The instant the Jade Sun Pagoda accepted Lei Ze's forced connection, the entire atmosphere within the hall shifted violently.
The great monument, built of polished emerald jade, began to hum with a deafening resonance.
The white orb of the "true Jade Sun" floating at the pagoda's apex pulsed, sending a colossal column of brilliant, purifying white light directly down onto Lei Ze. The light wasn't painful this time, but overwhelmingly intense. It felt like being immersed in a warm, spiritual ocean.
This pure energy surged into Lei Ze's body, not just reinforcing his Golden Core, but actively searching out the residual Demonic Energy within him. The confrontation between the pagoda's divine Qi and the dark taint was instantaneous and catastrophic inside his meridians.
Lei Ze cried out, a sound trapped somewhere between pain and ecstatic enlightenment, as a battle raged within his spiritual core. He saw the black, volatile energy, a remnant of the Demon King's soul fragment fight back, sizzling and coiling against the relentless white light. His skin momentarily glowed alternating shades of white and ominous black.
Then, the Jade Sun Pagoda, fulfilling its ancient purpose, began the true purification.
It did not destroy the Demonic Energy but contained and compressed it, sealing it deep within a remote corner of his spiritual sea, ensuring it could not interfere with his normal cultivation.
With the taint subdued, the Pagoda's energy flowed freely. The enormous structure began to shrink at a rapid, impossible pace, its mass concentrating until it was small enough to fit in his palm. The intense, jade-green light enveloped Lei Ze completely, and the pagoda vanished, drawn into his body to reside in his spiritual sea as a powerful innate artifact.
As the light faded, Lei Ze stood trembling, his eyes wide. He hadn't just claimed a treasure; he had absorbed a relic of tremendous power, one that had just overhauled his entire cultivation foundation.
He felt an intense, overwhelming feeling of spiritual purity and incredible stability. The Pagoda's essence had bound itself to his soul.
A stream of information, ancient and complex, flooded Lei Ze's mind. He instinctively knew how to use the Jade Sun Pagoda.
First, it served as a divine vessel for his Qi, offering unmatched spiritual stability and protecting his core from corruption.
Secondly, and most importantly for the future, he learned that the Pagoda was capable of absorbing external, chaotic energies like the Emperor's Scorch Gāo Fēng had stolen—purifying them, and converting them into massive amounts of pure Qi to boost his cultivation speed by several magnitudes. It was an ultimate shortcut.
Lei Ze stared at the stick in his hand, then at the dead centipede, now just a massive pile of green, sticky waste. He felt an almost ridiculous strength coursing through him.
"This is incredible," he whispered, a faint, almost arrogant smile touching his lips. He was now armed with a weapon that could not only purify the world but accelerate his progress beyond any mortal speed.
Lei Ze turned away from the dead creature and the shattered pillar. He had to rejoin his companions. The Pagoda was his, but the Treasure Hunt was not yet over.
However, as he took his first step, a sharp, suffocating pressure descended upon the hall. The air grew immediately cold, and the joyous feeling from his success was violently replaced by a sense of mortal dread.
A clear, deep voice, full of ruthless power, echoed from the entrance he had just burst through.
"I see you found what belongs to the Jīn Yàn Sect."
Lei Ze froze, spinning around. Standing in the entrance, flanked by the huge, muscular figure of Mò Zhàn and the silent, watchful Měi Lín, was Lord Yáng Zhàn himself. The Sect Master had bypassed the trials and come directly for him.
Yáng Zhàn's eyes, narrowed with murderous intent, were not fixed on the emptiness where the pagoda had stood, but directly on Lei Ze.
"You are Lei Ze," Yáng Zhàn stated, his voice a low thunder. "My son came for the Pagoda, but it seems you've already swallowed it. You will hand it over now, or your pathetic Green Pine Sect will pay the ultimate price."
Mò Zhàn took a threatening step forward, radiating immense power. Měi Lín watched Lei Ze, a glint of genuine curiosity and challenge in her eyes.
Lei Ze crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes silently challenging the formidable figures before him.
"This treasure belongs to no one sect or individual," he stated, his voice ringing with newfound conviction. "It can only be claimed by the truly righteous."
Yáng Zhàn returned the gesture, folding his own hands behind his back and smiling gently, a dangerous edge to his politeness.
"The righteous, you say? Hmm. My son was the fated person to claim it, not some insignificant boy who never even knew his mother growing up."
Lei Ze's eyes widened instantly, the mention of his mother striking him like a physical blow. He struggled to process how the Sect Master of a rival power knew anything about her.
"How do you know my mother?" Lei Ze demanded, leaping into the air to face them directly.
Yáng Zhàn chuckled softly and let out a deliberate exhale. "Ah, Lán Mèng. She was a powerhouse cultivator within the Jīn Yàn Sect itself. One of the six revered Sect Leaders, in fact. Something deeply troubled her, a secret she chose not to share with any of us. Then, one day, she appeared pregnant. We never knew who the father was, and she kept silent."
He paused, a shadow crossing his face.
"The sect was facing constant threats back then. Lán Mèng didn't want her child to suffer, so she made the choice to leave the Jīn Yàn Sect and live alone."
Lei Ze's fists clenched at his sides, his emotions a turbulent mix of anger and wrenching sadness. He needed to know the final piece of the puzzle. "Do you know who killed her?" he demanded.
Yáng Zhàn sighed deeply before answering.
"Your father... his name was Yǒng Yè. He was a Dark Lord, a master of forbidden energy. He didn't intend to kill Lán Mèng. His target was Jìng Xū, the Grand Master of the Green Pine Sect. The chaotic dark smoke he deployed lost control and ended up wiping out the entire village, including your mother. It was Jìng Xū's rivalry that led to your mother's death."
The revelation caused Lei Ze to stumble backward, his vision blurring. Tears immediately welled in his eyes, but he clenched his fists, forcing the sorrow deep down, hiding the devastating emotion behind a mask of cold fury.
"Where can I find my father?" he asked, his voice low and shaking with controlled violence.
Yáng Zhàn sighed again, heavy with weariness. "In the Northern Lands."
Mò Zhàn took a step, clearly intending to launch an attack, but Yáng Zhàn raised a hand, stopping his son.
"Let's go," Yáng Zhàn ordered.
"But, Father," Mò Zhàn protested, frustrated.
"He has already absorbed the Pagoda,"
Yáng Zhàn stated flatly. "It is useless to fight him now."
Yáng Zhàn turned to leave. Měi Lín cast one last, lingering glance back at Lei Ze before following her Sect Master and Mò Zhàn.
Consumed by a fresh wave of rage and betrayal, Lei Ze screamed after them.
"Where do you think you are going!"