THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

Chapter Seventy-Three — Flowing Gold Body Tempering

Silence.

A suffocating, deathlike silence.

After hearing Zhuo Fan’s explanation, nobody spoke for a very long time.

Only insects chirped softly somewhere deep within the forest.

Normally, the sound would have felt peaceful.

Now—

It only made the atmosphere heavier.

Finally—

Xue Dingtian slowly raised his head.

“Ning’er.”

His voice sounded strangely calm now.

“If what this young master said is true…”

“…then you must leave.”

“Grandfather…”

Xue Ningxiang’s eyes immediately filled with tears again.

But Xue Dingtian only smiled gently and rubbed her head.

“Don’t worry.”

“This old man will return personally and investigate everything.”

“And if it turns out this young master lied…”

“…I’ll come find you again.”

Then his eyes softened.

“At that time…”

“…don’t blame your grandfather for forcing you into the marriage alliance.”

Xue Ningxiang bit her lip hard.

But before she could say anything—

WHOOSH!

Xue Dingtian vanished instantly into the sky.

His old figure quickly disappeared beyond the distant mountains.

Watching him leave—

Xue Ningxiang finally broke completely.

Tears streamed endlessly down her face.

“Big Brother Zhuo…”

Her voice trembled weakly.

“Grandfather…”

“…he’ll be okay, right?”

Along the journey, Zhuo Fan’s analysis had repeatedly proven terrifyingly accurate.

So now—

Almost instinctively—

She desperately wanted him to say everything would be fine.

That her grandfather would survive.

That the Xue Clan would survive.

Unfortunately—

Zhuo Fan slowly shook his head.

“I’m sorry.”

“If your grandfather never returned…”

“…the Xue Clan might’ve survived a little longer.”

“But now that he’s gone back…”

“…not a single member of your family will survive.”

Xue Ningxiang froze completely.

Like lightning striking directly into her soul.

Meanwhile—

Xie Tianyang immediately exploded.

“What nonsense are you saying?!”

“You aren’t Ghost Seven.”

“How do you know the Xue Clan’s doomed?”

Then he pointed furiously toward the sky.

“A Heaven Profound expert just returned home.”

“If anything, Ghost Seven should be afraid now!”

Zhuo Fan glanced toward him calmly.

“No.”

“You’re wrong.”

He slowly narrowed his eyes.

“Ghost Seven already believes the Xue Clan betrayed Nether Valley.”

“And now…”

“…he has even more reason to exterminate them.”

His voice remained cold and analytical.

“Before this, Xue Dingtian disappeared searching for Ning’er.”

“So Ghost Seven might’ve spared the Xue Clan temporarily…”

“…hoping to lure him back.”

“But once your grandfather returns…”

“…Ghost Seven loses all reason for restraint.”

Xie Tianyang gritted his teeth.

“I still don’t believe he’d dare massacre a clan protected by a Heaven Profound expert.”

Zhuo Fan suddenly laughed softly.

“Exactly because the Xue Clan possesses a Heaven Profound expert…”

“…Ghost Seven waited.”

“If Xue Dingtian remained outside permanently, Ghost Seven would always worry about retaliation.”

“But now?”

“He returned voluntarily.”

“Meaning Ghost Seven can erase the entire clan in one sweep.”

Then Zhuo Fan looked directly toward Xie Tianyang.

“You still don’t understand.”

“A Heaven Profound cultivator isn’t truly terrifying.”

“A Heaven Profound cultivator without attachments…”

“…that’s terrifying.”

His eyes darkened slightly.

“Why did Xue Dingtian kneel earlier?”

“Not because he feared us personally.”

“He feared Sword Marquis Manor behind you.”

“And he wasn’t kneeling for himself either.”

“He was kneeling for the Xue Clan.”

“If he were an unattached wandering cultivator…”

“…he might’ve killed us already.”

Xie Tianyang opened his mouth instinctively.

Then slowly fell silent.

Because Zhuo Fan was right.

Completely right.

Beside them—

Xue Ningxiang’s face grew increasingly pale.

Each sentence stabbed deeper than the last.

Finally—

“Enough!”

She suddenly shouted through tears.

Both men froze instantly.

Then slowly—

Xue Ningxiang turned toward Zhuo Fan.

Her eyes no longer carried hesitation.

Only determination.

“Big Brother Zhuo…”

“If I return willingly…”

“…and agree becoming Ghost Seven’s furnace…”

“…can I save my family?”

“NING’ER!”

Xie Tianyang shouted immediately.

But Xue Ningxiang never looked toward him.

Her gaze remained fixed entirely upon Zhuo Fan.

Waiting.

Desperate.

Hoping for even the smallest possibility.

Zhuo Fan stared silently at her for several moments.

Then finally—

He nodded slowly.

“Yes.”

Ghost Seven desperately needed furnace sacrifices to complete his cultivation art.

If Xue Ningxiang willingly offered herself—

There was indeed a chance the Xue Clan might survive temporarily.

The moment Zhuo Fan answered—

Xue Ningxiang smiled.

A relieved smile.

“As long as there’s a chance…”

“…that’s enough.”

Xie Tianyang looked completely horrified.

“Ning’er…”

“You can’t seriously be considering this…”

But Xue Ningxiang merely shook her head softly.

“I already decided.”

Then she smiled toward both of them gently.

“Big Brother Zhuo.”

“Big Brother Tianyang.”

“Thank you for taking care of me these past months.”

Her eyes gradually reddened again.

“I always wanted leaving Qingming City someday…”

“And visiting Sword Marquis Manor with you.”

“That probably won’t happen now.”

The atmosphere instantly became unbearably heavy.

Everyone understood what she meant.

This goodbye—

Was likely forever.

Then suddenly—

Xue Ningxiang turned around and began walking away alone.

Toward Qingming City.

Toward Nether Valley.

Toward her own death.

“NING’ER!”

Xie Tianyang suddenly stepped forward with determination exploding across his face.

But before he could chase after her—

Xue Ningxiang’s playful voice echoed back softly:

“Don’t force me.”

“If either of you tries stopping me…”

“…I’ll hate you forever.”

Xie Tianyang froze completely.

His entire body trembled helplessly.

Meanwhile—

Xue Ningxiang continued walking farther and farther away.

Her slender figure slowly disappearing into the forest.

Finally—

Xie Tianyang collapsed heavily onto his knees.

His eyes had already turned red.

“…Zhuo Fan.”

His voice sounded hoarse.

“If Ning’er returns…”

“…can the Xue Clan really survive?”

Zhuo Fan remained silent briefly.

Then answered honestly:

“Temporarily.”

Xie Tianyang slowly looked up.

“And afterward?”

“Once Ghost Seven finishes using her…”

“…the Xue Clan will still be exterminated.”

Silence.

Then suddenly—

BOOM!

Xie Tianyang punched Zhuo Fan directly across the face.

Blood sprayed from Zhuo Fan’s lips instantly as he staggered backward.

“You bastard!”

Xie Tianyang roared furiously.

“You sold her again!”

Without another word—

He turned and sprinted after Xue Ningxiang desperately.

Zhuo Fan slowly wiped blood from his mouth.

Then coldly said:

“And what exactly do you plan doing?”

“I’m saving her!”

Xie Tianyang never stopped running.

Zhuo Fan laughed mockingly.

“With what strength?”

“You’re only eighth-layer Bone Tempering.”

“How are you fighting a Heaven Profound expert?”

Xie Tianyang’s footsteps slowed briefly.

But only briefly.

“At least I’m doing something!”

He shouted without turning back.

“Unlike you!”

“You just stand there watching!”

Zhuo Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“During Ghost Seven’s battle, we had formations prepared beforehand.”

“We trapped him.”

“We controlled the battlefield.”

“But now?”

“How exactly do you expect me setting up formations beneath a Heaven Profound expert’s nose?”

“Invite him politely into the array?”

Xie Tianyang clenched his fists violently.

Because again—

Zhuo Fan was right.

Without preparation, fighting Heaven Profound experts directly bordered on suicide.

But even understanding that—

He still could not accept doing nothing.

Absolutely not.

Finally—

Xie Tianyang turned back one last time.

His eyes burned fiercely.

“Maybe I can’t save her.”

“Maybe I’ll die too.”

“But at least…”

“…I won’t be a coward.”

Then he vanished into the forest.

Zhuo Fan stood silently for several moments afterward.

Then slowly—

Very slowly—

He clenched both fists tightly.

“Who said…”

“…I’m doing nothing?”

Without another word—

He turned and walked toward a distant mountain cave alone.

Several minutes later—

Inside the cave—

Zhuo Fan finished setting up the Grand Concealment Formation to seal the area completely.

Then slowly—

He began drawing an enormous formation diagram across the cave floor.

Spirit stones.

Golden sand.

Ancient markings.

Everything aligned precisely.

Finally—

A pair of crackling lightning wings appeared at the center of the formation.

Thundercloud Sparrow wings.

Zhuo Fan sat down cross-legged before them quietly.

Then slowly exhaled.

This was one of the cruelest body-refinement techniques recorded within the Nine Serenities Secret Records.

Far crueler than the Demon Slaughter Art he once gave Commander Pang.

That cultivation art still treated the body as human.

This technique?

It treated the cultivator like a weapon.

A living demonic artifact.

Using special materials—

Lightning wings.

Diamond Quicksand.

Ancient refinement methods—

To forcibly fuse treasure materials directly into flesh and bone.

Once completed—

The body itself became a weapon.

Indestructible.

Overwhelming.

But the refinement process…

Zhuo Fan’s eyes slowly darkened.

It was worse than death.

Countless refinement materials would be forced into every inch of flesh, meridians, bones, and organs simultaneously.

Like being carved apart by millions of blades at once.

A single mistake—

And both body and soul would collapse permanently.

Even back in the Sacred Domain, Zhuo Fan never dared attempting such a suicidal technique casually.

But now—

This was his only option.

Against Ghost Seven…

Against Nether Valley…

Against Heaven Profound power—

Schemes alone were no longer enough.

He needed absolute strength.

And he needed it fast.

Slowly—

Zhuo Fan raised his hands and formed several ancient seals.

The formation beneath him suddenly erupted with blinding light.

The Diamond Quicksand began rotating violently around his body like a golden tornado.

Meanwhile—

The Thundercloud Sparrow wings gradually dissolved into streams of crackling lightning essence.

Then—

The lightning and flowing gold sand surged directly into Zhuo Fan’s body.

“GHHHH—!”

A horrifying scream instantly echoed through the cave.

Veins bulged violently across Zhuo Fan’s body.

Blood exploded from his pores nonstop.

His flesh twisted unnaturally while countless golden cracks spread beneath his skin like molten metal forcing itself through living flesh.

The pain was unimaginable.

Even Zhuo Fan’s vision nearly blacked out instantly.

Yet still—

He gritted his teeth and endured.

Because he understood one thing clearly.

If he failed becoming stronger now—

Then sooner or later—

Everyone around him would die.

Including Xue Ningxiang.

[End of Chapter Seventy-Three]

Chapter Seventy-Four — Tempering Flesh, Tempering Soul

Hiss. Hiss. Hiss.

The Diamond Quicksand began to move.

Grain by grain, it spun with the formation beneath Zhuo Fan, rising from the carved array like a storm of golden dust. At first, only a few particles touched his skin.

Then they drilled in.

Each grain pierced him like a steel needle.

One grain.

Ten.

A hundred.

A thousand.

Soon, the golden sand covered his entire body, burrowing into flesh the instant it made contact. Tiny red spots appeared across his skin, each no larger than a needle prick, but together they painted him in blood.

This was only the beginning.

Zhuo Fan clenched his teeth until his jaw shook.

Cold sweat poured down his body.

Even for him, even for a man who had once walked the Demon Path to its highest throne, this pain was nearly unbearable.

Then the sand entered his muscles.

“Ah—!”

The scream tore out before he could stop it.

His muscles convulsed violently. Every inch of flesh felt as if it were being carved apart from the inside by countless blades.

But he forced his mouth shut.

He knew the rule.

If he broke here, he would never survive what came next.

This secret body-tempering art from the Nine Serenities Records was not cultivation in any normal sense.

It was destruction.

It would break the body apart, grind it down, replace flesh with spirit material, and rebuild the cultivator into something closer to a living demonic weapon.

Madness.

Pure madness.

But right now, madness was the only path left.

The Diamond Quicksand pushed deeper.

It reached his bones.

The first grain touched his skeleton.

Zhuo Fan’s body jerked.

Then—

Crack.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Every bone in his body shattered at once.

His entire frame collapsed like mud. Blood poured from his mouth. His eyes bulged, but he could not even move a finger.

Still, he held on.

One last step.

Only one.

The sand rushed into his organs.

Heart.

Lungs.

Liver.

Kidneys.

Everything ruptured.

Blood mixed with fragments of his insides sprayed across the formation, and the array drank it all greedily.

Zhuo Fan’s body went cold.

His breathing nearly stopped.

Yet a faint smile appeared on his blood-covered lips.

He had endured it.

Now the body should rebuild.

But the Diamond Quicksand did not stop.

It surged upward.

Straight into his skull.

Zhuo Fan’s eyes widened.

No.

This was not just body tempering.

It was soul tempering.

The golden sand invaded his consciousness like countless burning needles. His soul shook violently. His memories blurred. His mind began to collapse under a pain ten thousand times worse than shattered flesh.

For the first time, Zhuo Fan truly felt death.

Not defeat.

Not injury.

Annihilation.

His awareness began to fade.

Scenes from his former life flashed through his mind.

The Demon Path.

The Sacred Domain.

The throne of the Demon Emperor.

Betrayal.

Rebirth.

The Luo Clan.

Xie Tianyang.

And then—

Xue Ningxiang.

“Ning’er…”

His lips moved weakly.

“Ning’er…”

The name echoed through the last fragment of his consciousness.

Then his eyes snapped open.

“Ning’er!”

Boom.

Azure flame ignited on his forehead.

The strange flame left behind by the mysterious blue-robed man burst awake and flowed through his ruined body like living water. It entered the formation, fused with the Diamond Quicksand, and changed everything.

The golden sand melted.

Blood, lightning essence, azure flame, and Diamond Quicksand merged into a single stream of molten gold.

Then it flowed back into Zhuo Fan.

Flesh rebuilt.

Bones reformed.

Organs regenerated.

His body was no longer merely healing.

It was being reforged.

Inside his dantian, the Blood Infant opened its eyes.

Seeing the golden essence rush through Zhuo Fan’s body, it inhaled greedily, swallowing a portion of the power into itself.

Its crimson body slowly turned gold.

A sharp, terrifying light flashed through its tiny eyes.

At the same time, the Thundercloud Sparrow wings dissolved inside the formation. Their lightning essence poured into Zhuo Fan’s back.

A pair of blue wing markings slowly appeared across his skin.

Thunder crackled faintly inside them.

Far away, deep within the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, in a pitch-black cave where no spirit beast dared approach, a surprised voice echoed.

“My Azure Flame disappeared?”

The blue-robed figure opened his eyes.

For a long moment, he remained silent.

Then he laughed.

“No. Impossible.”

“Even a Saint-level expert couldn’t erase my flame so easily.”

His laughter deepened.

“So either the boy refined it…”

“…or something even stranger happened.”

The cave fell quiet again.

Then the man smiled.

“Interesting.”

“Very interesting.”

Back inside the hidden cave, Zhuo Fan remained suspended within the formation.

Golden light wrapped around him.

Lightning pulsed beneath his skin.

Azure flame burned silently in his soul.

And the aura rising from his body no longer felt human.

It felt like a weapon waking from sleep.

[End of Chapter Seventy-Four]