"Well... well... well. Aren’t you very lucky?"
"You used to have one girlfriend. Now, after all this, you somehow ended up with two."
Hearing the familiar voice, Chen Xuan turned around and came face to face with Honglan.
At some point, she had reverted to her human form. With her arms crossed beneath her chest and her chin slightly raised, she looked at Chen Xuan with unconcealed disdain.
Her gaze wandered between him and the unconscious Luan Yi several times.
Although she said nothing further, the words "You’re a shameless pervert" were practically written across her face.
Chen Xuan found himself speechless.
That possibility had never crossed his mind.
If anything, the fact that Honglan’s very first reaction after learning about the Heavenly Twin Souls Holy Body was this left him looking at her in a completely different light.
For a brief moment, the two simply stared at one another.
Each silently concluded that the other was the real pervert.
Unfortunately, while Chen Xuan had long grown accustomed to Honglan’s accusations and remained completely unfazed, Honglan herself was another matter.
The instant she noticed the unmistakable meaning behind his gaze, her expression stiffened.
A faint blush quietly crept onto her cheeks.
However, it lasted only an instant before she forcibly suppressed it, replacing her embarrassment with righteous indignation.
"W-What are you looking at?"
"It’s... it’s not like I thought about such things."
"I... I simply saw through your dirty thoughts!"
"So don’t even think about pushing the blame onto me!"
As she spoke, she stomped heavily on the ground, looking every bit like an angry child who had been caught doing something embarrassing.
Before Chen Xuan could utter a single word in response, Honglan abruptly transformed back into her sword form.
A streak of golden light shot toward him before disappearing into his Dantian.
Immediately afterward, layer upon layer of seals appeared around the Artifact, concealing it completely as the sword lightly trembled inside.
Although Chen Xuan could now shatter those barriers with little effort after breaking through to Soul Formation, he had no intention of doing so.
Giving this girl some time to calm down seemed like the wiser choice.
Even so, one thought stubbornly lingered in his mind.
’I never expected this girl to have such... colorful thoughts.’
’Shouldn’t someone’s first reaction be surprise at the existence of a Holy Body? Or amazement that two souls can coexist within the same body?’
’How did Honglan immediately arrive at... that conclusion?’
Chen Xuan shook his head.
Sure enough, he was probably the only person around with a pure heart.
Everyone else was hopelessly perverted.
Thinking of that, and looking at Luan Yi, who had fallen unconscious but retained her beauty even in such a miserable state, Chen Xuan sighed.
He carefully fed several healing pills into her mouth before circulating a strand of Spiritual Energy to help dissolve their medicinal effects.
Then, he moved her body away, giving her time to wake up.
Silence once again enveloped the devastated garden.
This time, Chen Xuan deliberately waited for several breaths.
He half expected another sarcastic remark to suddenly emerge from somewhere.
When several more moments passed without the slightest response, he finally let out a quiet sigh.
His gaze slowly swept across the ruins surrounding him.
"Cultivators are truly ruthless."
"Such a beautiful garden was destroyed after a single battle."
"This world... is simply too cruel for ordinary people."
His voice carried overwhelming emotion, as though sincerely lamenting the fate of countless mortals.
As for the fact that a considerable portion of the destruction had been caused by his own attacks... Chen Xuan very naturally chose to ignore that detail.
It was almost as though he had played no part whatsoever.
After standing there quietly for a while, seemingly lost in thought, his expression gradually returned to normal.
This garden... there was no saving it.
Even if he wished to restore it as compensation—or perhaps as a way to appease the "evil" Luan Yi—it would be impossible.
With that thought, Chen Xuan didn’t linger on this place for any longer.
With that realization, Chen Xuan finally gave up the idea.
However, rather than leaving the palace immediately, he summoned the Seven Trials Tower with a thought before stepping inside.
The surrounding scenery blurred.
An instant later, he arrived within the dark void of the Tower’s second floor, which had long since recovered from the violent fluctuations caused by his breakthrough.
Chen Xuan merely glanced around before withdrawing his attention.
His focus quickly turned inward.
He wanted to thoroughly examine the changes brought about by his advancement.
After all, although the tremendous increase in his physical strength and Spiritual Energy was the most obvious improvement, those were far from the greatest benefits.
The Soul Formation realm represented an enormous watershed.
After crossing it, one no longer remained merely an Elder figure. One became a true Ancestor.
Even within the Nine Origins Seas, where cultivation standards far surpassed those of the Tianxuan Domain and powerful experts appeared far more frequently, Soul Formation cultivators remained exceedingly rare.
At the very least, neither Chen Xuan nor any of his clones had encountered a single one during their travels.
From this alone, it was obvious that breaking through into Soul Formation would produce a truly qualitative transformation.
As Chen Xuan extended his divine sense throughout his body, he quickly noticed several subtle changes.
His very essence had evolved.
Cultivators had long ceased to resemble ordinary mortals structurally.
Whether it was their blood, flesh, bones, or souls, every aspect gradually moved toward an entirely different form of life.
The higher one’s cultivation became, the more obvious this transformation grew.
By the time someone stepped into the Immortal Realm, claiming they belonged to the same species as ordinary humans would be nothing more than a joke.
Although Chen Xuan had not reached that stage yet, the changes within him were already earth-shattering.
’It was already difficult for me to leave descendants before.’
’Now... I can only reproduce with other cultivators.’
’An ordinary mortal would likely explode the moment they inherited my bloodline.’
’Even Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators would have almost no chance of conceiving my child.’
This was one of the fundamental reasons cultivators and mortals gradually drifted into completely separate worlds.
Likewise, every major cultivation realm naturally formed its own social circle.
After making a rough estimation, Chen Xuan concluded that if he wished to father a child with a Core Formation cultivator, it would likely require thousands—or perhaps even tens of thousands—of attempts.
If Su Ying ever learned of that fact, she would probably be devastated.
Fortunately, that matter remained a distant concern for Chen Xuan. He had no plans of leaving behind descendants anytime soon.
After briefly satisfying his curiosity regarding this change, he shifted his attention elsewhere.
More precisely, toward his Law Mark.
With a thought, the mark gradually emerged upon his forehead. It first appeared as an illusory outline before rapidly solidifying into reality.
The Law Mark was divided into two perfectly balanced halves.
One black. One white.
As the two halves slowly revolved around one another, they resembled a living Yin-Yang Symbol, with countless opposing Laws harmoniously circulating within its boundaries.
Its appearance was surprisingly simple. Aside from its natural elegance, nothing about it seemed particularly extraordinary.
Yet Chen Xuan knew appearances could not be trusted.
Beneath that tranquil exterior lurked a power profound enough to shake heaven and earth.
Immortal Law Mark!
A realm of Law Marks that even Mu Xuanyin had once claimed never to have witnessed. A grade surpassing both Heaven and Earth.
Its terrifying power had already proven itself beyond any doubt.
Despite having only just entered Soul Formation, Chen Xuan had defeated the veteran Middle Stage Soul Formation expert Luan Yi with overwhelming ease.
Even without the Common Saber, the outcome would likely have remained unchanged.
’The gap between a Heaven Grade Law Mark and an Immortal Law Mark... is probably greater than all the previous grades combined.’
’It’s an entirely different existence. Not merely because of its power.’
’Even my comprehension has undergone a complete transformation. Understanding Laws now feels almost instinctive.’
’Cultivating throughout Soul Formation should become unimaginably smooth.’
The longer Chen Xuan examined his own condition, the more solemn his expression became.
Because he understood exactly why he had succeeded.
Were Luan Yi’s flowers responsible for creating this Yin-Yang Immortal Mark?
Of course not.
At most, they had served as the final catalyst.
The true reason behind his success was the Seven Trials Tower.
Or rather, the Law Furnace.
Both had been left behind by his Master, Mu Xuanyin.
As Chen Xuan lowered his head, the ancient furnace was reflected within his pupils. His expression gradually became serious.
’Master once said she had never seen an Immortal Law Mark.’
’I’m afraid... that wasn’t entirely true.’
’With the Law Furnace alone, producing Heaven Grade Law Marks is practically guaranteed. Although ascending beyond that still requires opportunity and sufficient talent, someone is bound to succeed eventually.’
Chen Xuan concluded that Mu Xuanyin had lied to him.
Not only had she seen an Immortal Law Mark, but he strongly suspected she possessed one herself!
Of course, this was the least important detail.
What truly astonished Chen Xuan was Mu Xuanyin’s unfathomable strength.
’A cauldron capable of endlessly refining pills regardless of their grade.’
’A furnace capable of refining fragments of Laws and helping cultivators merge with them.’
’And there are still five unopened floors remaining. Just what other heaven-defying treasures did Master leave behind?’
At that thought, Chen Xuan slowly raised his head.
His eyes gradually settled upon an ancient gate standing silently in the distance.
It was the entrance leading to the tower’s third floor.