A month had passed on Heavenly Tribulation Mountain.
Threads of azure-yellow radiance rose within the Crimson Palace. The malign aura of nurturing earth drifted through it as the grand formation turned and Thunderbolt darted about, shutting out every disturbance from the outside.
The auras of monsters and spirits seeped from the cracks between the hall's azure bricks, taking the form of strange visions of every hue before gathering around the azure jade meditation cushion in the center. A young man in black robes sat upon it.
His eyes were tightly closed, his stillness that of solid rock. The shadow behind him struggled and surged, occasionally transforming into swarms of locusts and sheep spirits, while his consciousness sea lay utterly empty. His true spirit was gone.
At the far end of the hall stood a silver-robed Daoist, moonlight wreathing his body. He suppressed his own manifestations to the barest minimum so as not to disturb the sensing taking place nearby.
"According to that secret method, he has reached the final step."
Xu Xuan's gaze was solemn. Whatever the circumstances, letting one's true spirit leave the body was a grave taboo for cultivators. A moment's carelessness could scatter both life and spirit, unless one belonged to a lineage that specialized in manipulating souls, such as Withering Qi or Hearing the Nether.
"If anything goes wrong, just pull him straight into the grotto-heaven."
Tiantuo spoke with apparent confidence.
"True Lord Wasteland's End certainly had his methods. He even found the Corpse of the Former Lord. After all these years, the nurturing earth fruit position remains stable, and Nether Sheep shows no sign of reviving. It seems he could hardly be any deader."
With a Heavenly Demon watching nearby, Xu Xuan felt considerably steadier. If anything went wrong, Tiantuo's knowledge would allow him to