Time passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye, it had been nearly three months since Jiang Xuan joined Lingxu Cave Heaven.
His cultivation progressed in an orderly manner. Within the Spring of Life Realm, he had gone incredibly far—almost reaching the peak of that stage.
Sensing that the Primal Chaos Mirror had refreshed and was ready to extract a treasure, Jiang Xuan didn't hesitate. With a flash of hazy divine light, the mirror activated and quickly absorbed a treasure.
It was the size of an egg, glowing with a yellow-green radiance, warm to the touch—almost uncomfortably hot in his palm.
The Evil Emperor's Relic! That was its name.
In a distant high-martial world, a shadow assassin had just been about to absorb the relic's power when, suddenly, the relic vanished into thin air.
"Today is the day I break through to the Divine Bridge Realm!"
Without hesitation, Jiang Xuan swallowed the Evil Emperor's Relic whole. Brimming with life essence, the relic entered his Bagua Furnace in the stomach. Yet it caused no pain whatsoever—on the contrary, flames surged within the furnace, and the relic began to shrink, from egg-sized to the size of a glass bead, until it fully dissolved into life energy.
He activated the Dao Canon's mystical techniques, directing this vast surge of life essence along prescribed meridian paths, channeling it into his Bitter Sea, while some of it spread through his limbs, bones, organs—cleansing and strengthening his entire body.
From above, the torrent of life essence poured downward like a hanging galaxy. The Bitter Sea expanded rapidly, divine springs bubbled forth—and then, from deep within the sea, another surge of life essence burst forth, fusing with that refined from the relic.
Two streams of life energy converged and condensed in the sky above the sea, gradually forming a bridge that extended all the way to the distant end of the Bitter Sea.
The Divine Bridge Realm—complete!
During the days he led the younger disciples on their trial, Jiang Xuan occasionally discovered rare spiritual herbs and medicinal plants. He would harvest them and directly swallow them, refining their power in the Bagua Furnace—this was another reason for his rapid cultivation. In contrast, the Primal Chaos Mirror hadn't retrieved many treasures lately.
As the training expedition drew to a close, Jiang Xuan received a reward of fifty bottles of Hundred-Grass Elixir. For sacrificing his own cultivation time to lead and protect the disciples, the sect naturally offered its gratitude.
That evening, having finished his own cultivation for the day, Jiang Xuan went to visit Ye Fan and Pang Bo.
Both were diligently cultivating. Pang Bo had already opened his Bitter Sea and officially stepped into the Bitter Sea Realm—among their classmates, he was the first (besides Jiang Xuan) to achieve this milestone.
To reach the Bitter Sea Realm in just over two months was extraordinary. Within Lingxu Cave Heaven, this speed placed him just below Jiang Xuan and Weiwei. As a result, the sect had increased its investment in Pang Bo, classifying him as a seedling of immortality.
Meanwhile, their other classmates and disciples who entered at the same time were still studying the Dao Canon, struggling to comprehend its mysteries. Pang Bo's rapid progress was largely thanks to frequent guidance from Jiang Xuan and Ye Fan.
As for Ye Fan, though his Bitter Sea was no longer as solid and unyielding as divine iron, the rate of progress was still extremely slow. Pang Bo even shared some of his own cultivation resources with him, but Ye Fan still couldn't sense the Wheel of Life within himself.
Ye Fan was naturally calm and composed, but watching one brother break through the Bitter Sea and the other rise into the Spring of Life Realm, even becoming qualified to lecture others—he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.
"The Perfect Sacred Body is unmatched beneath the heavens," Jiang Xuan said as he arrived, seeing Ye Fan still sitting in silent cultivation. "Its strength must come with a price. It's said that forming the Bitter Sea is a hundred times harder for someone like you—but perhaps that's precisely why, once it's formed, your Sacred Body will surpass all others."
He believed in Ye Fan. This was not someone who would give in to despair.
"Exactly, Yezi," Pang Bo added with a smile. "Maybe all it takes is a bit more grinding. You'll get there."
"Don't worry. I'm not the kind to give up halfway." Ye Fan smiled faintly.
"Power comes through persistence," Jiang Xuan nodded. "But more importantly—your Ancient Sacred Body probably needs far more resources than others."
With a wave of his hand, fifty bottles of Hundred-Grass Elixir appeared neatly arranged on the table.
Jiang Xuan wasn't stingy with these resources. At this stage of cultivation, Hundred-Grass Elixir was only marginally useful, mostly aiding the early stages. Helping Ye Fan now could pay off a thousandfold in the future—and besides, they were already close friends.
Moreover, ever since refining his Bagua Furnace, Jiang Xuan's needs had shifted. No longer limited to pills and elixirs, he could refine essences from magical treasures, celestial herbs, and even divine artifacts—all of which worked better than standard alchemy.
He was on a path of "devouring treasures to cultivate."
The sight of fifty bottles of Hundred-Grass Elixir all lined up was nothing short of overwhelming.
New disciples typically received just one bottle every three months—and now there were fifty right in front of them.
Ye Fan had countless words of thanks in his heart, but when he opened his mouth, none of them seemed right. Anything he could say felt superfluous.
"Jiang Xuan… thank you."
He tilted his head back and drank the elixir, bottle after bottle. The surge of life essence rushed through his meridians, filling his limbs and bones. His vital energy began to rise, slowly but steadily.
Draining all fifty bottles in one sitting—this was a shocking sight.
If an ordinary disciple did this, there would only be one outcome: the body would be overwhelmed by the immense energy, and they would explode from within.
Ye Fan exhaled heavily as powerful life essence spilled from his mouth and nose. He dared not slack off—immediately, he activated the sensing technique from the Dao Canon, using this rare opportunity to try to sense the Wheel of Life within him.
Time flowed gently onward. In Ye Fan's Bitter Sea, the Wheel of Life began to pulse violently. Lightning danced across the golden sea, accompanied by thunder and divine radiance—a dazzling spectacle that made the entire thatched hut shimmer like a priceless treasure.
It was a scene beyond comprehension: the vision of a Sacred Body's Bitter Sea had manifested into the external world.
Perhaps it was some mystery unique to the Sacred Body, or maybe all special physiques shared such phenomena.
"Why can we see Yezi's Bitter Sea manifestation?"
Pang Bo was deeply shocked and confused.
"According to Elder Wu Qingfeng, when anyone first opens their Bitter Sea, it should be silent and dead—but Yezi's is roaring like thunder, with divine light bursting forth. It's like the creation of the heavens and the earth!"
"A special constitution—truly favored by the heavens."
Jiang Xuan gazed steadily at Ye Fan.
Some people are born blessed—when they enter the world, destiny has already placed a treasure within their soul. As they grow, all they need to do is uncover it, and they'll benefit for life.
But most people are born ordinary. To reach the same height, they must put in ten times—no, a hundred times—the effort. And even then, there are countless things in life that effort alone cannot overcome.
Of course, there are always a few stunning prodigies who rise from obscurity and soar past the clouds, dominating the world. But how many of those truly exist?
In ancient times, there were even Emperors with special physiques who chose to seal their powers and walk the path of a mortal body—but that was only after they had already stood at the peak of humanity.
To Jiang Xuan, comparing a mortal body to a Sacred Body was like comparing someone who knows a little about everything to someone who masters everything. And when a Great Emperor reverted to a "mortal" state, it was only in name—his new body merely covered all the gaps his former constitution lacked.
"Ye Fan, congratulations."
As Ye Fan ended his cultivation, Jiang Xuan offered his sincere congratulations.
"I didn't let you down."
Ye Fan replied calmly. Saying thank you at this point would feel far too distant—what Jiang Xuan had done for him went beyond simple favors.
"Haha! Yezi, all three of us are cultivators now!"
Pang Bo exclaimed excitedly.
Among all their classmates, the three of them were the only ones who had stepped into cultivation. Jiang Ge had even reached the Spring of Life Realm and joined the management circle of Lingxu Cave Heaven. As a tightly knit trio, Pang Bo was now truly looking forward to their future life here.
"You mean that alchemy elder… Han? The one who looks really old?"
Ye Fan asked, eyebrows raised.
"Yeah, him. Lately, whenever Yezi and I go out, I've noticed that guy watching him a few times. There's something really off about that gaze—how should I put it… fiery, greedy?"
After their brief celebration, Pang Bo mentioned a troubling incident—encounters with Elder Han while visiting Dao Preaching Cliff.
"Ye Fan, it seems like someone's got their eyes on you," Jiang Xuan said with a smile. "But don't worry—it's not a huge deal."
"Got their eyes on me? What does that mean?"
Ye Fan frowned, confused.
"From what I've heard, that Elder Han doesn't have much lifespan left. And coincidentally, the Ancient Sacred Body is renowned for its rich, vigorous blood. Using Sacred Blood in alchemy can greatly extend one's life."
Jiang Xuan's tone turned calm but serious.
"Think back—didn't his gaze seem like he was looking at some rare heavenly treasure? Full of hunger and desire?"
A chill shot through Ye Fan's body. His scalp tingled.
Anyone who found themselves being watched like prey, who knew that a moment's carelessness could lead to being devoured—no one could remain calm under such a threat.
"What should we do, Jiang Ge? You have to help Yezi!"
Pang Bo grew anxious. Elder Han's cultivation and status were far beyond theirs—it wasn't something they could just ignore.
"Don't worry. Here's what we'll do…"
Jiang Xuan leaned in and began to explain his plan.