On one hand, he sought information about the Chaos Stone, and on the other, he researched how to cultivate the Chaos heart method.

As it turns out, this heart method had extremely strict requirements for cultivators. The first volume, in large black characters, clearly stated:

To practice this method, one must empty all spiritual power from the body. Use divine sense as a guide to absorb the primordial chaos energy of heaven and earth.

Although Bi Tian knew this must be a treasure, he was so frightened by the first condition of cultivation that he didn’t dare to open it for a full ten years.

It wasn’t until ten years later that he heard of a once-in-a-century genius appearing in the spirit realm, who had broken through to the Yuanying stage in just ten years.

When he heard the name, Bi Tian’s ambition was stirred again. Because this person turned out to be Pei Shanhai, the orthodox disciple who had entered the Qitian Secret Realm with him ten years ago and was the first to walk out of the celestial’s cave dwelling.

Thinking that she might have obtained the same precious method in the celestial’s cave dwelling, leading to her rapid cultivation progress,

Bi Tian became restless. He was originally of mediocre talent, like Pei Shanhai, although with dual spirit roots, but due to the conflict between fire and wood spirit roots.

Advancing on the path of cultivation was extremely difficult.

For people like them, without great fortune, they could only stop at the Yuanying stage.

Thinking that he only had thirty years of lifespan left, he felt unwilling to give up. Bi Tian took out the Chaos heart method again and frantically inquired about news of that celestial’s cave dwelling.

Fortunately, heaven doesn’t disappoint those who persevere. Ten years later, Bi Tian inadvertently entered the cave dwelling of an ancient demon lord.

In his handwritten notes, he found the origin of the Chaos heart method.

Tens of thousands of years ago, the demon realm, spirit realm, and celestial realm stood as three pillars. Originally, the three realms had clear boundary divisions.

Unfortunately, the demon lord developed thoughts of crossing boundaries, wanting to attack and occupy the spirit realm, and then take over the celestial realm in one fell swoop.

A large-scale attack would invite the intervention of the celestial lord. At that time, although the demon race hadn’t declined, they didn’t dare to confront the lord of the celestial realm head-on.

To conquer the three realms, the demon lord spent tens of thousands of years studying the mysteries of the heavenly way, attempting to defeat the celestial emperor Chifang in terms of cultivation methods.

Later, although he couldn’t advance further himself, he did create a cultivation manual called the “Heartless Way” that allowed for extremely rapid cultivation. Of course, this manual wasn’t a demonic scripture, but rather a righteous cultivation method for cultivators with special physiques.

This method had extremely high requirements for cultivators, and almost every cultivator chosen by this heart method was bound to be a person of great fortune and opportunity.

In fact, rapid cultivation speed isn’t necessarily a good thing. For practitioners of the Heartless Way, they hardly experience the tempering that ordinary cultivators go through at each realm. If their mental state is slightly unstable, they can easily be controlled by the Heartless Way method.

The demon lord’s purpose in creating this method was precisely this.

The method would choose suitable cultivators on its own, and once they started cultivating, the method would take root and operate on its own.

Cultivators would gradually be controlled by the method, losing their seven emotions and six desires.

And these lost seven emotions and six desires of the greatly fortunate ones would become nourishment, cultivating new demon seeds.

When practitioners of the Heartless Way ascend, they would meet their death.

All the great fortune on their bodies would be poured into the demon seeds, thus contributing to the cultivation of a world-destroying demon body.

On the day the Heartless Way manual was released, Han Qingzi, a Great Luo Golden Immortal from the Wuji Palace in the celestial realm, divined a prophecy: When the emotion demon appears, there must be great chaos in the spirit realm.

Because of this prophecy, after the celestial lord killed the demon lord in the celestial-demon war and sealed the Heartless Way manual, he left a glimmer of hope for the spirit realm by sealing a volume of the Chaos Determination in the Chaos Stone.

It wasn’t by chance that Bi Tian obtained the Chaos Stone in the Qitian Secret Realm.

This was because the Chaos Stone sealed two methods: the Heartless Way was obtained by Pei Shanhai, while the subsequent Chaos Determination happened to be seen by Bi Tian.

In the world of cultivation, going against heaven’s will, there is cause and effect, every action has its consequence.

Bi Tian learned the origin of this object, but due to his own greed, he didn’t hand over the method for suitable cultivators to use, but kept it for himself.

Over the years, he finally figured out the correct way to cultivate.

Only by opening the Chaos Stone and cultivating in the chaos space could one gain enlightenment.

However, after spending enormous effort to open the Chaos Stone and enter the chaos space, he found that he couldn’t even turn his divine sense, let alone find any spiritual energy in the space or a way to absorb the primordial chaos energy.

Trapped in the vast desert, he couldn’t survive for even a day.

Even more unfortunately, he encountered a sand storm, and his arteries were cut by the sharp sand. In the last moment as all the blood drained from his body, a black vortex appeared again, and he was sucked out of the chaos space.

When Bi Tian wrote down his notes, he was already at the end of his rope.

At the moment of death, he suddenly remembered that if no one could comprehend this Chaos heart method, there would be great chaos in the spirit realm.

A sense of compassion arose, and he hurriedly left behind this manual, dying with regret.

After investigating the jade slip written by Bi Tian himself, Liu Changning frowned, creasing several shallow lines between her brows.

She looked down at the man who was sweating profusely, walking forward without a word.

He was barefoot, with blood blisters forming around his ankles.

With each step, the blisters burst and stuck to the sand.

Another step, and new blisters formed, spreading across his bare soles.

Every step was painful, but he seemed unaware of the pain, walking faster and faster.

Liu Changning narrowed her almond eyes, listening to his heavy breathing.

She said hoarsely, “Senior, if we could get out, what would you most want to do?”

Only his uneven exhalations could be heard in the silent desert.

After waiting for a long time, thinking he wouldn’t speak, a voice of exhaustion came: “We’re here.”

Looking up, before them was a small oasis. In the vast desert, in a low-lying pool, clear springs rippled with shimmering light.

He carried her on his back, walking slowly towards the edge of the pool, and said in a low voice with a laugh, “If we could get out, I’d like to have a drink of the nectar from the Drunken Immortal Tower.”

Liu Changning casually brushed away his damp hair that had fallen forward, and said softly, “Mm, shall we drink together?”

As these words fell, another mouthful of blood spilled out. The warm blood landed on Pei Ziyuan’s long neck.

He seemed as if he had been scalded, his steady pace suddenly stopping.

Where was the mood to think about nectar and jade liquid now? The oasis in sight was not hope.

For the female cultivator before him, it was the last green of life.

Her spiritual power was exhausted. If there was no way to repair her dantian, she wouldn’t live for even a day.

Pei Yuanshao pursed his lips. He thought for a very, very long time, so long that the female cultivator on his back had closed her eyes at some unknown point.

Suddenly, panic arose in his heart, his eyes filled with terror. He quickly laid her down at the edge of the oasis.

With trembling hands, he reached to feel for her breath.

… Not dead!

Closing his eyes in a fluster, Pei Ziyuan felt the fear in his heart lingering for a long time, unable to dissipate.

Although full of confusion as to why such strong emotions were born in his heart, he no longer had time to get to the bottom of it. He thought it must be related to the contract.

After all, if she died, he wouldn’t be able to live either.

Now, the only method that could save her, which was also the method to save himself, indeed existed.

The Earth Fire Lava and the Mysterious Ice Pearl were interdependent. If he and she immediately engaged in dual cultivation, it could solve all problems.

The space had no innate spiritual energy, but he had it within his body. The Earth Fire Lava was abundant, his dantian intact.

The Vermilion Bird clan’s secret method of dual cultivation allowed the two practitioners to serve as furnaces for each other. The true essence would exchange and circulate within each other’s bodies, achieving the effect of refining and purifying, benefiting both parties.

During the process of dual cultivation, while repairing her dantian, he would also transfer the Earth Fire Lava from his body into hers, transforming it into Mysterious Ice true essence.

As one decreased, the other increased, killing two birds with one stone, both of them could benefit.

And the prerequisite for all this was… they only needed to merge!

Pei Ziyuan sneakily opened his eyes. What met his gaze were her pale lips, with dried dark red blood.

An inexplicable sourness once again filled his heart. He struggled to close his eyes and open them again, repeating this several times.

His lips pressed into a straight line. Struggling to open his eyes, he reached out with trembling hands and tore off the remaining cloth on her chest.