"It is time, child." Lady Azure's soft yet commanding voice pulled Xiao Hua out of his reverie.
Without hesitation, he followed her as they descended from the platform's peak. Just as Xiao Hua stepped beyond its edge, Lady Azure suddenly halted, turning back with an air of quiet authority. With a wave of her slender hand, a green flame ignited in the air before her, flickering with an otherworldly light.
With a graceful flick of her finger, the emerald flame arced through the sky, swiftly flying towards the raised platform. Upon contact, the flame engulfed the structure, its heat searing away the Transfer Array embedded within, reducing it to mere ashes.
Xiao Hua understood the meaning behind her actions—she was severing any path for others to follow. In silent acknowledgment, he remained still, observing her every movement with respect.
Once the array was destroyed, Lady Azure resumed her steps, and Xiao Hua, keeping pace behind her, finally spoke the question weighing on his heart. "Sister Azure, did you encounter something particularly dangerous within the ancient ruins?"
Lady Azure's lips curled into a faint smile as she glanced at him over her shoulder. "I have come to understand what these ruins truly are," she said with a hint of mystery. "This place was once home to an ancient sect from a time lost to the ages, some hundreds of thousands of years ago."
Xiao Hua narrowed his eyes until they were mere slits, arms crossed as he stroked his chin, silently contemplating Lady Azure's revelations.
He hadn't expected that this ancient sect was even older than the Eight Ancient Clans, whose legacy stretched back only tens of thousands of years. The thought of such antiquity weighed heavily on his mind.
"Sister Azure, there must be more, right?" Xiao Hua asked, his voice solemn. He knew that something far more unsettling lay beneath the surface.
"Indeed. That is not the only thing I uncovered," Lady Azure said, shaking her head, her expression turning solemn. Her eyes darkened as she spoke, her voice heavy with foreboding. "What I have uncovered is that this ancient ruin has transformed into a vast Killing Formation Array—one capable of slaying even the peak of Dou Sheng once the Sealing Formation Array breaks."
Her words sent a chilling ripple through Xiao Hua's heart. His face paled, overcome with a mix of dread and disbelief. Yet, even as fear clawed at him, he knew that panic would serve no purpose. He halted in his tracks, took a deep breath, and forced his composure back into place.
Moments passed, and his heart steadied, his mind processing her words with newfound clarity. He trusted Lady Azure implicitly. She would not lead him into danger just for a mere amusement.
Xiao Hua shifted his gaze to Lady Azure, who had halted as well, her watchful eyes silently observing him.
"What is the condition to activate this Killing Array?" Xiao Hua asked, his voice steady despite the unease brewing in his heart. He knew who is the target of the killing array since there's only one being
"Blood essence," Lady Azure responded, her tone solemn and weighty. She turned without further explanation and resumed walking, her figure drifting forward like a specter. Xiao Hua quickly followed, though his mind was racing.
Despite her brief answer, it was enough for Xiao Hua to piece the puzzle together. The ancient sect intended to use those who entered its ruins as sacrifices, offering their blood essence to fuel the Killing Formation Array.
However, Xiao Hua frowned as another thought emerged. "Even then, wouldn't it still lack the power to kill the Black Plague Whale?"
He pointed out the flaw he saw in their ancient scheme. "In the Black-Corner Region, the strongest cultivators are merely Dou Zongs. No one has reached the realm of Dou Zun, much less a Dou Sheng."
He paused, the gravity of the situation sinking in. With such weak forces entering the ruins, it seemed nearly impossible to gather enough blood essence to fuel an array capable of killing something as powerful as the Black Plague Whale inheritor. To truly filled the Killing Array, they would need the blood of cultivators far more powerful—probably at a couple of Dou Zuns, or even Ban Sheng, which is the qualification to enter Dou Sheng class.
"You misunderstand the true intentions of this ancient sect, child," Lady Azure said softly, shaking her head with a knowing smile. Her eyes gleamed with an ancient wisdom. "The Blood Essence isn't to fuel the array, but to activate it."
"Activate it?" Xiao Hua's brow furrowed, confusion clouding his thoughts. "Then why seal it? If the Killing Array is powerful enough to kill a Dou Sheng, what purpose does the seal serve?"
Lady Azure's expression grew somber, her gaze darkening as she spoke. "Have you forgotten the nature of the Black Plague Whale? Its poison is adaptable—lethal even to Dou Shengs. Depending on the purity of its bloodline, the Black Plague Whale's poison could present a deadly challenge even for a Dou Di."
"A Dou Di?!" Xiao Hua exclaimed, his body freezing in shock. The mere mention of such a figure sent a chill down his spine.
Sensing his hesitation, Lady Azure paused and turned to face him. Her voice softened in reassurance. "Do not worry. The poisonous energy from the Black Plague Whale has been weakened and refined by the ruins over the millennia. Haven't you noticed when the entrance to the ancient ruin opened?"
Xiao Hua's mind raced as he recalled the scene. He remembered the vast hall devouring and purifying the black swamp of poisonous energy that filled the area when they first entered. His eyes widened in sudden realization.
"So the seal wasn't just to trap the Black Plague Whale... It was meant to refine its poison—or at least weaken its effects?"
Lady Azure's eyes gleamed with approval as she gave a satisfied nod. "Precisely. Once the Spiritual Sealing Array broke, the accumulated poison was drawn into the array, refined, and used its energy to activate the Killing Formation Array."
Xiao Hua could only shake his head, still grappling with the revelation. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that this ancient ruin belonged to a sect predating even the Eight Ancient Clans. And now, it was reduced to nothing more than a Killing Array, designed to slay a single magical beast.
His mind wandered as he pondered the Black Plague Whale's fate. What had this creature done to warrant such extreme measures? And how had it managed to survive all these years? Yet, he quickly dismissed the questions. Knowing the answers wouldn't change anything.
"If that's the case, how much time do we have before the Killing Array fully activates?" Xiao Hua refocused, shaking his head slightly as he posed the critical question.
"Not long," Lady Azure responded, her gaze lifting as if piercing through the heavens to observe the entire ruin. "But not immediately either. We have time."
A brief silence hung between them as she closed her eyes, seemingly communing with the unseen forces of the ancient ruin. When her eyes reopened, they glinted with purpose. "We have enough time to explore the medicinal forest. We should gather any valuable ingredients we find. After all, the life or death of the Black Plague Whale is none of our concern."
Xiao Hua nodded. It was true—the beast's fate was irrelevant to them. In fact, he had never even heard of the Black Plague Whale in any of the stories passed down. It seemed its demise would be sealed within this forgotten ruin.
"To think... I expected to fight over treasures with others," Xiao Hua sighed softly, a slight wave of disappointment creeping into his voice. He knew he shouldn't feel this way, but he couldn't help the sense of anticlimax. His first trip into an ancient ruin was turning out to be surprisingly... peaceful.
Lady Azure's lips curved into a playful smile. "Oh? Did you think you'd have a leisurely time here?"
Seeing that playful smile on Lady Azure's face sent a chill down Xiao Hua's spine. He had seen it enough times to know—whenever she smiled like that, it always ended with him feeling deep regret.
'Why didn't I keep my mouth shut?' he thought bitterly.
Lady Azure turned her gaze towards the depths of the ancient forest, where precious and rare medicinal ingredients grew in abundance. Her expression grew thoughtful as she spoke, "You already know, but since this forest is rich with medicinal treasures, it's natural that powerful guardians protect the most valuable ones."
Xiao Hua felt his heart skip a beat. "Please don't tell me there's a Rank 8 or Rank 9 magical beast guarding this forest. If that's the case, I'll be walking towards my death, Sister Azure..." His voice trembled with a mix of dread and nervousness.
"At most, there's a Rank 7 magical beast," Lady Azure replied, shaking her head. But then her tone shifted, her eyes gleaming with a knowing look. "But that's not what you should be worried about."
Xiao Hua's unease deepened. "Not the thing I should be worried about? Wait... don't tell me this forest has developed its own consciousness?" His voice grew more anxious. He knew that a conscious, sentient forest could be far more dangerous than any high-ranked magical beast.
Lady Azure hesitated for a moment, then a playful glint returned to her eyes. "That... well, you'll find out soon enough." Her cryptic response only heightened Xiao Hua's confusion, and before he could press further, she suddenly turned faint, her figure becoming blurry.
In an instant, Lady Azure vanished completely, her silhouette dissolving into the air. But just before she disappeared, she left him with one final piece of advice: "Consider this as training to sharpen your Spiritual Strength."
Xiao Hua stood there, staring at the space where Lady Azure had been. Her sudden departure baffled him, and her words echoed in his mind.
'Training using Spiritual Strength?' His brow furrowed in thought, trying to decipher the meaning behind her mysterious smile.
Then, like a flash of lightning, realization struck. His eyes widened as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.
To confirm his suspicions, Xiao Hua attempted to circulate his Dou Qi, but to his surprise, he couldn't sense even a trace of energy flowing within his body. Despite this alarming discovery, he remained calm, his composure unshaken.
It didn't take long for him to understand Lady Azure's cryptic words. Her advice was clear now—this was an illusion. Without wasting any time, he focused his Spiritual Strength, concentrating it at the center of his brow. He began to spread his senses outward, searching for the source of the illusion.
Moments later, his Spiritual Perception detected a reaction. He locked onto the presence of several floating black orbs, each tinged with a faint silver hue. The orbs were the size of a dragon's eye, with two sharp, twisted horns protruding from their tops. They hovered in the air, their features forming a cruel smile as they gazed at him disdainfully.
Xiao Hua's eyes widened in shock. "That's... the Devil Sprouting Fruit!" he exclaimed, his voice loud with disbelief.
The Devil Sprouting Fruit was a unique treasure, infamous for its insatiable appetite for Spiritual Strength, a mysterious and elusive energy that few could even perceive. This rare fruit came in two distinct grades, easily differentiated by color: the dark-violet Devil Sprouting Fruit and the black Devil Sprouting Fruit. While both were potent, their purposes and effects were vastly different.
The dark-violet Devil Sprouting Fruit, though of lower quality, held significant value. When consumed, it infused one's soul with energy, though not enough to break through to a higher level. Typically, alchemists refined it into a pill called the Devil Purple Pill. This pill was especially useful, as it could slightly enhance one's Spiritual Strength, making it stronger than that of ordinary people. However, its effects were limited to those whose spiritual cultivation remained in the Mortal State. For those in higher states, the pill had no direct benefits, though it could still aid in restoring lost Spiritual Strength after intense use.
The black Devil Sprouting Fruit, on the other hand, was far more dangerous and coveted. It was said that even alchemists in the Soul State could touch the threshold of the Heavenly State upon consuming it. For the fortunate few, the fruit could even propel them into the Heavenly State itself. Yet, its immense power came with a price. The overwhelming concentration of Spiritual Strength within the fruit could easily cause a backlash if the consumer was disturbed or unable to fully absorb its energy.
Due to its nature in devouring Spiritual Strength, few alchemists dared to refine the black Devil Sprouting Fruit into a medicinal pill. Its natural tendency to voraciously absorb Spiritual Strength made it nearly impossible to control during refinement.
The moment one attempted to refine it, the fruit would immediately devour any nearby Spiritual Strength, making the task futile. This trait posed a serious challenge for alchemists, who relied heavily on their Spiritual Strength to refine medicinal essences, control flames, and regulate cauldron temperatures during pill concoction.
Worse still, there was no known method to halt the fruit's relentless absorption of Spiritual Strength. This greedy nature made it clear that attempting to refine the fruit was more trouble than it was worth. Most chose the safer path—consuming the fruit directly rather than wasting valuable medicinal ingredients and risking dangerous backlash during refinement.
Even so, Xiao Hua couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement upon seeing this rare and exceptionally high-grade medicinal ingredient. While many might find refining the Devil Sprouting Fruit impossible, he possessed the confidence to succeed where others would fail.
Over the years, his mastery in alchemy had grown immensely. By meticulously studying each medicinal ingredient's properties—both major and minor—he had even devised his own unique medicinal formulas. However, when he reached the level of an eighth-tier alchemist, one particular formula had stumped him. It wasn't due to a lack of comprehension, but rather the absence of a crucial ingredient that contained the right properties. With no means to progress, he had reluctantly shelved the formula, leaving it to gather dust in the back of his mind.
But now, the Devil Sprouting Fruit was within his grasp. There was no chance he would pass up this opportunity. The fruit was far more than just a powerful treasure—it held the missing key to completing his formula.
"How could I ever let this slip away?" Xiao Hua muttered in his heart that was beating in excitement.
Yet, this was no ordinary Devil Sprouting Fruit. Its spirituality had matured to the point that it could leave its physical body, manifesting illusions strong enough to deceive even seasoned cultivators. If it hadn't been for his robust soul, fortified by the trials of Heavenly Astral Lightning, Xiao Hua knew he would have been caught in its web, falling victim to the fruit's control.
The challenge was clear—the only way to force the Devil Sprouting Fruit to reveal its true location was to defeat its spirituality in its own domain, the illusory world it had created. Should he fail, the fruit's spirituality would self-destruct, ensuring that no unworthy person would claim its physical body. Xiao Hua had no intention of letting that happen.
Xiao Hua extended his small hand, swiftly forming intricate hand seals. As his fingers moved, a vast and mighty Spiritual Strength, which had been dispersed across the area, rapidly gathered into his palm. In an instant, it took the shape of a majestic spiritual dragon. The ethereal creature coiled itself around Xiao Hua, its movements creating powerful spatial ripples that caused small cracks to appear in the fabric of space.
Though invisible to the naked eye, the spiritual dragon's presence was undeniable. The Devil Sprouting Fruit's expression changed, becoming more solemn. It realized that it had unwittingly provoked the worst kind of opponent—someone who could control and manipulate Spiritual Strength with ease.
Yet, rather than fear, the fruit felt a surge of excitement. Spiritual Strength was its lifeblood, and this dragon, brimming with rich energy, was a tempting feast. Without hesitation, it lunged toward the dragon, intent on asserting its dominance as the predator in this spiritual clash.
"Go!" Xiao Hua commanded, his finger pressing gently against the empty air.
A regal roar echoed through the forest as the spiritual dragon uncoiled from Xiao Hua, charging forward with the force of a tempest. The air trembled as the dragon moved, generating a wild wind that carried the thunderous sound of its approach.
In mere moments, the spiritual dragon and the Devil Sprouting Fruit collided in midair, unleashing a fierce spiritual storm. The ground beneath them cracked, splintering as shockwaves radiated from the center of their violent clash.
The storm raged and then dissipated as quickly as it had formed. Xiao Hua stood unmoved, his feet firmly planted where they had been before the battle began.
The Devil Sprouting Fruit's spirituality, on the other hand, had been sent flying back. It drifted a considerable distance, its form trembling as it struggled to maintain composure. Gloom shadowed its once arrogant expression. Though it loathed to admit it, the gap between them was undeniable. The boy before it possessed an immense and terrifying density of Spiritual Strength, far beyond anything it had ever encountered.
Moreover, something else gnawed at the fruit's awareness. During the clash, it had felt a faint yet unmistakable tingle of lightning coursing through the dragon—blue sparks that shouldn't exist within pure Spiritual Strength. It was baffling, as Spiritual Strength, unlike Dou Qi, didn't possess elemental affinities. And yet, those sparks had been real, preventing the fruit from devouring Xiao Hua's Spiritual Strength as it had intended.
'How could this be?' The fruit's confusion deepened, as it realized that it had underestimated the human child standing before it.
Even so, the Devil Sprouting Fruit's fighting spirit did not wane. Letting out a thunderous roar, ripples of invisible power surged in front of it. Two ethereal hands appeared, swiftly forming a series of mysterious hand seals. The moment the hand seals was completed, an immense wave of Spiritual Strength burst forth from the black orb, rapidly coalescing into a massive, invisible gaping mouth filled with countless sharp fangs.
Xiao Hua's eyes narrowed, his senses honing in on the powerful pressure that coming from the invisible gaping mouth. The Spiritual Strength that made up the fanged mouth wasn't weaker than his spiritual dragon. Yet, the sheer presence it exuded—its might—was on a completely different level!
"Has the Devil Sprouting Fruit actually developed its own Soul Skill?" Xiao Hua muttered in his heart, mildly shocked. However, upon deeper reflection, he quickly understood. With its long life and innate connection to Spiritual Strength, it wasn't surprising that the fruit had not only mastered its essence but could even comprehend Soul Skills on its own.
Now, Lady Azure's words made perfect sense. Xiao Hua had always known that when it came to Spiritual Strength, Spiritual Control, and Spiritual Perception, none could match him. Though others might surpass him in cultivation rank, his dominance over Spiritual Strength was something no one could challenge in the same spiritual states.
Yet, in front of him stood an adversary that could rival him in all three aspects—Spiritual Strength, Control, and Perception. Even more, the Devil Sprouting Fruit had an undeniable mastery of Soul Skills and Techniques, far beyond anything he had delved into. Though Xiao Hua could create a formidable spiritual dragon, he had never truly focused on cultivating Soul Skills or Techniques.
Lady Azure had once advised him that his overwhelming Spiritual Strength, a result of the Heavenly Astral Lightning and Celestial Ancient Frost that had forged his soul into something abnormally powerful, made delicate control incredibly difficult. She had urged him to focus on refining his Spiritual Control and Perception, rather than wasting time on cultivating Soul Skills prematurely.
In this regard, the Devil Sprouting Fruit was almost like a senior, its understanding of Soul Skills far surpassing his own.
A smile tugged at the corners of Xiao Hua's lips. Recognizing the battle for what it was—an opportunity to learn and grow—he respectfully cupped his fists toward the Devil Sprouting Fruit. With a calm yet resolute voice, he declared, "It seems this junior must show Senior Devil Sprouting Fruit my incompetence…!"