"Boom! Boom!" Thick clouds gathered in the sky, with lightning surging forth like silver serpents, and the thunder roared throughout the space. At the same time, a vast, boundless wave of energy—unseen yet palpable—spread out from the mountain peak, sweeping through the area like a storm. Zi Yan beside her also displayed a touch of astonishment. Though the body of Tai Xu's ancient dragon was extraordinarily strong, it had a weakness in the realm of spiritual power. Even someone as powerful as herself felt shaken by this surge of spiritual energy. "It is said that once one reaches the 'Imperial Realm,' the soul remains unbroken and indestructible—even if forcibly dispersed, the residual soul fragments gradually coalesce and eventually allow for rebirth. While the Heavenly Realm at its peak is far from the Imperial Realm, its power undoubtedly surpasses that of a late-stage Heavenly Realm cultivator." The old pharmacist said, his expression grave. "Once the soul reaches the peak of the Heavenly Realm, it becomes indistinguishable from the physical body. In battle, the soul can separate and work in tandem with the body, achieving a level of coordination unmatched by anyone else—this synergy amplifies the power exponentially." "Xiao Dan smiled, her expression filled with admiration. Before reaching the peak of the Heavenly Realm, her soul still seemed somewhat frail. Usually, no strong cultivator would willingly summon her, as any injury to the soul would be severely detrimental to a person. However, once her soul attained the peak of the Heavenly Realm, it transformed into a distinct form of solid existence, possessing strength no less than her physical body. Her defensive capabilities were particularly impressive, and when fighting alongside her physical form, their combined power was truly formidable." The Heavenly Realm's Great Perfection, though still within the Heavenly Realm tier, represents a world apart from its later stages... To a certain extent, when the soul power reaches the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm, it becomes akin to having a battle partner of unparalleled harmony—yet the strength of this partner depends entirely on the wielder's own prowess. It bears a resemblance to the Three-Thousand-Thunder-Phantom Technique, which can condense and manifest body duplicates. However, in terms of power and other aspects, the soul duplicates formed by the Three-Thousand-Thunder-Phantom Technique fall far short of the tangible, solid forms that naturally coalesce when the soul itself reaches the Great Perfection level... "This is indeed the great perfection of the Heavenly Realm..." A soft, murmured voice echoed within Xiao Yan's heart. He could clearly feel the gap between himself and his former self. When he had once been merely a growing youth, his soul strength had been steadily developing; now, however, his soul was that of a seasoned adult—wielding a sharp blade, having faced countless battles! "Hush... hush..." With a mere thought from Xiao Yan, the intangible fluctuations of his soul energy surged forth once again, spreading out like a tide. In the blink of an eye, they permeated the entire Star Realm, then raced forward with the speed of a galloping wind, spreading rapidly and brilliantly. Within less than a minute, countless phenomena within a thousand li of the Xing Yun Pavilion had been transmitted into Xiao Yan's mind. And remarkably, the speed of these soul fluctuations did not diminish—it only continued to expand. This Central Province truly is brimming with talent! The ripple of his soul energy spread swiftly. As Xuanyin was about to draw it back, he suddenly felt an unusual warmth emanating from deep within his soul. At once, his mind stirred, and the soul ripple surged rapidly toward the source of that warmth. The speed of the soul energy's spread far surpassed the physical movement of his body. Within mere moments, Xuanyin's soul energy reached the area causing the warmth—a region of towering mountains. Yet above this land, the space itself appeared profoundly distorted, with a faint milky light seeping out from within the warp. As Xuanyin's soul ripple touched that milky glow, an intense, searing pain erupted suddenly from the depths of his soul. “This…?” The sudden, searing pain startled Xiao Yan, momentarily leaving him stunned. Within his soul, five distinct hetero-flames had merged—ordinary hetero-flames simply couldn’t produce even a hint of heat, let alone this intense burning sensation! "Boom! Boom! Boom!" As Xiao Yan was still in shock, the peculiar luminous orb he had first obtained from the ancient map of the Jinglian Spirit Flame suddenly began vibrating violently. This vibration struck him like a revelation, and he gazed in awe at the distorted space above, his mind murmuring in wonder, "This… is where the Jinglian Spirit Flame first manifested!" Only the Jinglian Spirit Flame could cause this once-still orb to react so dramatically. Only the Jinglian Spirit Flame could make Xiao Yan—protected by five hetero-flames—once again feel such searing pain! "Boom!" As Xiao Yan's heart stirred, gazing at the distorted space, the space suddenly surged and rippled, then a profoundly vast soul resonance erupted violently from within, crashing directly into Xiao Yan's own soul resonance. The sudden and overwhelming impact left Xiao Yan momentarily stunned, his mind echoing with a constant hum, and even experiencing dizziness. "Who?" Xiao Yan reacted swiftly, regaining his composure instantly upon being struck, swiftly contracting his soul resonance and roaring out in anger—this attacker had clearly been able to injure him, proving that the other's soul power was no less than his own! "You are the young disciple of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan?" Hearing the faint voice emanating from the void, Xiao Yan was slightly startled, and promptly responded with his own soul resonance, "Who are you, and why have you attacked me?" "It seems the soul essence gathered by the Human Palace has already been consumed by you. Otherwise, you could never have reached the peak of the Heavenly Realm. Indeed, you are worthy of the several times our Spirit Palace has failed—your demeanor truly bears the mark of Xiao Xuan. "The mysterious figure did not answer Xiāo Yīn's questions, his calm and steady voice gradually flowing into Xiāo Yīn's consciousness. "Are you the Master of the Spirit Palace?" Xiāo Yīn's soul surged with a sudden, intense ripple. Within the Spirit Palace, who besides the ever-present Master could have attained such a level of soul cultivation? "I had intended to wait until the pure lotus immortal flame emerged before addressing these matters. However, since you dared to venture to the very place where the flame is born, you shall now accompany me back to the Spirit Palace. Our Spirit Palace's soul essence is not something to be shared with just anyone!" "As the calm voice fell, Xiao Yan suddenly felt as though the entire realm had been instantly sealed, even his soul appearing to stall. 'Your soul strength is strong, yet unfortunately, your body base is too weak...' A ripple passed through the void, and then a massive dark hand, stretching hundreds of li in width, formed in the sky, reaching out to grasp the void where Xiao Yan's soul resided. 'Soul extinction—given your status, it's rather excessive to strike a junior like this...' Just as the dark hand advanced, a faint, elderly voice suddenly echoed, forming another colossal hand in the sky. The two hands collided with tremendous force, generating a devastating soul storm that surged forth, breaking through the very seal that had bound the realm. 'Old fellow, you've indeed been watching over the Pure Lotus Demon Flame!' As the attack was halted, a commanding voice from the Hall of Souls resonated from the void. "I merely didn't want it to fall into your Soul Temple's hands..." The deep, resonant voice slowly echoed. "Leave now..." At the very moment the seal binding this realm began to shatter, an ancient voice stirred within Xiao Yan's soul. He instantly felt as though his spirit had been forcefully propelled—like a gust of wind rushing past his ears—then swiftly drawn back into his mind. Within mere breaths, he was drenched in cold sweat. When Xiao Yan's spirit returned to his body, on the vast plain some tens of thousands of miles away from the Starfall Pavilion, a calm green ox was slowly chewing on fresh grass. On its back sat a young herdsman, around ten years old, who slowly lifted his gaze toward the distant northwest. In his clear, bright eyes, a deep sense of worldly wisdom and quiet weariness shimmered. "Another great upheaval with the emergence of the Fiery Beast," the young herdsman murmured, his voice still tender. Then, he raised his whip and gently urged the ox to move slowly, steadily receding into the distance.