​The three of them ran at full speed, their footsteps echoing through the barren terrain. At this moment, they paid no heed to the consumption of Spiritual Qi. Reaching a vantage point near the palace to assess the situation was their immediate priority. From there, they could decide whether to strike opportunistically or make a quick retreat.​After a short while, the trio arrived at a small hill on the eastern side of the Dark Palace. The hill was barren, devoid of cover, offering a clear view of the surroundings. It was positioned a little over a hundred zhang from the palace, close enough for them to see the palace clearly with their naked eyes, even without relying on Spiritual Qi.​Chu Xuan scanned the area, noting that several others, including Shangguan He, Kang Jia, and Ximen Changqing, had also arrived. They had all kept their distance, observing the scene from afar, their hearts filled with a mix of nervousness and excitement. It was akin to a groom waiting to enter the bri

​At this, Chu Xuan abruptly stopped, turned around, and shot back toward him. "Ah, Fellow Daoist Shang, your call for help was too soft. I didn't hear it properly! I'm coming now, Fellow Daoist Shang, hold on!"​Shang Xingchen couldn't help but grit his teeth in frustration. His situation was becoming increasingly dire, and yet, Chu Xuan's nonchalant tone seemed to add salt to the wound.​Chu Xuan stretched out his hand, and the Ice God Pillar rose suddenly, slamming into the Wood Corpses before him, sending them flying. Around him, the Evil Soul Chain whirled, felling everything in their path.​The Evil Soul Chain coiled like a giant black serpent, strangling any Wood Corpses that attempted to approach. The steel wires, invisible to the eye, sliced through the corpses with terrifying precision, tearing them into dozens of pieces.​In that moment, Chu Xuan displayed an astonishing level of lethality. Everywhere he passed, the ground was littered with the scattered limbs and shattered

​"This gourd is quite impressive, it must be a top-tier magic treasure!"​Chu Xuan's face lit up with surprise, and it seemed as though he was about to rush forward eagerly, ready to snatch the treasure into his grasp.​However, his figure suddenly reversed course at an astonishing speed, retreating far beyond his previous approach. In the blink of an eye, he was nearly a hundred zhang away.​"Good lad, you actually sensed me," a cold laugh rang out from the gourd.​In the next moment, the gourd suddenly sprang up, releasing a wave of black mist that swiftly coalesced into the upper half of a figure. The figure had a hawk-like nose, deep-set eyes, and a sinister expression.​It was none other than Tian Mozi, a Deity Transformation cultivator from the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect!​The gourd exploded with terrifying black light.​Chu Xuan, still in motion, felt his speed suddenly slow. Looking down, he saw that his feet were now shackled by a dark glow—like an invisible manacle.​The bla

​After several days of exploration, Chu Xuan effortlessly found many cultivator corpses. Some of them were wearing ancient Daoist robes, while others hailed from sects long destroyed.​From these corpses, Chu Xuan had found numerous spiritual sense jade slips. After skimming through them, his knowledge base had expanded considerably. In addition to dozens of cultivator corpses, his greatest find was a number of broken magic treasures.​Broken magic treasures were no problem. They could be fed to gu insect Gangsi. The ones in better condition could be repaired.​Chu Xuan had his eye on several pieces of relatively intact magic treasures, intending to take them back to a refiner for repairs. Aside from that, there was little else of interest.​Chu Xuan had not, like Wei Ji, accidentally stumbled upon the meditation site of a senior monk. That was truly a regret.​...​One day, rumblings echoed from every corner of the Heavenly Metal Battlefield. Beams of light shot into the sky as the t

​Chu Xuan focused his attention inward, inspecting his Nascent Soul. The Ghost Shadow Worm, having consumed enough shadows, was already on the verge of cocooning. After being placed into the Nascent Soul, it began to wrap the soul in its cocoon.​According to the "Soul Transformation Secret Method," once the Ghost Shadow Worm breaks free from its cocoon, the first transformation would be considered a success. There was no need for the cultivator to pay excessive attention during this process.​Now, as Chu Xuan observed his Nascent Soul once again, he indeed saw that the cocoon had begun to be gradually gnawed away. From within, the intense golden light of the Dao's Golden Lotus radiated forth. It was evident that the first transformation had been completed. Thus, the Earth Fire Tribulation had begun.​"This ancient cultivator clearly didn't succeed, otherwise, he wouldn't have omitted the Earth Fire Tribulation from his records!" Chu Xuan couldn't help but rub his forehead.​"However,