The heavens were bright. The air was crisp and clear.

Beyond this fungal path stretched a mountain range shrouded in swirling mist. This was certainly not the scorched, breathless air beneath the Fusang tree on Dragon’s Tooth Mountain, where all vegetation withered; instead, there was a vast, pale fog.

Green trees dotted the landscape, occasionally punctuated by the majestic sight of immortal cranes soaring between the clouds. “What, what is going on here?” Huo Zhongguang spun around abruptly.

The bronze gate they had just passed through had vanished without a trace, replaced by sheer rock face—there was no sign of the gate or the passage leading from it. “Could it be… another illusion?” Huo Zhongguang bit his finger, then remembered he was in the form of a Blood Shadow; he couldn't actually bite anything.

“No,” Feng Zikang shook his head, staring only at the sapphire-blue sky. He ascended rapidly, tapping the sky lightly with his sword.

It produced a hollow sound. “This is an imitation of the sky, meticulously laid out with Azure Essence Stones.” Though it possessed a magnificent, spiritual brilliance, the man-made sky still held subtle differences from the natural firmament.

Feng Zikang, with his keen perception, instantly noticed this disparity. “Good heavens!” Huo Zhongguang exclaimed, truly stunned by the sheer scale of the undertaking!

The master of the Demon Mansion, residing deep within Dragon’s Tooth Mountain, had used Azure Essence Stones as material to construct an entire sky, complete with miniature mountains, rivers, and continents, teeming with flying creatures and beasts—a self-contained, independent little world. Long Que was somewhat skeptical.

It also flew into the air, touching the hard, stone-made ceiling, greatly surprised. “Master, can stone truly become a sky?” Feng Zikang smiled faintly.

“In truth, even the world we inhabit was mended by the Goddess Nü Ji long ago using five-colored stones. How could stone not make a sky?

It’s just that these Azure Essence Stones lack the divine versatility of the Five-Colored Divine Stones and haven’t been refined; hence, this attempt falls short.” “Our sky… is also made of stone?” Long Que cried out in shock. Suddenly, its head felt heavy, as if trying to recall something specific, but the memory remained frustratingly elusive, leaving it somewhat dazed.

“Junior Brother, since we are still within the mountain’s belly, that’s manageable. But this expanse seems vast; where is the Demon Mansion, and where are we supposed to look?” They had discovered the Jade Gate of the grotto from beneath the Fusang tree, passed through the illusionary realm of the Five-Colored Poshun Flowers, and finally broken through the Bronze Gate of No-Thought to arrive here.

Yet, they had seen nothing yet—nothing like the straightforward encounter he remembered from his last visit, where a sword had simply come straight for his head! Feng Zikang surveyed his surroundings.

Though this realm appeared expansive, it wasn't truly immense, being confined within a mountain. There were only a few green peaks, with a river winding through the center.

If there were a few more cottages along the riverbank, it might resemble a tranquil little village, but here there was only scenery, fauna, and flora, devoid of human habitation. Suddenly, the clouds overhead parted, revealing a sphere of fire, resembling the sun.

“How extraordinary! It actually caused the vital energy of the Dragon Fire to transform into Li Fire, thus giving life to this world.” It explained why the interior of the mountain was mild and temperate, allowing trees to grow.

The master of the Demon Mansion had evidently extracted a mass of the inherent Dragon Fire essence from Dragon’s Tooth and used it as the sun, making it rise and set just like the outside world, thereby becoming the source of light and heat for this subterranean world. “If there is a sun, then there must be a great Taiyin with the stars at night too?” Huo Zhongguang marvelled, utterly impressed by the mansion’s spectacle.

He wondered just what kind of colossal demon the original owner, capable of such artistry, must have been. If they could fashion a sun in broad daylight, producing a moon at night would be effortless.

Feng Zikang’s mind stirred with contemplative thought. Just then, Long Que, who had been circling the small world, returned, having found nothing.

It shook its head in defeat. The little fox was unconvinced.

It began sniffing around everywhere, hoping to replicate the magic it used to find the Demon Mansion’s Jade Gate beneath the Fusang tree. Alas, despite its acute sense of smell, it was no hound; after sniffing around for a long time, it too yielded nothing.

“Junior Brother, what shall we do now?” Huo Zhongguang was quite frustrated. They had gone through immense hardship to get inside, only to stand around looking at scenery without finding their objective.

Feng Zikang slowly shook his head. “I suspect we might have arrived too early.” “Arrived too early?” Huo Zhongguang failed to grasp his meaning.

Feng Zikang smiled faintly. “Senior Brother, do not fret.

Let us wait until evening and see what happens!” “Evening?” Huo Zhongguang was completely bewildered by his Junior Brother’s intentions. Seeing Feng Zikang’s mysterious smile, he crouched down near an open patch by the small river, idly turning a stone in his hand, his expression tinged with a hint of wistfulness.

Night fell. Feng Zikang seized every moment to diligently practice his divine arts and circulation techniques.

Even within this strange realm, he did not allow his focus to waver. His lifeblood was surging strongly; this was a critical juncture for breaking through his cultivation level.

He was not rushing the ascent but slowly nurturing and solidifying his foundation. Huo Zhongguang had to admit that although his Junior Brother was secretive, his dedication to cultivation was unmatched.

His current achievements were clearly no accident. He watched as the moon began to ascend from behind the mountains, distractedly playing with the little fox, unsure how long Feng Zikang intended to wait.

Long Que remained loyal, guarding Feng Zikang’s side, projecting an aura of unyielding defense. “It’s almost time!” Feng Zikang reined in his inner energy, opened his eyes, and looked up.

“Junior Brother, what exactly were you waiting for?” Huo Zhongguang asked, curiosity overriding his patience. He floated over to Feng Zikang’s side and followed his gaze upward.

Feng Zikang was staring at the moon. This moon appeared to be carved from white jade, currently crescent-shaped, slowly drifting from east to west, mirroring the celestial timing.

It was the seventh day in the mortal realm, and the moonlight was indeed crescent. “This cave master is truly formidable…” Huo Zhongguang had already checked.

“I calculated the time and the moon’s position—it matches the outside world perfectly. It’s absolutely amazing!” No one knew when the master of the Demon Mansion had constructed this realm, yet it remained precise to the slightest detail, testifying to the incredible exactness of the calculations made at the time.

Feng Zikang was also observing the moon’s position, but he wasn't merely admiring the architect’s skill. This person’s capability was beyond anything Feng Zikang had ever encountered; whatever they could do, nothing would be surprising.

What he focused on was the moonlight. When the moon reached its zenith, it shone directly overhead.

The large open area by the riverbank was instantly flooded with pale moonlight. “It’s done!” Feng Zikang rose to his full height, lightly unfurling his sleeve, and summoned the Ancient Dragon Tooth Mirror.

The mirror ascended higher and higher, until it reached the edge of the sky, perfectly aligning with the white jade moon, becoming one with it. In an instant, all the pale moonlight transformed into a deep, somber blue!

“Hiss!” Huo Zhongguang, witnessing the transformation of this world, was startled. “Junior Brother, how did you know…?” Feng Zikang smiled faintly.

“Senior Brother, your comment about the moon just now reminded me. Since the Demon Mansion master used the Dragon Fire essence as the sun, the Ancient Dragon Tooth Mirror was originally intended to serve as the Taiyin, the moon.

It must have been misplaced for some reason.” “Then, what use is the mirror’s restoration?” Feng Zikang smiled and raised his hand, pointing ahead. “Senior Brother, look!” Huo Zhongguang looked up and gasped in disbelief!

Under that faint blue radiance, a magnificent manor gradually took shape. However, every part of it—the courtyard walls, the roof tiles—was transparent and blue, resembling an underwater crystal palace, mesmerizing and dazzling.

The little fox cheered and bolted toward it. Feng Zikang did not stop it, but merely shook his head with a sigh as he gazed at the manor that looked like a crystal palace.

“This… this is the true form of the Demon Mansion?” Huo Zhongguang was astounded by the manner of its appearance—it materialized only under the moonlight! No wonder they searched fruitlessly for half a day in daylight.

Feng Zikang waved his hand and sighed lightly. “What a pity, it’s not a full moon today!” By then, the little fox had reached the wall of the crystal palace.

It paused, confused, then tentatively extended a paw, which sank into the wall as if entering water, becoming clearly visible inside. Startled, it quickly pulled back.

It extended the other paw, which also passed through the barrier unimpeded. With a slight push, its whole body could slip right through the wall.

“The essence of the moonlight is insufficient. Although the Demon Mansion has manifested its form, it is not yet physical!” “So that’s it!” Huo Zhongguang suddenly understood what Feng Zikang meant by arriving too early.

Since it wasn't the night of the full moon, even though the Demon Mansion had appeared before them, it remained spectral—they would have to wait a few more days for tangible results. “However, since we are here once, we can’t leave empty-handed!” Feng Zikang’s eyes gleamed intensely.

He suddenly fixed his gaze on a spot in the manor’s rear courtyard where a faint light shimmered, his expression solemn, his whole body tensing. “Long Que, protect the little fox.” He gave the order, bending slightly at the waist, poised for an attack.

“Junior Brother, you’re not going to—” Huo Zhongguang was immensely curious. Since it was just an illusion, what was his Junior Brother planning?

Still, he knew he could never guess Feng Zikang’s thoughts, so he managed only a half-formed question before falling silent. Then, Feng Zikang coiled his body and transformed into a streak of rapid sword light—the Thousand-Mile Traversal divine ability, combined with the Star-Light Great Annihilation Sword Technique and the Hundred Weapons Control Arts, achieving maximum velocity.

He plunged headlong into the courtyard wall, passing through as if entering water, scattering countless crystalline blue specks of light. Feng Zikang pressed on without pause, blasting straight through three successive walls, crashing through the main hall, traversing the garden, and finally entering the small building in the rear courtyard.

With a fierce thrust, he snatched the object emanating light, then shot upward, swiftly retrieving the Ancient Dragon Tooth Mirror hovering in the air. “Rumble!” The moment he cleared the structure, the world was plunged into darkness.

Heavy clouds rolled in, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and a torrential downpour began. As soon as he leaped clear of the manor, a bolt of purple lightning struck down violently toward his head!

“Heavenly Tribulation!” Huo Zhongguang’s previously crimson face turned deathly pale in sheer terror! Heavenly Tribulation!

He had once attended the rites at Seven Treasures Pagoda Mountain and witnessed the phenomena surrounding General Lu’s tribulation. That massive purple lightning bolt could be nothing else!

Heaven have mercy! Feng Zikang was only at the Qi Condensation stage—how could he possibly provoke the Heavenly Vengeance Lightning Tribulation?

But then Feng Zikang burst into laughter, brandishing his sword with imposing might. A streak of white sword light shot out, colliding with the purple lightning.

With a loud crash, it annihilated the violet thunder into nothingness. “Ah!” Huo Zhongguang’s mouth gaped wide enough to fit an apple.

To casually dissipate a Heavenly Tribulation—what level of cultivation was this?!