The bottom of Shenmo Death Valley pulsed with silent flashes of energy. The stench of poison and death aura that had once enveloped this place had vanished, replaced by sacred and dark energy twisting together in the air.
Xiao Chen stood tall in the middle of the ancient bone plain. His blood-soaked, tattered clothes had now magically transformed into a black robe trimmed with gold—a manifestation of the energy from the Ancient God-Demon Physique that had merged with his body.
The God-Demon Sword rested calmly on his back. The weapon was no longer heavy to Xiao Chen. He could feel the sword's breathing vibrations as though it had become part of his own body.
CLINK!
A transparent white figure floated out from the surface of the sword and landed gracefully several steps in front of Xiao Chen. Xue Ling'er's figure shimmered in the darkness, her crystalline eyes surveying Xiao Chen from head to toe.
"To break straight through from mortality without cultivation to Foundation Establishment, First Level..." Xue Ling'er smiled faintly, her melodious voice flowing like the plucking of a zither. "Even in the Ancient Era thousands of years ago, this miracle could only be achieved by those destined to become Lords of All Realms."
Xiao Chen lowered his head and looked at his palms. Beneath his skin, now as white as jade, flowed incredibly dense strands of golden-black energy. He could feel the surrounding Heaven and Earth Qi being drawn automatically into his body without any need to force it.
"Xue Ling'er," Xiao Chen said coldly. "How long will it take me to fully master this power?"
"Power without technique is nothing but a flood without a dam, Young Master," Xue Ling'er replied slowly. She raised her hand and summoned fragments of golden light, which then formed a Mystic Tome in the air. "Your body has rebuilt its physical channels, but your combat techniques are still those of a mortal. At the Foundation Establishment realm, you can already control external Qi. However, your enemies out there—the Xiao Family—have dozens of cultivators and Elders in the Golden Core realm."
Xiao Chen's eyes narrowed. "Golden Core..."
On the Tianyuan Continent, the cultivation stages were divided into Body Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Pure Soul, and the Main God Realm. Xiao Tianhai, the Great Elder who had killed his mother and destroyed his meridians, was in the middle of the Golden Core Realm. The difference in power between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core was like the chasm between earth and heaven.
"If you go out now, you can indeed slaughter Xiao Yiran and the young disciples with ease," Xue Ling'er continued, her expression serious. "However, before Xiao Tianhai, you will still be hard-pressed. You need a combat technique capable of leaping across realms!"
Xue Ling'er flicked her finger, and the Mystic Tome in the air exploded into thousands of golden characters that shot straight into Xiao Chen's forehead.
*BOOM!*
A majestic sensation filled Xiao Chen's mind. The name of the forbidden technique was etched eternally into his soul: **God-Demon Slayer Sword Art** and **Shadowless Step**.
"These two techniques were created by the Ancient God-Demon Emperor," Xue Ling'er explained. "A single slash from this sword art uses a fusion of Dark Qi and Sacred Qi. No opponent's strike will be able to withstand it, because the two energies oppose each other and annihilate one another."
"Good." Xiao Chen gripped the hilt of the sword on his back. A sharp hum vibrated from the blade as he slowly drew it. Golden-black light erupted, illuminating the entire bottom of the abyss.
"How much time do we have in this place?" Xiao Chen asked.
"At the bottom of Shenmo Death Valley, time flows differently from the outside world. One month here is equal to three days outside," Xue Ling'er said with a faint grin. "You have one internal month to hone this technique until your blood grows accustomed to it."
"One month..." Xiao Chen swept his gaze across the enormous stone cliffs surrounding him. His eyes burned with unstoppable killing intent. "That's enough to turn this place into my training hell... before I bring the real hell to Fengyun City!"
With a single swing of the God-Demon Sword, a wave of golden-black sword energy shot forward, cleaving the hundreds-of-meters-tall stone cliff before him into two. A thunderous rumble erupted, marking the beginning of Xiao Chen's forbidden training at the bottom of the death abyss.