Liu Xin had once been nothing more than an insignificant disciple of the Stain Sect—running errands, cultivating when he could, and working himself to the bone to repay the sect's endless debts like a slave.
Then a single encounter overturned his fate.
It began with a bounty posted by a true disciple. The man intended to explore a deserted cave mansion and happened to be short a few pieces of expendable cannon fodder.
Liu Xin, unaware of the truth, was tempted by the generous reward and joined the team. By the time he realized he had been brought along purely as disposable bait, it was already too late. Under the true disciple's coercion, he could only step into the cave mansion. Yet to his astonishment, every restriction and array within proved completely ineffective against him.
He walked through effortlessly—and seized the treasure others had bled for.
Inside a golden box lay the Manual of Primal Qi, the Primal Qi Myriad-Soul Banner, and a handwritten message left by the cave mansion's owner.
The owner identified himself as the Perfected Primal Qi.
His note revealed that the treasure had been intended for a "fated individual"—a member of the Stain Sect whose name contained Xin and who, according to the sect's own calculations, would become a direct disciple.
Outraged by this attempt to predetermine his heir, the Perfected denounced the sect's scheme to force an unfated candidate into becoming the "destined" successor and to bind his legacy to a sect-favored direct disciple.
To break this manipulation, he disrupted the karmic threads and redirected the inheritance to Liu Xin.
The note added that accepting the artifact would place Liu Xin in a dead-end situation, so the Perfected left a method within the cave mansion to help him survive.
In the original trajectory, Liu Xin was supposed to die as an expendable pawn who merely activated treasure for others. Yet with the Perfected's intervention, he not only survived but completely overturned the direct disciple's ordained fate.
That night was nothing short of terrifying.
At dawn, only Liu Xin walked out of the cave mansion while the direct disciple of the Stain Sect vanished without a trace.
After the direct disciple's disappearance, his father, the Master of Heaven Mending Peak, had been enraged, personally divining past and future, only to find nothing—causing uproar throughout the sect.
No one knew that using the Perfected Primal's backup method, Liu refined the direct disciple into the strongest banner spirit of the Myriad-Soul Banner.
"The ruthless world where the strong devour the weak hasn't changed one bit in the Stain Sect."
As the banner unfurled, a black-robed figure stepped out—not looking first at Lü Yang, but sweeping his gaze around with a nostalgic air.
"Senior Brother, have you been well?" Liu Xin cupped his fists.
"Useless. You must've run into someone far above you." The black-robed figure sneered. "The Manual of Primal Qi in your hands… wasted."
"I fall far short of Senior Brother's abilities."
Liu Xin neither argued nor lost composure. He remained respectful. "This opponent was a Sword Cultivator, and he cultivated Heavenfiend Lifeblood Offering Radiance. I truly wasn't his match."
"Heavenfiend Lifeblood Offering Radiance?"
The black-robed figure paused, his expression sharpening. Then he sighed. "Cultivating that technique, this guy has some guts, but still, his future is doomed. All his efforts are wasted. This makes it the third time, as agreed."
"Senior Brother, your words are indeed enlightening."
Liu Xin bowed slightly. "Once this ends, I will help Senior Brother enter reincarnation. With your merit and foundation, I believe you will surely return to the Dao path in your next life."
"Very well."
Only then did the black-robed figure turn his gaze toward Lü Yang.
Lü Yang and Xiao Shiye remained calm, but Qingchen's eyes widened as she stared at the black-robed spirit.
She was no novice.
At first, the figure had merely seemed familiar—but when he released his Qi, she recognized him instantly.
"Are you Chen Xin'an, Senior Brother Chen!?"
Qingchen's expression flickered. A grim realization struck her, and she unconsciously stepped back, trying to put distance between herself and Liu Xin.
Thud.
Qingchen stared blankly at the hand piercing into her abdomen before collapsing in silence.
She died.
"What a pity. But since you've seen too much, you cannot be allowed to live."
After her death, the array around them started to shake, but as Liu Xin used the Myriad-Soul Banner to consume her body and turn her into a banner spirit, the shaking gradually ceased.
Though the spirit Qingchen was far more restricted, she could still command the array.
At the same time, the black-robed Chen Xin'an arrived before Lü Yang.
"Hm?"
Lü Yang's eyes narrowed. The man's cultivation was also in the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, the same as his own, yet his presence felt utterly different.
Chen Xin'an glanced him over, then shook his head. "The Essence Exchange Cultivation Art features the Yin Yang Harmony, but your Qi is disorderly—clearly not earned through diligent cultivation. Your Fifth Grade Yin Yang Dragon Tiger Qi could at best reach Sixth Grade in your hands."
The critique struck Lü Yang like a physical blow.
"May I ask who Senior is?"
"My name is Chen Xin'an. I have no choice but to act as I am. But if you escape and deliver a message to Heaven Mending Peak, my father will reward you handsomely."
Before the words finished, Chen Xin'an struck.
Lifting his hand, he pressed down lightly, and his Qi fused with Heaven and Earth, and then roared out, calling even the ambient natural Qi to answer him.
Lü Yang's pupils contracted sharply.
Not because of Chen Xin'an's power—but because the moment Chen Xin'an struck, Lü Yang felt every flaw in his own Qi laid bare.
In that instant, the truth clicked.
"My Essence Exchange Cultivation Art isn't the pinnacle—Heaven Mending Peak must have higher-grade techniques! He's definitely a direct disciple!"
His guess was on the mark.
As the son of Heaven Mending Peak's master, Chen Xin'an cultivated the Heaven-Mending Skill—an upgraded version of the Essence Exchange Cultivation Art.
Ordinary dual cultivation depended on another person, balancing Yin and Yang.
But the Heaven-Mending Skill drew directly on Heaven and Earth, harmonizing with the cosmos to refine Heaven-Replenishing Qi—a Third Grade marvel.
Thus, when Chen Xin'an's palm descended, even without using techniques, the sheer weight of Third Grade True Qi left Lü Yang barely able to withstand it.
Seeing this, Liu Xin's face blossomed into confidence.
No one knew Chen Xin'an's strength better than he did. In his mind, even if Lü Yang were ten times stronger, he would still be crushed.
"We'll win!"
Liu Xin made his judgment without hesitation—failing to notice Xiao Shiye watching him from afar, face dark, mind racing.
Xiao Shiye understood perfectly well that things had turned unfavorable.
"I didn't want to do this… but you forced me."
He knew his own limitations. His strength was the weakest, and he relied entirely on a collection of artifacts to hold his ground. But now, even his artifacts weren't enough.
With that realization, Xiao Shiye drew a deep breath and opened his storage bag. In an instant, a surge of Mythical Light of sentient artifacts burst out, drawing the attention of Liu Xin—then even Chen Xin'an and Lü Yang paused their battle to look.
A moment later, a small tower flew out of the storage bag.
Cast from gold, nine-tiered, with a spirit light floating above it shaped vaguely like a lively human figure—
"This is… a sentient artifact!?"
They recognized it instantly. Even Lü Yang, before he could speak, watched Liu Xin and Chen Xin'an cry out in shock.
When an artifact gains wisdom, it becomes a sentient artifact.
All artifacts, despite their grades, each needed a cultivator to wield them.
Yet sentient artifacts possessed their own will and strength—and could cultivate themselves, growing ever stronger.
Then Xiao Shiye's made a Daoist hand seal.
The small tower began to expand—
"Bastard!"
Chen Xin'an was the first to curse, all composure shattered. He could see exactly what Xiao Shiye intended: he was going to make the sentient artifact self-destruct.
Liu Xin nearly spat blood.
This precious kind of artifact was normally only owned by a Foundation-Stage Cultivator. It was bad enough that Xiao Shiye actually possessed one, but to bring it out only to blow it up?
A crime itself.
Even worse, the sentient artifact small tower didn't resist at all—it actively cooperated, accelerating the process beyond anyone's ability to stop—
Boom.
Flames exploded outward, swallowing the world.