Chapter 109

The hidden chamber was immaculately clean. Despite being compact, it didn’t feel cramped—on the contrary, its layout was orderly and surprisingly spacious. Carefully placed furniture lined the room, and peculiar artifacts rested neatly atop them.

Chi Xiao stood silently, glancing around before her gaze settled on Han Luo. She couldn’t quite describe the feeling that welled up in her chest, but everything about this man exuded calm, calculated control. His composed tone, his meticulous environment—everything about him said one thing: nothing here was left to chance.

“First things first,” Han Luo said, his tone businesslike. “You need to take an oath.”

He recited the conditions like it was standard procedure. “From the moment you set foot on Luoxian Mountain to the moment you leave, everything you see and experience must never be shared. If you break this oath, you will be cursed with acne-covered skin, the body of a sow, the voice of an old ox, a scraggly beard, yellow teeth, and the overwhelming aura of an unwashed man.”

Chi Xiao was visibly shaking with fury by the time he finished. Her eyes twitched, hands clenched.

This was the first time in her life she’d ever encountered such a ridiculous, shameless oath. She felt like she’d wandered into the lair of some deranged cult instead of a high-level cultivator's abode.

Han Luo, meanwhile, casually sipped tea with a deadpan expression. “My mountain, my rules. Do you want to attempt your eighth body refinement or not? If so, swear now. I’m on a schedule.”

Left with no choice, Chi Xiao swallowed her rage and repeated the bizarre oath word for word.

Han Luo nodded. “Good. Let’s begin.”

Under his guidance, she sat atop a pink lotus-shaped formation, the refinement array already glowing faintly. He handed her a supreme-grade Body Refining Pill.

“Take this and begin as usual. The rest—I’ll handle.”

Chi Xiao stared at the pill, then at Han Luo. “Can I trust you?”

“This is your last chance,” she added softly.

Han Luo looked her in the eyes. “I never take risks I can’t control. Do your part. I’ll do mine.”

She didn’t know where his confidence came from, but she recognized that calm, unshakable certainty. It reminded her of herself. Without further hesitation, she swallowed the pill and closed her eyes.

Han Luo snapped his fingers.

His domain—Tenfold World—expanded, wrapping the entire chamber in layered dimensions. Stepping inside, he entered Chi Xiao’s inner world—the trial space of body refinement, born of her own soul and memories.

He found himself in a village consumed by fire.

“Help! Help us!”
“It’s coming—run!”

Screams echoed as villagers fled in terror. Han Luo walked calmly through the blazing streets, watching everything unfold. These were her memories, raw and real.

A small girl—Chi Xiao—covered in blood, knelt beside the bodies of her parents, shaking them and wailing.

Suddenly, a flaming bird descended from the skies—an enormous divine bird. The girl froze in terror, unable to move as the beast approached and merged with her in a flash of red light.

Her screams pierced the inferno.

Then, her body exploded.

From the blast emerged two streaks of red light—one reformed into the divine bird, the other into a fully armored Chi Xiao, clad in crimson lotus armor, spear in hand, blazing with killing intent.

“You’ve come again,” the bird sneered. “But no matter how many times you try, you can’t defeat me. Because you are me, and I am you.”

Chi Xiao roared, “This time, I will end you. For my parents—die!”

The battle began.

Their powers clashed violently, razing what remained of the village. Bolstered by the supreme pill and the refinement formation, Chi Xiao fought more fiercely than ever.

But the bird only laughed. “You have help this time, but you’ll never defeat me.”

Fire rained from its wings, killing illusionary villagers. Rage filled Chi Xiao’s heart.

“DIE!” she screamed, activating her ultimate technique: “Slay the Immortal!”

A crimson arc tore through the sky, cleaving the divine bird’s head clean off.

She collapsed, breathing heavily, but victorious.

Or so she thought.

The severed head dissolved into red mist and returned to her body.

“No…” she gasped.

Her body shrank—turning into a child again.

And the flames returned.

She looked up, wide-eyed and terrified, as villagers stared at her in horror.

“She’s the monster!”
“She killed everyone—she brought the fire!”

A woman she once called aunt raised a stick and struck her head. Blood ran down her tiny face.

“I’m your niece, remember?” she whispered, dazed.

“I don’t know you, monster! You killed your parents! You brought death to this village!”

The other villagers joined in, beating her, stoning her, cursing her.

“It’s all your fault!”
“You were born cursed!”
“Die, freak!”

Chi Xiao curled into a ball, broken and silent, as their hatred rained down.

Then—flames.

She accidentally released the divine fire within. Her aunt was instantly reduced to ash.

“No! Stop!” she cried, horrified—but her body no longer obeyed.

The flames spread.

Within seconds, the entire village was gone—scorched to dust.

“See?” came the voice of the bird again. “You couldn’t stop it. You wanted this.”

“No, I didn’t…” she whimpered, trembling.

“But you did. Deep down. Let go of this pain, and I’ll give you power beyond imagination. Leave this pathetic place. I’ll take you to the real world.”

The child sat in a burning ruin, her eyes vacant.

Yet—amid the darkness—one flicker of light remained. A single spark of defiance. A fragile, stubborn hope.

“Good,” the voice chuckled. “Let’s see how long that little ember can last.”

And the trial continued.