Five days later, the Cloud-Turning Carriage lumbered once more into a hilly terrain, beginning its familiar, jerky motion. Zong Shou’s body vibrated subtly within the carriage compartment.

Although he maintained a stable, seated posture, his Nascent Soul was no longer confined there. Instead, it roamed freely outside the vehicle.

Only half a day prior, Zong Shou had successfully condensed the True Talisman of the character 'Water.' His soul power surged once more, multiplying several times over. However, the scale of his soul sea did not expand; instead, it began spontaneously contracting and compressing again.

The True Talisman of the character 'Lightning' had also undergone subtle changes, developing fine, spiritual lines that connected with the 'Water' character Talisman, both growing to some extent. The various Great Daos of the cosmos were never isolated entities; they were interconnected.

The principle governing these talismans followed the same rule. With his soul power greatly amplified, Zong Shou could no longer suppress the urge to venture out and wander.

When he had previously transformed into the Thunder Luan, he feared neither the blazing midday sun nor the fierce heat. Now, having condensed two True Talismans, he felt utterly unrestrained and fearless in the deep night.

A gentle flutter of his wings spanned a thousand zhang. It was silent, so much so that even Zong Yuan and Hu Zhongyuan, riding ahead, noticed nothing.

Bathed in the darkness, Zong Shou’s Nascent Soul floated through the air like a wisp of smoke resembling a Luan bird. He spun around a few times with slight delight, experiencing unparalleled freedom and exhilaration.

“In the past, when my soul left my body, even at night, the surrounding thunder light could only sustain itself for about an hour. But now, since the spiritual restrictions of the Lightning Talisman have formed, this violet lightning shows absolutely no consumption.” Zong Shou looked up at the crescent moon hanging in the sky.

It was the beginning of the month, a mere sliver of light, meaning the moonlight was at its weakest. A thought stirred within him, and he began to test the limits, dispersing the violet lightning enveloping him entirely.

The very next instant, a scorching heat erupted within his Nascent Soul. In mere moments, it coalesced into waves of intense thermal energy, sweeping through his entire soul sea like a wildfire.

The moonlight was outwardly as cool and clear as water, yet upon contact, it felt like consuming fire, threatening to melt him away completely. The Solar Essence Flame contained within this moonlight was several times stronger than the concentrated moonlight beam he had focused using thirty-six silver mirrors!

Zong Shou merely grunted dismissively. He daringly endured it, refusing to withdraw, allowing the essence flame to roast his divine soul.

Tiny impurities, which he could never purge before, vaporized into wisps of smoke and scattered away. In just a short while, the Thunder Luan form of Zong Shou shrank by a full tenth of its size.

Far from feeling disheartened, he was astonished and delighted. He flapped his wings again, ascending higher into the sky.

—Five hundred zhang, seven hundred zhang, one thousand zhang, one thousand two hundred zhang. Zong Shou’s Nascent Soul had almost entirely transmuted into flame.

He finally stopped ascending at one thousand three hundred zhang, close to the cloud layer above, where faint sparks of lightning occasionally flickered. “The Realm of Night Roaming allows one to wander outside the body at night, unafraid of the strong winds or the moonlight, soaring a hundred li below two hundred zhang.

Even without the aid of violet lightning, I am not far behind; perhaps even several times superior. With the Soul-Mirroring Technique, the purity of my Nascent Soul indeed surpasses that of ordinary spirit masters.

Once a True Talisman is condensed, I can directly enter the state of Returning to Yang. However, this is only the beginning of the month.

Once it reaches mid-month, the night of the full moon, attempting such a high-altitude night excursion would be courting death!” He glanced again at the winding, flowing lightning within the clouds, each strand as thick as a celestial python. Even possessing the primordial mark of the Thunder Luan, he felt a prickle of caution.

After roaming beneath the clouds for a time, he began to dive downward. He had only descended about two hundred zhang when he suddenly felt a powerful, malevolent force rush towards him.

Zong Shou focused his gaze intently and saw, about a hundred zhang away, an object resembling a ball of fur gliding through the air, hurtling madly toward him. Its shape was monstrous and grotesque, but its vital soul energy far surpassed his own—several times greater.

Within it, however, were countless vicious intentions, and he could sense a strong, predatory hunger emanating from the thing’s core. At a single glance, Zong Shou understood.

This was a soul spirit generated naturally by the heavens and earth, as described in his books, which had absorbed the vital spirits of numerous savage beasts over countless ages, resulting in this hideous form—a type of Specter or Demon. Its soul power was immense, but its intellect was rudimentary.

It had likely sensed Zong Shou’s delectable Nascent Soul and rushed over to devour it. “Ignorant fool, you truly court death!

Slash!” With a cold laugh, a black spiritual sword suddenly shot forth from Zong Shou’s Nascent Soul. His entire soul-body flashed with lightning once more, spiraling rapidly downward.

With a flash of purple light, he shattered the fierce spirit with a single sword strike! Feeling the faint wail of anguish behind him, Zong Shou paid it no mind and plunged straight down.

But when he was about two hundred zhang above the Cloud-Turning Carriage, Zong Shou’s expression froze again. Hu Zhongyuan was still seated in meditation atop the carriage.

Chu Xue stood by the carriage door, her expression hesitant and troubled. “Strange!

This girl’s demeanor seems off today?” Zong Shou found it puzzling but didn't dwell on it. He flapped his wings once more, transforming into a streak of light, and shot back into the carriage.

Returning to his body through the back of his head, Zong Shou opened his eyes just as Chu Xue entered, moving with a strange, fidgeting gait. Her delicate face was flushed as if feverish.

Puzzled and increasingly perplexed, Zong Shou was about to question her when Chu Xue, head bowed low, suddenly grit her teeth and began frantically unfastening her white dress. Her movements were swift, as if afraid she might change her mind.

In three quick motions, she was left only in her underclothes and a thin layer of gauze. Her twin peaks stood proud, her waist slender, her hips rounded, forming a curve that made the blood surge—her stunning figure was laid bare.

Zong Shou’s expression faltered: “Xue’er, why are you undressing? Didn’t we agree you wouldn't bathe your young master with medicine anymore?” Chu Xue’s movements became more flustered, stuttering, “But Young Master said that once Xue’er breaks through to the Innate Realm, I must serve, serve, serve, serve…” She repeated the word ‘serve’ several times but couldn't utter the rest of the phrase.

Finally, Chu Xue took a deep breath, closed her eyes with resignation: “Never mind! In any case, Xue’er is here to serve the Young Master tonight.

The Young Master can do whatever he wants with Xue’er!” Zong Shou’s mouth fell open, and it took him a long moment to close it. A wave of desire hit him, followed by a feeling of bittersweet exasperation.

He stood and walked over. As he drew near, his breath hitched involuntarily.

He saw that the exquisitely beautiful face of Chu Xue was stained with a blush. Through the sheer fabric, he could glimpse the large, smooth, glistening curves of her chest, trembling slightly like a frightened rabbit.

Her chest rose and fell, and she breathed out an intoxicating, delicate fragrance. At this moment, Chu Xue was breathtakingly beautiful!

Zong Shou’s gaze deepened almost unconsciously, becoming dark and profound, imbued with a feral gleam. He mused that this must be the so-called moment of lust—a man’s dream.

A slight shift in his mind brought a hint of wickedness to Zong Shou’s smile: “Is it really true? I can do anything?” Chu Xue’s delicate body trembled.

She felt Zong Shou’s breath grow heavy, and a thick scent of masculinity washed over her. She instantly felt nervous and guilty, yet mingled with a sliver of anticipation.

After a brief hesitation, she nodded firmly: “Xue’er belongs to the Young Master; of course, he can do whatever he wishes…” Before the words left her mouth, she felt both her cheeks grasped firmly. Opening her eyes, she saw Zong Shou grinning strangely, twisting and turning her face between his hands.

“You little fool, what are you thinking? Did you really take those words of your young master to heart?

You’re only thirteen years old! What do you mean by serving tonight?

Do you think your young master is some deviant obsessed with corrupting young sprouts? If you really