The majestic Blood Ming Divine Sparrow, a top expert of the Shenxiao Realm, was now behaving like a country sparrow who’d never seen the world.

But he himself was wholly unaware of his own loss of composure.

Xu Yang’s lips curled: "Senior, I believe this forbidden power must have once been controlled by the mighty; ordinary people are simply unqualified to command it. As for refining it, that should be no problem!"

Even the shattered bone dust was refined, its true form emerging at last.

And now the Divine Tripod was utterly silent—this alone was proof: it could be refined!

He certainly didn’t dare to directly absorb this forbidden power.

Would that not be madness?

Only by refining it into Purest Essence Qi!

"It can really be refined?" The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow was stupefied.

"Let me try."

Xu Yang once again urged on the Celestial Refining Divine Tripod; ancient intent awoke, enshrouding that forbidden power.

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow flew closer yet again, staring wide-eyed and unblinking.

Several days later.

Xu Yang’s body shuddered, and the spirit fire within the tripod vanished in an instant.

All inside was empty; the wisp of forbidden power was gone.

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow’s eyes nearly popped from his skull—as if witnessing a ghost!

Boom!

Xu Yang’s whole body shook.

He felt an indescribable surge wash into his being. Vast, powerful, mighty, sublime, immaculate... it was as if every quality of energy in the world was contained within!

One in ten thousand!

This essence qi pierced his hundred bones, permeating flesh and dantian.

It brought an unprecedented baptism and scouring.

Hiss—

Xu Yang sucked in a breath, groaning in pain despite himself.

The pain was not excruciating, but unfathomably profound.

As if mortal flesh were undergoing a celestial apotheosis.

"Boy, are you all right?"

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow’s face changed dramatically, his voice anxious.

Xu Yang had no mind to reply; gritting his teeth, he guarded his spirit against the pain.

He could sense that his flesh and vital essence—all his power—were being tempered, undergoing changes beyond description.

Half a day later.

Xu Yang slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a turbid breath, his face dazed.

Was this truly the Purest Essence Qi?

Its effect was truly astounding.

Just a single wisp, yet the transformation it brought far outshone even the fateful encounter at the Chi Xue Dao Arena.

"Could it be because the essence was transformed from forbidden power—this forbidden power of extraordinary origin, belonging to the immortal Dao? Even a trace so faint is extraordinary."

Xu Yang’s heart was shaken, elation brimming within.

This wisp of essence had strengthened him no small amount.

Even more astonishing, he sensed that his vital qi and flesh had undergone some special transformation.

"It feels... different somehow."

Xu Yang suddenly recalled that fleeting sensation when the essence first entered his body.

Vast, powerful, immaculate...

Now, his vital qi and physique seemed to contain a faint hint of those very qualities!

For a moment, Xu Yang felt he was grasping something, yet it remained hazy.

In the end, he set aside further speculation.

In any case, it was a blessing.

The truth would reveal itself in time!

He glanced over to where the Blood Ming Divine Sparrow was still stunned.

"Senior."

"Boy, did you, did you know what just happened?"

"Huh?"

Xu Yang was at a complete loss.

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow, suppressing his numbness, murmured, "Your body expelled a vast amount of essence."

"Essence?"

Xu Yang was taken aback; he had honestly not noticed it at all.

But... that didn’t sound right.

Shouldn’t he have expelled filth instead?

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow saw through Xu Yang’s thoughts at a glance and drew a deep breath, saying, "At the True Lord level, when one comprehends spiritual marks and touches the Spirit River, both vital qi and the body are already immaculate!"

"There are no more impurities to discharge, only repeated apotheosis and metamorphosis!"

"Yet you expelled a vast amount of essence just now, as though a new, higher-level immaculate essence had entered your body, forcing out your lower-grade essence!"

Hearing this, Xu Yang’s whole body shuddered.

The nebulous flash he’d grasped earlier suddenly became far clearer.

Higher level, lower level!

The forbidden power was clearly above the Spirit Realm, and the Purest Essence Qi forged from it was on another level entirely.

"Perhaps I’m able to absorb it only because of the inheritance I received!"

"Then, once it’s refined into Purest Essence Qi, can others absorb it as well?"

At this thought, a flash of brilliance lit up in Xu Yang’s eyes.

If others could absorb it too—what sort of transformation would occur?

"Senior, isn’t there another bone fragment here?"

Xu Yang looked at the Blood Ming Divine Sparrow, licking his lips. "I want to try refining the forbidden power into some unique energy to see if others can absorb it."

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow was momentarily dazed, then a tidal wave of blood surged in his eyes.

He had been watching the whole time—naturally, he understood everything.

Xu Yang refined the forbidden power and absorbed it himself, triggering immense transformation.

Even if his cultivation didn’t rise greatly, the changes themselves were extraordinary!

If others could absorb it too...

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow trembled from head to toe, his gaze on Xu Yang blazing with feverish heat.

This was a treasure trove!

No, a golden thigh to cling to!

A person like this should not exist in the Spirit Realm!

"Over here."

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow swallowed nervously and hastily pointed to the side.

Another bone fragment came into view.

Xu Yang got up and came forward. This time, not moving far, he summoned the Celestial Refining Divine Tripod right at his side and shielded it directly.

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow’s heart thudded at the sight of all this.

But nothing unexpected happened.

The instant the fragment entered the Divine Tripod, it turned to dust and fused together.

Then the spirit fire gushed forth, shrouding it entirely.

While refining, Xu Yang said, "Senior, find a way to forge an avatar, one that, even if it collapses, won’t drastically affect your main body—one at least at the Shenxiao Realm would be best!"

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow’s heart leapt—he nodded at once. "All right."

He was secretly elated.

Of course, he understood Xu Yang’s idea.

That kind of energy truly was extraordinary.

If he, too, could absorb it, he’d be many steps ahead of everyone else in the Celestial Remnant Ancient Land.

Even the Five Great Celestials couldn’t match this fortuity!

The very thought excited him.

And made him glad for his earlier choice.

This wasn’t some accidental bounty—this was a peak Shenxiao Realm clinging to a golden thigh!

Using an avatar—self-evident!

To safeguard against mishap!

At this, the Blood Ming Divine Sparrow also grew anxious.

Xu Yang was truly far too extraordinary.

If only Xu Yang could absorb it, then there would be trouble.

The divine sparrow fell silent for a long time, sighing inwardly.

"We’ll try it, and if it fails, seek another method!"

"But for one with such a unique fortune, this boy is beyond imagination; following him will surely yield untold benefits!"

Thus resolved, the Blood Ming Divine Sparrow set his mind on following Xu Yang from then on.

Straight away, he began to refine his avatar.

A month passed.

The second strand of forbidden power materialized.

Nearly indistinguishable from the first!

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow had long been ready. As Xu Yang refined the forbidden power into Purest Essence Qi, he could not help but shudder with excitement.

"Senior, we’re ready to begin."

Xu Yang willed forth the pure, immaculate essence qi, which drifted out from within the Divine Tripod.

"Senior, please be sure to carefully sense the surges when you absorb it!" Xu Yang reminded him.

The Blood Ming Divine Sparrow nodded solemnly, and immediately summoned his avatar—a divine sparrow identical to himself, several meters tall.

Watching the essence rush toward the avatar, the Blood Ming Divine Sparrow was so tense that even his feathers trembled.

Opportunity or destruction—this was the moment!

Whoosh!

The Purest Essence Qi shot into the avatar’s beak like lightning.

The avatar convulsed and crashed to the ground with a pitiful, shrill screech!