The Sixth Heaven's Awakening

Xiao Chen looked at the black bloodstains inside the two ancient skins. They were clearly over a century old, having endured the erosion of long years, though he could not pinpoint the exact age.

But the blood stains inside the third ice coffin were different. The dried blood held a hint of vividness at its core. For a cultivator like Xiao Chen, it was easy to judge: no more than half a month.

A chill shot through him, raising every hair on his body. He carefully examined the interior of this skin. The bloodstains were indeed black-red with that same fresh tinge—it shouldn't have been long at all.

He observed closely and noticed that the third skin was noticeably softer and more supple, with a oily sheen, as if it had been shed only recently.

Then, Xiao Chen finally found the crucial clue. The middle finger of the third skin was torn. Besides bloodstains, there was a fragment of fresh skin the size of a fingernail clinging to it!

This was too bizarre and terrifying! The vague speculation that had been forming in Xiao Chen's mind now seemed to be true. He could not help but think again of the cicada shedding its shell. If his guess was correct, there seemed to be an ancient specter undergoing endless cycles of transformation!

He instinctively looked around. The cold, snowy peaks showed no trace of human presence, yet he felt as if a pair of intensely cold eyes were watching him from the shadows.

An illusion—it had to be an illusion. Xiao Chen calmed his mind and spread his divine consciousness to sense the surroundings. The snowy mountain was utterly silent, not a single sound, only the gloomy energy flowing through the great white peaks.

Xiao Chen decided this was not a safe place. He reburied the three ice coffins exactly as they had been, erased all traces, then called Keke and the three skeletons, who had been wandering near the ruined hall, and quickly left.

He spent five days cultivating in this snowy mountain range and found no other anomalies. He buried the dragon eggs among the peaks and decided it was time to leave.

The very existence of a snowy mountain region on the humid Dragon Island was abnormal. And with the strange things he had discovered here, he felt it was no safer than the beast-filled forests.

He traveled through the world of ice and snow, heading out of the mountains. Suddenly, from a distant peak, he heard a faint rumble, like an avalanche. Then a flash of purple light shot into the sky.

Though far away, Xiao Chen recognized it at once—that seemed to be… Yan Qingcheng!

That snowy peak was the site of their battle five days ago. Yan Qingcheng had been left for dead, then buried by the great avalanche triggered by the Snow Jade Dragon. He had assumed she would perish under the thousand layers of snow, but she had emerged after five days!

Even from a distance, the pair of purple light-wings on Yan Qingcheng's back blazed with dazzling radiance. They were no longer the near-transparent wisps from the previous battle—now they resembled two pieces of carved purple divine jade, exuding an otherworldly splendor.

Not only had she survived, her cultivation had clearly advanced. Xiao Chen was deeply shocked. He recalled the technique she practiced—the Undying Demon Art.

Legend was true. Those who cultivated this art, when pushed to the brink of death, would surge forward in cultivation if they successfully traversed the deadly pass.

Yan Qingcheng had indeed broken through her former realm in the midst of death. After playing dead for five days under the deep snow, she had resurrected! Xiao Chen's heart tightened. The Undying Demon Art truly deserved its reputation as one of the greatest techniques spanning the ages.

Now at the Sixth Heaven of Mortal-Shedding, Yan Qingcheng was a formidable opponent.

Still, Xiao Chen was confident he feared no one at the same level. He had already defeated a Space Spiritist, who was called the king among equals.

Like a flickering shadow, Xiao Chen left afterimages between the snowy peaks, intending to intercept her.

But Yan Qingcheng, having shot out from the deep snow, unfolded her elfin-like purple light-wings and flew straight toward the edge of the snowy mountains, swift as lightning. She did not pause for even a moment near the area, and she did not notice Xiao Chen approaching.

He finally left the snowy mountains. Looking back at the white, frozen world and feeling the warm wind ahead, Xiao Chen found it unreal. There was almost no buffer zone between the cold and the heat. The lush, green forest and the pure white snow lay side by side, so close together that it was baffling.

Xiao Chen and his companions entered a vibrant zone. The warbling of birds, the refreshing scent of flowers, and the roars of beasts added a lively atmosphere, in stark contrast to the dead forest behind them and the snowy peaks beyond.

About twenty li from the main settlement of practitioners, a beautiful, misty mountain peak rose ahead. It seemed to have few ferocious beasts, and possessed an ineffable peace and stillness.

From a distance, he could see a waterfall cascading down the mountain, with steam rising to form rainbow light.

When Xiao Chen reached the foot of the mountain, he found it was a wonderful place. Rare flowers bloomed, sacred grasses carpeted the ground, vines intertwined, and fine trees grew thick—a pure land for cultivation. And there, he met an acquaintance.

Amid the flowers and trees, a sapphire-like lake lay calm and waveless, indescribably beautiful and tranquil.

The Space Spiritist Liu Mu sat by the lake, fishing, looking as sickly as ever, his handsome face somewhat pale.

As soon as Xiao Chen stepped in, he felt the abnormality in the space. It was as if invisible liquid were flowing around him, making every step difficult. Layers of intersecting spaces created overlapping images, mixing near and distant scenes before his eyes.

There seemed to be multiple spatial traps here, like falling into a bog—the more he struggled, the harder it was to move. Xiao Chen fully unleashed the power of the Sixth Heaven of Mortal-Shedding. Like a sharp sword bursting with blazing divine radiance, he tore apart the binding ropes and shattered all the spatial traps, restoring the area to its original, peaceful beauty.

By the lake, Liu Mu turned his head. "It seems the rumors about your massacre on the snowy peak a few days ago are true. Even now, I can still feel the bloodthirsty aura on you."

Xiao Chen smiled and sat down calmly not far from Liu Mu. "It was all for self-preservation. I wanted to live, and others forced me. I had no choice but to stop slaughter with slaughter."

"You've broken through to the Sixth Heaven of Mortal-Shedding." Liu Mu's pale face gradually gained a hint of color. "How about we fight another round?" His eyes burned with eagerness, as if he looked forward to the duel.

"You've also entered the Sixth Heaven." Xiao Chen noticed and was somewhat surprised. Then he shook his head. "A Space Spiritist is called the king among cultivators of the same level. I really want to break that legend again, but I can't fight you now."

"Why?"

"There are people who keep trying to force me into a corner. Until I eliminate all threats, I must remain at my peak. You and I are both at the Sixth Heaven of Mortal-Shedding. If we truly fought, defeating you would not be as easy as last time."

Liu Mu, still looking ill, laughed. "You're quite arrogant. Are you sure you can beat me? The saying 'a Space Spiritist is king among equals' is no empty boast!"

Xiao Chen lightly tapped the lake surface with his finger, instantly causing the small lake to churn violently, the water seeming to boil. Thousands of fish were shaken out of the water. "I broke that legend once. I can do it again."

Suddenly, all the leaping fish froze in midair, not moving a muscle, all trapped by Liu Mu's spatial power. He turned to Xiao Chen. "You are indeed very strong. But I am also confident. I really want to fight you. However, since you are in danger, I won't make things difficult for you."

Just then, Keke, not far away, was drawn to the sight of the frozen fish in the air. It seemed to find it amusing. When the thousand fish were released back into the lake, it stretched out a small white paw and waved it randomly in the air. Instantly, the fish leaped out again, flying everywhere, and only after three or four seconds did they fall back with a series of splashes.

Liu Mu was astonished. For the first time, he seriously studied the small snow-white beast following Xiao Chen. "What is this…"

Xiao Chen spread his hands. "I don't really understand it either. It doesn't seem aggressive, but it can take care of itself."

Keke was very unhappy with that assessment. It huffed and waved its little paw, then scampered off toward the three skeletons in the distance.

"How did you break into the Sixth Heaven? I put a great deal of effort into my breakthrough," Liu Mu asked.

Xiao Chen did not hide it. He told the truth about his enlightenment while facing the morning glow, describing the feelings of that moment.

Liu Mu pondered and sighed. "It seems our experiences were similar. After I lost to you, I trained even harder before the Divine Stele, but I nearly went mad. Later, I retreated to this peaceful place to rest, letting my mind settle. Unexpectedly, I broke through my original realm."

He shared his own insights in detail. Though they practiced different systems of cultivation, the spiritual realizations were completely transferable. Their exchange benefited both greatly.

From the current situation on Dragon Island to the differences between Spiritists and Spellmasters, they talked about many things.

"A Spiritist's ability is innate, and the forms of that ability are many and varied. A Spellmaster only has strong spiritual power; they themselves have no spiritual energy. But by chanting ancient incantations, they can perform similar energy attacks. I never believed that their incantations were granted by gods they prayed to. But it is indeed impossible to detect any energy inside their bodies. All the energy is gathered from outside in an instant during an attack. Many signs suggest it really comes from the gods they worship."

Finally, they returned to the current state of Dragon Island.