The faint glow of the Lan Wan Hang Yan's Mi Mang gradually dimmed, and with the message from the Heavenly Count echoing in Feng Zikang's mind, the legacy of the Xuan Realm had officially changed hands, its mission slowly concluding.

"Soar!"

As the blue flame extinguished, the few of them were drawn out of that strange space, returning to the Central Palace. The colossal pillar of light still pierced the heavens as if nothing had occurred.

Only the masked man was nowhere to be seen, while Juliet and the Ghost King Tu were pinned down by the four divine demons, left lying weakly to the side.

"Junior Brother! Are you alright?" Huo Zhongguang rushed over with concern. Feng Zikang smiled and waved his hand, signaling that everything was fine.

Huo Zhongguang breathed a sigh of relief and then truly looked at Feng Zikang. He felt that the man’s entire aura and presence were vastly different from before; in his sweeping glances, there was an awe-inspiring majesty that made his legs weak, stirring an impulse to kneel.

"S-Senior Brother, you’ve broken through again?"

This wasn't actually the main point. Even though Feng Zikang's cultivation realm had broken through to the peak Great Perfection of the Qi Attraction stage, this was not the source of the kingly aura emanating from him. Nevertheless, Huo Zhongguang spoke simply to break the silence and casually asked.

"Oh."

Feng Zikang paid it no mind, examining himself. Indeed, without realizing it, he had not only broken through the Heavenly Gate, but the vortexes of energy throughout his body had merged into one—a vision of Great Zhou Tian Perfection. He had skipped two entire tiers, completing the peak cultivation of the Qi Attraction stage!

"It was just a bonus gift."

The spoils from inheriting the Xuan Realm this time far exceeded Feng Zikang’s imagination. Compared to that, skipping two levels of cultivation was nothing at all.

Huo Zhongguang’s mind swam. He recalled how much effort it took him back then to advance those two levels, relying on absorbing the vital essence of several fellow disciples just to barely reach Qi Attraction Perfection. Yet, for Feng Zikang, it seemed to be an effortless matter. In truth, similar miracles had occurred around him many times, yet Huo Zhongguang could never become numb to them, always reacting with shock.

"That's a good thing. Now that this is settled, I was planning to go into seclusion upon returning to Mount Longhu to break through to Foundation Establishment anyway. It seems I can skip that time now and go directly to accept the meritorious mission for Foundation Establishment."

Feng Zikang spoke so casually that Huo Zhongguang was once again dumbfounded. After a long pause, he replied, "Senior Brother, since matters here are concluded, shall we head back? How should we deal with these two women?"

He pointed toward Juliet and the Ghost King Tu, jerking his chin toward them.

Feng Zikang turned his head to glance at them. The Ghost King Tu remained expressionless, while Juliet was filled with sorrow, softly calling out, "Little Brother Feng..."

Feng Zikang shot her a cold look. His demeanor now was certainly not like the one he held in the small village earlier. Juliet felt a chill run through her, as if she had plunged into an ice cave.

"You got lucky!" Feng Zikang said with a slight smile, nodding toward the Ghost King Tu. "While inheriting the Xuan Realm, I learned a new technique. Otherwise, to avoid future trouble, I would have had no choice but to kill your precious disciple—and you along with her..."

"Senior Brother, she is my precious daughter! You didn't see the scene just now when mother and daughter were fighting. That spectacle truly was, tsk tsk." Huo Zhongguang quickly showed off his well-informed status.

"Oh? Mother and daughter?" Feng Zikang nodded. "That explains it. I was wondering why the Ghost King Tu, sharp as you are, would trust your disciple so blindly. Turns out she’s your daughter; that makes sense now."

He smiled faintly. "Ghost King Tu, rest assured. I will certainly help you teach this daughter of yours."

Feng Zikang spoke only a few words to the Ghost King Tu but completely ignored Juliet. This made her heart grow colder. Little Brother, Little Sister was confused for a moment, I never meant to oppose you. Didn't we agree to cultivate together after taking the Xuan Realm? Everything I did was...

Juliet looked pitiful, pleading softly.

"I dare not accept that. If you dare feed me such a thing again, I won't be able to help myself," Feng Zikang said, pulling out the blood-red item called the False Foundation Pill and playing with it in his hand.

"You didn't swallow it?"

Juliet’s face changed drastically in horror. Although the Ghost King Tu was mentally prepared, she still found it hard to believe.

Feng Zikang, who was merely at the eighth layer of Qi Attraction back then, how could he have executed the three-person combined strike without consuming that False Foundation Pill? That was a technique requiring the strength of Foundation Establishment or higher to deploy!

"Sister Juliet, don't worry, I won't kill you."

Feng Zikang's tone was gentle as he slowly walked up to her. Juliet shrank into a ball, hugging herself. Her slender shoulders were hunched upward, making her look isolated and helpless, her eyes welling up with tears as she gazed adorably at Feng Zikang.

"What are you doing to my daughter?"

From the side, the Ghost King Tu suddenly intervened. Despite her daughter's betrayal, mother and daughter shared a deep bond; she vaguely sensed danger to her daughter and instinctively moved to shield her.

Feng Zikang laughed heartily. "Ghost King Tu, I didn't expect you to be so deeply devoted! Too bad your daughter might not feel the same way. Rest assured, I said I wouldn't kill her, and I won't."

The Ghost King Tu’s face turned pale. She shot her daughter a hateful glance before lowering her head. "Young Master Feng, my daughter is still young and might not endure a gentleman's discipline. If you don't mind, this old one is willing to..."

"Mother!"

Juliet cried out, tears streaming down her face. This sudden outpouring of genuine emotion made her sob, sincere and heartfelt.

Feng Zikang smiled faintly, ignoring her, and gently pushed the Ghost King Tu aside. He lightly extended one finger, and a golden light bloomed at the tip. Unfortunately, the light was too weak to coalesce.

He frowned, brought his finger to his mouth, bit it, and squeezed out two drops of blood, mixing them into the golden light. Immediately, the light surged, solidifying into a gelatinous mass of golden radiance.

"This, this is?" Juliet didn't recognize it, but she instinctively felt fear. Her body kept shrinking backward, revealing two fair, slender legs.

"Hold her down!"

Feng Zikang commanded coldly. The two divine demons instantly darted out and seized Juliet. Already severely wounded, she could barely move, and now she was held tight as if by iron pincers, unable to stir.

"Young Master Feng," the Ghost King Tu pleaded softly, but it was useless. She could only stare hatefully at her daughter, helpless.

Feng Zikang chuckled lightly, tapped Juliet's forehead with his finger, and the mass of golden light instantly sank into her body. She cried out once more and fainted.

Feng Zikang clapped his hands and turned back with a smile, "It’s my first time using this technique, so I might be a bit unpracticed. Please forgive my awkwardness!"

The Ghost King Tu rushed to her daughter's side, her face ashen, and said gravely, "Young Master Feng, this... this is the Puppet Art?"

"Precisely!"

Feng Zikang replied plainly, completely unconcerned by the Ghost King Tu’s sudden change in expression.

"Amazing!" Huo Zhongguang exclaimed his astonishment once again. He never expected Feng Zikang to have learned two—two techniques! And that he used the first one without hesitation on these two pitiful young girls.

From Huo Zhongguang's perspective, killing the girl would have been somewhat wasteful, let alone turning her into a human-shaped puppet. This Junior Brother was truly ruthless. He felt inferior and inwardly admired him.

Feng Zikang didn't care for opinions. If he hadn't learned this Puppet Art, the signature skill of the great demon who created this place, during the Xuan Realm inheritance, he would have unhesitatingly killed Juliet along with the Ghost King Tu. Only then could the secret of this manor never be leaked, and he could truly relax.

However, if he could control her completely, he didn't mind having an expert at the Foundation Establishment stage from the unorthodox path by his side to discuss experiences and broaden his horizons. That’s why, upon obtaining the Puppet Art, he immediately turned Juliet into a human-shaped puppet without the slightest hesitation.

The Ghost King Tu had refined herself into a Ghost Child, belonging to Juliet. Juliet became Feng Zikang's puppet, naturally obeying his every command, stripped of her own thoughts. In this way, he took both mother and daughter, ensuring absolute safety.

"Ghost King Tu, don't look at me like that," Feng Zikang shrugged, ignoring the look of murderous intent from the Ghost King Tu. "If not for this Puppet Art, neither you nor your daughter would have been spared. Now, even though she is under the Puppet Art, at least her physical body remains, and you, foolish mother, can stay by her side to protect her. Isn't that enough?"

A cold glint flashed in Feng Zikang’s eyes. "If you are dissatisfied, I can just order her to destroy the Ghost Child. Losing some cultivation is no big deal. But mother-daughter turning on each other would be a bit too cruel. Forget it, I might as well just kill her directly to avoid future trouble!"

He made a move to act, and the Ghost King Tu hurriedly blocked him. "Wait!"

She slowly lowered her noble head, her face utterly desolate. "Young Master Feng, this old one appreciates your kindness. This outcome is already the best. Please forgive any previous disrespect."

Feng Zikang sneered coldly and nodded, taking out his rouge box and placing Juliet inside, letting the little fox out as well.

"Let's go then!"

He was now the Master of the Xuan Realm and naturally omnipotent within this domain. With a gentle wave, the few of them left the Xuan Realm's location and appeared on the coast.

Waves crashed against the shore, turbulent spray soared through the air. The seaside scenery had changed little, but his current cultivation and abilities were incomparable to when he first arrived at Longya Island.

Feng Zikang’s spirits soared, and he threw his head back, laughing loudly.

"Senior Brother, shall we return to the Military Family of Mount Longhu now?"

Feng Zikang first returned to the village to rest for a day. Seeing that Huo Zhongguang was not in a hurry, he asked this question.

"No rush!"

Feng Zikang shook his head. "Firstly, I gained a great deal this time; I need to find a way to settle and digest it. Secondly, moving the entrance to this Xuan Realm to Mount Longhu will take some effort to figure out."

The sudden surge in cultivation was certainly good, but if the foundation was unstable, such a rapid increase could affect future development. Feng Zikang was not impatient, slowly circulating his energy, ensuring the smooth flow of the Heaven, Earth, and Man passages, and the smooth circulation of the Great Zhou Tian throughout his body.

After several cycles of the Zhou Tian, Feng Zikang felt as if he had drunk fine wine—completely refreshed and comfortable. This advancement had no adverse aftereffects, thanks to his previously solid foundation, which presented no obstacles.

Currently, with his level of cultivation, as long as he improved his Miao Suan Xin Fa slightly more, he could go to the Great Reincarnation Plate to claim the Foundation Establishment meritorious mission and strive to complete the Foundation Establishment breakthrough sooner.

However, he still remembered Luo Lianxin’s requirement for establishing the Dao Foundation, so before claiming the Foundation Establishment mission, he needed to clarify that matter.

Furthermore, he had obtained the Xing Guang Da Mie Jue Jian Fa with 13,500 forms. Although he couldn't master them all temporarily and could only execute a few styles, it had elevated his understanding of divine abilities to a new level. These past few days by the seaside village, he had been slowly contemplating them without urgency.

As for the treasures acquired this time, they were countless.

The most valuable was the Immortal Blood discovered on Hu Sha. This substance had been stored for who knows how many thousands of years, and it was uncertain if it was truly brewed from the blood of an immortal. However, its ability to instantly restore all vital energy and true essence was incredibly potent. In a prolonged battle, possessing such an item would make one invincible.

There were only two jars, making them even more precious, which Feng Zikang carefully stored away.

Hu Sha also had some ordinary items, but only the Yellow Grade Ninth Rank Luan Pi Feng Dao was considered a good item. Feng Zikang had no immediate use for it, so he casually fed it to the Devouring Heaven Ancient Sword, which began dancing happily again, recovering some strength.

The demonic cultivation texts Feng Zikang obtained in the Xun Palace were highly valued by him. Although he had gained a deeper understanding of demonic cultivation during the Xuan Realm inheritance, he believed that studying and researching them could help him reach an even greater height.

The one-eyed scholar had self-destructed his body, and most of the items he carried were scattered. However, there was a Demon Orb with remarkable divine abilities that could change its form at will. Feng Zikang had not yet managed to fully decipher it and put it away.

Lady Two-Faced had many miscellaneous items, the most precious being an Yin-Yang Mirror. Its front sprayed Yin energy, and its back sprayed Yang energy. When the two energies combined, they could unleash the Two Extremes Breaking Heaven divine ability, a rather sinister offensive technique, extremely effective against minor foes. Coupled with the Essence Eye Treasure Orb Feng Zikang obtained from Mount Mangcang, it could slaughter countless enemies in a battle formation with ease.

Juliet possessed nine strands of Nether River Water, which could summon the Nether River for both attack and defense—omnipotent. However, this required cultivating the Nether River divine ability to use it smoothly. Feng Zikang had no intention of cultivating it, so he left it on her for the time being. As a puppet, she needed some abilities anyway, otherwise, it would be a waste.

The only truly useful item she obtained from the Li Palace was a Blazing Sun Robe. This robe was made of some unknown material, impervious to blades and swords, unaffected by water or fire—a truly excellent piece of armor. It also conferred the 25th level of the Blazing Sun Burning Sun divine ability, capable of shooting dazzling light that could not only harm enemies but also confuse their senses, making it a great offensive and defensive divine ability.

Feng Zikang’s tattered old bell, which had been severely damaged when he forcibly swallowed the sword soul into his body, was naturally exchanged without hesitation for Juliet’s Blazing Sun Robe. Trading a bell for a Blazing Sun Robe was perfectly fair, leaving no debt.

Huo Zhongguang and the Ghost King Tu were once again left wide-eyed and dumbfounded, while Long Que greatly admired his master's business acumen.

Feng Zikang smiled slightly. After all, she was his puppet; what did it matter? Even if he stripped her bare, no one would object, right?

"Chirp!" The little fox let out a cry of protest. It was already deeply displeased that its master had accepted this puppet, wishing it could scratch Juliet's face a few times to be satisfied.