clearly perceived. A faint smile appeared on his lips. He knew in his heart that he had finally broken through to the mid-stage of Earth Immortal, and his strength was several times greater than before.

Before the joy of this breakthrough could settle in his heart, his senses from fifteen miles away detected ten familiar pressures—pressures carrying the unique flowing cloud spiritual energy fluctuations of the Lingxiao Pavilion. Each one was more powerful than Zhao Lie's aura before, especially the pressure of the leader, which pressed down like a heavy mountain, carrying the unique chill of a late-stage Earth Immortal peak cultivator. Clearly, it was a stronger force sent by the Lingxiao Pavilion to avenge their previous grievances.

Ren Xiaoyao's smile vanished instantly, his aura suddenly turning cold. The Carefree Sword at his waist seemed to sense the presence of an enemy, the paulownia wood grain on its scabbard emitting a faint spiritual light and a series of clear Sword Hum, as if proclaiming his fighting spirit. He lightly touched the blue stone with his toes, his figure gliding to the valley entrance like a gentle breeze brushing leaves. A gap quietly opened in the light blue protective barrier in front of him, allowing him to clearly see ten Mysterious Black Figure towards him from afar—the ten people wore the Lingxiao Pavilion's standard brocade robes, their robes fluttering, and the spiritual energy fluctuations spread out, even shaking the surrounding miasma apart.

"Lingxiao Pavilion arrived quickly. It seems you didn't take the warning I gave you when I sent you back last time to heart." Ren Xiaoyao stood at the valley entrance, his tone icy. His body was surrounded by a mixture of pale blue spiritual energy and pale golden Emperor Power, forming an invisible aura that blocked the pressure emanating from the other party.

The leader, dressed in a dark gold brocade robe embroidered with the highest-grade cloud patterns of the Lingxiao Pavilion, had a sinister face and sharp eyes like a hawk. A longsword, engraved with the Lingxiao Pavilion secret patterns, hung at his waist. Its scabbard was forged from ten-thousand-year-old Cold Iron, radiating a spiritual energy even stronger than Zhao Lie's Gemstone Saber. He stopped a few feet in front of Ren Xiaoyao, his gaze sweeping over Ren Xiaoyao's aura. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes—in just a few days, this junior had already broken through to the mid-stage of Earth Immortal. However, surprise was quickly replaced by anger. He coldly shouted, "Junior, what arrogance! Elder Zhao Lie was severely injured by you, and the Lingxiao Pavilion has lost face. The entire Immortal Realm is laughing at our Lingxiao Pavilion! Today, I have led nine Inner Sect Elder here to cripple your cultivation, seize your Emperor Formation Fragment, avenge Elder Zhao Lie, and let all cultivators in the Immortal Realm know that the only consequence of offending the Lingxiao Pavilion is death!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Xuan raised his hand and waved to the nine Inner Sect Elder behind him. The nine immediately stepped forward, their hands quickly forming hand seals, and nine powerful spiritual energy palm prints instantly condensed. The palm prints glowed with a pale white spiritual light, carrying a sharp force, and pressed down on the pale blue protective barrier of the secluded valley like nine dark clouds. The palm wind howled past, uprooting the ancient trees around them, breaking thick trunks in the air, and sending wood chips flying. The palm wind carved deep trenches, some a foot deep, into the ground, and the residual spiritual energy in the trenches was even more destructive than Zhao Lie's Saber Qi before.

Ren Xiaoyao's eyes narrowed, but he showed no fear. He quickly formed the Emperor Array hand seals with his fingertips. As his cultivation broke through to the mid-stage of Earth Immortal, the Emperor Mark on his fingertips flowed even faster. The pale golden hand seals streaked across the void, leaving behind golden trails. "Emperor Array - Repel Foreign Enemies!" With a deep shout, the hand seals merged completely into the protective barrier of the secluded valley. The originally pale blue barrier instantly turned into a deep gold. The Emperor Mark on the light screen moved like agile golden dragons, emitting an High Antiquity Emperor's Might that was several times stronger than before. When it collided with the opponent's pressure, it even caused the surrounding air to tremble slightly.

"Bang--!"

Nine palm prints of spiritual energy simultaneously slammed into the deep Golden Barrier, only stirring up a tiny golden ripple. The powerful spiritual energy contained within the palm prints was instantly disintegrated by the Emperor's Might, leaving not even a trace. Not only that, the rebounding energy also swept towards the nine Inner Sect Elder. Two elders with slightly weaker cultivation were unable to dodge in time and were knocked back by the energy, their chests churning with blood, blood spilling from the corners of their mouths, and their brocade robes instantly stained with dark red bloodstains.

Upon seeing this, Li Xuan's pupils suddenly contracted, his heart filled with shock—although he had heard of the Emperor Array's formidable defense, he hadn't expected that after Ren Xiaoyao's breakthrough, the Emperor Array's power would have reached such a level. But after the shock came a deeper greed and killing intent. If he could control such a powerful Emperor Array in the hands of the Lingxiao Pavilion, no one in the Immortal Realm could match him! Without further hesitation, he drew his Cold Iron longsword from his waist with his right hand. The moment the sword was drawn, a dazzling white sword light burst forth, illuminating the surrounding miasma, and even the distant cliffs were dyed a shimmering white by the sword light.

The Lingxiao Pavilion runes on the sword instantly lit up, and a white sword light more than ten feet wide shot out. The sword light contained the powerful spiritual energy of a late-stage Earth Immortal, which actually cut a thin crack in the air. The crack still contained sharp sword energy, and the surrounding Spiritual Qi was instantly drained. The sword wind blew a shallow trench half a foot deep into the ground. The trench wall was as smooth as a mirror and slashed fiercely at the deep Golden Barrier, determined to shatter the barrier and tear Ren Xiaoyao to pieces.

"Today I'll show you the power of the Emperor Array after your breakthrough!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted, and the Carefree Sword at his waist automatically unsheathed. The Sword Hum resounded through the valley, piercing through the whistling of the sword light, as crisp as jade striking jade. Even the Demon Beast in the distant lair trembled at the sound of the Sword Hum. The moment the scabbard separated from the sword, a warm, Golden Spiritual Energy rushed towards him. It was the unique mountain and forest Spiritual Qi of Qingfeng Valley. After merging with Ren Xiaoyao's Emperor Power and the spiritual energy of a mid-stage Earth Immortal, it transformed into an even stronger cyan -Golden Sword Light. The sword light increased several times in size, and its pressure spread out, actually suppressing the sharpness of the white sword light. The surrounding spiritual grass bent slightly, as if submitting to the Emperor's Might's might.

Ren Xiaoyao lightly touched the ground with his toes, leaping over the barrier. The moment he landed on the open ground, the Carefree Sword twirled and moved in his hand, unleashing the "Emperor Array - Demon- Demon Slaying Sword" technique once more. This time, due to his breakthrough in cultivation, the sword technique was even more agile and fierce than before. The Golden Sword Light streaked across the void like a meteor, carrying the weight of High Antiquity Emperor's Might, and collided fiercely with the white sword light.

"Clang--!"

A piercing metallic clang resounded throughout the valley, the sound waves sweeping outwards like a tidal wave. Ancient trees several meters tall were snapped in half by the shockwave, splinters flying everywhere, carrying a scorching heat. Gravel crashed to the ground like hail, leaving behind small pits, the aftershocks of the collision of spiritual energy still lingering in the pits for a long time.

Li Xuan felt a powerful Emperor Power surge through the sword, numbing his arm and instantly splitting his hand, blood dripping from the hilt. Even his hand gripping the sword began to tremble slightly. The white spiritual light on the sword was suppressed by the Emperor Power, growing increasingly dim. He was more and more shocked—he was a late-stage Earth Immortal cultivator with a thousand years of cultivation, yet he was being suppressed by a junior who had just broken through to the mid-stage Earth Immortal. If this were to get out, the Lingxiao Pavilion would be utterly disgraced!

Ren Xiaoyao keenly seized the moment when Li Xuan's movements faltered, and his sword technique abruptly changed, unleashing the "Emperor Array - Spirit-Breaking Style." The azure -Golden Sword Light instantly retracted, transforming into a slender stream of light that avoided the sharpness of the white sword light, slashing towards the secret runes on Li Xuan's sword like a venomous snake. He had already discerned through his senses that those runes were the core of the Lingxiao Pavilion's longsword's spiritual power; once damaged, the sword would lose its spiritual power enhancement, and the cultivator's spiritual power would also become disordered.

"Not good!" A strong sense of crisis surged in Li Xuan's heart. He wanted to sheathe his sword and defend, but it was too late. The cyan-gold light struck the secret runes on the sword with precision. With a "crack," the runes instantly cracked, and the white spiritual light on the sword suddenly dimmed, disappearing like an extinguished candle flame. The spiritual energy in Li Xuan's dantian instantly became chaotic, his blood and qi surged, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. When he forced it down, a series of sharp pains came from his chest.

"Impossible! You're only a mid-stage Earth Immortal, how could you possess such strength!" Li Xuan was both shocked and furious. His face was contorted with pain and shock, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead and cheeks. Ignoring the chaos of his spiritual energy, he forcibly activated the Spiritual Qi in his dantian, trying to stabilize the sword. However, Ren Xiaoyao's cyan -Golden Sword Light had already slashed towards his shoulder. The sharp blade grazed his dark gold brocade robe, instantly cutting through his flesh and leaving a deep wound that exposed bone. Blood gushed out like a fountain, falling to the ground and being scorched by the Emperor Power, emitting a pungent odor.

Seeing this, the remaining nine Inner Sect Elder immediately abandoned their defenses and surrounded Ren Xiaoyao, wanting to support Li Xuan. However, Ren Xiaoyao had already anticipated their actions. When he leaped out of the barrier, he had already set up Emperor Array mark on the ground. With a wave of his hand, nine golden Emperor Mark rose from the ground, binding the ankles of the nine people like chains. The Emperor's Might instantly spread out, suppressing the spiritual power of the nine people, causing them to freeze instantly. They didn't even have the strength to lift their hands and could only stand frozen in place, staring at Ren Xiaoyao with terrified expressions.

Seeing that the nine elders were subdued, and with his own spiritual energy in disarray and him severely injured, Li Xuan felt a surge of survival instinct and turned to flee towards the cliff. Ren Xiaoyao, however, would not give him the chance. He raised his Carefree Sword again, and the azure -Golden Sword Light, like a soul-chasing rope, slashed towards Li Xuan's back. The sword light, carrying a chilling Emperor's Might, grazed Li Xuan's back, leaving a long wound and completely shattering the remaining spiritual energy within him.

Li Xuan staggered a few steps before collapsing to the ground, his dark gold brocade robe soaked in blood. His breath was weak and feeble, like a candle flickering in the wind, with only the faint rise and fall of his chest proving that he was still alive.

Ren Xiaoyao slowly walked up to Li Xuan, the tip of his Carefree Sword pressed against Li Xuan's throat. The cold blade made Li Xuan tremble, his previous arrogance and killing intent No Existence. "I spared Zhao Lie's life before because I didn't want to commit more bloodshed, nor did I want to become a complete enemy of the Lingxiao Pavilion. But not only did your Lingxiao Pavilion not repent, you went even further, sending you to lead people to seek revenge. Do you really Ren Xiaoyao, have a good temper and am easy to bully?" Ren Xiaoyao's tone was icy, every word carrying unquestionable authority, and the cold light in his eyes made Li Xuan dare not meet his gaze.

Li Xuan's face was ashen, yet he still forced himself to maintain the composure of a senior elder of a great sect in the Immortal Realm, and said in a trembling voice, "My Lingxiao Pavilion is one of the five great sects of the Immortal Realm, with countless powerful experts under its command. If you dare to harm me today, Heavenly Immortal cultivators will surely come after you in the future, and you will pay a terrible price sooner or later!"

"The price?" Ren Xiaoyao sneered, applying slight pressure with his sword tip, drawing a thin line of blood on Li Xuan's throat. Blood dripped down the blade. "It has always been your Lingxiao Pavilion that has to pay the price! Coveting the Primordial Emperor Formation, a treasure that protects the mortal realm, plundering resources from Rogue Cultivator, and now seeking revenge for your own selfish reasons—this debt is only beginning today, and it will never end."

He raised his hand and waved, sending out a pale golden Emperor Power that released the nine Inner Sect Elder from their restraints. The nine staggered to their feet, but dared not make the slightest move, only bowing their heads, their faces filled with fear. "Go back and tell your Lingxiao Pavilion Master within three days, you must send a core elder from your pavilion here to apologize to me, and return all the resources that Lingxiao Pavilion has plundered from Rogue Cultivator over the past hundred years, distributing them back to their respective Rogue Cultivator places." Ren Xiaoyao's voice echoed throughout the valley, carrying a chilling killing intent. "If we do not receive a reply within three days, I, Ren Xiaoyao, will personally go to the Lingxiao Pavilion Main Altar to settle today's debt. At that time, it will not be as simple as severely injuring a few people and destroying a few weapons. I will let the entire Immortal Realm know the consequences of the Lingxiao Pavilion's coveting of the Emperor Array and bullying the weak!"

Nine Inner Sect Elder rushed forward. Two of them supported the unconscious Li Xuan, while the others nodded repeatedly to Ren Xiaoyao, their voices trembling heavily. "Yes, yes! We will definitely convey your words to the Pavilion Master and give you a satisfactory answer within three days. We will never dare to offend you again!" After saying this, the group, carrying Li Xuan, fled towards the cliff without looking back. They didn't even dare to pick up the Cold Iron longsword that had fallen to the ground, wishing they had two more legs, fearing that Ren Xiaoyao would change his mind and chase after them.

Ren Xiaoyao watched their figures disappear completely into the miasma before slowly sheathing his Carefree Sword, his Emperor Power and spiritual energy gradually receding. He knew that his actions today would not only make the Lingxiao Pavilion more wary of him, but also restrain other forces in the Immortal Realm that coveted the Emperor Array Emperor Formation Fragment. However, he also knew that this was only a temporary calm. If the Lingxiao Pavilion truly refused to yield, they would definitely send even stronger Heavenly Immortal cultivators, and other sects might seize the opportunity to launch an attack. The Immortal Path to immortality would remain perilous.

"Only by quickly gathering all the Emperor Formation Fragment and breaking through to the late stage of Earth Immortal can we truly contend with the Lingxiao Pavilion." Ren Xiaoyao murmured to himself, then turned and returned to the secluded valley. The pale blue protective barrier behind him slowly closed, completely isolating him from the miasma and disturbances of the outside world. The Spirit Spring within the valley still gurgled, and amidst the swirling Spiritual Qi, subtle aftershocks of the battle from just moments before remained.

He sat cross-legged again on the bluestone where the three Spirit Spring converged, the Emperor Mark on his fingertips quietly lighting up. A pale golden light spread from his fingertips to his meridians, beginning to nourish the meridians that were slightly damaged after the battle. Although he had gained the upper hand in his fight with Li Xuan by relying on the power of the Emperor Array, his opponent was, after all, a late-stage Earth Immortal cultivator. The fierce spiritual power in Li Xuan's sword light had still left several tiny wounds on the walls of his meridians. Now, with the help of the Spiritual Qi condensed in the valley, the wounds were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Within his dantian, the abundant spiritual energy and Emperor Power after the breakthrough intertwined and flowed. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ren Xiaoyao activated the <Flowing Cloud Art> to further fuse the two powers. Previously, although the Emperor Power and spiritual energy could work together, there were still some barriers. Now, thanks to the breakthrough, the two powers gradually became one. In the future, when Emperor Array Technique Method, he could not only save spiritual energy consumption, but also increase the power of the Technique Method by another ten percent.

After half a day of gentle cultivation, Ren Xiaoyao suddenly opened his eyes. The Emperor Mark on his fingertips flashed, resonating with the Emperor Mark Jade in his arms. A fine golden line appeared on the jade pendant, pointing directly to the Demon Abyss of the Black Miasma Mountain Range. A thought struck him. He had previously guessed that Emperor Formation Fragment were hidden in the Demon Abyss, and now the jade pendant's guidance confirmed this— the Demon Abyss was the weakest point between the Demon Realm and the Mortal World, with the densest miasma and the strongest Demon Beast, but it was also the most likely place to retain traces of Primordial Emperor Formation. After all, the Ancient Great Emperor set up Emperor Array with the original intention of resisting the invasion of the Demon Realm.

"It seems the next stop is the Demon Abyss." Ren Xiaoyao reached out and put the Emperor Mark Jade into his robes. He stood up and walked to the Spirit Spring, bending down to scoop up a handful of water. The warm spring water, carrying healing Spiritual Qi, washed away the remaining bloodstains and residual spiritual energy on his hands. He gazed at the miasma swirling outside the valley, his eyes growing increasingly resolute: If Lingxiao Pavilion cannot provide a satisfactory answer within three days, once he has found the Emperor Formation Fragment in the Demon Abyss and his strength has increased, he will personally come to demand repayment; even if Lingxiao Pavilion bows down, this debt will not be settled. If Lingxiao Pavilion dares to covet the Emperor Array or bully Rogue Cultivator again in the future, he will make them pay an even more painful price.

Afterward, Ren Xiaoyao began packing his belongings, storing several of the oldest Thousand Year Lingzhi and Purple Yun Grass from the valley into his Storage Bag —these spiritual herbs could not only nourish the soul but also be used to refine healing Pills in times of crisis, making them essential items for the journey to the Demon Abyss. He then inspected the Carefree Sword once more; the azure-gold spiritual light on its blade remained condensed, and the residual aura of Emperor Power made the blade even sharper, sufficient to deal with the dangers in the Demon Abyss.

With everything prepared, Ren Xiaoyao lightly touched the blue stone with his toes and glided to the valley entrance like a gentle breeze. The Emperor Mark on his fingertips flashed, and the pale blue protective barrier slowly opened a gap. He looked back at this Blessed Land that had helped him break through, a trace of gratitude flashing in his eyes. Then he turned and leaped out of the secluded valley, rushing towards the Demon Abyss, the deepest part of the Black Miasma Mountain Range.

Protected by a pale golden Emperor Power, the miasma couldn't evade him, and the forest Demon Beast fled at the sound of his voice. Ren Xiaoyao's figure quickly disappeared into the miasma-filled mountains and forests. Unbeknownst to him, shortly after his departure, a hidden black shadow emerged from behind the cliff, gazing in the direction he had left, a sinister glint in its eyes. Then, it transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the Lingxiao Pavilion Main Altar — the Lingxiao Pavilion had no intention of easily compromising, but was secretly plotting an even greater revenge.