The Formless Divine Stone hovered high in the sky, its pitch-black surface radiating an endless stream of Heavenly Dao energy, gradually filling the surrounding expanse of the world.
This was the ultimate treasure—one that could fulfill the wishes of any cultivator, bypassing all rules to grant the deepest desires of the heart.
Beneath the Formless Divine Stone, two figures stood facing each other. Through the rippling air, a dark silhouette gradually came into focus.
The moment Xu Wanci caught sight of Chu Qingchuan, she wasted no time thinking of anything else. Instantly cloaking herself in spiritual energy, she lunged toward the Formless Divine Stone without hesitation.
She had arrived in this pocket realm half a step ahead of him—her only advantage in securing the treasure.
She had to be fast. Faster.
Just as she neared the stone, three streaks of Annihilation Flames sealed off every possible path forward.
Behind her, Chu Qingchuan closed the distance between them inch by inch.
A cold glint flashed in Xu Wanci’s eyes. With a flick of her right hand, the Nine Heavens Sword shot forth, its blade intent slicing through the air toward Chu Qingchuan.
Chu Qingchuan blocked the strike with a shield of Silent Flames, simultaneously manipulating the distant Annihilation Flames.
Xu Wanci parried with her sword, barely deflecting the attack with her nearly depleted spiritual energy.
The force of their clash sent both of them tumbling backward, landing several steps apart.
Sensing the surging spiritual energy around Chu Qingchuan, Xu Wanci’s heart sank.
Just as in the original story, Chu Qingchuan had already reached the Divine Transformation realm before obtaining the Formless Divine Stone.
Yet, not a trace of panic showed on her face—only an icy calm.
From the moment she had chosen to compete for the stone, she had prepared for the worst.
Chu Qingchuan, now standing ten paces away, watched as Xu Wanci—disheveled, her robes singed, yet unnervingly composed—flashed a fleeting, unreadable emotion in his eyes.
Why was it always her?
From the sect tournament to the treasures within the Guiyin Formation, then the ancient battlefield, and now the Formless Divine Stone.
Whenever she was present, he was forever relegated to second place.
He never wished to harm her. Yet fate had entwined their paths at every turn, leaving him no choice but to confront her time and again.
His hands clenched slowly, his gaze sharpening.
The Formless Divine Stone—he would not let it slip away.
Without moving, he summoned over a dozen Annihilation Flames behind him, their scorching heat instantly evaporating the surrounding spiritual energy.
"Wanci," he said, his voice sincere, "your spiritual energy is nearly exhausted. If you continue, your injuries will only worsen."
"If you withdraw today, I swear upon my cultivation—I will grant you a treasure second only to this one in the future."
Chu Qingchuan’s eyes bore into hers with earnestness.
"Wanci, I truly do not wish to be your enemy. Nor do I want to hurt you."
Unseen by her, the Annihilation Flames had already spread across the entire pocket realm. The moment she made a move, they would engulf her without mercy.
Now at the Divine Transformation realm, the flaws in his Thousand Pill Variation—exposed during the sect tournament—had long been mended.
Even if Xu Wanci attempted another desperate, all-or-nothing strike like before, she would find no opening.
If they fought, he could not lose.
While Chu Qingchuan spoke, Xu Wanci had already begun regulating her dwindling spiritual energy.
She had shattered thirteen pocket realms in succession without a moment’s rest.
Finally reaching the Formless Divine Stone, only to immediately fend off Chu Qingchuan’s attack—she knew his words were merely a stalling tactic.
Yet she had no choice.
Her grip tightened around the Nine Heavens Sword.
With less than half her spiritual energy remaining, facing the protagonist of destiny himself, Chu Qingchuan…
She had to end this quickly.
The moment her sword intent surged, an Annihilation Flame shot toward her.
Xu Wanci sidestepped three paces, effortlessly dodging the strike.
Though she had failed to obtain the Twin Yin-Yang Lotus, her journey to Taoyuan Village had not only healed her sea of consciousness but also strengthened her divine sense to rival that of a late-stage Great Ascension cultivator.
Finding the weakness in a single Annihilation Flame was no challenge.
The true difficulty lay in identifying the sole path of survival amidst dozens of them.
Faced with the sea of flames, Xu Wanci’s nerves were stretched to their limit.
She had to contend with the Annihilation Flames while simultaneously restraining Chu Qingchuan—preventing him from seizing the Formless Divine Stone.
The toll was immense.
Within seven exchanges, she felt the spiritual energy in her dantian nearing depletion.
Chu Qingchuan’s expression darkened as he watched Xu Wanci—cornered by twelve Annihilation Flames—still moving with fluid grace, her sword intent even posing a threat to him.
He could hold back no longer.
His spiritual energy erupted, the twelve Annihilation Flames condensing into three all-consuming Silent Flames.
With a sweep of his hand, the three flames surged toward Xu Wanci with devastating force.
Confronted by the overwhelming, flawless inferno, Xu Wanci’s expression remained unchanged.
If the Silent Flames had no weakness, then any point of breakthrough would suffice.
Sword in hand, she charged forward, her blade’s intent cutting a path through the flames.
As she pierced through, a defensive artifact on her body shattered piece by piece, dissolving into the scorching air.
At the same time, the tip of her Nine Heavens Sword pressed against Chu Qingchuan’s throat.
As if anticipating this, he intercepted with his Sleeve Blade.
The Nine Heavens Sword, an ancient divine weapon, left two cracks in his eighth-grade artifact with a single strike.
Chu Qingchuan’s gaze turned frigid as he noted the burns on Xu Wanci’s right arm—despite her protective artifact.
Still the same reckless, life-risking style as before.
This time, he would leave her no openings.
While locking blades with her, he continued manipulating the Silent Flames, launching relentless assaults.
Xu Wanci teetered on the edge, each misstep carrying the risk of severe injury.
Five exchanges later.
"Wanci," Chu Qingchuan murmured, his voice deceptively gentle, "stop this."
"You can’t hold on much longer."
Xu Wanci gave no reply, only sharpening her sword intent further.
Chu Qingchuan retreated three steps, evading the strike.
Seeing the opening in her stance—caused by her drained dantian—his eyes flickered with reluctance. Yet the Silent Flames surged forward without hesitation, aiming straight for her vulnerability.
Xu Wanci watched the flames that had instantly reached her, her eyes showing no tension but instead a faint trace of relief:
She had finally forced Chu Qingchuan to use the Thousand Silence Flame in this direction.
This time, unlike the sect competition, she didn’t need to win—she only needed to obtain the Formless Divine Stone.
She neither defended nor retreated. Instead, with a desperate resolve, she swung her right hand, sending a sword aura sharp enough to tear through space straight through the Thousand Silence Flame, aimed at Chu Qingchuan.
Chu Qingchuan frowned slightly, shielding himself with the Thousand Silence Flame as he took several steps back to evade the strike.
At the same time, Xu Wanci used the recoil from her sword strike to propel herself upward, willingly allowing the overwhelming flames before her to engulf her.
Chu Qingchuan’s expression darkened as he witnessed this:
This is bad!
The direction of the Thousand Silence Flame was toward the Formless Divine Stone!
He summoned all his spiritual power, instantly recalling the flames from the sky.
Xu Wanci didn’t look back. She lightly tapped the lingering flames in the air with her toes, ascending another few meters.
Now, she was merely an arm’s length away from the Formless Divine Stone.
Chu Qingchuan’s heart sank as he watched Xu Wanci seemingly within reach of the stone:
He had lost.
Again.
But Xu Wanci might not win either.
Beside him, three strands of the Thousand Silence Flame twisted and fused together.
In an instant, half of Chu Qingchuan’s spiritual power was drained, leaving his face deathly pale.
Gritting his teeth, he uttered word by word:
“Thousand Core Flame, rise.”
The moment Xu Wanci touched the Formless Divine Stone, she sensed the silent yet terrifying danger behind her—a threat so overwhelming it could make any cultivator tremble.
Pressing her lips together, she still refused to turn back or defend herself.
This was the closest she had ever been to the Formless Divine Stone. If she retreated now, she might never get another chance.
Though most of her defensive artifacts had melted away in the Thousand Silence Flame, she still had one protective talisman capable of withstanding a strike from a mid or late-stage Transcendent Realm cultivator.
She was betting that Chu Qingchuan’s attack wouldn’t kill her.
Xu Wanci took another step forward, gently cradling the Formless Divine Stone in her palms.
The next instant, the colorless Thousand Core Flame swallowed her whole.
One breath. Two breaths. Three breaths.
The Thousand Core Flame dissipated, along with her last defensive artifact.
Her hair ribbon had fallen at some point, leaving her locks loose and dancing in the wind. Her blue robes were marred by scorch marks and slashes from wind blades.
The Nine Heavens Sword had transformed into a bracelet, hiding the wounds on her wrist but unable to conceal the burns left by the Thousand Silence Flame.
In her battered hands rested a pitch-black yet crystalline stone—the Formless Divine Stone.
Standing midair, disheveled yet unyielding, Xu Wanci barely had time to glance at the stone before sensing countless probing gazes locking onto her.
Chu Qingchuan’s Thousand Core Flame hadn’t harmed her, but it had melted the fabric of space in this pocket realm.
Xu Wanci’s heart turned cold:
Now, countless Transcendent Realm experts were fixated on the Western Extremity. The spatial tremors and collapse were enough to draw their attention.
The location of the Formless Divine Stone was no longer a secret.
Before she could think further, the surrounding space shattered. Within a breath, most of the Transcendent Realm powerhouses in the cultivation world had gathered here.
All of them stared greedily at the stone in her hands.
Xu Wanci lowered her gaze slightly, masking the mockery in her eyes:
Every time she sought an opportunity, she had to risk her life.
The more valuable the treasure, the heavier her injuries.
When she obtained the Three-Leaf Lotus, she had been on the brink of death, her soul beginning to scatter.
Though rare, the Three-Leaf Lotus still had substitutes in the cultivation world, so she had ultimately secured it.
The Twin Yin-Yang Lotus paled in comparison to Chu Qingchuan’s overwhelming fortune.
But in all the cultivation world, few treasures could rival the Formless Divine Stone—perhaps none in a thousand years.
And so, obtaining it had plunged her into an inescapable predicament.
More and more cultivators flooded into the pocket realm.
Sects, great families, and reclusive Transcendent Realm experts—all had arrived.
Their eyes burned with unrestrained desire as they stared at the Formless Divine Stone.
To them, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator was insignificant.
Their real adversaries were the other Transcendent Realm experts eyeing the same prize.
Thus, a fragile balance formed.
The first to act would become the target of all.
But such equilibrium could shatter at any moment.
Among the crowd, the Taiqing Sect’s leader and elders wore expressions of unprecedented gravity:
They had anticipated Xu Wanci might retrieve the stone first, but not under these circumstances.
This situation had spiraled beyond their—or even the Taiqing Sect’s—control.
Even if Xu Wanci discarded the stone now, escaping the siege of so many Transcendent Realm experts was impossible.
The life-saving Heavenly Spirit Pill in her possession was now useless.
The Grand Elder’s palms grew damp with sweat:
Even if they abandoned the Formless Divine Stone, could they truly rescue Xu Wanci from dozens of Transcendent Realm powerhouses?
His gaze flickered toward the Tianxuan Sect members nearby:
Despite knowing Xu Wanci’s identity, their eyes held no hesitation—only ruthless determination.
Of course. Distant karma could never outweigh a supreme treasure within reach.
The Tianxuan Sect leader frowned at Xu Wanci hovering midair:
At such close range, with so many experts poised to strike, the slightest movement would determine the outcome.
If Xu Wanci took even a single step toward the Tianxuan Sect, their chances of securing the stone would skyrocket.
Thinking this, the leader suddenly called out:
“Wanci, do you remember the Ancient Battlefield? You saved several Tianxuan Sect disciples there.”
“Hand the Formless Divine Stone to us, and the Tianxuan Sect will protect you at all costs!”
“We will spare no expense, using every treasure to aid your breakthrough to Divine Transformation, Mahayana, even the Transcendent Realm!”
Other sects quickly followed suit. Though they couldn’t act, they could certainly persuade.
They had some history with Xu Wanci as well:
"Our Wuji Sect has been a righteous faction in the cultivation world for thousands of years, always true to our word. As long as you—"
"The Mingjian Sect possesses an exclusive celestial-grade sword technique—"
"Our Bai Family can offer you an entire spirit mine—"
Amid these voices lay not just temptation and promises of gain, but also veiled threats.
If Xu Wanci truly chose one, she would immediately face pursuit from all the remaining Mahayana-stage powerholders. Even if they didn’t intend to kill her outright, in the chaos of such a battle, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator like her would have no chance of survival.
The Head of Jiang Family listened to the surrounding voices, his gaze dark and unreadable. Sensing the growing impatience in the spiritual energy radiating from the family’s ancestor beside him, he turned to Jiang Qiuning:
"Qiuning, aren’t you close with her?"
"Tell her—if she surrenders the Formless Divine Stone willingly, she will become an honored guest of the Jiang Family, granted supreme status and endless rare treasures."
At his words, the worry in Jiang Qiuning’s eyes had yet to fade before she turned to him in shock.
"Father!"
"You know her identity—how could you…?"
The Head of Jiang Family’s gaze turned icy.
"Identity?"
Obtaining the Formless Divine Stone would secure the Jiang Family’s position as the foremost clan for another thousand years—perhaps even surpassing the Taiqing Sect to dominate the cultivation world.
As for settling old debts… that could wait.
If Xu Wanci were to perish here today, no cultivator would be able to resolve their karmic ties with the Immortal Venerable. For the Jiang Family, it would change nothing. They could still place their hopes on the Child of Destiny, Chu Qingchuan.
No matter what, the Jiang Family had a way out.
Under the combined pressure of the family head and their ancestor, Jiang Qiuning bit her lip so hard that blood seeped out, yet she refused to speak a single word.
She knew—even if Xu Wanci handed over the Formless Divine Stone, the Jiang Family would never protect her unconditionally.
In the end, Xu Wanci would still die.
With so many cultivators present, the Jiang Family couldn’t act recklessly. Disappointed, the Head of Jiang Family glanced at Jiang Qiuning before turning to Jiang Ze.
"Ah Ze, you go."
Jiang Ze remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the slender figure hovering in midair.
It seemed he could never protect her.
He could only stand by, watching as she teetered on the brink of life and death.
His fists clenched so tightly that blood dripped from his knuckles onto the ground.
By now, everyone’s patience had worn thin.
Some cultivators had already begun gathering spiritual energy, while several powerholders subtly activated concealment artifacts, preparing to strike at any moment.
Xu Wanci’s spiritual senses easily detected the growing turbulence around her.
She knew exactly how perilous her situation was.
Everything urged her to give up—to relinquish the divine treasure within her grasp, even to surrender her life.
As if this were her predestined fate.
If she died here, who would end up with the Formless Divine Stone?
Her long lashes fluttered slightly as the answer formed in her mind:
Chu Qingchuan.
Just as in the original story, after the chaos subsided, it would inevitably fall into his hands.
Xu Wanci lowered her head, the mockery in her eyes hardening into unshakable resolve.
She refused to believe in fate.
If she had, the moment she arrived in the cultivation world, her cultivation would have been crippled, leaving her struggling in the abyss to this day.
If she had, she would have died long ago on that cold, rainy night.
In the past, she had carved a path out of despair.
Today, she would do the same.
Xu Wanci slowly blinked.
Legends said the Formless Divine Stone could fulfill any cultivator’s wish.
But no matter the wish, others could seize it—only one’s own cultivation truly belonged to oneself.
Thus, since its emergence, no one had ever used the stone for anything else.
But what if she wished for something impossible?
Bound by karma, would the Formless Divine Stone be forced to vanish—or even shatter entirely?
If the root of this conflict disappeared, perhaps some would regain their senses.
Of course, there was also the chance the enraged Mahayana powerholders would tear her apart…
But at least she still carried the Immortal Venerable’s karma. If even half of the ten great sects shielded her afterward, she might survive.
Still…
Her odds were no better than one in ten.
One in ten.
Xu Wanci’s lips curved faintly.
It couldn’t be worse than this.
Just as the first powerholder moved to strike, she finally lifted her head, her calm gaze sweeping over the crowd.
Her expression was serene, almost gentle, her heartbeat steady—no trace of fear or urgency.
Her voice was soft, almost ethereal:
"There is only one thing I desire."
Hearing this, the crowd brightened. A wish meant negotiation!
As long as they could meet her demand, she would lean toward their side.
Among late-stage Mahayana powerholders, even the slightest advantage decided everything.
Each had already prepared an escape route for after obtaining the stone.
Someone called out, "What do you want?"
Xu Wanci smiled faintly.
"I wish…"
A drop of heart’s blood, long gathered at her fingertip, silently fell onto the Formless Divine Stone in her palm:
"For Xiao Yuyan to awaken."
Xiao Yuyan… who?
Those who recognized the name stood frozen in disbelief.
For a heartbeat, the world seemed to pause—then the stone in Xu Wanci’s hand erupted in a blinding radiance.
The light carried the overwhelming weight of heavenly law, forcing everyone to avert their eyes.
No one had imagined she would dare activate the treasure before dozens of powerholders.
No one could stop it.
All they saw was the light dissolving the surroundings, transporting everyone back to Huyun Street.
When the glow faded at last, the Formless Divine Stone in Xu Wanci’s hand scattered into motes of light, vanishing into the air.
The stone was destroyed.
The sky was clear, the sun bright, yet not a wisp of heavenly law remained.
Even a supreme treasure like the Formless Divine Stone could not fulfill Xu Wanci’s wish.
Silence.
No one noticed the strands of consciousness scattered across the cultivation world centuries ago now gathering unseen at its edge.
Thread by thread, wisp by wisp.
Thousands of fragments coalesced into a scattered soul, slowly merging with a body that had slumbered for a hundred years.
A century ago, the Qingyan Immortal Lord who sacrificed himself to the heavens slowly opened his eyes, revealing a gaze as calm and undisturbed as still water.
All things entered his sight, yet none left even the faintest trace.
Not even Xu Wanci.
